Healthy eating habits/Healthy Dinners for One
Below you will find information on how to cook healthy dinners and budgeting tips for people who live alone.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Healthy_dinner.jpg/500px-Healthy_dinner.jpg)
Why eat healthy?
editThere 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]
- Vegetables & Legumes/Beans
- Fruit
- Grains and Cereals
- Meat and Alternatives, such as Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans
- Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives
What to eat for dinner
editFruit 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
editSome 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?
editEach 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
editSome 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?
editEach 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
editSome options at dinner include, lean red meat, poultry, fish, lentils, beans, tofu, nuts and seeds.
What is a serve of Meat and Alternatives?
editEach 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
editTime-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
- Find cheap cook books from Op shops.
- Borrow cook books from your local library.
- Swap favourite recipes with friends.
- The internet has great recipes such as,Taste website cooking for one,Jamie Oliver meals for one
Saving Money
editLiving alone can be expensive, below are some money-saving tips:
Buy in bulk
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
editReferences
edit- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 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