How to eat right for a better life

From 9-15 October, the Department of Health comes together with various stakeholders to increase South Africans’ awareness that nutritious food makes a profound difference to quality of life in our country. In 2024, National Nutrition Week is promoting the theme ‘Eat right for a better life’ to highlight how making nutritious food available in our homes, workplaces, schools and communities can help South Africans from all walks of life enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

As a country, South Africa faces serious nutritional challenges that stand in the way of many people living a better life. The health of one in five of our children is at risk of a future impacted by food-related illnesses and diseases. In 2023, the National Food and Nutrition Security Survey (NFNSS) (1) showed that overweight prevalence among children under 5 years is 22.6%, compared to 13% overweight reported in the 2016 South African Demographic and Health Survey (SADHS) (2). The 2016 SADHS and 2023 NFNSS both indicate that stunting is present in just over a quarter of children under 5, a sign of chronic undernutrition. The prevalence of underweight among children under five is on the rise with an estimation of 6% according to 2016 SADHS and 7.7% according to 2023 NFNSS.

The facts are no better when it comes to South African adults. In the seven years spanning the national research, the prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst women remains at the high rate of 68%. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in men has increased and now stands at 38.2%. In 2023, 63.5% of households in South Africa experienced food insecurity. Unhealthy foods high in sugar, salt, saturated fat and total fat, make up at least 40% of the diets of low-income families in South Africa (3). Many unhealthy food products such as packaged baked goods, crisps, fizzy drinks, refined breakfast cereals, and ready-to-eat meals are filled with added sugars, fats, salts, and other additives. These have been directly linked to more than 30 harmful health effects including obesity, heart disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes and adverse mental health, as well as premature death (4).

What can we do to eat right for a better life?

Maria van der Merwe, the president of the Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA) says, “Good nutrition is key to living a healthy life. When we eat well, we have more energy, less disease, and can ultimately enjoy better wellbeing. The first step to eating right is having access to affordable and nutritious food. Affordable, healthy food from a young age helps children and adults reach their full potential. Eating the right foods every day lowers the risk of diseases which means fewer medical visits and healthcare costs, as well as less stress on individuals, families, communities and the healthcare system. We must also remember that good nutrition and affordable food benefits our mental health. Eating well can improve mood and reduce stress.

“Caregivers and educators are important role models and can set an example for how to make healthy food choices and help to shape children’s lifelong eating habits. Children and youth need to grow up understanding that the food they eat gives them the energy to do well in school, play sports, exercise and feel good. Eating healthy isn’t just about today - it’s about setting yourself up for a healthy and successful future.”

Of course, for the adults to be effective healthy eating role models, they need to be aware of the South African Food Based Dietary Guidelines and follow these simple principles of healthy eating. Dr Elize Symington, the president of the Nutrition Society of South Africa (NSSA) says, “Making small changes in your daily food choices over time can help you to develop healthy eating patterns. It all starts with including more whole foods and unprocessed or minimally processed foods, focusing on brightly coloured vegetables and fruits, legumes and whole grains. One of the easiest ways to improve the quality of our nutrition is to prepare most of our food at home. Meal planning is a process that can be learnt to help minimise the time and effort spent on preparing family meals and lunchboxes. For your own health, it’s important to make healthy meals a priority.”

Healthy eating protects your health

For National Nutrition Week 2024, partner organisation, the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA) focuses on the power of nutrition to prevent disease and early death. Professor Pamela Naidoo of HSFSA, says, “It is estimated that 70% to 80% of heart disease and stroke can be prevented by your lifestyle choices and habits, such as eating a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol and smoking, and being physically active. Eating well and making good nutritional choices is one of the best ways to prevent heart disease, as well as many other chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity and some cancers. It is a misconception that healthy eating means you will be missing out or that it is hard to do.

“Even small improvements can make a big difference. You also do not need to have a big budget to buy foods that are marketed as ‘health foods’. Healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes and wholegrains are delicious, affordable and easy to include in your daily life. In addition, the energy and well-being that you get from a healthy diet boosts your enjoyment of life and your performance in the things that are important to you. Eating a variety of colourful vegetables, adding beans and lentils to your favourite dishes, enjoying lean proteins such as chicken and fish, choosing low fat dairy and healthy fats are some of the simple but significant changes you can make to improve your quality of life and reduce your risks of disease.”

What are the basics of eating well for a better life?

ADSA’s President, Maria van der Merwe concludes, "Eat right for a better life highlights how eating nutritious food can help everyone feel better, live healthier, and achieve their full potential. Whether you are a young South African setting out on your life path or a retiree settling back to enjoy your golden years, we all want opportunities to be as resilient, happy and healthy as we can be.

“Tips to eat right for a better life include:

• With every meal, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack time, find the opportunities to add in more vegetables and fruit. Examples of this are adding chopped up apples or bananas to pap at breakfast time, adding beans and carrots to a meat sauce, and leafy greens to an egg dish. Always make sure there are cut up vegetables like carrot and cucumber sticks, and whole fruits like apples and bananas in the lunchboxes.

• Drinking water is an important part of healthy nutrition, and water should be our beverage of choice at any age. When we make drinking water an everyday habit it becomes easy to avoid sugary drinks.

• Developing your home cooking skills and encouraging family meal preparation is a way to eat more healthy meals, have better portion control and adds enjoyment to life.

• It’s a good idea to get children involved in meal preparation because it improves their nutrition knowledge and life skills development and helps set them on a path to living a better life.

• Kids need a healthy, varied diet to thrive so ensure they have access to nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein-rich options like beans, eggs, and peanut butter.

• Ask for affordable, nutritious options like whole-wheat bread, amasi, fresh produce, and legumes in your community.

For more information and healthy eating tips, visit National Nutrition Week 2024 www.nutritionweek.co.za

National Nutrition Week 2024 collaborators:

National Department of Health www.health.gov.za
National Department of Basic Education
National Department of Social Development
Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA) www.adsa.org.za
UNICEF www.unicef.org
South African Military Health Services (SAMHS)
The Nutrition Society of South Africa www.nutritionsociety.co.za
Grow Great www.growgreat.co.za
Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA) https://heartfoundation.co.za/
Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) www.cansa.org.za

References:

1) Simelane, T. Mutanga, S.S. Hongoro, C. Parker et al (2023). National Food and Nutrition Security Survey: National Report: HSRC: Pretoria.

2) Demographic and Health Survey 2016: Report, national Department of Health (NDoH), Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), and ICF, 2019.

3) Frank T, Ng SW, Lowery CM, Thow A-M, Swart EC. Dietary intake of low-income adults in South Africa: ultra-processed food consumption a cause for concern. Public Health Nutrition. 2024;27(1):e41. doi:10.1017/S1368980023002811

4) Lane M M, Gamage E, Du S, Ashtree D N, McGuinness A J, Gauci S et al. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses BMJ 2024; 384 :e077310 doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-077310