HSIS quiz

Introduction

Many of us believe we are eating a healthy, balanced diet or don’t really know if we are getting our essential nutrients. This short questionnaire will help you assess your diet and give general guidance on what you may be missing out on and how to address it. For more advice on ensuring you are getting your essential nutrients, ask your GP, nurse or pharmacists.

1. Fruit and vegetables (Portions)

If you are unsure about what a portion is click on what constitutes a portion?


	Your intake	Score



Vegetables (not including potatoes)



Salad



Fruit (fresh or canned)



Fruit juice (fresh or processed)

2. Wholegrain foods

Your intake Score

Wholemeal bread
(not granary)

Breakfast cereal

Beans
(all, except string or runner)

Nuts, seeds

3. Dairy products

Your intake Score

Milk
(not just small amounts in tea)

Cheese

Yoghurt

4. Omega-3 fatty acids

Your intake Score

Fish, oily
(sardines, salmon, trout etc)

Your nutritional status

We have calculated your nutritional status for key food groups in a healthy balanced diet. Under each food group we have given you personalised advice on how you can make sure you are getting your essential nutrients and also some general advice on why the food group is important. We hope this helps you make sure you are getting your essential nutrients!

For more advice on ensuring you are getting your essential nutrients ask your GP, nurse or pharmacists.

Fruit and vegetables

Why is it important? Fruit and vegetables provide the mainstay of a healthy diet. This group are powerful detox agents, being high in antioxidants (vitamin C, carotenoids and flavonoids) and potassium, which help the body to eliminate the end products of metabolism. These foods are also good sources of most B vitamins.

Wholegrains

Why is it important? this group provides dietary fibre which helps to maintain a regular bowel habit and therefore aids the elimination of end products of metabolism (toxins) form the body. It is also high in trace elements such as chromium for glucose control and the antioxidant minerals selenium and manganese which help the body to neutralise toxic free radicals. A very important contribution from this group is magnesium. If you do not eat items from this group then you magnesium intake will be very low. Low magnesium intake can cause cramps, restless legs, palpitations, muscle twitches, stiff neck and headaches. Wholegrains also provide most B vitamins.

Dairy

Why is it important? Dairy products are almost unique in their high content of calcium. Of other commonly eaten foods, only canned sardines come anywhere near dairy products for calcium content. If you cannot tolerate dairy products then choose soya products enriched with calcium - but again you will need 3 portions a day to reach the calcium target. If you choose to supplement then buy a calcium supplement containing vitamin D and magnesium, as bone health concerns other nutrients besides calcium. Dairy products are also a good source of vitamins, including vitamins B2, B12 and D, which are low in vegetarian diets.

Omega-3

Why is it important? The body needs two families of essential fatty acids, the omega-6 fatty acids from seed oils, found in sunflower and vegetable oils (and margarines made from them) and the omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils. These need to be balanced in the diet, as too much omega-6 FAs can increase requirements for omega-3FAs. The consequences for health are that the body has a tendency to inflammatory conditions when omega-3 intake is low. Typical examples include dry itchy skin, eczema, joint problems, catarrh, headaches and hayfever. The amounts of omega-3 needed will depend on the individual and their diet. People eating a diet high in sunflower oil may require a higher intake of omega-3. Most people need from an intake of about 1g of omega-3 a day (equivalent to about 3 portions of oily fish a week). You can reduce your omega-6 intake by using olive oil and olive oil products in place of seed oils. Supplements vary greatly in their content of omega-3 - you need to look at the combined contribution of the component omega-3 FAs called "DHA" and "EPA" on the supplement label. A useful daily supplement should contain at least 500 mg of these. Fish oil is an excellent source of vitamin D, a nutrient especially low in diets of the elderly and many people who avoid exposure to sunlight on the skin.

What is a healthy balanced diet?

So what can you do to improve your intakes of vitamins and minerals? The main message is that a healthy, balanced diet involves eating more starchy foods, more fibre, more fruit and vegetables, less fat, less sugar and less salt. But what does this mean in practice? To obtain all the nutrients you need from your diet, you need to eat each day:

A minimum of five portions of fruit and vegetables
4 to 6 servings of starchy foods such as bread, cereals (preferably wholegrain) potatoes, rice and pasta
2 servings of foods providing protein such as lean meat, fish, eggs, beans, peas and lentils. With regards to fish, the Government currently recommends eating at least two portions of fish a week, of which one of these portions should be oily fish such as sardines, salmon, pilchard, mackerel, herring, trout or fresh tuna.
At least half a pint of milk, preferably skimmed or semi-skimmed, or its equivalent in the form of yoghurt or cheese
Fatty and sugary foods should be kept to a minimum
Although not a nutrient, the Government advises that you drink 1.5 - 2 litres of water a day (6-8 glasses) in order to stay healthy.

By doing this, you should meet both your energy and protein requirements, but also your body's basic vitamin and mineral needs.

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	Your intake	Score



Wholemeal bread (not granary)



Breakfast cereal



Beans (all, except string or runner)



Nuts, seeds


	Your intake	Score



Milk (not just small amounts in tea)



Cheese



Yoghurt