Nutrition & Diet FAQs
This section of the site is based on real questions that we've been asked and our responses to them, if you find them useful please - let us know! If you have specific questions about your eating habits why not book a dietary analysis with one of the BlueSkies experts.
Question Topics
- Help with healthy lunch and snack ideas
- Cafe culture - is skinny OK?
- Snack ideas for someone who's oat, wheat and dairy intolerant?
- Alcohol - it's not all bad news is it?
- Baked beans - are they really a healthy option?
- Butter Vs Margarine - which is best?
- Can I eat fats and carbs at the same time?
- Performance nutrition - what are good snacks for ski touring?
- How can I get my children to eat more healthily?
- Where can I find out more about food groups and a balanced diet?
- Any hints on planning and pre-preparing foods?
- Do you lose many vitamins and minerals from chopped vegetables?
- Cheerio to cheerios - what are healthy breakfast cereals for children?
- Why are Weetabix high GI and what can I add to them to lower it?
- Is it possible to eat too many fruit and vegetables?
- Are smoothies a good way to get my fruit servings?
- The great GI of wheat products mystery!
- What food group is butter in and what's a serving?
- Will sugar before bed help me sleep? and is it better to lower the glycemic response of high GI foods by adding high fat foods to a meal?
- Any weight loss tips for a sweet tooth who doesn't like fruit or veg?
Question 1 - Help with healthy lunch and snack ideas
I seem to have now mastered a breakfast I stick to and an evening meal that is light but satisfying and not too late in the day..... but I do absolutely need help with suggestions for a working lunch. I've tried sandwiches and to be honest I suffer from the blood sugar dive about an hour later - so I was thinking of a small helping of wholemeal pasta - cold and mixed with either chicken pieces & tomato/celery/herbs or mashed egg or other meat or fish..... for lunch - what do you think ? And for snacks during the day - I'd be grateful for some good suggestions there too.
BlueSkies Response
You've got a good start to the day with your porridge and it sounds like your evening meal is pretty healthy too.
Before I get onto healthy lunches, I'd like to throw in the fact that you would benefit from eating more regularly too - especially as you say that you suffer from blood sugar dives. I'd suggest a healthy snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon as well as your 3 meals a day.
For healthy lunches, sandwiches can be healthy and longer lasting depending
upon the bread that you choose - rye breads and wholegrain breads etc are much better than white bread and the filling will also influence the GI.
Moving aside from sandwiches, here's some options that aren't a million miles from
those you suggested:
- quinoa with chicken, salsa and salad
- wholemeal pasta with tuna and low fat mayo
- cous-cous with salmon and grilled veg with a balsamic vinegar dressing
- brown rice with stir-fried turkey & veg
- small portions of the previous evening's meal
For snacks, you could try the following:
- seeds and nuts (but watch the calories in these)
- rice cakes or rice crackers
- fruit
- crudités with salsa dip
- low-fat yoghurt with cereal/fruit
- oat based crackers with low fat cream cheese
Question 2 - Cafe culture - is skinny OK?
Regarding cafe culture and milky coffees etc... what do you think of all this ? I love latte coffees and cappucinos.... are skinny lattes and cappucinos that much better - or should these sorts of drinks be a weekend treat rather than a daily habit ?
BlueSkies Response
With regard to coffees, yes they can add unnecessary calories to the diet!
The average skinny cappuccino will contain around 70-100 calories and the average skinny latte around 100-150 calories. Compare this to a skinny Americano with around 20-30 calories. Skinny drinks are much, much better than full fat or even semi skimmed and you can easily save yourself 100+ calories per drink by switching to skinny from full fat.
There is no real problem with having these drinks everyday but if you are watching your weight they are an easy swap to make. We always suggest easy lifestyle and diet swaps as the best way to lose weight and change your habits - they're easier to achieve and more sustainable.
Question 3 - Snack ideas for someone who's oat, wheat and dairy intolerant?
Do you have any suggestions for food on the go for someone who often suffers digestive problems after eating oats (always) bread (if eaten every day) and milk (if taking more than one milky drink per day).
