Eating well
Eating a varied balanced diet and being active will help you stay fit and healthy so you can live life to the full and reduce the risks of ill health. Eating plays an important, enjoyable and social part of all our lives. As we get older the need for protein, vitamins and minerals remains the same but energy requirements can decline with age if you become less active. Food choices should still be nutritious but you may need smaller portion sizes.
Try to eat a wide variety of foods as no single food provides all the nutrients we need. The types and proportions of food we need to have a healthy and well balanced diet are:
Bread, rice potatoes, pasta & other starchy foods - These are an important part of a healthy diet and should make up about a third of the food we eat.
Fruit and vegetables - Aim for at least five portions per day.
Protein foods – meat, fish/eggs/poultry/lentils/beans/peas/tofu/quorn – try to have at two meals daily. Choose lean cuts of meat or remove excess fat and remove the skin from chicken. Avoid frying where possible. Try to include two portions of fish each week, one of which should be an oily fish, for example: mackerel, trout, sardines, kippers or fresh tuna.
Milk and dairy foods - These are good sources of protein and vitamins and they’re also an important source of calcium which helps to keep our bones strong. Try to choose reduced fat versions where you can – for example semi-skimmed milk, low fat yoghurt, cottage cheese and half fat Cheddar cheese or Edam.
Food and drinks high in fat and/or sugar - Try to take just a small amount of foods and drinks high in fat/sugar.
Use the Eatwell Plate to help you get the balance right. It shows how much of what you eat should come from each food group.
Key messages
Keep a store cupboard It is a good idea to have an emergency store cupboard for times when you are unable to get to the shops. It is also a good starting point for easy and cheap cooking. A list of some foods is given below as a guideline. Most of these foods have a long shelf life. Meat and fish – cans of corned beef, stewed meat, sardines, salmon and tuna Fruit and Vegetables – canned or frozen - tinned vegetable soup, beans, dried lentils, peas, soup mix, instant mash potato Drinks – tea, coffee, cocoa, malted milk, instant soups Cereals – breakfast cereals, crackers, crisp bread, oatcakes, rice, pasta and biscuits. Other – stock cubes, gravy, honey, jam, marmalade Useful links
Milk – long-life milk, evaporated or dried milk and canned milky puddings
Northern Trust recipe book: Tasty cooking for small numbers
Choose To Live Better
Page last updated:04 February 2013