Kiwis can eat healthier, say experts

Eating habits in New Zealand need to change in order to drop obesity rates.

Awareness around healthy eating has improved in New Zealand but Bay nutritionists agree as a nation we remain well off the mark, with high rates of obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Active Nutrition owner Diana Bomford said there was a lot of false information about food and nutritional values.

"This has caused a lot of confusion, and though it has brought food awareness to the fore, it has not necessarily improved people's nutrition. In some sectors of the population there has been a definite change for the better. However, we in New Zealand still have a long way to go to change eating habits, especially with the lower socioeconomic sections of the population who struggle to put enough food on the table let alone able to make the healthy choices."

Cutting back on processed foods was one of the best changes people could make to their diet, she said, and it was advisable to look at food labels.

Sugar, sodium (salt) and fat, especially high saturated fat, should be limited, while ideally people should aim for zero trans-fats.

Dextrose, fructose and honey were also sugars and needed to be considered when comparing products and the higher the content you would expect to see a higher weight of sugar in the label, she said.

Smart Nutrition director Rebecca Bruce said there was a shift towards healthy eating, however, "as a population we are still well off the mark, with high rates of obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes".

Her advice was to keep it simple, the fewer processed foods the better and meals could be bulked up with non-starchy vegetables such as salad vegetables, mushrooms, courgettes and broccoli.

Portion control was the other key consideration and should be relative to body size. She advised using your hand as a guide because a handful was usually a serve.

Meanwhile, organic foods were often seen as being the healthier or better option but were usually more expensive and nutritionally no different to non-organic foods.

"The difference is in the pesticides and herbicides that are used or not used, so if organic foods do not fit within your budget, just give your fruit and vegetables a good wash and be reassured that you are still getting the same antioxidants, vitamins and fibre that you get from the organic option."

Planting a vegetable garden was another option and vegetables could be frozen to use when they were no longer in season, she said.

Vegetable gardens were also a great way to get kids interested in vegetables by involving them in the whole process from planting, to watering, picking, preparing and then eating them.

Food Solutions owner Fiona Boyle said there were a lot of mixed messages that created confusion about healthy eating.

It was important to look at your whole diet and not focus on the latest fads such as sugar and fat but aim for a total balance, she said.

"Pretty much it is the good old basic message - everything in moderation and not getting hung up about one nutrient."

She also supported people buying fruit and vegetables in season if they could not have a garden.