Healthy eating guidelines for women
Nutrition plays different roles during different stages of a woman's life. During childhood, foods fuel growth. Through childbearing years, diet plays a role in fertility, a healthy pregnancy and prevention of chronic disease. In older years, what women eat can help keep minds sharp and bodies strong. This article, adapted from the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (www.eatright.org), summarises top tips for healthy eating as a woman.
Eating Right
Nutrient-rich foods provide energy for women’s busy lives and help to prevent disease. A healthy daily diet includes:
- At least three servings of whole grains such as whole-grain bread, cereal, pasta, brown rice or oats.
- Three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy products including low-fat or fat-free milk, yoghurt or cheese.
- At least three 30 g servings of protein such as lean meat, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, beans or peas and nuts.
- Two servings of fruit — fresh, frozen or canned without added sugar.
- At least three servings of colourful vegetables — fresh, frozen or canned without added salt.
Iron-rich Foods
Iron is one of the keys to good health and energy levels in women. Iron-rich food sources include red meat, chicken, turkey, pork, fish, kale, spinach, beans, lentils and fortified breads and cereals. Plant-based sources of iron are more easily absorbed by your body when eaten with vitamin C-rich foods. So eat fortified cereal with strawberries on top, spinach salad with mandarin orange slices or add tomatoes to lentil soup.
Folic Acid during the Reproductive Years
When women reach childbearing age, they need to eat enough folic acid to decrease risk of birth defects. The requirement is at least 400 micrograms of folic acid a day. Be sure to consume adequate amounts of folic acid daily from fortified foods or supplements, in addition to food forms of folate from a varied diet. Citrus fruits, leafy greens, beans and peas naturally contain folate. There are many folic acid fortified foods such as cereals, rice and breads.
Daily Calcium Requirements
For healthy bones and teeth, women need to eat a variety of calcium-rich foods every day. Calcium keeps bones strong and prevents osteoporosis, a bone disease in which the bones become weak and break easily. Some calcium-rich foods include low-fat or fat-free milk, yoghurt and cheese, sardines and calcium-fortified foods including juices and cereals.
You might also want to read about the hidden sugars in food here.
This article was written by nutrition student, Emma Stacey, under the supervision of Leanne Kiezer (RD).
Pick n Pay is committed to promoting health and wellbeing among South Africans, and employs the services of a registered dietitian to provide food and nutrition-related advice to the public. For more nutrition tips on healthy eating, email healthhotline@pnp.co.za or call 0800 11 22 88.
