Eat well, 'At Your Table'

The dining table. A central place where family and friends come together - for meals and celebrations or to catch up over a cup of tea or glass of wine. 

What a great place to create healthy habits for life and role model good eating behaviours.

Research shows, eating together as a family can help to improve overall dietary intake and food choices, improve social skills and help to reduce behavioural issues in children/adolescence. These are such important areas to nurture but can be quickly lost in today's fast paced society if not prioritised. 

So, if you don’t already, why not sit down at your table to share some meals with family and friends. Have a chat, laugh, make memories and create some great healthy eating habits along the way. 

Here are some simple things to try:

1. Eat slowly, relax and enjoy the company as well as the food.

2. Choose a colourful mix of (non starchy) vegetables that you love to eat (for example, salad greens, tomato, green beans, capsicum, mushroom). Fill half your plate with these vegetables. Then add smaller portions (¼ of your plate each) of protein (lean red meat, chicken, fish, tofu, egg etc) and carbohydrate (rice, pasta, starchy vegetables (potatoes, kumara, corn), bread, bread rolls, wraps etc).

3. Drinks - water is best. Other good alternatives are sparkling water or soda water. Get creative and add fresh lemon, mint, cucumber and/or fresh ginger. If you are drinking alcohol, drink in moderation and add a few glasses of water between drinks. NZ Ministry of Health guidelines for alcohol are, no more than 3 standard drinks per day for men, no more than 2 standard drinks per day for women, with at least two alcohol free days a week. Examples of a standard drink are one 330ml bottle beer or 100ml glass of wine. 

4. Be mindful and aware of your hunger cues. Stop eating when you feel satisfied/comfortably full (eating slowly will help with this).

Remember, healthy is a lifestyle. Make it simple, sustainable and enjoyable.

Create healthy habits for life. 

Start, 'At Your Table'.