Healthy Eating
1. Recipes
For all your healthy recipes please see: healthy recipes
2. Healthy body weight
How to maintain a healthy body weight by balancing physical activity and your food intake. The total amount of food that you will need will depend on your age, sex, body size, level of physical activity and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Maintaining your weight means balancing the energy going into your body (as food and drink) and the energy being used. To keep your weight at a steady level, the energy from the things you eat must balance the energy used by your body for growth and repair, for physical activity, and to keep your bodily functions working.
Healthy eating habits throughout life can help reduce the risk of health problems such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity.
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating has more information: Healthy Eating Guide
3. About Active-Ate
Active-Ate is a collection of resources developed by the Queensland Health Tropical Public Health Unit Network to promote physical activity and nutrition in primary schools. It was developed to contribute towards improved health and well-being among Australian schoolchildren. It is widely acknowledged that well-nourished and physically active children perform at their best.
The resource recognises the increasing prevalence of lifestyle diseases such as overweight, obesity and Type 2 diabetes in Australian children and adults. Approximately 20 to 25 per cent of Australian children are either overweight or obese, with a similar percentage insufficiently active for optimal health.
Active-Ate is designed to increase knowledge and awareness of healthy eating and physical activity among students. It promotes the adoption of healthy eating practices and physically active lifestyles by children.
As part of the 2004 election campaign the State Government announced an $11.1 million Safe and Healthy Schools Policy in which funding was allocated to Department of Education and the Arts for the review, expansion and enhancement of the Active-Ate Program. For further information visit: Active-Ate
4. Dietary Guidelines for Australians
The NHMRC Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults and Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia incorporating the Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers are based on the best available scientific evidence and provide information for health professionals and the general population about healthy food choices. The use of the guidelines will encourage healthy lifestyles that will minimise the risk of the development of diet-related diseases within the Australian population.
The dietary guidelines highlight the groups of foods and lifestyle patterns that promote good nutrition and health. They are no longer listed by number as no guideline is considered more important than another. Each guideline deals with a key health issue and is like a piece of the good health puzzle.
For further information go to the Dietary Guidelines for Australians
5. Go for 2 Fruit and 5 Vegetables
Eating plenty of fruit and vegies not only contributes to good health, but also protects against a number of diseases and helps maintain a healthy weight.
Most Australians eat only half the amount of fruit and vegies recommended for good health. Adults need to eat at least 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegies each day. The amount children need depends on their age.
Here you can find out about the benefits of fruit and vegies, nifty ways to get more fruit and vegies into your day, plus some super simple tasty recipes.
For further information Go for 2 fruit and 5 vegetables web site: Go for 2 and 5
6. Healthy Active Australia
The site provides access to practical information and up-dates, news for families, parents, teenagers, children and their carers and older Australians on healthy eating, regular physical activity, overweight and obesity, particularly for children and adolescents and active living.
For further information go to Healthy Active: Healthy Active Australia
7. Queensland Association of School Tuckshops
The Qld Association of School Tuckshops (QAST) is a not for profit organisation dedicated to the promotion and support of Queensland tuckshops and school communities in their endeavours to offer nutritious, hygienic and economically viable food services.
For further information go to Queensland Association of School Tuckshops: Queensland Association of School Tuckshops
8. Queensland Kids Fresh Net
The Queensland Kids Fresh Net (QKFN) program was created to help improve approaches to the education and promotion of health and nutrition in primary school children.
The program encourages school children to make healthy eating choices and live active lifestyles and targets children, their parents, teachers and tuckshop conveners. QKFN includes school presentations and market tours, resources and promotions for tuckshops and teachers and web site information and activities. All program elements are absolutely FREE! All schools have to do is to register and they are eligible for all QKFN promotions and resources.
Brisbane Markets Limited developed the program in 2003 with the support of the wholesaler representative organisation Brismark in response to research which demonstrated that diet related health problems such as obesity, cancers, high cholesterol and diabetes are increasing in children. QKFN believes if children eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, their chances of avoiding these problems will be greatly increased.
For further information go to Brisbane Markets web site: Brisbane Markets
9. What's healthier fresh, frozen or canned?
Fresh food, particularly when eaten in season is great but, but frozen and canned vegetables and fruits are good alternatives when fresh isn’t available and are handy to have in the freezer or pantry.
Just keep an eye out for the salt and sugar contents. Choose canned vegetables without added salt and canned fruits in natural juice. And, avoid overcooking them.
The way vegetables and fruit are cooked at home can affect the nutrient content. Vegetables and fruits of any type (fresh, frozen, or canned) that are boiled in large amounts of water for a long time lose most of their nutrients compared with vegetables and fruits that are lightly steamed.
For further information go to Dieticians Association of Australia: (DAA): frozen or canned?
10. Woolworths Fresh Food Kids
For fun recipes for the whole family as well as information on what Woolworths is doing for youth in your community go to: Fresh Food Kids
11. IGA Food for Life
For fun recipes for the whole family as well as information on what IGA is doing for youth in your community go to: IGA Fun Recipies