10 do’s and don'ts when it comes to the food you eat 

For optimum health, make your plate a canvas filled with colours from nature.

Ensure that there is enough variety in your diet, and go easy on sugar and salt 

Food isn’t just what we eat: it is how we live, and it fuels our bodies. In an era of influencers, food trends and diet fads, healthy eating is a phrase often tossed around like a salad and knowing what’s truly good for us can feel like we’re navigating a maze. The answers lie somewhere between science and instinct — it’s about finding balance and making our guilty pleasures the exception, not the rule.

There are food do’s and don’ts that have been tried and tested by science. They are the basics that unlock the best health benefits and longevity from the food we eat. 

The six no-debate do’s for a healthy plate and body 

1. Paint your plate with colour: Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit for nutrients and fibre, from crisp bell peppers to juicy watermelon slices. Make your plate a canvas filled with colours from nature.
2. Choose whole grains: Swap refined grains like white bread, pasta and rice for their whole grain counterparts. Dive into a bowl of hearty oatmeal, savour whole wheat bread and enjoy the nutty goodness of brown rice. Your gut will also thank you for the added fibre.  
3. Do dairy right: Dairy is not the only source of calcium. Pick plain, low-fat, or fat-free milk or yoghurt. For extra calcium and stronger bones, eat foods like canned fish with soft edible bones, calcium-fortified soy milk and calcium-set tofu. 
4. Pick power proteins: Proteins build up every part of our bodies, so choose protein partners like omega-3-rich sardines, pilchards, salmon, trout and mackerel. Skinless chicken, eggs and legumes (beans, chickpeas, and lentils) also build muscles, one bite at a time. 
5. Remember not all fats are created equal: Know and eat the good ones, mainly plant fats such as olive oil, canola oil and avocado oil. Unsalted nuts and seeds add crunch and avocados and oily fish (mackerel and salmon) bring omega-3 benefits. Saturated or animal fats can cause heart disease. So, say goodbye to unhealthy fats like butter, lard, ghee, coconut oil, fat on meat, and skin on chicken.  
6. Drink enough water: Drink water when you are thirsty and regularly throughout the day. 

Take caution: Four don’ts in healthy food habits 

It’s not about depriving yourself. It’s about making wise choices for the best nourishment. 

1. Say no to highly processed foods: These are often convenient delights. Don’t have takeaway foods, crisps, chocolates, sweets, cakes, biscuits and pastries too often. They’re sugar-and-fat-loaded, tempting us toward unhealthy weight gain. Plus, they’re high in salt — it adds most of the salt in our daily diets.   
2. Park the processed meats: Beware of these salty snacks. Hot dogs (frankfurters), cold cuts (ham, salami), sausages, corned beef and biltong all contain a lot of salt, and they are linked to increased cancer risk. 
3. Go slow on the saltshaker: The World Health Organization waves a caution flag to not eat too much salt. They recommend having less than 5 grams of salt a day (that’s a teaspoon only). Too much salt plays havoc with blood pressure, leading to heart disease and strokes. Instead, sprinkle herbs and salt-free spices for a bit of taste variety. 
4. Stop the sugar attack: Limit the sugary breakfast cereals, biscuits, cake, and sugary drinks. The WHO advises keeping sugar below 5% to 10% of our total energy intake (that’s six to 12 teaspoons a day only). Swap fruit juice for water and go easy on the sugar in your tea and coffee. It’s good for your waistline and teeth.  

When in doubt, use the three-step food plate model  

1. Make half your plate vegetables and fruit. 
2. Make one-quarter of your plate whole grain foods.
3. Make one-quarter of your plate healthy protein foods. 

While food is also about connection and celebration as we gather around tables, it’s always good to keep our health in mind. The secret? Eat variety and enjoy a balanced diet that works for you and your health. 

Overnutrition can lead to obesity

Swap ultra-processed food for ultra-healthy food 

Dr Mosima Mabunda, Head of Wellness at Discovery Vitality, says fast food like fizzy drinks, chips, chicken nuggets and sausages contain high amounts of saturated fat, salt and sugar, which can be bad for your health.

