Eating healthy foods will keep your body strong and well-nourished.
It will also help you maintain a healthy weight. Eating lots of foods high in calories, with extra saturated fat, added sugar and salt, such as fast foods, will pile on the weight – putting extra stress on joints and potentially increasing the number of painful bleeds.
Recommended
• Calories in the diet come from three main sources: carbohydrates, protein and fat. The US Department of Agriculture recommends that most calories come from carbohydrate
• For an average 2000 calorie/day diet, this means approximately 1100 calories from carbohydrate, 450 from fat and 550 from protein
• Different foods contain different proportions of carbohydrate, fat and protein. For example, an egg contains mostly fat and protein with a little carbohydrate, whereas a skinless chicken breast is mostly protein with a little fat and no carbohydrate
• A diet that contains a variety of foods (breads and grains, meats, fruits and vegetables, and dairy) will help prevent nutrient deficiencies
• The US ‘my plate’ guide helps you balance the food options.
