Since Caribbean Nutrition Day way back in June of last year is likely to be but a distant memory for many, you may need a helping hand to get back on track with healthy eating. Healthy eating is a phrase that is often bandied around, especially at this time of year when ‘resolutions’ abound. Every week there’s a new study that tells us we should be taking more vitamin D, avoiding carbs or consuming only orange coloured food – so unsurprisingly eating healthily has become a bit of a minefield. However, eating a nutritionally balanced diet that is rich in a wide range of vitamins and minerals is key to maintaining good health.

You are what you eat
Chronic diseases – such as obesity, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease – are among the most common causes of death around the world and yet this type of non-communicable disease is largely preventable through altering our diet. Poor lifestyle choices, including what you eat, can also slash your life expectancy. Changes to diet are among the most significant causes of non-communicable diseases. In 1961 the average Caribbean citizen consumed 2100kcals a day – in 2005 this had increased to 2800kcal a day, which could see you pile on a pound a week if you weren’t working those extra calories off with enough exercise.

The trouble is, there’s so much information out there it can be hard to know where to start when it comes to improving your nutrition. Whether you manage it or not, the chances are you’re aware that we should all be aiming for five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. But what else constitutes a healthy, balanced diet? Five is also the correct number of portions to aim for when it comes to bread, cereals, potatoes and other starchy staples. Milk and other dairy foods should form a key part of your diet with around 2-3 servings being advised, while meat, fish and alternatives such as eggs, non-meat protein sources and poultry should also be eaten each day, with 2-3 servings approximately. Finally, high-fat and high-sugar foods should be restricted to no more than three servings a day. But while this is the ideal, many health statistics point to the fact that too few people are taking this advice.

Making a change to a healthier lifestyle is not impossible, but you do need to be committed to the process. According to Dianne Charles, President of the Caribbean Association of Nutritionists & Dieticians, “it’s universally accepted that not eating too much at one time is one of the best things we can do for our health. But what you eat is just as important as how much you eat.” As well as the guidelines above, Dianne also advises that people looking to develop healthier eating habits should fill their plates so that around half of the plate contains vegetables, fruits and legumes, a quarter consists of a starchy item (such as potatoes or pasta) and the final quarter should be made up of lean meat or fish.

Get your five-a-day
Fruit and vegetables are important additions to a healthy diet because they are packed full of vitamins and minerals, which have been proven to promote good health. The five-a-day message is backed by the World Health Organisation, which advises we should all be consuming a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables daily to stem the rise of developing serious health issues.

Many people are confused about what constitutes one of your five-a-day: as a guideline, one portion should be around 80g. And it’s not just fresh produce that counts. You can also reach your five-a-day with a glass of fruit or vegetable juice, pulses such as chick peas or beans such as baked beans, vegetable-based soups, canned fruit, frozen vegetables and dried fruits such as sultanas or figs. However, as a healthy diet should also contain plenty of fibre you can only count one glass of juice per day and one source of pulses or beans a day no matter how many portions you eat, as this type of five-a-day contains less fibre and fewer nutrients. And be aware that there are a few types of vegetables which don’t count towards that magic number – potatoes, yams, plantain and cassava, though all rich in nutrients, are classified as starchy foods and so shouldn’t be counted towards your fruit and vegetable intake.

As well as being nutritionally sound, fruit and vegetables are relatively cheap. Sadly, cost is one of the key barriers to a healthy diet. Since 2000, the Consumer Price Index, which measures changes in the price of goods and services, has shown soaring increases – as high as 133-230 per cent in Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Suriname and Haiti, according to the IMF. Unsurprisingly the ever-increasing cost of food is having a devastating impact on the nutritional health of those of us living in the Caribbean.

Good fats Vs bad fats
We all know that fats are bad for us, right? Wrong. A healthy diet should contain some fats but it’s important to know what is a good fat and vital for health, and what is a bad fat that only contributes to our waistline. Fats are an important element of nutrition. They provide essential fatty acids, deliver fat-soluble vitamins to the body, provide fuel and keep our skin soft.

Compared to carbs and protein, fat is calorie-dense with around nine calories per gram, just over double the four calories per gram of carbs and protein. And regardless of whether you’re consuming a good fat or bad fat it still has the same number of calories. One of the key reasons that a healthy diet can reduce your risk of such a huge number of diseases and conditions is because a healthy diet will help you control your weight and being a healthy weight is a key element in fighting disease. Unfortunately you’ll find fat in many of the foods you love the most – fries, cakes, chocolate, steaks and cheese, but if you can cut back on the amount of fat you consume overall you will almost certainly reduce your weight and your risk of a number of diseases.

The good…
Unsaturated fats are the type that are most healthy for you, and within this group fall polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fats. These are good for you because, when consumed in moderation, they can help to lower your cholesterol level and reduce the risk of heart disease. Polyunsaturated fats are predominantly found in vegetable oils, but omega-3 fatty acids – found in oily fish for example – also constitute a polyunsaturated fat.

Monounsaturated fats are excellent heart helpers. They include olive oil and olives, avocado, almonds, pumpkin seeds, peanut oil and Brazil nuts.

The bad…
Saturated fats and trans fats should be restricted on a healthy eating plan, as both can play havoc with your health. The problem with these bad fats is that they can raise cholesterol levels, clog up our arteries and increase the chances of developing heart disease. They should only be consumed in moderation.

