Food is one of the greatest pleasures in life. And we certainly are passionate about food in this borough, which is rightfully recognised as the Food Heartland of Northern Ireland.
However, as the popular saying goes – ‘You are what you eat’. Research conducted as part of the Health Survey NI 2018/19 shows that within the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area:
- 50% of the population are meeting the healthy eating 5-a-day guideline
- 39% of adults are overweight
- 23% of adults are obese
Staying at home during the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to be a recipe for disaster in terms of encouraging people to adopt unhealthy eating habits and to consume more calories than their body needs.
If you are keen to keep your body in tip top condition and boost your immune system over the coming weeks and months, eating a healthy balanced diet and getting the nutrients you need is central to achieving this goal.
At times you may be needing a little comfort food, but be mindful to monitor your intake of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats.
The recommended daily calorie intake is 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men but if you are being less active. So you may need to consume less calories in order to maintain your normal weight.
Below you will find resource material that will help you kick-start your healthy eating at home plan.