BlueSkies Response
You could try some of the following ideas:
- Seedy snack bars - have a look at the recipe section of this site - we normally make them with oats but you could substitute those for other flakes that you aren't intolerant to such as buckwheat/barley flakes/quinoa flakes/rye flakes/spelt flakes
- Fresh fruit is always a good one
- Fruit smoothies made with yoghurt if you're not intolerant to it or with fruit juice or with soy milk/rice milk i.e. a banana, some raspberries and a yoghurt/fruit juice/milk substitute
- Rice cakes / rice crackers
- Sandwiches made with bread that doesn't contain wheat or oats - spelt bread is sometimes tolerated by gluten allergy sufferers or rye bread
- Crudités (carrots, celery, pepper etc) and dips such as salsa/hummus
- Seeds and nuts - non-roasted - ideally almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, linseeds
- Dried fruit - apricots, raisins, figs etc
- Malt bread if you can tolerate it
Question 4 - Alcohol, its not all bad news is it?
You mentioned in your talk that Alcohol is not good for you and should be avoided. However, wine, red wine in particular, is meant to help digestion and also contains many polyphenols which are good for heath generally and the heart in particular. One common example given is of the French who have a diet high in fats but have a fairly low rate of heart problems and this is presumed to be due to their high consumption of red wine (possibly also lots of garlic).
BlueSkies Response
There are many arguments for the benefits of the 'Mediterranean diet' including the use of olive oil, garlic, fish, fresh locally produced and less intensively farmed vegetables, and indeed, red wine. The red wine noted to be highest in antioxidants such as the polyphenols you mention is Andean (Chilean) Cabernet Sauvignon although there is a plethora of research indicating that any alcoholic beverage consumed in a moderate amount on a daily basis can help to prevent heart disease.
I may not have been clear when I mentioned alcohol but I was referring to alcoholic beverages not being a good choice for people who are trying to lose weight. Alcoholic drinks are high in calories and in my experience is the single factor most likely to scupper people's attempts to lose weight, however you're right to think it's not all bad news in moderation.
Question 5 - Baked beans, are they really a healthy option?
I see that ½ tin of Baked Beans count as a portion of vegetables - a standard tin presumably or the whole of a small tin. In terms of overall heath though, what about what is in the sauce? Should baked beans be truly classed as a vegetable and consumption encouraged (what about the salt content for example?).
BlueSkies Response
Tinned beans do unfortunately tend to come in sauce or in salted water to preserve them, an equivalent amount of dried beans, rehydrated, or if you want to get really obsessive, fresh sprouted beans, are a far better option.
The haricot beans found in your typical baked bean tin are really healthy but I would definitely recommend removing the majority of the sauce before eating them or buying plain haricot beans and making your own sauce from fresh ingredients.
Beans don't fall into the vegetable group, however they are prepared they are put in the non-meat protein food, the sauces that come with them are likely to count as a serving in the high-sugar food group.
Question 6 - Butter Vs Margarine, which is best?
I have gone back to using butter recently having heard about all the nutrients it contains that I wouldn't get sticking to an olive oil based spread. Do you have any views on this area in general - i.e. butter as compared to different types of oil based spreads?
BlueSkies Response
This is really one of the minefield areas in nutrition and I can't give a conclusive, evidence based black and white answer I'm afraid as there are pros and cons to either side.
In my humble opinion, it's best to limit the consumption of spreads to an absolute minimum, use oils such as olive or rapeseed when cooking and enjoy butter or spread (whichever you prefer) occasionally (once a week or so) on your bread/toast when you have it.
If trying to lose weight and eating spreads regularly, a low fat spread will probably serve your purpose better and if looking to lower cholesterol levels plant sterol containing spreads like Benecol have been shown beneficial whilst butter contains primarily saturated fat that will increase blood LDL levels.
Question 7 - Can I eat fats and carbs at the same time?
