Haringey Community Health Services
Dietetics and Nutrition
Healthy Eating & Food Fads
5-Day-Recipe Booklet
A 5 A DAY Recipe Book has been produced as part of the 5 A DAY Programme in Haringey and Enfield. It is geared towards families or anyone wanting ideas on increasing or varying the fruit and vegetables in their diet.
Top Tips
Check out our top tips to help shed those unwanted pounds!
Forget the food fads and diets, the best way to lose weight and keep it off is by making lifestyle changes which involve eating healthily and taking regular exercise. Now is the ideal time to set yourself some goals for the new year.
The following guidelines will help you to follow a healthy balanced diet that will also encourage weight loss.
- Start every day with breakfast and plan to have three regular meals a day, with snacks in between only if you’re hungry.
- Cut down on the fats
- Fat contains twice as many calories as carbohydrate and protein foods of the same weight
- Foods high in fat include cakes, biscuits, pies and pastries
- Reduce the amount of fried food you eat. Use low fat cooking methods such as grilling, baking, steaming, poaching or dry frying
- Choose low fat versions of milk, cheese and yoghurt, and tomato based pasta sauces on pasta instead of creamy ones
- Choose lean cuts of meat and cut all the fat off
- Don’t eat too much sugar
- Sugar gives us ‘empty calories’ – meaning it has no nutritional value and contains no vitamin and minerals.
- Try to cut out the sugar in your tea and coffee – use an artificial sweetener if you need to
- Also try swapping fizzy drinks for the diet varieties, and choose no added sugar squash
- Have your 5+ a day of fruit and vegetables
- There are numerous health benefits in eating plenty of fruit and vegetables. They are also low in fat, and high in fibre, vitamins and minerals so fill up on them!
- Fruit is great as a dessert or snack, fresh, dried or tinned in its natural juice. Vegetables can be fresh, tinned or frozen. Try adding vegetables to your sandwiches or snacking on vegetable crudites.
- Drink plenty of fluid
- Drink at least 8 – 10 cups of fluid a day which can include water, tea, coffee, skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, sugar free or diet soft drinks.
- Remember that water is good for you and it's cheap!
- Try to cut down on alcohol
- Alcohol contains a lot of calories, so try to keep your intake to a minimum . The current recommendations for alcohol consumption are two units for women and three units for men a day, with a couple of alcohol free days a week.
- One unit is the equivalent to one pub measure of spirits, one small glass of wine or half a pint of lager/beer.
- Increase your activity levels
- Aim for 30 minutes of exercise five times a week
- This should be aerobic exercise such as walking, swimming or cycling . If you are not used to exercising it's important to remember to increase your activity levels slowly . Why not set up a walking group with your work colleagues and go for a brisk 15 – 30 minute walk during your lunch break.
Top Tips to Lose Weight
Lynne Robbins 0208 442 6476
t: 020 8442 6476
e: lynne.robbins@haringey.nhs.uk
