Healthy eating a focus in athlone healthy town project

We are coming to the end of week 1 of Healthy Town 2015 in Athlone, an initiative run in conjunction with The Irish Times and Pfizer over eight weeks.

Next week the theme is healthy eating.

A cookery demonstration with chef Catherine Fulvio and practical nutrition advice from Janis Morrissey of the Irish Heart Foundation will take place next Tuesday at the Sheraton Athlone Hotel at 7pm.

If you’re unsure where to start with healthy eating, these five simple tips should help to put you on the right track:

· Shake the salt habit. Eighty per cent of the salt we eat is hidden in processed foods. Taste your food first before you add salt. Choose fresh meat, fish, fruit and vegetables over processed foods whenever possible.

· The food pyramid. To eat a balanced diet you need to combine several different types of foods - from each of the main food groups - in the right amounts so your body gets all the nutrients it needs while maintaining a healthy weight.

· Portion sizes. Eating an extra 100 calories a day can lead to weight gain of 4.5kg (10lb) a year. Keep portion sizes healthy by eating from a smaller plate or filling a third of your dinner plate with vegetables or salad.

· Drink water. Get into the habit of always serving water, whether it’s with meals or as a daily thirst quencher. Carry a bottle of water with you to work. Remember that fizzy drinks contain a lot of sugar and can be very harmful to teeth so try not to drink them too often.

· Eat together. Eating together as a family is both social and a great way to have some quality time as a family. There is also a strong and relationship between eating in front of the screen and an unhealthy diet and weight so try to eat at the table.

To register for any of the free public talks email: healthy.town@ogilvy.com or phone 01 669 0165.