Keys to healthy living

As part of Sanitarium's commitment to helping you live a better life through better nutrition, we feel it's important that you know all you can about what you and your family eat.
In addition to outlining the basics of healthy eating, here we discuss the benefits of a vegetarian diet, provide you with a nutrition dictionary and offer some tips on reading food labels.

The key to a balanced diet

Choose mostly from...

  • Foods made with wholegrains such as wheat, rice, oats, barley and corn. Choose wholegrain varieties of breads, breakfast cereals and pasta where possible.
  • A variety of vegetables and legumes (beans, such as kidney beans and soybeans, lentils and chick peas).
  • Fruits, including fresh, dried and canned.

Choose moderate amounts from...

  • Dairy foods (preferably low or reduced-fat varieties) such as milk, cheese and yoghurt, and calcium-enriched soy alternatives, such as So Good soymilk.
  • Eggs.
  • Nuts and seeds, such as macadamia nuts, peanuts, almonds and cashew nuts, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, nut butters and seed paste such as tahini.
  • Other vegetarian protein foods, such as tofu, tempeh and soy burgers or fillets.
  • If you follow a vegan diet, remember to include vitamin B12-enriched foods regularly. Foods with added vitamin B12 include So Good soymilk, Marmite and the Soy Healthy range of soy-based meat alternatives.

Choose small amounts of...

  • Added fats, and try to stick to polyunsaturated or monounsaturated margarines and cooking oils (e.g. macadamia, canola, olive and sunflower).
  • Fatty snack foods.
  • Sugary sweets and drinks.