HealthInfo Piki Te Ora Southern
Eating well for good health
Te kainga pai e ora pai ai
What you eat can make a huge difference to your health and wellbeing.
Choosing healthy and nutritious foods has many health benefits. These include helping to keep your bones and muscles strong, boosting your energy levels and improving your mood and sleep. It can also help to reduce your risk of health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, dementia and some cancers.
Tips for eating well
The following tips can help you make healthy and nutritious eating choices.
Have regular meals
Have regular meals during the day and give your body a rest from food for at least 12 hours overnight. Regular eating can help to keep your energy levels up and your mind focused. Regular meals can also prevent hunger pains and overeating.
Have nutritious snacks
If you are physically hungry between meals, have a small nutritious snack. For example, a small handful of nuts. Or cheese, hummus, peanut butter or avocado on a slice of wholegrain toast or crackers. Being physically hungry is your body telling you to eat. Signs include your tummy rumbling or feeling low on energy. For more information, see Snacking for adults.
Eat plenty of different coloured vegetables and fruit
Vegetables and fruits are full of fibre and polyphenols. These can help to keep your gut healthy and protect you from heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
Have at least 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit every day (a serving is about a handful). Choose a variety of different coloured vegetables and fruit. Try to have vegetables or fruit at all meals. They are also great snacks.
Eat wholegrains
Wholegrains can help keep your bowels healthy. They can help you feel fuller and reduce your cholesterol and blood glucose (sugar) levels. They can also reduce your risk of diseases such as heart disease and bowel cancer.
Have at least 1 one meal a day based around a wholegrain. Wholegrains include wholegrain bread, rolled oats, brown rice and wholemeal pasta. It also includes grains like quinoa, millet, barley and buckwheat.
Have some milk and milk products every day
Milk, yoghurt and cheese give you nutrients like protein, calcium and some B vitamins. These help to keep your body and bones healthy and strong.
If you do not like or cannot drink cow's milk, choose a plant‑based milk such as soy, oat or almond milk. Make sure it has added calcium.
Fruit yoghurts can contain lots of sugar and additives, so choose a natural or plain yoghurt and add your own fresh or frozen fruit.
Choose foods that are minimally processed and limit ultra processed foods
Almost all foods have had some kind of processing. But it is best to eat foods that are minimally processed or as close to their natural state as possible. These foods retain their nutritional value and do not usually have added sugar, salt or unhealthy fats. Or additives such as emulsifiers, preservatives or artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners.
Ultra-processed foods tend to have more than 1 ingredient that you will never or rarely find in a home kitchen. They also tend to have a long shelf life. Examples of ultra-processed foods include deli meats such as ham and salami, some breakfast cereals and many fruit-flavoured yoghurts. Also, many packaged snack foods, soft drinks and energy drinks.
Watch your portion sizes
Use your hand to judge portion size. Or follow the healthy plate model for lunch and dinner:
- fill half your plate with vegetables or salad
- fill a quarter of your plate with protein‑rich food like legumes (dried beans, split peas and lentils), tofu, tempeh or Quorn, lean meat, chicken, seafood or eggs
- fill a quarter of your plate with wholegrains or starchy vegetables such as potato, kumara, corn or taro.
Choose healthy fats
Use extra virgin olive oil or other liquid oils such as sunflower or canola oil. Oily fish (salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel), olives, avocados, nuts and seeds also contain healthy fat.
Try fermented foods and drinks
Fermented foods and drinks that contain live bacteria can help to keep your gut healthy. Having a healthy gut can help maintain and improve your physical and mental health.
Fermented foods include yoghurt, most cheeses, tempeh, miso and fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut and kimchi. Fermented drinks include kefir and kombucha. You can make some of these fermented foods and drinks at home. You can also buy them from the refrigerator section at your supermarket.
Drink plenty of fluids
Drink at least 8 cups of fluid a day. Water is best. Low‑ or reduced‑fat milk (light‑blue, green or yellow top) and tea and coffee with no sugar are also fine.
Go easy on alcohol
If you drink alcohol, follow national guidelines on how much to drink safely.
Prepare your own meals
Try to cook most of your meals at home. This can help you take charge of what you are eating and check exactly what goes into your meals. If you do have takeaways, choose healthier options.
Eat mindfully
Eating quickly, on the run or while distracted can lead you to eat more food than you realise or need. Eating mindfully can help you gain control over your eating habits.
Where to find out more about eating well
Talk to your general practice team for more information and visit the websites listed below.
HealthInfo recommends the following videos
- Te Whatu Ora Waitaha – Eating well videos
Advice about eating well. This includes tips for choosing healthy foods, the recommended number of servings for different food groups and what a serving is.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Hapū Hauora – Oranga kai (healthy food)
Information on healthy eating from a Māori perspective.
- Healthy Food Guide
This site is full of information, recipes, videos, and expert advice to help you make healthy choices.
- Ministry of Health – Healthy eating, active living
This booklet has easy-to-follow advice on how to choose healthy foods and drinks, have a healthy bodyweight and be active every day.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed March 2025.
Sources
Review key: HIHEI-34305
