Achieving an adequate diet
What are the symptoms of inadequate diet?
Tiredness, lack of energy, irritability, difficulty in concentrating and excessively dry skin are all symptoms that may be caused by an inadequate diet. People who restrict their food intake because they are busy or are attempting to lose weight run the risk of becoming deficient in essential vitamins and minerals. For good health, a constant daily intake of these nutrients is necessary. The less we eat the more important it becomes to have a wide variety of healthy food in the diet.What foods and drinks should we avoid?
Alcohol and indulgent foods that contain high levels of fat (such as biscuits, chocolate and chips) and sugar (for example, canned soft drinks) do not contain useful nutrients and should be the first things to exclude.Sources of iron and calcium
Many people are not receiving an adequate amount of iron. If meat is not included in the diet, a special effort should be made to eat plenty of wholegrain cereals and dark green leafy vegetables and legumes (dried peas, beans and lentils). It is difficult to achieve the recommended intake of calcium if milk, yoghurt or cheese are not eaten daily. Other good sources of calcium are canned fish with edible bones (for example, salmon), calcium-enriched soy products and tahini.Why raw foods and soups are good for the diet
Folic acid and vitamin B6 are widely distributed in food but are easily destroyed by cooking. Some raw foods need to be eaten regularly to meet the requirements for these vitamins. Soups are a good way of having variety in your diet without too many calories.Last Reviewed: 12 October 2004
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