Eating a good, healthy balanced diet helps you to feel well and stay well.
Small changes can lead to big benefits:
- Supersize your fruit and vegetable portions.
- Make starchy foods part of every meal.
- Start the day with a healthy breakfast
- Down size high calorie food and drinks and limit fast foods.
- Aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
Facts and Statistics
Fruit and Veg
Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables is key to good health.
Those countries which have the least diet related health problems have plenty of fruit and vegetables in their local diet, eg.the Mediterranean diet.
Aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Most adults in Highlands eat between 3 and 4 portions a day.
Some facts:
- Over two thirds (66.7%) of Highland men and 62.4% of Highland women are overweight or obese, giving an overall proportion which is slightly higher than the national figure (64.4% in Highland and 62.4% in Scotland).
- 30% of girls and 35% of boys aged between 2 and 15 years in Scotland are overweight or obese.
- Intakes of sugary drinks and sweets are high.
- Intakes of saturated fats are high – found in cakes, biscuits, crisps and fast foods.
- Total salt intakes should not exceed 6g a day – current intakes are about 9g a day.
A poor diet is associated with poor health - diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure and strokes.
Local Food
Think about local food - eating more local fresh food is also good for the local economy.
Many people in Highland and Argyll and Bute, grow, produce and prepare food – by supporting them you will help to support Highland jobs and culture and lessen the environmental impacts of the food industry.
Information
Healthy Weight Week will be held between the 10th and 16th September as part of the Highland Year of culture. The key message is to Eat better, Move more.
There will be plenty of events and information – keep a look out on the events page.
