Healthy Eating and Nutrition

Some Tips for Eating Well

• Try to eat regularly at the same time everyday, with three meals and two to three snacks per day.
• Try to choose healthier foods if you can. Use the food pyramid as a guide to help you. 
• Check out these useful guides to help with portion sizes and meal plans. 
• Write a list of the meals you plan to make during the week to help you with your weekly shopping. You can find tips to help with your meal planning here. 
• Example of Meal Plan for 5 year old child
• Example of Meal Plan for young adult 
• Example of Meal Plan for breastfeeding mother
• Example of Meal Plan for an 83 year old 
• Make sure to drink plenty of water, keeping hydrated is very important. safefood have more tips on choosing healthy drinks. 
  
• Different foods have different nutrients, so keep your meals varied throughout the week, if possible.  When buying fruit and vegetables, try to include a range of colours (like a rainbow) as different coloured produce provides different vitamins. 
• Choose healthier cooking methods such as grilling or baking, rather than frying or roasting with oil or fat. 
• Choose wholemeal and wholegrain breads, cereals, pasta and brown rice where possible. 
• Aim to eat five to seven portions of fruit, vegetables and salad each day.  At mealtimes, aim for half of your place to be vegetables or salad. 
• Most people should avoid too many foods that are high in sugar, salt and fat every day - the ones that are at the top of the food pyramid. They can contain little nutritional value and can be harmful for your health.

Making a Weekly Meal Plan

For help with your meal plans and for sample meal plans click here.

Planning can help you have healthy meals and snacks no matter how busy things get. Having a meal plan can save time, money and reduce food waste. Just remember to stick to your shopping list.

Here are six steps to making a meal plan:

1. Give yourself time to plan
2. Check what you have at home
3. Include some of your favourite meals
4. Use up your leftovers
5. Cook in bulk
6. Make your ingredients work 

Download the safefood '101 Square Meal: Easy Recipes for Everyday Life' for meal planning inspiration and super simple nutritious recipes.

Let's Get Galway Growing

Let's Get Galway Growing is a network of community gardens in Galway City that are organised and run by local community volunteers for the local community. There are currently six community gardens in the network situated across Galway City. The gardens are important community spaces that enable people to get involved in gardening and community events throughout the year. 

Each garden hosts various free activities and workshops on healthy cooking and eating, growing and harvesting organic food and other community health initiatives. 

The gardens are open to everyone and family friendly. 

If you would like to find out more about the community gardens contact the garden in your area directly or contact Galway City Partnership on 091 773466 or email info@gcp.ie.

Follow Let's Get Galway Growing on Facebook and Twitter.

Find a Garden Near You

Merlin Woods Community Garden

Ballybane Community Organic Garden

Healthy Eating Supports available

Supermarket Tours - The HSE Community Nutrition and Dietetic Service offer FREE Supermarket Tours in Galway City. The tours equip participants with the skills needed to make healthier choices when shopping. Themed tours are also available, including ‘Food choices for diabetes’, ‘Healthy food for the family’ or ‘Shopping for one’. For more information, or to register your interest please call 091 861186

Breastfeeding Support Groups- click here for a list of Breastfeeding support groups in Galway. For further information on breastfeeding visit the mychild.ie website.

Free online talks on feeding your baby - The introduction of solid foods is an important development stage for your baby both nutritionally and socially. These free online talks offer helpful advice on moving from milk to solids. Parents will have an opportunity to have any questions they may have answered. Registration is essential. For more information contact Kathleen on 083 0274858 or email earlyyears@gcp.ie.

National and Local Policies and Plans

• A Healthy Weight for Ireland – Obesity Policy and Action Plan

• Galway City Early Years Health and Wellbeing Plan

Resources

Safefood 101 Square Meals Cookbook - Easy recipes for everyday life

Useful websites: safefood.eu; makeastart.ie; mychild.ie, gov.ie/together 

Healthy Meeting Guidelines

A range of printed materials, including information in relation to healthy eating, are now available to download, or order, through healthpromotion.ie/publications.