Nutrition
Getting started on your healthy eating plan
News in a hurry
- Maintain a healthy body weight by eating well and by daily physical activity.
- Include a variety of nutritious foods from each of the four major food groups: vegetables and fruit; breads and cereals; low milk and milk products; and lean meat, poultry, seafood, eggs. Each food group plays a role in keeping you healthy.
- Prepare foods or choose prepared foods, drinks and snacks with minimal added fat, especially saturated fat, that are low in salt, with little added sugar.
- Drink plenty of liquids each day, especially water.
- If choosing to drink alcohol, limit your intake.
- Purchase, prepare, cook and store food to ensure food safety.
Source: New Zealand Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Adults. 2003.
Recommended daily servings of major food types
If you are following a healthy eating plan, you will choose from a wide variety of foods in the following amounts - you will find you won't have so much room for 'rubbish' foods.
Portion sizes
Food is abundant in this country – while that’s good for being able to choose a variety of foods, it’s also important to remember to keep food portions small. Visit our serve size pages to see what a serving size actually is. A good rule of thumb is food that will cover your palm is one serving. For a healthy evening meal, picture you plate divided into four: one quarter would be meat, or meat alternative, one quarter grains and half would be vegetables.
Additional information
Try a three-day menu from the NZ Food and Nutrition Guidelines
Make eating decisions easy
Some eating habits books to make you think (and laugh!):
Why French Women Don’t Get Fat , by Mirielle Guiliano
If I eat another carrot I’ll go crazy! by Dr Ross Walker, ISBN 090827243-X
The Winner's Bible, Dr Kerry Spackman
Tell us about a useful book you have read by clicking on the Share a Health Tip buttton.