A Guide to Healthy Eating and Good Health
We care about each and every customer. That’s why we’re doing our part to help Aussie families put food on their tables that makes them feel good from the inside out. Most people know that eating a balanced diet, exercising and getting plenty of rest are important to maintaining Good Health.
We are committed to providing Aussies with quality products and healthy food choices. Every day we rigorously test our products to ensure they meet our great-tasting standards, before bringing them to you at our affordable prices. Because, at the end of the day, we believe that choosing to eat healthy shouldn’t mean changing your spending habits.
Our shelves are stocked with ALDI exclusive brands that contain no artificial colours, and some of our brands cater to specific requirements like gluten-free, dairy-free, and plant based. So, no matter your budget or dietary needs, you can enjoy good health and maintain healthy eating habits.
Healthy Eating
Eating fresh and heathy doesn’t have to be hard. ALDI believes that it’s more important than ever to help Aussies improve their diets. Between monitoring macros and staying on top of diet trends, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the idea of healthy eating. But it doesn’t have to be difficult. Because whether it’s reading a nutrition label or simply finding more ways to get in your five-a-day, we’re determined to help simplify healthy eating.
And luckily, there are plenty of great resources to help you make healthy everyday food choices. Check out the Government’s Eat For Health, explaining that good diet and nutrition improves our quality of life and wellbeing; and that while Australians have access to a wide range of foods, most of us need to choose foods and drinks more wisely to help protect our health.
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating is a resource that has been developed based on the best scientific evidence on food and health. It is a food selection guide which uses images on a plate to represent recommended proportions of the five food groups for consumption every day. The Guide also has advice to drink plenty of water, limit alcohol consumption and highly processed foods.
The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre recognises that “poor diet is a leading cause of preventable disease in Australia and around the world”. It also states that the public perception that healthy foods are expensive, is believed to be a barrier to improving diets. It’s important to understand more about the healthier choices you can make for your own diet. More information on the Australian Dietary Guidelines are available here.
Healthy eating tips
Here are a few healthy eating tips that can help you throughout the week. We know that everyone’s lifestyle and dietary needs are different, so if our tips do not appeal to you, no worries! Nutrition Australia has a wide range of fact sheets on nutrition and healthy eating and advice for you to explore.
1. Opt for lean proteins
Protein is an important part of a healthy diet. Lean protein contains less than 10 grams of total fat per portion. Eggs, tofu, poultry, fish, legumes, seeds and nuts are all great sources of lean protein (as well as lean meat itself). The Australian Dietary Guidelines includes advice on the amount and kinds of foods that we need to eat for health and wellbeing; and the Heart Foundation provides information on protein and heart health.
2. Drink plenty of water
Hydration is key! The body relies on water to function properly. Drinking enough H2O regulates your body temperature, improves sleep quality, aids digestion and so much more. Health Direct also offers more information why water is important for good health.
3. Whip up affordable and healthy meals with ALDI
Look to ALDI for more tips, advice and healthy recipe inspiration. Stay up to date with our offers, with our online catalogue. Check out the rest of our pages within Good Health for information and more.
4. Limit the amount of saturated fats, salt and sugars that you eat
Try to choose lower-fat options of meat and dairy, as well as products without added sugars or salt. The Heart Foundation also offers further information on saturated fats and the different style of fats and oils.
5. Limit your intake of alcohol
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommends consuming alcohol, processed snacks, sweets and soft drinks “only sometimes and in small amounts”. Keep these items as ‘sometimes foods’ or discretionary foods. Read here for further information on alcohol consumption guidelines.
6. Make healthy food choices for your age
We have different food needs at different stages of our life. When we’re infants we need extra energy for playing and as we become older and not as active, we need less. The Australian Dietary Guidelines provides information about food and drink choices for good health for people of different stages of life and specific age groups here. For nutrition advice for older adults, Nutrition Australia has an easy to follow fact sheet.
7. Understand food safety
Once you’ve made your healthy meals, do you know how to store them correctly? Understanding food safety is key to making your meals go further and keeping your family healthy. Adequate hand washing, understanding food labels and learning how to reduce food waste are all important parts of food safety.
8. Eat for immunity
As stated by the Baker Institute, “Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is key to helping your immune system function properly”. According to Healthline, adding fermented foods to your diet such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha and yogurt can help with digestion, immunity and weight loss.
