Do you eat ‘well’?

[fetaccompli]

I’ve been reading the various guidelines about eating well and want to see how MN measures up.

5 a day - definitely every day. Nearer to 9 or 10.
Processed meat limited to x2 a week - less good on this. We often will have bacon/sausage/pate/ham/salami/breaded chicken/fishfingers 3-4 in a week.
14 units alcohol a week - I don’t drink alcohol but DH definitely exceeds this
Fish x2 a week incl x1 oily - only once really and I’m trying to stop eating so much salmon as it’s so awfully farmed
Dairy x3 a day - probably 1 portion of milk in hot drinks and maybe some cheese
6-8 glasses of water - I’m bad at this but I do drink a lot of herbal tea and I think that counts
Red meat 350g week - always have more than this and there’s bowel cancer in my family so I will work on this.

How are the rest of you doing? Any aims to improve?

Lots of veg
Well under 14 units if alcohol a week except on special occasions
Have cut down on meat, especially red meat
Too many processed snacks though

Yes, I’d say we eat well 90% of the week. Easily achieve more than 30 plants, eat virtually no processed food, aim for meat free days and higher welfare meat when we eat it. No to farmed salmon. We have a friend that’s a colorectal surgeon and he’s put us off bacon for life!

I drink barely any water. But I don’t think I need loads. I have no dairy on an average week - not a conscious decision, I just don’t.

Tonight though, we are hosting a dinner. There will be copious booze, rich foods, pudding (first one since Christmas Day) and an extremely ott cheese board.

We don't do too bad, I might be light on veg some days, but then some days will be completely veggie, so over a week it averages out to at least 5-6 a day.

We do eat fish 2-3 times a week, a mixture of white and oily, but I don't really keep count of how many of each it is.

Water I am very poor on, usually only one glass a day, but I do drink decaf tea in huge quantities. I very rarely drink alcohol at all, and when I do it will only be one unit. DH has a bit more, not more than a couple a week though.

Processed meat is quite bad, we have bacon for breakfast about once a week and ham sandwiches at least once a week, and in pasta sauce or omelettes, we will probably have sausages as well. So that might be double the recommended amount.

It's just so affordable and tasty though, a couple of rashers of bacon are so flavoursome they can make a nice dinner out of otherwise very bland ingredients. And the veggie alternatives are very expensive, not as nice and just as highly processed, so there is no point in my mind of swapping them out for veggie pretend bacon or sausage.

Other red meat we'd have once a week or so, and small portions extended with veg, lentils and beans in ragus and stews. This is one way being poor is actually healthier!

Realistically I probably don't hit 5 full portions of fruit/veg every day.

We don't eat bacon/ham/sausages/processed chicken like nuggets etc/fish fingers

Don't drink any alcohol

We generally have fish once a week

Dairy maybe twice a day - porridge with milk in the morning, and then maybe cheese with lunch whether a sandwich or cheese omelette, and sometimes dairy at dinner, each cheese, or a white sauce. Not sure how much you'd need to eat for it to count

I drink 8 glasses of water. This is fairly easy because it's all I drink. I don't drink tea/coffee/juices/fizzy drinks or alcohol (except a soft drink if I got out for a meal).

Red meat - I wasn't aware of the grams guideline. We probably have something with mince (does this count as processed?) a couple of nights a week, either bolognese, chilli, lasagne, but I use less mince now and add lentils instead so my portions would come to less than 350g. Occasionally we'll also have something like a beef casserole which would probably take me over.

This looks reasonably ok just based on these guidelines but my diet isn't great really. It's not very varied and could definitely do with my fruit and veg. Plus I eat too many crisps.

Yes. It's the only thing I'm good at tbh!

