EAT WELL TO LIVE WELL An easy guide to affordable, healthy eating.
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PICK ONE SMALL THING 51618_Livewell_Eating Guide_210x297.indd 2
Small, simple positive changes to your diet can deliver huge gains for your health and wellbeing. Try one small thing every day. • Eat more fruit and vegetables. • Choose whole grains over processed foods. • Switch from animal fats to plant fats. • Use fish, skinless chicken and leaner cuts of meat. • Enrich meals with beans and legumes. • Reduce your salt and sugar intake. • Drink more fluids, especially water.
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CARB CRAVINGS Rethink your favourite carb-rich foods. Choose carb-rich foods that are higher in fibre, lower in sugar and lower in salt. It’s ideal to add one to two servings of a fibre-rich carb to every meal, but cut down on them in the evenings if your goal is to lose weight.
Livewell tip Make your own muffins using less oil and sugar than the recipe suggests. Add grated carrot and apple as well as crushed nuts and substitute some of the flour with oat-bran to really boost their nutrient value.
CEREALS AND PORRIDGE Serving size 1 serving = ½ a cup of cereal or cooked porridge
Limit these foods Low-fibre, sweetened cereals and porridges (less than 3 g of fibre per 100 g)
Oat bran, oats porridge and raw oats-based Swiss muesli
Toasted, sweetened muesli and granola (high in fat and sugar)
BREAD AND CRACKERS 1 serving = 1 thin slice of bread ½ a bread roll ½ a wrap ½ a pita bread
High-fibre bread, e.g. health bread, seed loaf and rye bread Wholewheat pita bread and wholewheat wraps High-fibre savoury crackers, brown rice cakes and corn cakes
2-3 wholegrain crackers
All white and brown bread and rolls, garlic bread, white breadcrumbs and croutons All baked products made from white cake flour, including rusks, pastries, samoosas, cakes, cupcakes, muffins, croissants, waffles, focaccia, tramezzini, pita bread, naan bread, wraps, rotis, pizzas, scones, doughnuts, hot cross buns and biscuits Low-fibre, high-salt savoury crackers
COOKED STARCHES 1 serving = ½ a cup of cooked pasta, rice, couscous or quinoa ½ cup of cooked pap or samp ½ a cob of sweetcorn 1½ cups of popped popcorn 2 baby potatoes or 1 small potato/ sweet potato
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Best choice Breakfast cereals and porridges that are high in fibre, low in sugar and low in salt, such as bran flakes and high-fibre brans
Baked or boiled baby potatoes or sweet potatoes with the skin Wholewheat pasta, brown rice, wild rice and rice with added lentils, pearled wheat, samp and beans, sorghum, wholewheat couscous, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, bulgur wheat and crushed wheat
Oven chips, fried chips, roasted or fried potatoes, frozen potato bakes, frozen hash browns and instant noodles Flavoured corn and potato crisps
Mealies or sweetcorn and homemade popcorn (watch out for the salt content.)
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VEGGIE POWER Keep it simple so you benefit from their nutrients. Eat as many vegetables as possible throughout your day. They are a great source of fibre and a variety of micronutrients. Snack on raw vegetables and half-fill your plate with vegetables or salad.
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Limit these foods
All fresh and frozen vegetables – preferably steamed, baked, lightly boiled, stir-fried or roasted with a little oil and no salt
Cooked vegetables with added oil, butter or margarine
A variety of salads: green salad with an assortment of added vegetables, carrot salad, broccoli salad, coleslaw, three-bean salad
Crumbed frozen vegetable “fingers” or “nuggets”
Passata (less salt and sugar than tomato paste)
Pickled veggies high in salt, like pickled onions, gherkins, cucumbers, ginger, Peppadews, peppers, sauerkraut and beetroot
All frozen vegetables, stir-fry vegetables, stewing and roasting vegetables, butternut and Brussels sprouts
Battered vegetables like onion rings
Frozen creamed spinach
Canned vegetables like canned tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato paste and tomato juice, mixed vegetables, peas, sweetcorn, mushrooms and asparagus (drained and rinsed)
Livewell tip Have at least 1 serving of brightly coloured vegetables every day, as they boost your vitamin A intake. Examples include butternut, pumpkin, carrots, spinach and orangefleshed sweet potatoes.
