"Small Changes for Better Eating": A Guide to Taking Care of Your Diet

A seasonal fruit in the afternoon instead of a handful of biscuits, a glass of water instead of a sugary drink, or a good lentil salad with seasonal vegetables instead of a hamburger. There's no need to follow any extravagant diet or spend hours in the kitchen. The Department of Health's "Small Changes for Better Eating" guide helps you take care of your health and that of the planet with simple and affordable eating tips.

The educational tool, published in the Health Channel, proposes three major lines of action: promoting healthy foods and an active and social life, reducing the consumption of harmful products, and replacing unhealthy options with better ones. The material was created within the framework of the PAAS (Comprehensive Plan for Health Promotion through Physical Activity and Healthy Eating).

The guide highlights 12 messages: eating more fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes, and nuts, as well as promoting an active and social life; reducing salt, sugar, red and processed meat, and ultra-processed products; and choosing water, whole grain foods, virgin olive oil, and seasonal and local products.

Foods and habits to promote

The guide recommends eating at least three pieces of fruit a day, both for dessert and as a snack. As for vegetables, it is necessary to eat them at least twice a day, either raw (in salads, gazpachos, etc.) or cooked (steamed, baked, etc.), as a main dish or side dish.

Legumes are recommended three to four times a week. They provide benefits for cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of some types of cancer. They are an economical, nutritious, and practical option (they can be bought cooked) and can replace meat, fish, or eggs in some dishes.

A handful of nuts every day is also healthy, either raw or roasted, but unsalted. They can be incorporated into breakfasts and snacks. For example, mixed into a bowl of yogurt with fruit, chopped on toast with oil, or in the form of 100% nut spread on a piece of bread. Also in appetizers or in some recipes such as stews, salads, etc.

The guide also promotes an active and social life. It recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, at least five days a week, preferably in company and outdoors. In fact, sitting for more than two hours at a time increases the risk of disease, even if you are an active person.

Healthier options

"Small Changes for Better Eating" recommends always choosing water as your beverage and avoiding sugary drinks and, especially, alcoholic beverages; choosing whole grain foods instead of refined flours; virgin olive oil instead of other fats; and choosing seasonal and local products, as they are fresher and better preserve aromas and flavors, while reducing environmental impact and boosting local production.

Foods to avoid

In our environment, we consume twice the recommended amount of salt, which is, at most, a dessert spoonful per day (between what is added to food and what is contained in processed foods). Excessive intake is linked to many health problems. One trick is to avoid pre-cooked foods, some processed foods (especially cheeses and sausages), and ultra-processed products, where most of the salt we consume comes from. It's also advisable to use spices and herbs as an alternative to enhance the flavor of food.

Another product to reduce as much as possible is sugar. The less, the better. Gradually reducing the amount of sugar we add to food and drinks helps us adapt our palate and enjoy less sweet tastes. But the most important thing is to avoid eating too many sugary products (cookies, pastries, dairy desserts, sugary drinks, juices, ice cream, etc.).

Red meat is another food to limit. It can be included once or twice a week at most, and processed meats (cold cuts, sausages, etc.), if consumed, should be eaten occasionally. Finally, it is advisable to avoid purchasing and regularly consuming ultra-processed foods, foods made with few raw ingredients and then added sugars, fats, salt, starches, additives, etc.