Make healthy food choices

What you put in your body has a direct impact on your overall health, and when combined with daily exercise, can reduce your risk of health issues such as heart disease. Below are some starting points for you to consider when it comes to eating well, as well as some resources to help you become more mindful of the foods you eat.  

When it comes to your food intake, choose a wide variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, lean meats and low-fat dairy foods, and look to include high-fibre, low gylcemic index (GI) carbohydrate foods. Look to also limit foods high in saturated fats and sodium (salt). Talk to a dietitian about the best food choices to reduce your risk of heart disease.  

If you’re unsure about what healthy food choices looks like for those with diabetes, learn more with Diabetes Australia, or look at some recipes for inspiration.  

Keep a Food Diary 

Staying on top of your eating habits can be hard, particularly if you’ve made multiple changes to your diet. Thankfully, tools like the Food Diary can help you keep track of what foods you’re eating, as well as help to ensure that your intake is within the desired range set out by your health team.   

If you’re not sure what your Food Diary should include, talk to your doctor or a qualified dietitian, or check out our Food Diary template to get you started.

Understanding food labels  

Making changes to your diet means being more aware of what’s in the foods that you’re eating. Thankfully, labels and nutritional information are required to be shown prominently on most foods, allowing you to read the ingredients and breakdown of nutrients.   

Read our guide on what to look for in a nutritional information panel, and talk to your doctor or a dietitian about the types of food and how much you should be eating.  

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