Let’s talk about overnutrition and the role of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) 

When we hear the word malnutrition, the general view is that it means not eating enough. But malnutrition is any imbalance in food intake, which includes overnutrition that leads to being overweight or obese. So, malnutrition is both deficiencies of nutrients and energy (undernutrition) and excess (leading to fat accumulation) that affect our overall health and wellbeing. The only way to achieve the recommended nutrition levels is to eat a balanced diet that gives us the correct amounts of energy and nutrients we need. 

Overnutrition has many different causes – ultra-processed foods are one 

“Overweight and obesity can be the result of unhealthy eating habits and a lack of physical activity, but there are other factors to consider,” says Dr Mosima Mabunda, Head of Wellness at Discovery Vitality.  

• Cost, taste and accessibility: Nutritious foods can be expensive, and high-sugar and high-fat foods often taste better and are more accessible than healthier options.
• Time, tools, and knowledge: Preparing nutritious meals requires time, cooking implements and knowledge about balanced diets. Sometimes, what people believe is healthy may not align with evidence-based guidelines.
• Early childhood habits: Eating habits established during childhood can influence weight later in life.
• Environmental effects: Environmental factors significantly impact our ability to make responsible decisions about diet and exercise. For instance, an environment that promotes long hours of screen time or easy access to calorie-dense foods contributes to overnutrition.

Dr Mabunda says: “One area where food education can make a big difference is around ultra-processed foods (UPFs). These foods are usually high in added salt, sugar and fat, but low in vitamins and fibre, which all impact our health.” 

Globally, the consumption of UPFs increased in the last few decades to now make up 50% to 60% of our daily energy intake. In South Africa, a recent study found that UPFs made up 39.4% of the daily diets of low-income groups. 

Why are ultra-processed foods (UPFs) a health risk?  

Some food processing is good for our health. For example, cooking meat and pasteurising milk can help prevent foodborne diseases. But UPFs, which include carbonated cooldrinks, chips, chicken nuggets and sausages, have a higher energy density compared with fresh or minimally processed foods. They have more calories, and you can take in more energy than you may need, which leads to weight gain. A diet with large amounts of UPFs also mean you eat less of the food groups that are healthy and contain fibre, and you absorb a lot of saturated fat, salt and sugar, which can be detrimental to health.

Tips for the best nutrition and a UPF-free plate 

Cooking from scratch using minimally processed foods can help you eat nutrient-dense meals that are not too high in energy.

Switch UPFs for healthy options, by saying:

• No to flavoured yoghurts with added sugar or sweeteners. Yes to plain yoghurt with chopped fresh, frozen or dried fruit. 
• No to readymade sauces or meals. Yes, to home-cooked foods in larger amounts to freeze extra portions.
• No to sugary, low-fibre breakfast cereals. Yes, to cooked porridge with fruit and nuts. 
• No to biscuits. Yes, to unsalted nuts with your afternoon cuppa. 

“Addressing overnutrition involves not only individual choices but also creating an environment that supports healthier lifestyles. Awareness, education, and community initiatives around healthier eating habits can play a crucial role in combating obesity,” says Dr Mabunda. 

Practical, healthy cooking tips and recipes

Peek into the pantry of a dietitian – make meal planning easy and shopping healthy 

Carla Pool: Dietitian for Discovery Vitality  

Planning meals that are healthy can take time, if we don’t know the basics about what’s good and what’s not. Ever wonder what the basic foods in a dietitian’s kitchen are? Well, here they are. What’s even better, is that these foods that boost your health come at reasonable prices too. So, fill up your pantry and enjoy healthier meals that will get the dietitian-approved stamp. 

Why plan meals? 

When we are hungry, we tend to grab what’s closest to eat or order from our phones. By planning meals, healthy snacks and foods are always available. Knowing what you’ll eat saves time and money, and no food goes to waste when you stick to your meal plan. 

Start with knowing what a healthy plate of food looks like 

It’s easy with the three-step food plate model:  

1. Make half your plate vegetables and fruit. 
2. Make one-quarter of your plate whole grain foods.
3. Make one-quarter of your plate healthy protein foods. 

Tip: Choose whole foods and keep ultra-processed foods, salt and sugar to a minimum. 

The foods to always have in your kitchen 

Tip: If your grocery list includes these foods every week, you’ll be more likely to eat them regularly.  

Shopping list for a healthy plate at every meal   

• Fresh vegetables and fruit — this should make up half of the food you eat. So, add as much colour to your shopping basket as possible. 
• Canned vegetables like tomatoes bring a stew together. 
• Frozen vegetables can be added to a lot of meals to add fibre and nutrients.

