Eat Well
Article

Even 'naughty' foods can be healthy - in moderation For people who have committed to a healthy eating regime, there may be certain foods which suddenly seem ultra-desirable.

Perhaps it is their forbidden status, but items like crisps, cake and pork pies can all start to call out to the tastebuds as soon as they are swapped for breadsticks, cereal bars and other healthy snacks.

However, depriving yourself like this can sometimes be detrimental to that diet, because you could be more likely to cave in and eat something you feel you shouldn't - and then feel guilty for it.

Instead, athlete and TV personality Sharron Davies said it is better to begin a healthy eating plan that means nothing is off-limits, as long as it is in moderation.

"Getting too worked up about food is not a good thing. It's leading that sensible, moderate attitude with everything that's really important," she commented.

"It just means having slightly less of the things which we know are naughty.If you've got an active lifestyle it is quite surprising what you can actually eat."

Believe it or not, this includes the pork pie or crisps and dips - so feel free to enjoy some of your favourites if you go on a picnic this summer! It seems they are fine, as long as they are backed up with carrot sticks and fruit for dessert.

Sharron pointed out that it is not specifically the food we eat that causes us to put on weight and feel unhealthy, but the fact that we may not be balancing it out properly.

"All things are healthy as long as you eat them in a balanced diet," she stressed.

Meanwhile, celebrity chef Gennaro Contaldo recently suggested a Mediterranean diet for people who want to eat healthily but don't want to feel as though they are missing out on substantial meals.

He said a piece of seabass brushed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon could provide a really tasty evening meal.