Healthy eating habits/Healthy Dinners for One

Below you will find information on how to cook healthy dinners and budgeting tips for people who live alone. thumb|500px|Here is a dinner with 3 serves of vegetables, 1 serve of meat, and 1 serve of grain Why eat healthy? There are many reasons to eat healthy food including: Happiness and enjoyment Preventing diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers Whitney, E., Rolfes, S., Crowe, T., Cameron-Smith, D. & Walsh, A. (2011). Understanding Nutrition – Australia and New Zealand Edition. Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited. Maintaining a healthy weight Whitney, E., Rolfes, S., Crowe, T., Cameron-Smith, D. & Walsh, A. (2011). Understanding Nutrition – Australia and New Zealand Edition. Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited. There are 5 food groups we should eat to maintain good health: National Health and Medical Research Council. (2013). Australian Dietary Guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/n55_australian_dietary_guidelines_130530.pd Vegetables & Legumes/Beans Fruit Grains and Cereals Meat and Alternatives, such as Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives What to eat for dinner thumb|Vegetables Fruit and dairy (and alternatives) are healthy foods but not usually eaten at dinner; to find more information on the recommendations for fruit and dairy and alternatives please click here for serving sizes and here for how many serves to eat each day. VEGETABLES and LEGUMES/BEANS Some options are tomatoes, green beans, sweet potato, corn, potatoes, beetroot, celery, carrots, lentils, kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, borlotti beans and many more. Only 6.8% of Australians eat enough vegetables and legumes/beans! Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2014). Australian Health Survey: Nutrition First Results - Foods and Nutrients, 2011-12. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4364.0.55.007main+features12011-12 Dinner is the perfect meal to eat more! What is a serve of Vegetables/Legumes/Beans? Each photo below is an example of 1 serve. National Health and Medical Research Council. (2013). Australian Dietary Guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/n55_australian_dietary_guidelines_130530.pd Click photos for detail. How many serves? Adults - 5 serves each day At dinner try to eat 3 serves or fill half your plate. GRAINS and CEREALS thumb|Grains and Cereals Some options at dinner include bread, rice, quinoa, pasta, cous cous, barley, polenta... Pick wholegrain, wholemeal and seeded varieties What is a serve of Grains and Cereals? Each photo below is an example of 1 serve - click photos for detail. How many serves? Most adults need 6 serves each day, as you age you need less, for more information click here. At dinner eat 1 or 2 serves. MEAT and ALTERNATIVES thumb|Lentils and Beans Some options at dinner include, lean red meat, poultry, fish, lentils, beans, tofu, nuts and seeds. What is a serve of Meat and Alternatives? Each photo below is an example of 1 serve - click photos for detail. How many serves? Men 19 – 50 years: 3 serves each day 51 years and over: 2.5 serves each day Women 19 – 50 years: 2.5 serves each day 51 years and over: 2 serves each day At dinner try to eat 1 -2 serves. Cooking Tips Time-saving cooking methods Pressure cooking Slow cooking e.g. soups, stews, casseroles. Microwave cooking Stir Fry Cook extra Meals - you could cook a recipe that serves 4 and keep in the fridge or freezer in meal-size portions. Vegetables - cook double, and store in the fridge and for your next meal Grain - pasta, rice or quinoa can be kept in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat in the microwave, or eat cold in salads. Try new recipes Find cheap cook books from Op shops. Borrow cook books from your local library. Swap favourite recipes with friends. The internet has great recipes such as,Taste website cooking for one,Jamie Oliver meals for one and Simply Great recipes for one. Saving Money Living alone can be expensive, below are some money-saving tips: Buy in bulk thumb|Scrambled eggs, with baked beans, mushrooms and toast thumb|Lentil and vegetable soup with avocado thumb|Bean salad Some foods are cheaper sold in bulk, such as: Potatoes Onions Pasta Rice Herbs & Spices Meat – freeze in portions Canned foods Very cheap and last a long time in the cupboard: Beans Lentils Tuna Sardines Tomato Corn Freezing Vegetables Berries Meat and fish Bread - stays fresh Meals Eat seasonally Vegetables and fruit are often cheaper in season. Local markets and green grocers are usually cheaper than supermarkets. Swap the meat! Meat is very nutritious but usually more expensive than eggs, beans and lentils. Some recipes you could try: Eggs - scrambled, boiled, omelette, frittata Lentils - soup, stew, salad Beans - Mexican dishes, salads, soups Write a list Plan your meals, and write a list before you go shopping so you don’t buy extra things you don’t need. More Information Cookbook:Pressure Cooking Australian Dietary Guidelines Information about Australian dietitians The Better Health Channel References