Tip: Choose canned vegetables without added sugar or salt for the healthier option.

Wholegrains 

• Oats
• Brown rice — cook brown rice in batches and freeze portions to save time. 
• Whole wheat pasta 
• Whole wheat cous-cous — a quick, easy addition to any meal that only needs boiling water and a few minutes to soak.

Healthy protein and legumes

• Skinless chicken 
• Fish like sardines, pilchards, salmon, trout, and mackerel or tuna in brine.
• Uncooked or canned lentils, peas and beans — rinse off the brine and have a healthy, nutrient dense protein to add to your meal.

Tip: Choose canned proteins in water or brine, instead of oil or sauces that often include added sugar and salt, for the healthier option. 

Snacks

• Unsalted nuts 
• Dried fruit 
• Popcorn kernels for homemade popcorn. 

Tip: It’s well worth investing in your herbs and spices collection to add a variety of tastes to your meals. Choose fresh herbs and salt-free dried herbs and spices.

Have fun and be creative! The Vitality HealthyFood Studio makes healthy eating easy with recipes to make at home. Enjoy this Cannellini bean soup with spinach, tomato and chives and Lentil roasted pumpkin rocket feta salad for added protein and a boost for the immune system as we head to the colder months. 

Book a HealthyFood Studio course on the HealthyFood Studio website https://www.healthyfoodstudio.co.za/#/courses

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Your passport to flavour: Exploring plant-based plates around the globe

Three vegetarian meals that taste delicious and are still protein-packed and healthy

As plant-based diets take centre stage, beans, peas and lentils — also known as pulses — which have been nourishing civilizations for centuries, have emerged as unsung heroes of nutrition. They offer a wealth of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals that sustain not only the planet but also our health.

The word pulse describes seeds you can eat that are found in pods, which include the dried seeds of legumes. Plant-based proteins and pulses are high in everything your body needs without the saturated fat and cholesterol that’s present in animal proteins. The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa recommends beans and other legumes as part of a healthy eating pattern, and for a good reason. Substituting plant-based proteins for red meat can lower blood cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease, and they make you feel full for longer because of the high dietary fibre content. 

A half-cup serving of cooked beans provides about 20% of the recommended daily dietary fibre. This simple measure can have profound implications for your overall health, particularly in managing blood cholesterol levels.

Take a journey to uncover how beans and legumes form the backbone of traditional dishes from various countries. Be inspired by the Vitality HealthyFood Studio recipes where you can cook along with the chefs on the videos and explore and expand your taste buds and menu.

THREE BEAN SALAD

Country of origin: Mexico

Pulses used: Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans.

Flavour sensations: Fresh cilantro, lime-cumin vinaigrette.

Try it yourself: Watch how to make a Mexican-style Three Bean Salad and bring a piece of Mexico to your table. This recipe combines protein-packed black beans with quinoa, red bell peppers, corn, fresh cilantro and a zesty lime-cumin vinaigrette for a truly refreshing meal. 

BUTTERNUT AND LENTIL SALAD

Country of origin: South Africa

Pulses used: Lentils

Flavour sensations: Sweet butternut, wholegrain mustard, flat-leaf parsley, rocket, feta cheese and balsamic vinegar.

Try it yourself: Follow HealthyFood Studio’s Chef Eli Williams’s simple steps to assemble this salad, combining roasted butternut and onion with a lentil mixture dressed in mustard and balsamic, all garnished with fresh parsley, rocket, and crumbled feta. Or try her super-delicious spaghetti.

QUINOA AND VEGETABLE SOUP

Country of origin: Italy

Pulses used: Cannellini beans, also known as white kidney beans.

Flavour sensations: garlic, the earthiness of quinoa, tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese and celery.

Try it yourself: Dive into the art of Italian cooking by making this wholesome quinoa and vegetable soup. With ingredients like olive oil, savoy cabbage, fresh tomatoes, and a sprinkle of Parmesan, this recipe promises a delightful culinary experience. Watch the recipe video here and embrace the warmth and richness of Italian flavours in your own kitchen.

Book a HealthyFood Studio course on the HealthyFood Studio website https://www.healthyfoodstudio.co.za/#/courses

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#HealthyFoodStudio