How to Make Healthier Food Choices
Everyone has a different version of what a healthier lifestyle looks like for them – and that’s okay. We know it’s important to make informed choices about what we eat and that we should choose nutritious foods for wellbeing. The Dept. of Health and Aged Care tells us that only 1 in 3 adults eat enough fruit and vegetables; that 94% of children aged 2-17 don’t eat enough vegetables and that one-third of our intake comes from food we don’t need.
For easy to follow guidelines from Eat for Health, you can download Healthy Eating for Adults and Healthy Eating for Children to give you further info and tips, based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Or for smart swaps you can make, see Nutrition Australia’s fact sheet here.
If you’re interested in giving your eating habits a health boost, here are two frameworks to help you make informed dietary decisions for you and your family.
Understanding Nutrition Labels
Between monitoring macros and staying on top of diet trends, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the idea of healthy eating. But it doesn’t have to be hard. Information is key to understanding, so find out how to read nutrition labels and make a healthy choice, the easy choice.
Healthy Eating on a Budget
Eating fresh and healthy doesn’t have to be expensive, so we’ve included some tips on how to plan. Checking catalogue for our weekly offers will be fruitful for your wallet! Plus you can check our weekly meat Super Savers online. Having a healthy diet without breaking the bank is achievable!
Healthy Eating for Kids
Need some inspiration for the kid’s lunchboxes? Not sure how to incorporate veggies into your little one’s diet? Don’t worry, we’re here to help get them excited about all the colours of the fruit and veg rainbow. Check out our tips and tools to make healthy eating for kids easy.
Conscious Eating
Interested in going plant-based? We’ve broken down the different plant-based diets and information to help you get started.
Healthy Recipe Inspiration
We provide some information and recipes to get you started, on some of the different eating styles following a Mediterranean Diet, Low GI, Vegan and Vegetarian. Plus we include some inspiration on Healthy Recipes for Kids, then learn more here.
Then once you’ve done your weekly ALDI shop, you’ll be able to find hundreds of quick and interesting recipes on our website.
Rainbow of Vegetables and Fruits
What’s better than a food pyramid? A rainbow one. Nutrition Australia advises that eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables ensures we receive a variety of nutrients. There are five different colour categories, each with its own unique set of disease fighting chemicals called phytochemicals. Get out your crayons, we’re going to draw a tasty rainbow!
Purple/Blue
Fruit and veg with this colour (e.g. blueberries, beetroot, eggplant) have a plant pigment called anthocyanin. This has antioxidant properties and can help reduce the risk of stroke, cancer and heart disease.
Red
Red fruit and veg have a plant pigment called lycopene. This can help keep your heart healthy. Think of strawberries, red capsicum and of course, tomatoes.
Orange/Yellow
While carrots won’t give you night vision superpowers, they do contain a pigment called beta-carotene which, when ingested, converts to vitamin A – an important ingredient to maintain healthy eyes.
Green
Green veggies contain a range of different key vitamins and minerals. For example, spinach and other leafy greens are a great source of folate (which our bodies use to grow and repair cells and tissues).
Brown/White
It is widely known that bananas are a good source of potassium. Garlic also contains the health-promoting phytochemical allicin, which is known for its antiviral properties.
You can create your own rainbow on a plate by making tropical fruit salads and stir fries.
Nutrition Guide - The Food Pyramid
It’s important to enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods every day, from these five main food groups:
- Fruits
- Vegetables, Legumes and Beans
- Grain (cereal) foods
- Protein Foods, including Eggs, Nuts, Seeds, Lean Meats, Poultry, Fish, Tofu and Legumes or Beans
- Dairy and/or Dairy alternatives
But how do we put that all together? First introduced to you in primary school, here’s a little refresher on how the Food Pyramid works, courtesy of Nutrition Australia:
The foundation layers include three plant-based food groups (grains, fruit, veggies and legumes). These plant-based foods take up the most room in the pyramid, as they should make up the largest portion of our diet.
Then we have all that grainy goodness. We recommend choosing fibre-rich wholegrains over highly processed varieties. Next up, we have dairy products, which provide us with our calcium. And right next to those, we have lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds and more legumes, which are all great sources of protein.
Then top it all off with healthy fats to support heart health and brain function – and you’ve got yourself a pyramid!
Not everyone has the same nutritional or dietary needs. Be sure to do your own research or meet with your health care practitioner for personalised advice or information.
If you feel you might need a consultation with a health professional, it is recommended to choose an Accredited Practicing Dietician (APD) who is qualified to offer a wide range of health and nutrition services and advice. According to Dietitians Australia, APD’s are Australia’s most trusted dietetics professionals.