Take Action

Fact: We will often buy quick and easy options for meals because we’re tired and time-poor. There are things you can do to make it easier to cook nutritious meals at home.

Action: Plan what food you’ll eat at the start of the week, use similar ingredients to cut down on time and cost and make food preparation simple.

Try:

• Buying frozen, pre-cut vegetables to add to what you’re cooking
• Freezing meat and fish in meal-sized portions so that it’s easy to defrost and cook
• Cooking a double portion of dinner and putting in the fridge for lunch the next day
• Serving your protein portion in different ways. For example, cook a large serving of mince and make burritos, spaghetti bolognese, chilli con carne or stuffed capsicums. You could try serving grilled chicken with different sides such as mashed potato, brown rice, couscous and salad, steamed veggies, or roast veggies.

Fact: Water is critical in ensuring our bodies function properly. Often, if we’re not drinking water, we’re probably drinking something which has lots of sugar and isn’t overly hydrating.

Action: Think about what you drink during the day and identify times you might be able to swap your drink for water.

Try:

• Having a glass of water when you wake up in the morning before your usual tea, coffee or juice
• Buying a large drink bottle you can take out with you so you don’t have to buy a drink or keep going back for refills
• Having some water whenever you stop to eat
• Watering down juices
• Having some water when drinking alcohol

Fact: Many of us don’t prioritise setting time aside to eat because we’re too busy at work or with our families. We end up snacking or starving which can result in not-so-great food choices.

Action: Make time in your week to prepare and eat food.

Try:

• Waking up 10 minutes earlier so you have time to eat some breakfast
• If you’re hungry a lot or you don’t tend to eat regularly, have snacks ready to go and keep some on hand. Ideas for snacks include nuts, hummus with veggies and crackers, fresh fruit, popcorn, yoghurt, or muesli bars.
• Stopping at least once per day to eat food which will prevent you from starving later and eating all the food you can find
• Planning to have dinner at a similar time each night so you don’t leave it too late to make something nutritious

Fact: Many people will set out to improve their eating habits but will give up when they ‘slip’ up.

Action: Don’t expect perfection from yourself because nobody is perfect.

Try:

• Aiming to consistently eat nutritious foods, but also remember that sometimes you might just want to have some chips or a soft drink and that is okay; take the time to enjoy it when you do
• Resetting and not beating yourself up after eating or drinking something you wish you hadn’t
• Setting yourself up for success by planning what you’ll eat when you can and preparing in advance
• Making a better choice when you’re getting takeaway food by adding in vegetables or choosing not to have a soft drink

Fact: Stress and other feelings such as being bored, angry, sad, lonely or tired, can influence the kind of foods that we eat; you may be more or less likely to eat based on how you’re feeling.

Action: Think about your eating habits. Are you turning to salty or sugary foods more than you would normally? Are there times when you completely forget to eat?

Try: If you’re consistently making not-so-great choices about food, overeating or forgetting to eat, it’s a good idea to talk to your GP about the way you’re feeling.

What does a good diet look like?
Individual dietary needs will vary from person to person but you can get a rough idea of how many serves of grains, proteins, vegetables, fruits and dairy that you should be aiming to eat for your gender and age here.

If you are concerned about your diet, visit your GP for advice.

I don’t like water or vegetables. What do I do?
While you might not like to be seen by your mates doing it, you can add slices of fruit such as oranges and watermelon to water in your drink bottle. There’s also lots of herbal and fruit teas you can drop into water for flavoring.

Try thinking about how you prepare your veggies. You don’t have to eat them plain. Do you prefer vegetables roasted or with a little melted cheese on top? Go for it. Also try stir frying with a sauce or adding salt and pepper, try some different options until you find something that sticks. Ease yourself into these changes and expect you might not be thrilled with the change to begin with.

I’ve made these changes but I’m still feeling low and stressed. What do I do?
If you’ve made some good, consistent changes to your diet and you’re still not feeling great, it’s time to see your GP to talk about what’s going on. Remember to congratulate yourself for what you’ve achieved and try to keep going with it as your overall health will certainly benefit from a nutritious diet.