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FRESH FRUIT These sweet treats are full of nutrients and fibre. Focus on eating whole fruit and limit fruit juice to half of a small glass daily. Have between three and five servings of fruit a day.
Serving size
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Limit these foods
1 serving =
All fresh and frozen fruit
Dried fruit with added sugar
1 medium-sized piece of fruit
Dried fruit
1 cup of cubed or chopped fruit
Fruit bars and rolls without added sugar
All sweetened fruit juice and dairy-fruit juice blends
½ a cup of canned fruit
Fruit juice without added sugar
1 small banana
Canned fruit in natural juice
2-3 pieces of dried fruit
Smoothies made from fresh or frozen fruit
15 grapes
Canned fruit in syrup
1 tbsp of raisins ½ a cup of fruit juice
Livewell tip Blend frozen berries, yoghurt and peanut butter into a smoothie for a deliciously healthy breakfast.
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DAIRY DOSE All dairy products are naturally rich in protein and calcium. Having enough calcium is important for building and maintaining strong bones. Three servings of dairy products are recommended daily. Plant-based milk and tofu are great plant-based alternatives for those who avoid dairy products.
Serving size 1 serving = 1 cup of low-fat or fat-free milk I cup of plant-based milk (soya, rice milk, almond milk) 1 cup of low-fat or fat-free plain or sugar-free yoghurt / kefir
Best choice
Limit these foods
Low-fat and fat-free milk and skim milk powder
Full-cream milk, dairy blends and non-dairy creamers
Low-fat flavoured milk without added sugar
Full-cream flavoured milk with added sugar
Low-fat and fat-free yoghurt
Double cream yoghurt or drinking yoghurt with added sugar
Drinking yoghurt with no added sugar
1 cup of soya yoghurt
Low-fat buttermilk and evaporated milk
1 cup of maas 30 g of hard cheese
Cottage cheese, ricotta, reduced-fat feta, low-fat cheese wedges, mediumfat cheddar, gouda and mozzarella
½ a round of feta
Soya milk, almond milk and rice milk
Full-cream evaporated milk Sweetened condensed milk
Âź cup of cottage cheese
Livewell tip Yoghurt is a great source of probiotics that are essential for maintaining a healthy gut.
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PROTEIN-RICH FOODS
FISH Serving size
Limit these foods
Canned fish in brine, tomato sauce, chilli Any fish fried in batter and oil (drain the excess oil.) Fish cooked in a rich, creamy sauce Shellfish like oysters, mussels, shrimps, prawns and calamari without butter or peri-peri sauces
High protein foods for muscle growth and repair. Fish, chicken, meat, dairy and eggs are great sources of animal proteins while legumes and nuts contain plenty of plant proteins. Our bodies use protein for many different functions so plan a serving with every meal. Aim for two servings of fish each week to boost your intake of healthy fats.
Best choice
Deep-fried fish, fried calamari, A serving is around 100-120g – Sustainable fish, fresh or frozen, grilled equivalent to the size of a pack of cards. or baked, especially oily fish such as oven-baked crumbed fish, fish fingers pilchards, sardines, mackerel and salmon and fishcakes
CHICKEN AND MEAT A serving is around 100-120g – equivalent to the size of a pack of cards.
Chicken breasts and thighs with skin removed Lean beef, pork and veal Lean mince and burger patties Whole-muscle cold meats Lean biltong
Chicken wings Crumbed chicken Fatty beef, mutton and lamb Bacon, pork sausages and boerewors Processed meat like polony, pastrami, salami and corned meat Dry wors and fatty biltong Meat and chicken pies, puffs and sausage rolls
EGGS 1-2 eggs are allowed a day.
Livewell tip
Boiled, poached and scrambled eggs
Fried and Scotch eggs
Omelettes filled with vegetables like onion, green pepper and mushroom
Lower your animal fat intake by choosing skinless chicken, fat-trimmed meat and avoid processed meats like polony, sausages and boerewors.
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HEARTY LEGUMES Add body to your soups and meals and stay fuller for longer. Legumes include dried beans, dried peas, lentils and soya. They are rich in protein, fibre and a large variety of micronutrients. Eat these healthy plant based proteins as often as possible.
