Eating well

We can reduce our chances of getting cancer and improve our wellbeing by eating a variety of healthy kai every day with our whānau.

Enjoy a variety of nutritious foods, including:

• vegetables and fruit (at least three servings of vegetables and at least two servings of fruit per day - these can be fresh, canned or frozen)
• grain foods, mostly wholegrain and those naturally high in fibre (e.g. brown rice, wheat and oats)
• some milk and milk products, mostly low and reduced fat
• some legumes (e.g. beans and lentils), nuts, seeds, fish and other kaimoana, eggs, poultry (e.g., chicken) and/or red meat* with the fat removed

*If choosing red meat, eat less than 500 g of cooked red meat a week.

Choose and/or prepare foods and drinks:

• with unsaturated fats (e.g. vegetable oils, nuts, some fish), instead of saturated fats (e.g. fatty lamb, beef, pork, butter, cheese, cream)
• that are low in salt (sodium)
• with little or no added sugar
• that are mostly 'whole' and less processed
• make plain water your first choice over other drinks.

For mothers, breastfeed your baby if you can.

After a cancer diagnosis, if you can, it is important that you follow the Ministry of Health Eating Well Guidelines. Check with your health professional about what is right for you.

You can find out more information about eating well by visiting some of the following helpful sites:

• Tips, guides and tools to get your family eating well (easy, fast and affordable recipes)
• Healthy eating advice from Health Navigator NZ.
• Reading Food Labels from Health Info.
• Using Food Labels from Health Navigator NZ.
• An explanation of the Health Star Rating system from Ministry for Primary Industries.
• World Cancer Research Fund International.