How to celebrate Healthy Eating Week
Each year, the British Nutrition Foundation holds a healthy eating week. This year healthy eating week runs from 28 September – 4 October.
Each day of the week will focus on an aspect of a healthy lifestyle, breaking the week up into small goals. The aim of the week is to bring the UK together, focusing on key health messages and promoting healthy habits.
- Monday – Eat more wholegrains
- Tuesday – Vary your veg
- Wednesday – Drink plenty
- Thursday – Move more
- Friday – Be mind kind
- Saturday – Get active together*
- Sunday – Eat together*
*The activities that are ‘together’ should only be achieved whilst abiding by social distancing and current lockdown restrictions. For example, a family unit or household can be active together and enjoy a meal together.
Monday – Eat more wholegrains
The importance of wholegrains:
- Increases fibre, which improves gut health
- Provides essential vitamins and minerals
Wholegrain examples:
- Wholemeal or wholegrain bread
- Wholewheat pasta
- Brown rice
- Wholegrain breakfast cereal
- Oats
- Bulgur wheat
- Pearl barley
- Spelt
- Quinoa
How to eat more wholegrains:
- Breakfast: Porridge or wholegrain breakfast cereal
- Snack: Wholegrain rye crackers with peanut butter
- Midday meal: Sandwich using wholemeal bread
- Evening meal: Stew or casserole with pearl barley or bulgur wheat
Tuesday – Vary your veg
The importance of veg:
- A wide range of vitamins and minerals
- Good source of fibre for improved digestive health
- Can help reduce risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer
Aim for 5-A-Day – but what counts as a portion?
- Three heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables
- Dessert bowl of salad
- Three heaped tablespoons of beans, chickpeas or lentils
How to eat more vegetables:
- Bulk out casseroles, pies, curries and stews with extra veg
- Snack of vegetable crudites
- Add vegetables to your smoothies, such as spinach or beetroot
Vegetable tips and tricks:
- Aim to eat a wide variety of different coloured vegetables to reap the full health rewards
- Opt for frozen vegetables to save on cost and preparation convenience
- Canned vegetables can also be a good choice, for example, tomatoes, chickpeas, sweetcorn and kidney beans
- Buy vegetables that are in season
Wednesday – Drink plenty
The importance of hydration:
- Water makes up more than half of your body weight and is constantly lost through sweating, breathing and using the toilet and needs to be replenished throughout the day
- Being dehydrated can make concentration difficult and cause headaches and tiredness
How much water do you need?
- Recommendation is 6-8 glasses per day
- More may be required due to external factors such as activity level and weather conditions
Good hydration options:
- Water is best
- Low fat milks or calcium-fortified unsweetened dairy alternatives
- Unsweetened tea or coffee (limit of 4 cups a day for pregnant women)
- Vegetable or fruit juice smoothies (limited to no more than 150ml a day)
Other drinks:
- Milkshakes, energy drinks, soft drinks, sports drinks and fruit juices all contribute to your calorie intake throughout the day and can increase risk of tooth decay
- Energy, sports drinks and some soft drinks also contain high levels of caffeine and should be limited
Hydration tips:
- Always have a drink with each meal
- Keep a reusable bottle to hand and sip throughout the day
- Drink plenty if partaking in physical activity
- Drink regularly – if you are thirsty you are partially dehydrated!
Thursday – Move more
The importance of moving more:
- Helps to maintain a healthy weight
- Improve heart health
- Strengthens bone
- Improves sleep
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Reduced risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes
Recommended physical activity:
- 150 minutes moderate intensity exercise / 75 minutes vigorous intensity exercise each week
- Do muscle strengthening activities on two or more days each week
Moderate intensity exercise:
- Increase in heart rate and body temperature
- Possible to talk but hard to sing a song
Vigorous intensity exercise:
- Increases body temperature and makes breathing heavier
- Hard to say a few words without pausing for breath
Muscle strengthening:
- Should work all major muscles and done with repetition
- Examples include lifting weights and yoga
- Can also include everyday activities such as carrying shopping and gardening
Friday – Be mind kind
The importance of being kind to your mind:
- 1 in 6 adults have mental health challenges
- Challenges include anxiety, depression, stress, addiction, loneliness and personality disorders
How to be kind to your mind:
- Eat a healthy, balanced and varied diet
- Stay hydrated
- Be active and follow the physical guidelines recommendations
- Sleep 7-9 hours per night
- Follow alcohol recommendation guidelines (no more than 14 units for both men and women each week, with at least 2 consecutive alcohol-free days)
Communication:
- Communication can make a big diffewrence to mental health
- Friends, family or a health professional can help reduce tension and bring emotional support
Hobbies and skills:
- Embarking on a new hobby or skill can boost confidence, redirect focus and allow you to meet new people
- Helps to manage stress, give time for relaxtion and provide a sense of reward and achievement
Saturday – Get active together*
The importance of being active together:
- Learn a new skill or sport
- Teamwork
- Strengthened communication and social skills
- Experience new things
- Improved mental health
- Increased self-belief when motivated by others
How to get active together:
- Walk and talk with family or friends
- Plan a day outdoors with family or friends
- Partake in a 5km parkrun
- Sign up for a group activity or sport
Sunday – Eat together*
The importance of enjoying food together:
- A great opportunity to spend time together
- Improved self-esteem, communication and mental health
- Enjoying healthy foods with others can help with motivation
How to eat together:
- It’s not just about sitting down and eating together; plan, shop prepare and cook the food with people
- Try new foods on other’s recommendations
- Eat around the table rather than in front of the television
