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Healthy eating habits/Healthy Dinners for One

< Healthy eating habits

Below you will find information on how to cook healthy dinners and budgeting tips for people who live alone.

Here is a dinner with 3 serves of vegetables, 1 serve of meat, and 1 serve of grain

Why eat healthy?

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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 [1]
  • Maintaining a healthy weight [2]

There are 5 food groups we should eat to maintain good health: [3]

  1. Vegetables & Legumes/Beans
  2. Fruit
  3. Grains and Cereals
  4. Meat and Alternatives, such as Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans
  5. Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives

What to eat for dinner

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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

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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![4]
  • Dinner is the perfect meal to eat more!

What is a serve of Vegetables/Legumes/Beans?

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Each photo below is an example of 1 serve. [5] Click photos for detail.

  •  
    75 gram vegetables e.g. carrot
  •  
    75 gram e.g. potato
  •  
    Half a cup of cooked vegetables, e.g. cooked peas
  •  
    1 cup of raw salad leaves, e.g. raw spinach
  •  
    1/2 cup legumes or beans e.g. chickpeas

How many serves?

  • Adults - 5 serves each day
  • At dinner try to eat 3 serves or fill half your plate.

GRAINS and CEREALS

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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?

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Each photo below is an example of 1 serve - click photos for detail.

  •  
    1/2 cup of cooked grain, e.g. quinoa
  •  
    1/2 cup of cooked grain, e.g. spaghetti. Wholemeal pasta is the best choice.
  •  
    1 slice of multi-grain bread
  •  
    1/2 cup cooked grain, e.g. brown rice

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

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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?

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Each photo below is an example of 1 serve - click photos for detail.

  •  
    65 grams red meat (90 - 100 grams uncooked)
  •  
    80 grams cooked chicken (100 grams uncooked)
  •  
    100 grams fish (115 grams raw weight)
  •  
    Small canned fish (95 grams) - springwater is best
  •  
    1 cup of legumes or beans, e.g. chickpeas
  •  
    2 cooked eggs

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

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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

and Simply Great recipes for one.

Saving Money

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Living alone can be expensive, below are some money-saving tips:


Buy in bulk

 
Scrambled eggs, with baked beans, mushrooms and toast
 
Lentil and vegetable soup with avocado
 
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

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References

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  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ 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
  4. ↑ 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
  5. ↑ 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
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