Nutrition Tips

Kilojoules are a description of how much energy a particular food contains – in other words, the more kilojoules you eat, the more weight you will gain.  All foods contain kilojoules.  For example, because fat contains more than twice as many kilojoules as protein, 250 g of lean meat will contain fewer kilojoules than 250 g of fatty meat.²⁰ Just because a food is ‘low fat,’ ‘light’ or ‘fat-free’, it doesn’t mean that you can eat more of it than you normally would!  Your doctor or a dietician can help you to determine precisely how many kilojoules you should be eating a day and what portion sizes and food types are appropriate for that diet.  You can also check out the tools available once you sign up for a free iLiveLite account. To find a dietician in your area go to: https://adsa.org.za/find-a-registered-dietitian/

Eating less food at every meal reduces your kilojoule intake. Here are some practical, dietitian approved tips:

• Portion Control: Use smaller plates or bowls to limit portion sizes and avoid overeating.
• Fill Up on Low-Calorie Foods First: Start your meal with vegetables or a salad to fill up on lower-calorie, nutrient-dense foods.
• Eat Mindfully: Slow down while eating, savouring each bite, which helps you feel fuller with less food.
• Limit High-Energy Ingredients: Reduce added fats (butter, oils) and sugars in your meals.
• Plan Meals: Pre-plan balanced meals with a focus on lean proteins, vegetables, and whole grains to prevent impulsive, high-calorie choices.

We also have a blog on Portion Control, click here to read more.

Choosing the right foods is an important skill you will need not only to reach your goal weight but to stay there.  Dietary guidelines recommend eating a variety of nutritious foods and drinking plenty of water.^4,9

• Eat plenty of vegetables, legumes and fruits.^10,11
• Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain.¹²
• Include lean meat, fish, poultry, and/or alternatives.¹³
• Include milk, yoghurt, cheeses, and/or alternatives. Choose reduced fat varieties where possible.¹⁴
• Drink plenty of clean water.^4,15
• Limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake.¹⁶
• Choose foods low in salt.¹⁷
• Limit your alcohol if you choose to drink.¹⁸
• Consume only moderate amounts of sugars and foods containing added sugar.¹⁹ 

For assistance with your daily food recommendation, Click here.

Fad diets, i.e. diets that have suddenly become fashionable and which may place emphasis on certain types of foods, or certain types of treatments, behaviours or approaches, etc. sometimes help people lose weight, yet often this is short-lived, and the weight tends to return.  Furthermore, fad diets are often deficient in key vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and may lead to health problems.

Your new healthy eating plan needs to become your new lifestyle.

Dietary changes to lose weight and maintain that weight loss will only be sustainable if they are realistic and based on a balanced diet.  Any diet needs to contain a variety of healthy foods, including protein (lean meat, chicken and fish, and plant proteins)  and fruit, grains and vegetables.^10-13 The key is to choose healthy foods and reduce the amount of kilojoules you consume.  Examples of healthy diets which are easy to follow, sustainable, and are proven to improve health include the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Mediterranean diet.^22,23 These diets are very similar and are based on sound nutritional principles.  If you are not sure about which diet would best suit your health needs, speak to your doctor or consult a dietitian.

Vegetables, fruits and whole grains (e.g. whole wheat bread, brown rice, couscous, wholegrain pastas and cereals) are rich sources of vitamins, minerals and fibre and are an essential component of all healthy diets. ^2,10,12  Including these foods in a meal helps to aid weight loss, because they make you feel fuller at a lower level of kilojoule and fat intake.²

A recent study confirms that dietary fiber intake of 25-30 grams per day is widely recommended for adults to maintain normal laxation and cardiovascular health.²¹ There is some evidence suggesting that fiber intake beyond 30 grams daily may even be more beneficial.²¹ Higher fibre intake may also reduce the risk of developing several chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, and in addition it influences the composition of the gut microbiota to deliver a range of health benefits.²¹

Choose nutrient-dense snacks. Opt for fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, or low-fat yogurt as snacks to avoid high-sugar or processed foods.²⁵ Keep healthy snacks handy. Having nutritious options available can help you avoid unhealthy snacks when hunger strikes.

