Choosing healthier food options for every meal

Healthy dinner choices

Try to eat dinner at regular, scheduled times – preferably early in the evening, as opposed to late night dinners. Usually dinners are more relaxed than other meals throughout the day, and you often have a greater amount of time to spend preparing and eating dinner than any other meals.

Take the time to include foods from the food pyramid that you may have excluded in earlier meals. A word of caution, however, dinnertime can sabotage your healthy-eating or diet intentions because you do have more time to eat – it is easier to end up eating too much. Keep an eye on your portions and serving sizes.

Coach Sales Associate Marshella Dickey, 22, does not always manage to find time to eat healthy dinners, but she makes the most of foods that are available to her and avoids the unhealthy food traps of the canteen while she is at work.

“I try to eat lots of salads with spinach leaves and fruits. If I have to eat on the go, I try to find wraps that contain vegetables and chicken. I also try to have whole wheat bread and pasta when I can,” says Dickey.

Eating out can occasionally be a challenge for some health-conscious eaters. Aim to have sit-down family meals at home but when you do eat out, opt for meals that contain a balace of the different food groups.

Next: How to eat well in between meals