Charmaine Gauci, director at the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate, says consumers may not be aware of what exactly is in the food they eat. Some ‘hidden’ constituents may lead to obesity and non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke.

Consuming a healthy diet from an early age and throughout one’s life course helps prevent malnutrition in all its forms, including obesity and nutrient deficiencies. However, we are seeing a shift in dietary patterns as there is increased production of processed food, rapid urbanisation and changing lifestyles.

People are consuming more foods high in energy, saturated fats, trans fats, free sugars or salt/sodium, and many do not eat enough fruit, vegetables and dietary fibre such as whole grains. The same is happening in Malta.

The traditional Maltese cuisine is primarily Mediterranean, based on seasonal agricultural products and seafood and with a strong Sicilian influence. Over time, there has been a shift from a state of food shortage to one of affluence, based in a cultural context where the identity is no longer Mediterranean but has a strong Anglo-Saxon influence.

We do not have accurate information on what the Maltese population is eating at present but the trends are visible. In order to determine our eating habits and evaluate the nutrient composition of our diet, the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate has embarked on a National Food Consumption Survey which will outline the current eating habits, identify high priority areas to be tackled and the results could be used as a baseline for monitoring food consumption trends.

There are three main food constituents which need particular focus: salt, sugar and fats.

Salt

Salt is only needed in very small amounts in the diet. Too much salt is not good for health and can lead to raised blood pressure, which triples the chances of developing heart disease and stroke. Eating salty foods from childhood can produce high blood pressure that worsens with age. The recommended maximum amount of total salt for an adult is 5g per day. There are many products which are high in salt, with some of these not even tasting salty! Products high in salt include:

• Tinned and packed soups

• Meat products, for example, bacon, sausages or tinned meat

• Salted, smoked or tinned fish

• Biscuits, cakes and crackers and snacks, such as crisps or peanuts

• Fast foods

• Ready-made meals, such as pizzas, pasta dishes or curries

• Instant foods, such as noodles

• Breakfast cereals

• Bread and sandwiches

The best advice is to reduce salt by using less salt while cooking, eating more fresh foods and have less processed or salty snacks and foods.

Sugar

Sugar contains a lot of calories but little nutrient value. Evidence indicates that intake of free sugars by adults and children should not exceed 10 per cent of total energy, and that a reduction of under five per cent of total energy provides additional health benefits. Free sugars are all sugars added to food or drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, as well as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates. Many processed foods like ready meals, confectionery and cakes contain high levels of added sugars and can be high in energy value. Many soft drinks also mostly contain sugar and provide very little nourishment.

The best way to control sugar intake is to cut down on it and find alternatives, watch out for sugar in drinks and read the labels.

Fats

Both the amount and type of fat a person eats is important. Reducing the amount of total fat intake to less than 30 per cent of total energy helps prevent unhealthy weight gain in the adult population. Many studies show that the risk of developing non-communicable diseases is lowered by reducing saturated fats to less than 10 per cent of total energy and trans fats to less than one per cent of total energy, and replacing them with unsaturated fats contained in vegetable oils.

Foods such as cakes, sweets, biscuits and butter are high in fats and low in nutrients. Many people do not realise the amount of fat in some products. For example:

• 1 teaspoon of oil contains 5g of fat

• 1 heaped teaspoon of margarine or butter has almost 6g of fat

• 1 heaped teaspoon of lower-fat spread or lower fat butter has almost 3g fat

The best way to reduce fat intake is to limit portion sizes, choose reduced-fat versions of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated spread, choose lean cuts of meat (remove all visible fat), choose poultry or fish where possible, and choose lower fat dairy foods if available.

Oily fish is the best source of an essential fat called Omega 3. This fat is also good for heart health. The best types of oily fish are salmon, mackerel, herring and trout.

Food labelling plays an important role in making healthier choices. Food labels can be used to make healthier, safer and more informed food choices.

It is good to keep at hand a card distributed by the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate which can fit in your purse or wallet. One can get the food label by calling the directorate on 2326 6000 or sending an e-mail to health.pro@gov.mt.

A healthy diet for adults

According to the World Health Organisation, an average person’s diet should consist of:

• Fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice);

• At least 400g (five portions) of fruit and vegetables a day. Potatoes, sweet potatoes and other starchy roots are not classified as fruits or vegetables;

• Less than 10 per cent of total energy from free sugars equivalent to 50g (or around 12 level teaspoons), but possibly less than five per cent of total energy for additional health benefits;

• Less than 30 per cent of total energy from fat. Unsaturated fats (e.g. found in fish, avocado, nuts, sunflower, canola and olive oils) are preferable to saturated fats (e.g. found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee and lard). Industrial trans fats (found in processed food, fast food, snack food, fried food, frozen pizza, pies, cookies, margarines and spreads) are not part of a healthy diet;

• Less than 5g of salt (equivalent to approximately one teaspoon) per day and use iodised salt.