# 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.

## Why eat healthy?

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
* Maintaining a healthy weight
There are 5 food groups we should eat to maintain good health:
* 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

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

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!
* Dinner is the perfect meal to eat more!

#### What is a serve of Vegetables/Legumes/Beans?

Each photo below is an example of 1 serve. 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

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?

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

Some options at dinner include, lean red meat, poultry, fish, lentils, beans, tofu, nuts and seeds.

#### What is a serve of Meat and Alternatives?

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

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
* 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
and Simply Great recipes for one.

## Saving Money

Living 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

* Cookbook:Pressure Cooking
* Australian Dietary Guidelines
* Information about Australian dietitians
* The Better Health Channel

## References

* ↑ 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