Short messages on Diet & exercise from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
At the supermarket, shelves at eye level usually contain the more expensive items. Try swapping branded products for the supermarket’s own brand.
If you have less money to spend on food, plan your meals a few days ahead, make a list before you go shopping and stick to it so you don’t buy too much.
Don’t use big plates as you may end up putting more food on them. Give children their own smaller plates and always serve them small portions.
Lots of food can be refrigerated and re-heated the next day. Only re-heat leftovers once, and always ensure food is piping hot throughout.
If you reduce your portion sizes too much and still feel peckish, increase the amount of salad or vegetables on your plate or have a piece of fruit instead of dessert.
Take your time eating to allow your brain to register when you’re full. Once full, stop eating. In future, aim for a more realistic portion size to avoid waste.
Fruit and vegetables should be at least one third of your diet. The recommended amount is five a day, but that’s the minimum you should be eating. And with five a day, it’s important to eat a variety of fruit and vegetables, and as many different colours as possible, to ensure you are getting lots of different nutrients.
An 80 gram portion of fruit is: three tablespoons of cooked veg or a small bowl of salad, One piece of fruit about the size of a tennis ball, two pieces of fruit each about the size of an egg, or a handful of grapes.
Get your heart beating faster and your lungs working harder for at least 10 minutes. Try it for 20-30 minutes each day, building up to a total of 150 minutes a week.
Achieving 150 minutes of exercise a week can reduce your likelihood of developing heart disease and stroke in later life.