9 Healthy eating habits

All food is made up of nutrients which our bodies use. There are different kinds of nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals. Different foods contain different nutrients.

The best way to get information about the food you eat is to check the ingredients and nutritional value on the sides of packets although this isn't always easy to do. Another thing to know is, for example, that we do need fat to live, it's an essential part of our diet and physically we couldn't exist without it. But we all know that eating much fat is bad for our health. The matter is that there are different kinds of fat. There are fats that are good for us and fats that are bad for us. Bad fats are the saturated fats, found in animal products, like red meat, butter and cheese. Friendly fats are the unprocessed fats found naturally in foods like nuts and seeds, olives, avocados and oily fish, including tuna.

One more thing to know is that when food is cooked, its structure changes. It can change the vitamin and nutrient contents of food. Nowadays so much of the basic food we eat - meat, fish, fruit and vegetables - is grown using chemicals and additives. Although fertilizers and pesticides have greatly increased the quantity of food and helped to improve its appearance, there is a growing concern about the effects of these chemicals in the food chain. This concern has led to a growth in the demand for organically grown products.

Another problem is modified food, which is cheaper than ordinary one. There is a rumour that such food can cause cancer and other health problems.

1 Open the brackets using the correct tense

Healthy food (be) nutritious and delicious. It (nourish) your body with essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates and fats. These nutrients (be) necessary for life. Without them, your body (not/receive) the proper fuel it (need) to function optimally. Choosing healthy food (be) simple if you remember a few guidelines. Select fresh, unprocessed food. This (include) fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts and seeds. Raw, unprocessed foods (be) live foods. They (contain) the greatest amount of vitamins, minerals and enzymes and provide the body with the greatest amount of nutrition. Choose organic foods if possible. Organic foods (be) the purest and healthiest foods. They aren’t contaminated with pesticides. They generally have a higher nutritional content. What's more, they aren’t irradiated or genetically engineered. When you buy packaged food, it (be) always important to read the label. Even though the package may say "healthy," "all natural," "low fat" or any other statements implying that the product (be) healthy, it may still be unhealthy and contain harmful ingredients. The only way you will know for sure is if you read the list of ingredients. The Nutrition Facts on the label (tell) you how much protein, carbohydrate, sugars, fats and calories (be) in the product.

2 Open the brackets using the correct tense

1. His diet … (be) terrible: he … (eat) too many sweet things. 2. Raw vegetables … (have) more vitamins than when they … (cook). 3. He … (like) home–made food but he … (not / have) much time to cook. 4. I … (like) my steak well-done. 5. She … (be) very busy, so she often … (buy) a frozen meal and … (heat) it up in the microwave. 6. Chinese or Indian food … usually … (buy) by us on Fridays. 7. He … (think) it … (be) not possible to eat only useful food. 8. She … (not / like) Mexican food because it … (be) too spicy. 9. A wonderful cake can … (serve) for dessert. 10. … you ever … (try) English tea? 11. What food … usually … (eat) in the USA for Thanksgiving? 12. This tea … (be) very sweet! You … (put) too much sugar in it. 13. Sushi … (make) with raw fish. 14. Sausage and cheese … (be) not very useful for our health as they … (contain) bad fat. 15. Fast food … (be) high in calories and fat. 16. How often … he … (eat) meat dishes?