Azmina's tips for functional foods

Dietitian Azmina Govindji offers some top tips for eating your way to good health.

• A healthy diet is all about balance. Keep an eye on your portion sizes and be careful how much saturated and hydrogenated (trans) fat you consume.
• Encourage your children to take more exercise by setting a good example yourself – go swimming with them or join them for a game of football in the garden.
• The more processed the food, the more likely it is to contain unhealthy levels of hydrogenated fat (or trans-fat), salt and sugar. Sticking to more natural foods increases your chances of staying healthy.
• When buying ready-meals, check the labels to see how many calories and how much salt and saturated or trans-fat they contain. Choose healthier-eating versions where possible.
• When shopping, think about what you're buying and why you're buying it. You may not need to opt for a “functional food” – natural foodstuffs sometimes provide similar benefits at a lower cost.