Regarding fats and carbohydrates, I have read quite a lot about not mixing them in the same meal. That fat is fine if there is not too much carbohydrate as the body will then process that fat to use the energy. If carbohydrates are mixed with fat, then the body will use the carbohydrates which it can get the energy from more easily and store the fats away. So whilst you should eat both fats and carbohydrates, it is best not to mix them in the same meal. What comments do you have on this?
BlueSkies Response
I'm not a believer in the Hay diet or any other macrobiotic or food combining theories. It is almost impossible to find foods (fruit and vegetables excepted) that don't have a mixture of all 3 macronutrients in them and the human body has evolved for millions of years eating whatever it can whenever it gets it.
Overconsumption of readily available, high calorie food sources is a modern, man-made problem which has brought with it the weight and health problems common in today’s society. The enzymes that digest the different nutrients will all be present in the various secretions at different stages of the digestive tract and unless there is a medical reason otherwise, nutrients will be absorbed when eaten alone or in combination.
The way the body uses the fatty acids and glucose once absorbed has little to do with when they're eaten as there will be adequate glycogen stores and fatty acid stores all the time, the key thing for losing weight is how many calories are eaten and not the timings or combination of nutrient intakes.
Question 8 - Performance nutrition - What snacks are good for ski touring?
I have a question relating to body fuel during a forthcoming ski touring holiday. This will involve prolonged period of aerobic activity, typically 5 hours a day, at altitude. The days will start with a good breakfast, but the only food available at lunchtime will be what I carry with me in my backpack. From your chart one of the ideal foods to carry would be bananas, but these may not be readily available (some days start from mountain huts), and they make a mess if you fall on them when skiing! I was planning on taking a supply of muesli bars for the week, and from the glycemic index web-site you mentioned www.glycemicindex.com some of these clearly have low GI values. Are there any other specific recommendations you can make? Nothing heavy, it will all have to be carried. Incidentally, I was surprised that Mars bars don't fair too badly (index 64) - I would have expected these to give the immediate sugar rush and subsequent low that is to be avoided.
BlueSkies Response
For performance nutrition during exercise high GI carbohydrates are usually the best choice because during exercise the insulin response is muted so you don’t get the ‘sugar crash’ that we try to avoid most of the time. However for an extended period such as a 5-6 hour ski touring session you will need some fats and proteins too.
Muesli bars are not a bad option as long as you digest them easily and they don't make you feel uncomfortable. I wouldn't advise fresh fruit in the situation due to the practical issues you highlighted but dried fruit such as raisins, apricots, figs are a convenient energy boost with a combination of fast and slow release sugars. Try a sports drink as well as making sure you've got plenty of water with you (I'm sure you know but don't eat snow for hydration without melting it first).
Mars bars and other chocolate bars are only moderate because the high fat content lowers the GI, however they will give a big rise in blood sugar overall, but this may not be a bad thing if you're exercising hard, best plan is to have a quarter of a bar at a time rather than all at once though.
Question 9 - How can I get my children to eat more healthily?
Any hints on how to change the childrens tastes to accept more healthier options? For example eating brown bread and pasta over white, eat more fruit and veg, eat any fish at all?
BlueSkies Response
Acquiring the taste for new foods is, in theory, simply a matter of exposure. However, convincing someone to try something enough times to acquire the taste for it is a challenge! Children tend to have a very strong dislike of bitter tastes such as green vegetables or strong tastes such as some fish, this is a natural effect of evolution - if it tastes bad its probably not good to eat or it may be off/poisonous. However things that have worked for people I know include;
- 'hiding' vegetables in sauces made with things they do like - carrots and tomatoes are often fine
- making food fun by getting children involved in preparation
- eating around a table together and making sure you eat the veggies and talk about how nice they are
- only giving a small amount e.g. 1 small floret of broccoli and making it a game to 'be a dinosaur and eat the little tree!' or engage them to play using whatever they are into
It's much, much easier to get little ones used to food before they can say no so unfortunately you're going to have some work on your hands! With older children although they’re likely to be resistant at first, don't deprive them of the things they’re used to all of a sudden but reason with them, treat her with respect like a grown up and encourage them to eat more healthily with you.
