Food

When you think of all the things your body goes through with the stress of study, puberty, and exercise, it is very important that you ensure that your body is getting everything it needs to deal with it. A lot of people use the excuse that they don't have time to eat a healthy diet. But grabbing a piece of fruit doesn't take that long at all, and it doesn't take longer to get a packet of dried fruit, rice crackers or some yoghurt than it does to get a packet of chips, biscuits or some cake. How much you actually eat depends on your age and activity level. Teenage boys who are active require about 2800 calories and teenage girls who are active require about 2200 calories.

Get into the good diet habits now so that they become second nature before you enter adulthood & are responsible for your own meals. Some great habits are eating a variety of foods & balancing them with good exercise. There is such a huge selection of foods available so why not try a new one once or twice a month.. Instead of buying pre prepared fruit & nut mix, make your own out of the selections you like. Fruit or nut bars are great as an alternative to a chocolate bar. Eating at the table makes it a lot easier to keep track of how much you have eaten. It's easy to get distracted & over eat, especially snacks, while watching TV or playing computer games. But if you love to have a snack while sitting on the couch, grab a few chips or biscuits...not the whole packet! It can only take small changes in your eating habits to make a big difference. If you think you need to make a lot of changes, work on one part of your diet at a time. Once the good habit has taken over the bad one, move on to another area. It may be as simple as having a glass of fresh juice in the morning instead of that can of soft drink. You don't have to give up your favourite treat, but remember that they are just that...a treat!

When you eat healthy not only do you feel great on the inside, but your skin, hair, eyes, etc benefit too! Healthy eating is important for having lots of energy, feeling great, maintaining weight, looking your best & even help avoid diet-related diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, some cancers, osteoporosis, strokes & diabetes.

Daily Serving Guide

Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta
6 servings daily
Breads: What a huge range available! White, wholegrain, mix grain, damper, rye, naan, chapatti, pocket bread...and we need to choose just 6 servings!
Cereals: Inexpensive, versatile & a huge range.
Rice and pasta: These are so versatile!

Fruits
2 servings daily
Just like vegetables the selection is massive! And they come prepared in many different ways...canned, dried, frozen, fresh etc.

Vegetables
3 servings daily
I don't know anyone that doesn't like all vegetables. Have you seen how many types there are!?

Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese
2 servings daily
Like it says...Milk, yogurt, and cheese.

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts
2 servings daily
Try to avoid the fried choices. Make your own salsa or sauce to serve with them instead of the fatty coating of batter, etc. Have you tried dry peas & beans? These are lower in fat & are great to add to a nut mix.