The Good Food Guide

Food is one of life’s pleasures and although we all wish we could eat what we want, the reality is that our bodies need the right food to keep functioning properly. Have a look at our good food guide and make sure you’re giving your body the fuel it needs.

1. Grains And Starches
These fuel your muscles and brain and are an especially great source of energy when you’re exercising hard. Some people believe that they need to cut out carbs in order to lose weight, but the truth is that carbohydrates are the foundation of a good eating plan. It all comes down to what grains and starches you choose and how you prepare them.

Your Top Choices Include:

• Bran cereal – with low-fat milk, a banana and orange juice for a champion’s breakfast.
• Oat bran – a wonderful breakfast that helps lower cholesterol and protects against heart disease.
• Bagels and muffins – choose them in rye, bran, corn, oat bran or wholewheat. Eat these instead of buttered toast, croissants or pastries, and combine them with yoghurt and orange juice for a well-balanced meal-on-the-run.
• Wholegrain and dark breads – more nutritional value than white breads, so opt for choices like dark rye or wholewheat.
• Rice – choose brown rice instead of over-processed white rice.

2. Fruits
These help with healing and reduce the risk of cancer, high blood pressure and constipation. We are all meant to eat two to four servings a day, which may seem like a lot, but if you eat bananas with your cereal and drink orange juice at breakfast, you’re already halfway there.

Your Top Choices Include:

• Citrus fruits and juices – oranges and grapefruits contain the highest amount of natural vitamin C.
• Bananas – a low-fat, high-fibre option that helps protect against high blood pressure. If you need a quick energy boost, this is your fruit.
• Kiwi and strawberries – a great source of vitamin C and potassium.
• Dried fruit – if you’re eating too little fruit, keep a bag of these handy.

3. Vegetables
Veggies have even more nutritional value than fruits so be sure to eat your three to five servings a day. We also lose a lot of the goodness of veggies when we overcook them so be sure to cook only until tender-crisp, and not soggy, preferably in a microwave oven, steamer or wok.  

Your Top Choices Include:

• Broccoli, spinach and green peppers – these low-fat vegetables are loaded with potassium and vitamin C.
• Tomatoes and tomato sauce – eat this in salads or on pasta or pizza.
• Cruciferous vegetables – cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and mustard greens protect you against cancer, as do carrots, winter squash and greens. Surveys suggest that people who consume large amounts of these vegetables have lower cancer risk rates.

4. Meats And Protein-Rich Foods
Vital for building and repairing muscles and for reducing the risk of iron deficiency or anaemia – you should eat two to three servings of protein-rich foods every day, but slabs of steak and huge hamburgers have no place in a good diet.

Your Top Choices Include:

• Lean beef – a lean roast beef sandwich is an excellent weapon against anaemia and is a good source of Vitamin B, which gives you energy. This is a better lunchtime choice than a grilled cheese sandwich, tuna salad or hamburger because of its low-fat content.
• Chicken and turkey – poultry is a great choice for a healthy heart. Just make sure you buy skinless chicken, or discard the skin which is extremely high in fat.
• Fish – canned or fresh, fish is a wonderful source of protein. You should be aiming for three fish meals a week, preferably salmon, tuna and sardines.
• Peanut butter – a few tablespoons on wholegrain bread, crackers or a bagel offers protein, vitamins and fibre. Peanut butter has no cholesterol and is great for anyone concerned with heart-health.
• Canned beans – try vegetarian refried beans tucked into a tortilla with salsa and low-fat grated cheese, or baked beans on top of a baked potato, or canned kidney beans added to a salad.
• Tofu – a vegetable protein that may reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. Tofu has a mild flavour so you can add it to salads, chilli, spaghetti sauce, lasagna and other mixed dishes.

5. Low-Fat Dairy Products
Dairy products are rich in calcium, which is important to maintain strong bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Because your bones are alive, they need calcium daily and experts recommend a minimum of three servings of low-fat dairy foods a day.

Your Top Choices Include:

• Low-fat and skim milk and yoghurt – both have almost no fat and are the richest sources of calcium.
• Low-fat cheese – these are usually tasty and add both calcium and protein to pasta, chilli and vegetarian meals.
• Dark green veggies – broccoli and bok choy (a veggie often used in Chinese cookery).

6. Fats, Oils And Sweets
Contrary to popular belief, a good diet does include fats and sugar. Some people eat too much of it though and end up living on a diet of junk food.

Your Top Choices Include:

• Olive oil – associated with a low risk or heart disease and cancer – use it for salads, sautéing and cooking.
• Walnuts – thought to be protective against heart disease, walnuts are a fine addition to salads, cooked veggies and even pasta.
• Molasses – it is among the darkest of sugars and has the most nutrients, so try adding a tablespoon to milk, or mixing in some yoghurt, or even spreading it on a peanut butter sandwich.
• Your favourite sweet temptation – although rich desserts don’t contribute vitamins, minerals or health to your diet, they do add pleasure. Fit in a small amount of any favourite into your diet.