Question 10 - Where can I find out more about food groups and a balanced diet?
Do you have more detailed lists of choices within each food group than those shown on the eatwell plate?
BlueSkies Response
The website www.mypyramid.gov is an american one based on the food guide pyramid which has lots of examples and can be fun to explore, also the food standards agency website www.food.gov.uk is a good resource for information about healthy balanced diets.
Question 11 - Any hints on planning & pre-preparing foods?
I am not good at planning and pre-preparing foods. Any hints?
BlueSkies Response
Why not pre-cook in bulk when you have some time on days when you're not at work, buy lots of the plastic containers with sealable lids and portion up and freeze meals so you can just pull them out of the freezer and re-heat when you need them in a hurry.
Put healthy snack options on your shopping list e.g. lots of fresh fruit, nuts and seeds, healthy crackers/wafers/rice cakes/oat biscuits, little boxes of raisins, low fat yoghurts, even carrot sticks or anything else convenient to take to work and eat at your desk or keep in the car
Question 12 - Do you lose many vitamins and minerals from chopped foods?
I heard that if you prepared vegetables and left them in water you lose some of the nutrients?
BlueSkies Response
It’s true that chopped vegetables will lose some of their vitamins, as will veg that are overcooked or left to stand in water, generally the fresher the better and the less cooked the better, having said that frozen veg are often found to have more nutrients than supposed ‘fresh’ ones in supermarkets these days.
If you’re concerned that even with an increased vegetable intake you’re not meeting your daily vitamin and mineral needs you could try a multivitamin and mineral supplement.
Question13 - Cheerio to cheerios? What are healthy breakfast cereals for children?
I looked up my childrens breakfast cereal on the database you gave (a resource I will use a lot now) to find that Cheerios are high - and I was thinking that was one of the more healthy children's breakfast cereals too! How can I lower the GI of their breakfast without trying to make them eat porridge?
BlueSkies Response
Cheerios are not the worst breakfast cereal by far - at least they're wholegrain cereals and are fortified with vitamins. To lower the GI try to include some chopped up fruit with them or some dried fruit like raisins, also try to get your older daughter onto semi-skimmed or even skimmed milk and use this yourself.
Question 14 - Why are weetabix high GI and what can I do to lower it?
I was surprised to see Weetabix on the high end of the GI scale. Am I right in thinking this means they release their energy in a shorter period of time? I normally eat a couple of Weetabix in the morning for breakfast as I thought they released energy slowly.
BlueSkies Response
Unfortunately you can't believe the adverts, many processed (boxed) cereals claim to keep you full or give you energy all morning but in fact don't! Weetabix aren't an unhealthy option for breakfast, they have a good amount of fibre and are whole grain.
However, if you have them with some lower GI fruit e.g. an unripe banana and skimmed milk rather than whole milk this will tend to slow the sugar release down somewhat. To get a more steady glucose release try oatibix which are (big surprise) made from oats which are slower release and even better for your heart than wheat, alternatively add some nuts or seeds to your weetabix.
Question 15 - Is it possible to eat too many fruit and vegetables?
Having started looking at what I eat over the last few months I've heard a few people use a statement similar to "any amount of fruit and veg is ok, you can't eat too much". Is that strictly true?
BlueSkies Response
If you increase fruit intake too high too fast you'll experience some uncomfortable and possibly embarrasing side effects! Ultimately 10-13 servings of vegetables and fruit a day would be fantastic but it may not always be feasible and is something one should build up to slowly to avoid shocking the digestive system with all the fibre. Focus on increasing veggies more than fruit as they have less sugars so will ferment less and are less likely to cause gas in the gut.
Question 16 - Are smoothies a good way to get my fruit servings?
In an effort to get more fruit into my diet (I pretty much only like apples!) I have been drinking some smoothies from a local shop. They are made mostly from fresh fruit (you can see them make it) but they also include pro-biotic yoghurt which I don't really know anything about. Is that a good way to increase the amount of fruit I eat?
