Healthy Eating

Eating a healthy, balanced diet provides important nutrients to your body. Good nutrition can lower your risk of developing a range of chronic diseases. For example, eating more fruit and vegetables can help lower blood pressure and may lower your risk of certain types of cancer (such as colorectal, breast, lung and prostate cancer). Eating less saturated fat will also lower your risk of heart disease.

Providing information and strategies to improve healthy eating is a priority for the North Coast Area Health Service. The strategies developed are based on the best scientific evidence available which currently include:

Australian Dietary Guidelines
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Dietary Guidelines provide information for health professionals and the general population about healthy food choices.

Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE)
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating is a newly developed national and contemporary food guide for Australia which reflects the multicultural nature of the population. It aims to encourage the consumption of a variety of foods from each of the five food groups every day in proportions that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Australians.

Current NSW Health, Healthy Eating Campaigns

Go for 2 and 5
The Go for 2 and 5 campaign aims to have every Australian eating 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegies every day (smaller serves for children). Replacing energy dense foods such as crisps, biscuits, pastries, cakes and confectionery with fruit and vegetables will improve nutritional intake (fibre, vitamin, minerals, antioxidants) and decrease calories, fat, salt and sugar intake and contribute toward decreasing the number of people who are overweight and obese .

Replacing sweet drinks such as soft drinks, juices and cordials with tap water will help reduce the levels of overweight and obesity and improve oral health.

The Live Life Well Project
The Live Life Well project takes positive steps to maximise your chances of living an illness free life. This website offers you the basic information and tools you will need to start making healthier changes to Live Life Well including quit smoking, eating better, being active, limiting your alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight, and managing stress.

Feeding Children

The North Coast Area Health Service is working in collaboration with community organisations to promote healthy eating in programs targeting children and parents. These programs use the Australian Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents as their basis. The programs have been developed based on current research and from findings from the NSW School’s Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey 2004 (SPANS) which has found that many children in NSW are not consuming a balanced diet.

Further information on the topic of feeding children can be found at the following links:

Choice Food for Kids: provides nutritional assessment on a range of popular children’s foods.
Healthy Kids: provides information for parents, teachers, schools, child care centres and out-of-school hours care services regarding healthy eating and physical activity for children.
Fresh for Kids: an interactive, fun and educational site that caters for parents and children.

Breastfeeding Infants

Breastfeeding gives your child a healthy start to life and protects against many diseases in addition to promoting physical growth and mental development. It also provides physical and mental health benefits for mothers.

For more information about recommendations and strategies to assist breastfeeding contact North Coast Area Health Service and NSW Health.

Feeding Fussy Eaters

Fussy eating habits usually develop during the toddler years. At this stage in life children are developing a sense of independence which they often express through food. It is important for parents and carers to remember that this is a totally normal behaviour even though it can often be frustrating for children, parents and carers. There are numerous strategies that can assist in the development of positive eating behaviours in the future.

For more information on feeding fussy eaters refer to the Raising Children Network, Better Health - Victoria and the Department of Education and Children Services - South Australia

Introduction to Solids

The introduction of solids aids in the infants growth and development and is the first step in the development of life long eating patterns and behaviours. Infants are usually introduced to solids at approximately six months of age.

Possible problems associated with the early introduction of solids (before 6 months) include increased risk of allergic reactions and overweight. If solids are introduced too late, infants may suffer nutrient deficiencies, especially iron deficiency.

For more information regarding the introduction of solids and other nutrition information related to children refer to the Healthy Kids website and the Raising Children Network.

Food Safety

Food poisoning can occur in homes, at restaurants/cafes or while preparing food. Food can be contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi or by toxins that they themselves produce. Food poisoning is one of the most common illnesses in Australia, with an estimated 5 million Australians suffering food borne illnesses each year. Children are often more susceptible to food poisoning due to immature guts that find it difficult to breakdown contaminated foods. The risk of food poisoning is significantly reduced if food is correctly handled to prevent cross contamination, stored at correct temperatures and personal hygiene is adequate.

For more tips on food safety refer to the NSW Food Authority and the Food Safety Information Council.

Food Allergies

Allergies occur when an overactive immune system produces antibodies against substances in the environment (allergens) that are usually harmless. Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) are more common in children than adults. In the general population about two to four in every 500 children will be at risk of an anaphylactic reaction at some time. The most common types of allergies in children are peanuts, other tree nuts, milk, eggs and seafood.

For more information regarding the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of allergies see the NSW Food Authority, NSW Health and Health Insite.

Food Advertising

Advertising to children
Several international reviews have recently provided evidence to show that food marketing influences children's food preferences, the food that they request from their parents (“pestering”) and ultimately the food that they eat.

Children's food intake can have long-term effects on their health. Most research relating to food marketing has focused on TV advertising. It is suspected that the effect of food marketing on childhood obesity is even worse when other forms of food marketing such as the internet, sponsorship and fundraising are considered. Children's constant exposure to unhealthy food in the media normalises these unhealthy foods, so that high fat, high sugar and high salt foods become an accepted part of their everyday diet. These foods tip the balance between food intake and physical activity so that more energy is taken in than is used up. Over time this unbalance can lead to weight gain.

The Cancer Council has coordinated a campaign to limit the influence of unhealthy food marketing to children.

Parents Jury

The Parents Jury is a web-based forum for parents to voice their views on children’s food and physical activity issues, and to collectively advocate for improving children’s food and physical activity environments (for example, reducing food marketing targeted at young children, providing more healthy choices for school canteens, and making neighbourhoods safer and more activity-friendly). If you are a parent or guardian and are interested in these issues, you can become a member of Parents Jury by visiting their website.

Assess your diet and lifestyle

What should I eat and how much?
The Australian Dietary guidelines recommend a balanced diet composed of mainly of fruit, vegetables and cereal/bread product in addition to including sources of lean meat or alternatives and low fat dairy. How much you should eat depends a little on your body size, activity level and on what stage you are in your life. For instance your dietary needs will be different if you are pregnant compared to that of a 5 year old or a 65 year old.

Find out how to improve your eating habits and calculate your BMI at Live Life Well NSW Health.

If you would like to receive free information and coaching to improve your diet, phone the Get Healthy Coaching and Information service on 1300 806 258 Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm visit http://gethealthynsw.com.au