Best choice Dried or canned beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils Baked beans in tomato sauce
Limit these foods Vegetarian sausages and patties with a high salt content
Hummus Soya beans, and soya products like tofu and soya mince Felafels and vegetarian burgers Edamame beans Chickpea or lentil pasta
Livewell tip Add legumes to soups, stews and mince, and crumble tofu into stir-fries and salads to add flavour and make them more filling.
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FATS AND OILS Find the perfect balance between all the healthy fats. Fats and oils provide us with essential nutrients. To reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, eat between four and six servings of plant fats a day and use less animal fats.
Serving size 1 serving =
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Limit these foods
1 tsp of oil or margarine
Any vegetable oil, but preferably olive, canola or avocado oil, and all oil-based cooking sprays
1 tbsp of low-oil mayonnaise
Soft tub “lite” margarines
¼ small avocado
Low-oil mayonnaise and homemade salad dressings
2 tsp of peanut butter 5 olives or whole nuts
All unsalted and raw nuts
Coconut oil and coconut cream Butter, butter spreads and brick margarines Cream, crème fraiche, full-fat mayonnaise and bought salad dressings Roasted and salted nuts, seed bars, nuts coated in caramel, chocolate or yoghurt
Peanut butter and tree nut butters All seeds, like sesame, sunflower, pumpkin and flaxseed Avocados and olives
Livewell tip Instead of a spread on bread or toast try using a spread of hummus, low oil mayonnaise or cottage cheese..
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DID YOU KNOW? There are two main types of fat - the less healthy animal fats, such as butter, cream and fat on meat and the healthier plantbased fats, which are found in canola oil, nuts, seeds and avocados.
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HEALTHY DRINKS Staying hydrated is essential to maintaining good health. It is recommended that you drink between six and eight glasses of water per day to stay well hydrated. If you choose to have diet drinks, enjoy them moderately by limiting consumption to four per week.
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Limit these foods
Water
Sweetened waters (check labels)
Unsweetened sparkling water and soda water
Vitamin water
Herbal teas
Fruit cordial
Coffee
Sugar-sweetened drinks, including sports and energy drinks
Cocoa or sugar-free hot chocolate powder Homemade soup made with low-sodium or homemade stock
Coffee sachets with creamer Hot chocolate Canned cream-based soups
Livewell tip For a refreshing drink on a hot day, prepare a litre of fruity herbal tea, cool and add 500 ml fruit juice and lots of ice.
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FOOD ON THE GO It can be healthier than you think.
Best choice Take-out grilled chicken Salad or corn on the cob rather than chips. Fish take-aways and sushi Fibre-rich ready-made meals and salads with added vegetables (look for Livewell branding) Low-carb baking mixes
Limit these foods Take-out fried chicken, pizzas, hamburgers, ribs and chips Boerewors rolls, Russians and hot dogs Bunny chows and “vetkoek” Frozen samoosas, pies and quiches Convenience meals with creamy sauces
Livewell tip Portion distortion is an issue when we eat out. Don’t feel like you have to finish what is on your plate. If the portion is too big, share it or take leftovers home.
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SPICE IT UPRethink your Try a variety of healthy ways to add flavour and colour to your food. Over half of the salt we eat is from salt added to processed foods such as bread, breakfast cereals, cheese, cold meats and sauces. A serious excess of salt in our diets can lead to health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney disease. Experiment with seasoning your food with as little salt as possible.
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Limit these foods
Black pepper, fresh and dried herbs.
Salt and any seasoning with added salt
Chilli powder, curry powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and dry mustard
Instant pasta sauces
Fresh ginger, fresh garlic, garlic powder, sodiumreduced stock powder, celery powder and onion powder Lemon, lime juice, vinegar, sodium-reduced soy and Tobasco sauce Flavoured extracts like vanilla essence
Commercially prepared and ready-made sauces and mixes Meat marinades and tenderisers Stock cubes, gravy powders and stuffing mixes Relish and pickles Soy sauce with a high salt content
Livewell tip Use a mixture of garlic, rosemary, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to marinade meat.
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