BlueSkies Response
Smoothies are a great, convenient way to get fruit into your diet and the ones you're having, made fresh in front of you are the best as you can see they don't strain out all the good bits of skin and fibre like some of the pre-bottled ones do. Smoothies only really count towards one of your daily fruit servings though but the pro biotic yoghurt is and extra dairy serving, gives you extra calcium and protein and although there is some conflict in the research as to how beneficial the probiotics are they certainly won't hurt you (unless you're trying to lose weight and they're full fat yoghurts).
Question 17 - The great GI of wheat products mystery!
Why are the GI’s of Weetabix and Shredded wheat cereals high whilst pasta is moderate, when they are all made of wheat?
BlueSkies Response
Although they are all wheat products their chemical structure is different, because GI is based on experimental research rather than theory there are often a few surprises, the type of carbohydrate chains within the food as well as how densely packed they are will all affect GI along with protein, fat, fibre content and acidity.
Pasta's GI increases the more overcooked it becomes so keep it al dente for the benefits of slow release sugar.
Question 18 - What food group is butter in and what's a serving?
BlueSkies Response
Butter falls into the ‘use sparingly’ group rather than dairy because it is 80%+ fat, 1 serving is about 10 grams, a normal thickness spread on one piece of bread - and this small amount will supply as much energy as the slice of bread does!
Question 19 - Will sugary foods before bed help me to sleep and is it better to add high fat foods to sugary ones to lower the glycemic index?
Is it OK to eat sugary foods before bed to help me sleep? I was surprised to see foods like cornflakes and bread are high on the GI rating is it OK to eat them if things like butter or cheese are added to the meal to reduce the blood glucose response?
BlueSkies response
Eating high sugar foods before bed is not a great idea but starchy foods like potato's, bread & cereals in the evening will help to raise levels of serotonin and help you sleep as will certain meats like turkey.
The GI is based on experimental methods rather than theory so often there are surprises as foods traditionally thought of as starchy or 'complex carbs' come up higher on the GI than things that are considered sugars or 'simple carbohydrates'. This is because of the type and structures of the carbohydrate in the food and is affected by adding fat or protein containing foods in a meal with a high GI carb which tend to lower the glycemic response. However, this doesn't necessarily make it a 'better' meal if these are high fat foods.
Question 20 - Any weight loss tips for a sweet tooth who doesn't like fruit or veg?
I struggle to eat healthily as I have a very sweet tooth and find that once I start eating its hard to stop. I really don’t like fruit or vegetables, I do manage to eat a couple of apples and a ½ pint glass of fruit juice most days and have salad for lunch but could do with some tips to help me eat more of these foods. I need to lose a lot of weight but am plagued by hunger pangs and crave very sweet things – treacle sarnies are an after work favourite! Any ideas to help me lose weight?
BlueSkies response
You do very well with fruit and veg for someone that hates it so much, have you considered just trying to add something like pears as an addition to apples, or even sweet fruits like berries which you can buy frozen and heat up - they're great in porridge or if you need a sweet boost in the evening have them with some crunchy oat cereal and a packet of low fat custard - a healthy alternative to fruit crumble. Be careful with fruit juice it is mostly sugar, a smoothie may be a better option or just water/ no sugar squash.
Things like your treacle sarnies are likely to give you the sugar rush then make you feel very hungry soon after eating them because of the insulin acting to lower the sharp rise in blood sugar. If you can try to find lower GI wholegrain foods with lots of fibre in they will fill you up more and prevent the sugar rush and crash scenario.
Another little trick is to drink a pint of water 30 min before eating. Often the body confuses hunger for thirst signals and makes you want to eat when really drinking is needed, the water will also help fill your stomach leaving less space for food so you feel full sooner.
Try to get plenty of protein foods into your diet regularly too - eat a decent amount of protein with every meal, protein is better at satisfying than carbohydrate.
Another thing to think about is what you spend your evenings doing, if you could find some kind of activity that isn't compatible with eating that may help to keep you distracted this could help with your weight loss, especially if it’s physically active in some way.