Definitely eat closer to 10 portions of vegetables a day. Red meat once a week (steak), we will have cured meats one lunch at the weekend. We hit the oily fish targets and probably exceed it. I drink loads of water, maybe too much, I worry about diluting my vitamin intake!! We drink over the 14 units of alcohol a week. Dairy probably evens itself out, I tend to have almond milk in drinks, but will have some cheese a few times a week.

i believe we eat very well, all home cooked nothing pre packaged (except for the occasional tin of chickpeas). can/freeze my own tomatoes and fruit for the year.
access to organic farms for veggies like squash and beets etc
grow some of my own (carrots, lettuce, berries)
i do like ham and cheese as well as lean red meat (only buy tenderloin) but again buy the ham from a local butcher.
use an incentive water bottle that keeps me on track for 2 liters a day.
alcohol on specific occasions only (maybe 4 times a year).
but i do like sweets thankfully good access to decent bakeries, and equally like salty treats like chips and crisps.

We probably eat too much meat (although it's mainly chicken/turkey rather than red meat and rarely processed meat). I also don't eat fish at all so can't tick that box. I tend think about 5 a day so much as the 30 a week recommendation for good gut health and we comfortably do that. Generally manage a portion or more of fermented foods a day. Generally okay at cooking from scratch but it slips when I get super busy/stressed at work/ill (which I am a lot of the time...). Oh and probably too much chocolate...

I am trying to address my cholesterol - I have an underactive thyroid so am more prone to high cholesterol, in the last three months though i've got it down from 7.2 to 5.

5 a day - usually. two sorts of berries and bananas with overnight oats, and then two with dinner.

Processed meat - have cut this out completely, along with red meat.

Fish - eating a lot more of this, mostly salmon. I have to say I am more concerned about keeping my heart healthy than the conditions the salmon is farmed in.

Dairy - have to be really careful with dairy, full fat dairy is really bad when you have high cholesterol so no butter, cream, cheese. I do have fat free yoghurt with my overnight oats.

No booze.

I could do better - eat more wholegrains and lentils and stuff but where I am now is a good balance of healthy eating and achievable eating.

Fruits and veg... 3 a day instead of the recommended 5
Processed meats... probably x2 per week as recommended - didn't know about this one
Alcohol... I'm tee total so no problem
Fish... I'm the only one who really eats fish so I prob only eat it 3 times a mont
Dairy... in my hot drinks and am partial to cheese and chocolate (although not together)
Water - about 2 litres a day
Red meat - maybe once a week

Got to more because everyone in the heavily overweight. Got worse during lockdowns. I don't follow the guidelines just ensure to eat stuff like oats, fruit, veg, beans, pulses, wholegrain and cut out takeaways and junk. Drinking water has been a humongous health improvement I barely get headaches anymore.

Veg - nearly always hit 5 a day and sometimes more
Processed meat - about once a fortnight
I don’t drink much - a small glass of wine every few weeks. Used to love it but find it aggravates my arthritis now.
White fish 2-3 times a week but need to get better on oily - avoid farmed salmon so it’s hard to know what to choose. I find mackerel too overpowering.
Red meat less than once a week.
My weakness is sugar - I have 4 squares of dark chocolate after every meal ( less than 70%) and find it hard to resist cakes and biscuits if they’re offered. Also butter. And I tend to snack if I’m bored -usually fairly healthy things like fruit, crisp bread and nuts, but I’d like to cut down on eating between meals.
I only drink Redbush or herbal tea so hoping that counts as water! Never get to 2l though.

Can somebody give more info on the farmed salmon issue? Salmon is expensive enough as it is.

I eat a pretty balanced diet. I’m a meat eater but I don’t eat meat every day, love veg and fruit so definitely get my 5 a day most days and offer closer to 10 a day. I cook a lot from scratch as we don’t have a huge amount of freezer space, probably have something frozen/processed once a week and occasionally beans on toast when I can’t be bothered to cook. Eat a lot of chicken and fish but not much red meat. I eat out or get a take away about once a month.

Sugar is also my biggest downfall, I do have a sweet tooth and like sugar in my tea, on my porridge and am partial to a chocolate biscuit.

