ANSWERS

1. How many servings of vegetables and fruits should we be having daily?

Answer: C - Between 5-9 servings
Have you heard about the campaign for 5-a-Day that encourages at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruits a day? If not, we recommend you exit from the quiz right now and admit that you are should seriously touch up on your healthy eating knowledge! Research suggests that the daily increased consumption of vegetables and fruit could reduce the burden of heart disease by 31%, certain cancers by up to 20% and strokes by up to 19%. 

2. Which group of fats are the healthiest for us?

Answer: C - Polyunsaturated fats such as sunflower oil and monounsaturated fats such as olive oil
When choosing fats, your best options are unsaturated fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats, if used in place of others, can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in your blood.  Saturated and trans fats (trans-fatty acids) are less healthy kinds of fats. They can increase your risk of heart disease by increasing your total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

3. Where do we find a rich source of omega-3 fats?

Answer: B - Oily fish such as sardines, pilchards and salmon
Omega-3 fats are very topical at the moment and you should know about them as they may be decrease your risk of heart disease. They may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels. Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, pilchards and sardines are particularly good sources of these fats.

4. What would you consider to be the healthiest light lunch?

Answer: B - A home-made seed loaf sandwich with tuna, low oil mayonnaise, lettuce and cucumber
Although the salad appears the healthiest, it is not a balanced meal as it is missing protein - add some chicken or tuna or chickpeas to increase the protein content.  Be aware that bought toasted sandwiches are often high in fat - order a side salad with it to increase your intake of vegetables with the meal. Home-made meals are always preferable as you have the upper hand in deciding how healthy they are - be careful to use low oil mayo and omit the spread! Take a fruit or some chopped raw vegetables along with you, too!

5. Which of these protein-rich foods have the least fat, assuming that they are the same portion-size?

Answer: B - Grilled steak
Incredibly, baked crumbed fish can have up to 12g fat per 100g, while a grilled rump steak will have only about 6g in comparison. Fried chicken can have a whopping 17g of fat per 100g, so be extremely careful with those take-outs!

6. If you are looking to boost your weight loss, which food group should you best avoid eating in the evening?

Answer: A - Starch such as potato, pasta and rice
Skip the starch at night such as potato, rice and pasta and rather bulk the meal with vegetables and salad, a serving of lean protein such as grilled fish, skinless chicken or lean beef and some healthy fats, such as olives or avocado followed by a fresh fruit for dessert.

7. For those of us who don't have high cholesterol, how many eggs can we have in a week?

Answer: C - 5-7 eggs a week 
For a long time eggs were given a bad name, mainly because of their high cholesterol content.  Now health professionals suggest that for those of us with normal cholesterol levels ,we can have up to 7 eggs a week - ideally one a day, and preferably boiled, poached or scrambled without added fat.

8. What is the mineral most commonly found in dairy products that is important for our bone health?

Answer: B - Calcium
Calcium, predominantly found in dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese, ensures our healthy, strong bones. It s recommended that we have at least 3 servings of dairy-rich products a day - a serving is equivalent to a small glass of milk or yoghurt or a matchbox-size portion of hard cheese.

9. The Vitamin C content is highest in which of the following fruits?

Answer: B - Guava
Per 100g of fruit, the guava contains 184mg; the orange 53mg and the pineapple 15mg. Surprising isn't it? I'm sure you guessed the orange!

10. In planning meals should you consider:

Answer: C - The balanced diet emphasising a variety of foods and plenty of vegetables and fruits
There is a great deal of confusing information out there concerning nutrition, but believe us - there is no better way to eat than having three balanced meals each day with plenty of vegetables and fruit. Balanced meals means a little carb, a serving of protein and a portion of healthy fat, not forgetting the ‘plenty of veg or fruit'!