Eating well, staying at a healthy weight and taking regular exercise are crucial to good health and can often help protect against many diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and osteoporosis. However this shouldn't be hard work as healthy eating is not about giving up everything you enjoy but eating a variety of foods in moderation, while still seeing the delicious side of life!
A few tips:
- Eat breakfast
- Be adventurous with your food.
- Make starchy carbohydrates, such as pasta, rice, noodles, couscous, bread, the basis for all meals
- Have at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day
- Eat low fat meats and dairy products
- Choose low sugar alternatives to foods, such as Canderel tablets in hot drinks and Canderel granules on your fruit or cereal.
Eating a balanced diet needn't be boring. Canderel is dedicated to providing healthy food which is fun and delicious and in addition to its low calorie sweetener range, which enables you to satisfy your sweet tooth without any worries, Canderel has recently launched a delicious no added sugar chocolate
Each meal plays a key role in providing you with all the nutrients you need through the day.
Breakfast helps give you the energy to face the day and breakfast cereals are often a good source of vitamins, especially iron. Many people often miss breakfast in the hope it will help them lose weight, but research* has shown that eating breakfast can actually help control your weight. Having a glass of fruit juice with breakfast not only counts as a portion of fruit, but also provides vitamin C and helps your body absorb iron. If your cereal is not sweet enough sprinkle it with Canderel for a delicious sweet flavour.
Lunch needn't just be about sandwiches, try jacket potatoes, pita bread, bagels, noodles, pasta salads or even soup. Make sure you include a salad or portion of vegetables to increase the variety. If you buy your lunch, try to go for the healthy eating ranges.
Dinner is a great excuse to try something different. Base your meal on something starchy with a meat or alternative such as pulses, tofu or Quorn, to provide your body with extra iron and zinc. If you are eating out, try to choose a meal with a vegetable based sauce, rather than a creamy one. Include several generous portions of vegetables and you have a well balanced and nutritious meal. And why not enjoy the delicious sweet taste of Canderel sprinkled over your favourite fruit based pudding as an indulgent treat?
The key to eating well is achieving a balanced diet, while still having the permission to indulge. Basing your meals around the five main food groups below will help you achieve a varied and nutritious diet.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, such as potatoes, pasta, rice, and bread are a great source of energy, with complex carbohydrates (especially wholegrain varieties of foods) being a great source of slow release energy through the day, especially good for keeping you full for longer. Although carbohydrates are an important source of energy, they also contain many nutrients. As well as being high in fibre and starch, they also contain B vitamins, iron and calcium.
Fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables provide our bodies with vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. Fruit and vegetables are especially high in anti-oxidants (needed to fight ageing), and to keep our bodies healthy and working properly. Naturally low in fat and calories, try to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and be as adventurous as you dare! Why not try fresh strawberries with Canderel and low fat natural yoghurt as a delicious snack or pudding at any time of the day without the consequences? If you are trying to loose weight, try and increase your intake of fruit and vegetables.
Protein
Protein is an essential building block for the body. It is found in meat, fish, dairy products, pulses, Quorn, soya and TVP (Texturised Vegetable Protein). Try to avoid adding extra fat while cooking these and aim to include more fish and pulses in your diet.
Dairy products
Dairy products, for example, cheese, milk and yoghurts are the main dietary source of calcium. Children, teenagers and women, particularly during pregnancy, breastfeeding and after menopause, should ensure they eat at least 2 to 3 portions of dairy products a day to maintain healthy bones. Low fat varieties of these are best, especially if you are watching your weight. Try to incorporate extra dairy products by adding milk into smoothies, lattes, cappuccino or hot chocolate. Sprinkle with grated Canderel chocolate for a truly indulgent drink but without the calorific consequences.
High fat and sugar foods
Dietary fats are indispensable for the composition of cellular membranes, provide our bodies with a reserve of energy and are essential to provide certain vitamins. However, we often eat too much fat. Try to cut down on the amount of fat you eat, especially if you are trying to watch your weight. Eating too much sugar is not only detrimental to your waist line but also provides few nutrients as well as causing tooth decay. By using Canderel tablets or granules, you can reduce the amount of sugar in your diet while still enjoying a delicious sweet taste and new Canderel chocolate is ideal when you want to have a treat without the consequences.
Fluid
Drinking enough fluid is important, as being dehydrated can often leave you feeling tired, constipated, nauseous and can cause frequent headaches. We should all aim to drink at least 6 - 8 glasses of fluids per day. This includes water, milk, sugar free squashes, fruit juice, tea and coffee. Don't forget to use Canderel tablets in your hot drinks to reduce the sugar content of your diet.
See the meal plan below to see how easy it is to achieve a balanced diet.
Breakfast
30g of wholemeal breakfast cereal sweetened with Canderel and served with a handful of mixed berries and 100mls of semi-skimmed milk, 150ml orange juice and a hot drink of your choice (with Canderel tablets).
Mid morning: a piece of fruit with a drink (choose from water, hot drinks with Canderel, no added sugar squash, fruit juice or diet fizzy drinks).
Lunch
Wholegrain bagel, toasted and spread with low fat cream cheese and topped with smoked salmon and black pepper, serve with a side salad. Low fat yoghurt, topped with chopped fruit of your choice and a cold drink.
Mid afternoon
30g Canderel chocolate, try Silky Milk, Whole Raisins and Almonds Milk or Rich Dark with a hot drink (with Canderel tablets)
Dinner
100g chicken, sliced and stir fried with vegetables (try mushrooms, peppers, cabbage, mange tout, peas, onions, asparagus, carrots) and cook in sauce of your choice. Serve with 175g of rice or noodles. Small serving of apple crumble with 100ml custard sweetened with Canderel granules and one small glass of white wine.
* Schlundt DG, Hill JO, Sbrocco T, Pope-Cordle J, Sharp T. The role of breakfast in the treatment of obesity: a randomized clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 1992 Mar;55(3):645-51
Wyatt HR, Grunwald GK, Mosca CL, Klem ML, Wing RR, Hill JO. Long-Term Weight Loss and Breakfast in Subjects in the National Weight Control Registry. Obesity Research 2002, 10:78-82