It has been suggested that, at the very least, having breakfast and dinner together should be made a daily family ritual, involving both preparation and consumption of food. This may help accomplish the following:
• Reduce dependence upon, and consumption of, less healthy food options
• Reduce the frequency of eating out
• Increase consumption of healthier foods
• Help children and adolescents develop positive emotional and physical health
• Build family cohesion
So calling all families---- let go for it!
• Eat a variety of nutrient rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for optimal health and well being. Remember no single food supplies them all. You need to eat whole grain foods whenever possible. Wholemeal bread, wholemeal crackers, fruits and vegetables add fibre and valuable nutrients to our daily diet.
• Always make small and smart changes in your dietary food habits. This way you can gradually adjust to the changes and keep to it 80% of the time. Remember 1 gram of fat gives you 9 calories while 1 gram of carbohydrate and protein gives you 4 calories. So eating anything with fat gives you double the calories.
• The nutritional information on food labels give you specific information about the calories and nutrients such as fat, cholesterol sodium, fibre and certain vitamins and minerals on a single serving of the product. When shopping, use the nutrition labels as your guide for healthier eating.
• Besides looking out for the expiry date, shop on a full stomach. This way you won’t be tempted to buy extra goodies or nibble on free samples.
• Realise that no matter where you eat or buy your foods, your favourite foods can fit into a healthful eating lifestyle. Just balance the variety of foods. Sugar can be part of a healthy diet, but be aware of hidden sugars. Sugar makes our food palatable.
• In case you do snack, there is a variety of low fat snacks available such as sandwiches, popiah basah, steam yam cake, fruits, wholemeal biscuits, low fat yoghurt, unsweetened popcorns and many others. Snacks aren’t meal replacers. Smaller portions usually are enough to take away between-meal hunger pangs without interfering with your mealtime appetite.
• Go for the 5 servings of vegetables and fruits daily in your diet. Have a variety by choosing dark green leafy vegetables, fruit vegetables, sprouts and many more. Cook lightly with little oil and where possible, eat it raw.
• Have fun with exercises. Enjoy walking with your family. Climb up the steps. Walk to the shops.
• Wash the car yourself - you get to exercise and also save money. Do some gardening - plant some vegetables. Plan active family vacations or weekends.
• The goals set for changing towards wiser eating habits must be realistic. Know your intent. Change does not mean eliminating a food or food habit. It means focusing on moderation and balance. For example: Goal: To eat less fat.
• Moderation in food intake is the key to successful healthful eating. Eat high calorie foods in moderate amounts and balance them with nutrient wise choices. Learn to control your portion sizes. Even calories in low fat foods can tip your energy balance when servings are bigger than you need.
• Ask for smaller portions when eating out. Do request for less oil in your fried noodles or roti canai. Check the menu language if in doubt. Ask how the particular dish is prepared. Mix and match your food.
• Vary your type of meal preparation. If you had a plate of nasi lemak and teh tarik in the morning, take a light lunch by having an average serve of rice with a good serving of vegetables, a piece of ikan masak kicap and a slice of fruit. Compliment the evening meal with a bowl of noodle soup with lots of vegetables, lean meat and a piece of fruit.
• Let us remember that rice, pasta, tubers, bread, noodles and other cereals products are low in fat and offer valuable nutrients and fibre. Remember to cook it with minimum amount of fat.
• Ask a qualified dietician or nutritionist for reliable food and nutrition information.
• Be innovative in the different food preparations and modify cooking methods. Traditional recipes can be modified to lower fats and calories. Try grilling, steaming, baking and roasting. Use natural flavours such as tamarind, soy sauces, garlic, ginger, onions, vinegar, curry powder, lemon grass, other spices and condiments.
• Set out for lean meat, chicken without skin, prawns without the head and enjoy a variety of proteins. Include lentils, peas, beans and tofu which are good sources of protein, fibre and contain zero cholesterol.
• Insist on limiting high fat salad dressings, fried foods, alcoholic beverages, processed meats, and saturated fats such as butter, ghee and full cream cheese, high fat foods such as cakes, pastries and pies which will benefit you a long way - health wise.
In Conclusion
Besides modeling healthy eating, talk with your children about the Food Guide Pyramid and all of the delicious foods they can eat that will help keep them healthy. Explain that you make healthy choices when you shop for food at the grocery store, and when you eat out. Establish some family guidelines that everyone (including you, the parent) will follow when eating out, such as having low-fat milk and/or water with a meal. If you have young children, explain that you will choose two or three healthy foods and then they can decide what they want from those choices.
The choices you make as parents will influence your children’s choices. If you choose and enjoy eating healthy foods, your children are more likely to choose healthy foods, too. Results from several studies over the past decade show that children do indeed follow their parent’s eating patterns, so parents do have a strong influence over their children’s food preferences and choices. The bottom line really, is this: If you eat healthy foods, your children will also eat healthy.
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