Fruit & veg - 5 a day, and 30 different types in a week

Water - 2-3 litres a day

Alcohol - avg. 3-4 units a week, but don’t drink most weeks.

No sugar, gluten or dairy 95% of the time (sometimes have to make exceptions when abroad, or at Christmas for sugar).

5 a day- yes. Not necessarily everyday, but it averages out properly over the week.

Processed meat limited to x2 a week - yeah, I don't really buy much processed meat.

14 units alcohol a week - I don't drink.

Fish x2 a week incl x1 oily - no. I'm not really a huge fan of fish but I do eat it occasionally. Maybe 2-3 times a month.

Dairy x3 a day - yes, easily.

6-8 glasses of water - no. Maybe one or two a day, but I drink loads of other things.

Red meat 350g week - I don't normally have any red meat as it's so expensive.

That said, my diet isn't amazing and i could do better. I like carbs too much!

5 a day - yes almost always. Occasionally I'm a little bad at eating veg during the day but will then have a lot at dinner
Processed meat limited to x2 a week - yes probably have bacon or sausages/chorizo about twice a month
14 units alcohol a week - definitely below this.
Fish x2 a week incl x1 oily - could have more white fish. It's so expensive! We do usually have salmon once a week.
Dairy x3 a day - no, but this is a controversial food guideline
6-8 glasses of water - yes
Red meat 350g week - sometimes more than this, usually red meat twice a week, but my iron levels have been very low since having a baby so I'm allowing myself to do this for a year postpartum and then will rein it in!

5 a day: generally yes and often more like 7 or 8. Occasionally only 2 or 3.

Processed meat: once a week at the most.

Alcohol: none.

Fish: usually at least twice a week, more if you count prawns. I don't buy farmed salmon now. I buy wild Alaskan salmon when it is offer and freeze it.

Dairy: yes usually. Definitely two a day.

Water: probably, though I often add cordial to it. I don't drink tea, coffee, or fizzy drinks.

Red meat: I rarely eat it (less than once a fortnight).

So I'm pretty good on the whole. Fortunately you haven't included any guidelines on chocolate I definitely eat too much of that!

I'm abroad for work in Eastern Europe, and it's so much easier here. A huge salad as a starter, and then some fish - and cheap, good restaurants. Or cheese in the salad. It's really depressing how much more difficult it is in the UK.

I don't drink alcohol and drink about 2-3 litres of water a day... My diet is shocking though! I don't eat for ages, then will eat crisps or chocolate, then back to not eating... I really need become an adult and eat properly, but it never happens

I eat really well

No caffeine, sodas and at the most couple of drinks of alcohol per month.

I don’t count portions of fruit and veg as I eat a crazy amount.

No processed meat.

I do ‘crowding’ which means so much healthy food there isn’t much room left for junk.

What is crowding., please?

I'm good on all of it except the booze, it's my one vice. Husband and I have both agreed to cut down this year a bit. Everything else though I'd say we're within the good parameters

😂 I think I eat well until I start writing it all down.

Clip in at just under 5 a day.
Eat LOADS of dairy - full fat milk, cheese, butter. Also probably 2 eggs a day.
Eat a lot of processed bread...
Don't eat meat. Fish usually once or twice a week.
Love biscuits, cakes, chocolate, buns. Have a couple of treats a day.
Usually have 1 or 2 ciders or glasses of wine in the evening but trying to make that every other day.
Definitely don't drink enough water.

Starting to rethink my health credentials...

People who get 7+ portions of fruit and vegetables a day, I would love to know how you fit it all in?

People who get 7+ portions of fruit and vegetables a day, I would love to know how you fit it all in?

I make a smoothie with 4 types of fruit and yogurt. I don’t include these in my count as blended up.

Genuinely massive salad with at least 6 types of salad for lunch with a combo of eggs, salmon, tuna etc.

Dinner, chicken or fish with a few types of veg and maybe some more salad.