Dietary Variety and Your Health

Eating well and ensuring we are consuming a wide variety of nutritious foods is one of the biggest investments we can make in our future. On the surface this sounds like a simple statement and an attainable goal, but in reality so many of us are confused over what healthful, nutritious food means.

In this blog, I will attempt to give some helpful insights into what a healthier plate might mean for those of you who want to make healthier food choices for yourselves and your family.

In discussing plant based meals and promoting greater intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, I am hoping to help more people discover and understand the health benefits that these food sources have to offer.

Small, consistent changes and additions to our total diet, (all the foods we consume), can have a huge impact on our wellness.

Personally, I opt for vegetable based dinners with a small portion of meat/fish. Normally I will eat a vegetarian dinner twice per week and sometimes more often. This helps me to feel my best and well fuelled for the activities I enjoy.

Ultimately, it's about finding a balance that works for you and your lifestyle and preferences. Trying to become a vegan overnight probably isn't a realistic goal for the majority of us, but certainly aiming for 5 portions of fruit and veg per day and making that a priority shouldn't be too unattainable for most.

In simple terms, I advocate strongly to reduce your intake of highly processed foods and swap them for whole foods which are minimally processed, as far as possible.

Protein

The debate about the need for protein and the source of that protein to meet nutritional guidelines and promote health rages on.

In practical terms, each of us should aim for approximately 1g of protein per 1 kg of body weight. It is important to consider where this protein comes from within our diet.

There are distinct differences between animal and plant sources of protein. If choosing vegetarian options, it is worth considering the quality of the protein and ensuring you are receiving all of your essential amino acids, (amino acids are the building blocks of a protein. Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body, and therefore must be consumed). A wide variety of plant based foods should ensure sufficient intake of amino acids.

Ensure the diet is varied and not limited.

A plant based diet can absolutely lead to optimal protein intake, but it may require more preparation and meal planning to ensure adequate nutritional intake. The variety in our diets, or the lack thereof as the case may be, has a profound impact on our health and wellbeing. Plant based protein sources help to promote gut health compared with animal products.

Fruits and vegetables

We all know that we are recommended to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day. But do we understand that these foods have remarkable health benefits?

We can consume a huge amount of micronutrients by increasing our servings of fruits and vegetables. Aim for up to 7 portions per day, and eat more vegetables than fruits.

Fruits and vegetables can provide enough protein to meet our daily requirements, they promote a healthy gut microbiome, (which I will discuss in a separate blog post as it is a massive topic in its own right). The prebiotic's found in plant based foods feed the healthy bacteria in our gut and promote better digestion and promote general health.

They are also full of antioxidants and promote immunity through their chemical compounds and vitamin content.

Fibre

Fibre is only found in plant foods, and so increasing your intake of plants and plant based foods will promote better regulation of your digestive system. Promoting gut health by preventing constipation and digestive discomfort.

Adequate fibre intake and consuming healthy fats helps to protect us from developing insulin resistance and therefore, they are protective agents against the development of type 2 diabetes.

Healthy Fats

Fats are necessary to support our bodies' natural functioning. Incorporating healthy fats into our diet helps to keep our joints healthy and protects our organs. But what are healthy Fats? Healthy fats and oils contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The dietary advice is to limit the intake of saturated fats and opt for healthy polyunsaturated oils instead such as olive oil, rapeseed oil etc. and use as little as possible in cooking.

Oily fish is a great source of healthy fats and contributes to a healthy, balanced diet when consumed once or twice per week. Vegans can receive these omega fatty acids from nuts and seeds.

Choose lean cuts of meat which have less fat content than other cuts.

Milk, Yoghurt and Cheese

3 servings per day are recommended in Ireland to meet dietary guidelines for healthy adults. The amount of cheese consumed should be moderate, however, due to its high fat content. For adults, reach for the reduced fat versions. Increased dairy intakes are recommended in pregnancy and during lactation.

Nuts, Seeds & Legumes

These foods are a power house of nutritional value. They are packed with micronutrients, healthy fats, high in fibre, the list goes on…

These foods can be added to your morning cereals, eaten as a snack on the go, or used in baking and cooking to add nutritional value to bakes, soups, and cakes. Only small quantities are needed, so keep an eye on serving sizes.

Where possible, purchase the varieties without added salts and eat whole varieties.

Pulses are high in protein and fibre and so improve satiety, keeping us fuller for longer.

Avoid refined sugars

3-5 servings per day of grains, breads, pasta, and rice is recommended for healthy adults. Up to 7 portions are recommended for teenage boys and men up to the age of 50. The amount we require is dependent on our activity levels.

Carbohydrates are our bodies preferred source of fuel and so should be included as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Choose wholegrain varieties as much as possible and avoid over processed and refined options.

Where possible, avoid sugary snacks and drinks for a quick fix throughout the day. Instead, go for healthier alternatives which are low in sugar and high in fibre.

Most of our hydration should come from water as opposed to fizzy drinks. Ensure we drink plenty of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration, improve kidney function and prevent constipation.

Thinking about trying meat free?

If you are considering going meat free on the odd meal, but don’t know where to begin, fear not!! Below is a list of some meat alternatives which can be added to meals to ensure they are filling, high in protein and fibre to ensure satiety.

• Tofu

• Tempeh

• Beans/Chickpeas

• Mushrooms

• Lentils

• Quinoa

• Nuts

• Textured vegetable proteins

If meat free isn't right for you, you might consider adding in some of these plant based alternatives and reducing the total meat content of the dish, you might be surprised at the outcome!

Again, when making these swaps, try to keep them as healthy as possible, purchasing whole, minimally processed foods whenever you can.

It is never too late to make a contribution to your future self. What we put on our plates and in our lunch boxes makes a huge difference. Aiming to eat a larger variety of foods to meet our nutritional needs is a great place to start. Be adventurous and creative, and don't be afraid to try new things!

Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes, magic diets to follow or supplements to take to help us thrive into older adulthood. Simple steps, such as, reducing our intakes of saturated and trans fats and boosting our hydration while improving our fibre and micronutrient intakes will undoubtedly contribute to better health for us all.

For advice on portion sizes, see healthyireland.ie and search for the food pyramid.

Bibliography

• Healthy Ireland www.healthyireland.ie

• Kahleova H et al. (2019) Fat Quantity and Quality, as part of a Low-fat, Vegan Diet, are Associated with Changes in Body Composition, Insulin Resistance, and Insulin Secretion. A 16-week Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients (11) 3.

• Kim H et al. (2019) Plant Based Diets are associated with a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All-Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle Aged Adults. Journal of the American Heart Association. (8)16.

• Sears B Perry M (2015) The role of fatty acids in Insulin Resistance. Lipids in Health and Disease. 14.

• Tomova A et al.l (2019) The Effects of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets on Gut Microbiota. Frontiers in Nutrition