Eating for Health and Wellbeing
Karen Gaynor
Senior Dietitian
“Those who think they have no time
for healthy eating, will sooner or
later have to find time for illness.”
Edward Stanley
Why is diet important?
 Live longer
 Energy levels
 Prevent disease
 Concentration
 Manage health conditions
 Manage hunger & cravings
& weight
 Healthy skin, hair, nails etc
 Mood
 Digestive health
Meal Patterns….
The foundations of healthy eating
 Three meals per day
 Breakfast within one hour of waking
 Eat every 3-4 hours thereafter
 Use a snack if there’s a long gap
 Eat at roughly the same time each day
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail…
Meal
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Snacks
Drinks
Time
Food
Six food groups
Starchy carbohydrates
Fruit and Vegetables
Dairy foods
Meat, fish, eggs, beans,
peas and pulses
 Fats & Oils
 Other foods (not needed
for healthy eating)
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Top tip:
Choose the right fuel
 High fibre, wholegrain carbohydrates
 Oats, wholegrain cereals
 Granary/wholegrain bread, whole wheat crackers, rye crisp
bread
 Brown rice, wholewheat pasta, barley, bulgar wheat
 Why?
 Slow release energy
 Reduce risk of heart disease and diabetes by 30%
 Reduce risk of cancer of digestive tract
 Maintain healthy body weight
Top Tip:
Correct your carbohydrate portion size
At each meal:
 60g cereal/pasta/rice/cous cous
 2 medium slices of bread
 200g potato (2 scoops mash/1 medium jacket/2
medium boiled potatoes)
 If active: increase by half
 Snacks: reduce by half
Top Tip:
Increase fruit and veg
 Include fruit on cereal/porridge
 ½ plate vegetables/salad
 Include vegetable soup
 Use fruit and veg as snacks
 Watch portion sizes of dried fruit and fruit juices
 Aim 5+ portions per day
 Veg is lower in calories than fruit
Which has more calories?
200ml = 88kcal
200ml = 82kcal
Which has more calories?
30g = 132kcal
25g = 132kcal
Top Tip:
Get enough calcium
 3 portions:
 1/3 pint low fat milk
 125g pot low fat yogurt
 25g/1oz hard cheese
 100g cottage cheese
 Soya alternatives
Top Tip:
Don’t rely on red meat
 Alternative lean protein sources:
 Oily fish (twice a week)
 White fish
 Lentils/chick peas/beans
 Eggs
 Quorn, tofu
 Chicken/turkey
 Dairy
Top Tip:
Watch hidden calories
 Oils, nuts, seeds, oily fish
 Butter, pate, spreads, peanut butter
 Sauces, gravies
 Dressings, salad cream, mayonaisse, pesto, hummous
 Coleslaw and potato salad
 Sugar, honey, jam, marmalade
 Energy drinks, fruit juices, smoothies
 Alcohol
Which contains more calories?
Top Tip:
Stay Hydrated
 2 litres fluid per day
 Water
 Low sugar squash
 Fruit/herbal teas
 Tea/coffee (in moderation)
 Watch calories in milky coffees, energy drinks, smoothies,
juices and milk
Where do I start?
1. Pick one thing to change
2. Plan and prepare
3. Give it a go!
“You don’t have to cook fancy or
complicated masterpieces – just good
food from fresh ingredients.”
Julia Child
Breakfasts
Meal Examples:
 60g high fibre cereal or 40g porridge with 200ml low fat
milk and a banana
 4 Ryvita with 2 poached eggs and 2 grilled tomatoes
sprinkled with herbs.
 2 slices of wholemeal toast with low fat spread, a diet yogurt
and a piece of fruit
Light Meals
Meal Examples:
 Open sandwich made with 2 slices of wholemeal
bread, 2 thin slices lean meat and 1/2 plate salad with
2 teaspoons of fat free salad dressing.
 Vegetable soup with 2 slices brown bread and 2
triangles low fat cheese spread.
 2 scrambled eggs with grilled tomatoes and
mushrooms and 2 slices of granary toast
Main Meals
Meal Examples:
 2 egg-sized boiled potatoes, 1 small breast of chicken
baked, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower with a little
gravy made with granules and water.
 60g of brown rice boiled, carrots, onions, peppers,
mushrooms and courgettes and 2oz of lean beef strips
stir-fried with soya sauce, ginger and garlic.
 60g pasta boiled, served with roast peppers, courgettes,
onions, mushrooms and tomatoes with mixed herbs and
1 salmon fillet grilled
Carbohydrate
Vegetables
Protein
 Add plate picture
Snacks
 Sugar free jelly
 Diet yogurt
 Low fat mousse/dessert

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

(100kcal)
Piece of fruit
2 plain biscuits/1 chocolate
biscuit
Cup low calorie hot
chocolate
Frozen fruit & low fat natural
yogurt
100kcal cereal bar
 Bowl of vegetable soup (no






bread)
Cup a soup
Small bag of
popcorn/100kcal crisps
Veg sticks and low fat
hummous/tatziki/cream
cheese
2 crackers with 1 triangle of
low fat cheese
2 oatcakes low fat cream
cheese and tomato
10 olives (brine)
Every little counts…
Change from…
To…
Save…
3 digestives 180kcal
2 Rich tea 80kcal
100kcal
1 scoop ice cream
75g = 130kcal
Diet Yogurt
125g = 70kcal
90kcal
Portion of chocolate cake 295kcal
Fruit scone with low fat spread
175kcal
100kcal
Small bag peanuts (50g) 300kcal
Bowl fruit salad 90kcal
80kcal
Packet crisps 130kcal
Apple 60kcal
70kcal
1 can full sugar mineral 130kcal
No added sugar squash 20kcal
110kcal
SAVING
550kcal
To keep you going…
1. It’ll keep me walking for?
2. It’ll keep me sitting for?
(brisk walking = 350kcal hour)
1. A slice of brown bread
Calorie
Content:
74 kcal
Walking:
12 minutes
Sitting:
42 minutes
2. 15 jelly babies
Calorie
Content:
300 kcal
Walking:
50 minutes
Sitting:
2 hours 50
minutes
3. Packet of Maltesers
Calorie
Content:
187 kcal
Walking:
30 minutes
Sitting:
1 hr 45
minutes
4. A packet of crisps
Calorie
Content:
184 kcal
Walking:
30 minutes
Sitting:
1 hr 45
minutes
5. An apple
Calorie
Content:
50-80 kcal
Walking:
~11 minutes
Sitting:
30 – 45
minutes
6. A jacket potato
Calorie
Content:
218 kcal
Walking:
35 minutes
Sitting:
2 hours
7. A banana
Calorie
Content:
97 kcal
Walking:
16 minutes
Sitting:
55 minutes
8. A sports drink
Calorie
Content:
120 kcal
Walking:
20 minutes
Sitting:
1 hr 10
minutes
Why should I see a dietitian?
 Postgraduate training in
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Digestive health
Weight management
Heart health
Medical conditions
Special diets

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
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
nutrition
Clinical experience
Continuous professional
development
Personalised assessment and
treatment plans
Registered with Irish
Nutrition and Dietetic
Association
Prohibited from advising on
personal opinion or financial
benefit
Thank you