Gut Health: Focus on gut-friendly foods.²⁶ Include fiber-rich foods, fermented foods (like yogurt, kefir, or sauerkraut), and prebiotic foods (like garlic, onions, and bananas) to support a healthy gut microbiome, which can influence weight management and digestion.

Food labels tell you how many kilojoules are contained in a portion of that food of a specific weight.  They will also tell you how many of those kilojoules are made up of fat.  Kilojoules from fat should make up less than one third (less than 30%) of your total kilojoule intake for the day.¹⁶ Choose foods that are low in fat¹⁶ and low in salt.¹⁷ The average daily salt intake should be less than 5 g per day, i.e. 2 g per day of sodium.¹⁷ Once you know how to read food labels, you can continue to make lifelong better choices.  If you don’t know how to read food labels, click here to use our Food Label Tool which will explain this for you step-by-step.

Remember that when you add seasoning, fats and oils (e.g. butter, margarine, salad dressing) to your cooking, you are adding salt and kilojoules – your low kilojoule food is now high kilojoule food! Cooking methods that help to reduce fat intake include: baking, boiling, microwave, steaming and grilling.  Low fat flavourings include herbs and spices, mustard, vinegar, low salt soy sauce and fat-free mayonnaise, yoghurt or salad dressing.

We all know life can happen, and being prepped for the unknown can be a life-saver. Here are some practical tips from our dietitian:

• Plan your meals.
• Having a meal plan can prevent last-minute unhealthy food choices and help with portion control.
• Prepare meals in advance. Batch cooking and prepping ingredients ahead of time can save you from resorting to convenience foods.
• Even if you don’t want to prep all your food for the week into different, small containers – just sit and do some planning on a Sunday and make sure you have the correct foods and ingredients in your house.

Below are some dietitian approved tips for eating out:

• Make healthy food choices and avoid fatty foods when dining out.
• Ask how the food is prepared.
• Ask the kitchen to prepare your food without the sauce, or to bring the sauce or dressing separately with the main dish.
• Avoid fried or ‘crispy’ foods, butter and creamy sauces.
• Be careful, as portion sizes in a restaurant may be larger than you would normally eat at home.
• In general, avoid fast foods or ‘convenience foods’, because they may be fatty or fried, flavoured with various sauces, and tend to be high in kilojoules and salt.

Alcoholic drinks are rich in kilojoules, yet poor in nutritional value.¹⁸  All alcoholic drinks contain kilojoules.  Consuming too much alcohol also lowers your inhibitions and tends to make you eat more, thereby further increasing your kilojoule intake.

The general guideline for water consumption is to drink 6-8 glasses of water daily.  It is important to remember that exercise, fever, extreme temperatures, the use of natural diuretics e.g. coffee and alcohol,¹⁵ increase fluid losses and your body’s water requirements would be greater.  Thus, it would be wise to consider talking to your dietitian or health care provider to get a clearer picture of your fluid recommendation per day.

We, as dietitians, usually suggest that water or non-caffeinated herbal teas such as Rooibos, provide 60-100% of all daily fluids used to meet your ‘6-8 glasses of water each day’ as they provide no kilojoules, caffeine, or alcohol.

We also have a blog on the Importance of Hydration, click here to read more.

Set realistic goals: Having short-term, achievable goals can keep you motivated and focused on your long-term health objectives.

To achieve your weight loss goals, it is crucial that you can successfully deal with any setbacks and stress you may experience along the way. Here are some ideas to help you cope with whatever obstacles you may face. 

• Take charge. Accept responsibility for your own behaviour. Only you can help yourself get back on track and lose weight.
• Write down your goals. Whenever you feel yourself losing your determination, re-read your goals for inspiration.  You can do this in a journal.
• Forgive yourself. If you do slip up, don’t beat yourself up about it. Otherwise, you may give up altogether.  Remember each day is a new beginning!
• Problem solve as you go. If you do overindulge with the wrong foods, make up for it by increasing the amount of exercise you do that week.
• Ask for and accept help. If you feel yourself getting discouraged, why not find a support group either online or in your local area.