Easter eggs and heart health can go together

Australians can have their chocolate eggs and their heart health too, by taking up the Heart Healthy Eating Pattern this Easter and beyond.

The real treat will be the healthy habits people are left with following the long weekend, which will help to significantly reduce the risk of developing heart disease over the course of a lifetime.

Some of the most tempting foods are often the worst for heart health, and people might wonder how they can make small, effective and long-lasting changes to their eating patterns.

The answer for many Australians may lie with the Heart Foundation’s Heart Healthy Eating Pattern, and senior dietitian Jemma O’Hanlon is here to help.

The foundation launched the Heart Healthy Eating Pattern in 2019 in response to concerning data that showed 95 per cent of Australians were not eating enough fruit and vegetables.

On top of this, the average Australian sources around one third of their daily energy from processed foods rich in fats, sugars and salt.

The Heart Healthy Eating Pattern is designed to support Australians to develop lifelong healthy habits, which are far more effective than fad dieting, and the pattern is free to take up from the Heart Foundation’s website.

“A Heart Healthy Eating Pattern acknowledges that the whole of what we eat is more important than any single food in isolation, or on a particular day,”

Ms O’Hanlon said, “It’s more important to have a set of food groups that you can regularly choose from including wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats.

“Eating from these groups regularly and only occasionally having discretionary foods will help you make positive and lasting changes to your own diet.

“You can also use these groups to substitute a healthier ingredient into your favourite meals – whether it’s brown rice instead of white rice, olive oil instead of butter, or lentils to help bulk up your Bolognese and provide much needed fibre – the Heart Healthy Eating Pattern is easy to follow and fun to experiment with.”

In regards to chocolate eggs at Easter, Ms O’Hanlon said a pattern trumped a fad diet because it focused on creating good eating habits, and not excluding foods.

“Diets are like really hard video games: one wrong move and they tell you it’s game over, and as a result you’re more likely just to give up than try again.

“A Heart Healthy Eating Pattern helps you to eat healthy more often than not in a world where holiday and birthday celebrations with discretionary foods is common.

“For the large majority of the year you’ll be eating the best possible foods to protect your heart, and don’t need to feel bad about enjoying a little chocolate at Easter, some treats at other festive times, and a piece of cake on your birthday.”

For some helpful tips on healthy eating to protect your heart, head to heartfoundation.org.au/bundles/healthy-living-and-eating/healthy-eating