Saturated fats are present in animal products (meat, high-fat dairy products and eggs) and in vegetable fats that remain solid at room temperature, like coconut oil. If you check the label of your favourite food the chances are that it’s likely to contain saturated fat. This doesn’t mean you have to stop eating it but rather that you should enjoy it only in moderation.

The ugly…
Trans fats are considered to be one of the worst types of fats to consume – even more so than saturated fats. Research has revealed that even small amounts of trans fats can increase the level of bad (LDL) cholesterol while reducing the amount of good (HDL) cholesterol.
Naturally occurring trans fats, which can be found in small quantities in meat and dairy items, are not harmful, but the artificial kind is. These synthetic types of trans fats are created when manufacturers harden liquid oils into partially hydrogenated, or hydrogenated fat, so look out for them on your food labels.

Eating with the family
A healthy diet is paramount to a child’s development and long-term well-being, but we know that getting kids to eat the healthy options isn’t always easy, so here are a few tips to encourage them in the right direction...
1 Eat as a family as often as you can. Children will pick up your eating habits if you eat together.
2 Get your children involved in the preparation and cooking of your meals. A meal that they have helped to make will always seem more attractive.
3 Use stealth tactics – hide chopped vegetables in sauces, use them to decorate a pizza, whizz them up fruit smoothies or freeze fruit for a healthy snack.
4 Make time to experiment with new ingredients. If they don’t like oranges that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try them with freshly squeezed orange juice or in a fruit salad. Children are often quite conscious of different textures, so persevere, and don’t give up on any food completely – try it again in a month and they may decide they like it!
5 Stay calm when faced with a child refusing to eat. Don’t offer to make another dish, suggest they leave the table and return when they are ready to eat.
6 Don’t add salt to children’s food or keep a salt cellar on the table. Allow children’s taste buds to develop without an overload of salt.
7 Never use food as a reward for good behaviour, or withhold it as punishment. If you’re looking for an incentive try a trip to the park, a small gift from the toyshop or books and CDs for older kids.


On the go
Here’s how to fit in three healthy meals a day – even if you’re out at work all day or travelling:
1 Pack up a lunch to take into the office – this way you can control what you eat.
2 Keep healthy snacks such as unsalted nuts, fruit or cereal bars to hand so you don’t succumb to the vending machine.
3 If you’re travelling for work why not think about asking for a vegetarian meal in the hotel or on the plane? Without the meat you’ll be cutting back on fat.
4 Never skip a meal, no matter how busy you are. Breakfast, lunch or dinner on the run don’t have to mean a take away option if you put in some preparation.
5 Aim to include at least two portions of fruit and veg with each meal – a glass of juice and blueberries with breakfast, a bowl of soup and salad for lunch and two portions of vegetables with your main meal  –and you’ll hit your five a day target.
6 Lobby for healthier options to be served in the office canteen – and then opt for them.

Your questions answered
What is a healthy BMI?
Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in metres) squared. This then gives a figure which corresponds to a category to determine whether you’re underweight, the correct weight, overweight or obese. The higher your BMI the more at risk you are of lifestyle, diseases, so if you can lose weight you’ll also lower your BMI. To find out your BMI go online where you can find a BMI calculator.

How much liquid should I consume?
You should be aiming to drink around two litres of water every day to complement your healthy eating plan. Fruit teas and flavoured water also count towards this total, be aware that coffee is a diuretic and will dehydrate you. Try to just stick to one or two cups of coffee each day and top this up with good old-fashioned water.

Do processed foods have a place in a healthy diet?
In an ideal world all our meals would be made from scratch, but our work and family life can often get in the way of that. Processed foods can be useful for busy executives, but wherever possible try to opt for something homemade. If you must opt for a processed item then always read the label so you’re aware of what you’re eating and its nutritional content.

is it safe to skip meals?
In a word – ‘no’, asserts Dianne. “You should start the day with a breakfast that contains a staple item like cereal, fruit and milk. Avoid long intervals between meals – don’t go more than four hours without eating something, and ensure that your last meal is at least four hours before you go to bed.” One of the best pieces of advice when it comes to overhauling your eating habits is to ditch the fads – more often than not they rely on cutting out certain food groups and a healthy diet is one that doesn’t exclude any one food group but instead advises moderation.

Try our quiz…
How healthy are your eating habits? Put a tick to every statment that you can honestly agree with and see how you measure up.

• I eat at least five portions of fruit and veg a day

• When I snack I generally stick to nuts, fruit or vegetables snacks

• I limit my intake of high-fat or sugary foods to a maximum of one a day

• I understand the difference between types of fat and always opt for heart-friendly options when cooking

• I believe in eating what I want but in moderation

• I never skip a meal

• My daily diet is varied and full of colour

• I opt for a vegetarian dish at least once a week

• I rarely eat processed foods

• I never cut out specific food groups

How did you do?
1-3 ticks You could definitely do better. Take the time to notice what and when you’re eating, and follow some of the advice above to develop new eating habits that will ensure good health.

4-7 ticks You’re on the right path, but perhaps some of the facts above will help to spur you on to form even better patterns of eating. But, don’t despair – when it comes to nutrition every little bit really does help.

8-10 ticks Congratulations – you enjoy a healthy lifestyle and no doubt this is reflected in your health. Hopefully you’ve achieved a balance between healthy eating and enjoying your food in moderation.

Contacts
• World Health Organisation www.who.int
• Bupa International www.bupa-intl.com
• Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute www.cfni.paho.org
• Caribbean Public Health Agency www.carpha.org
• The Caribbean Association of Nutritionists and Dieticians www.eatwellcaribbean.com