Eat right

My Mum always makes me eat my vegetables even though I don’t like them. She says that they're good for me could you tell me why?

Fruit and vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals as well as providing fibre. These foods are very important for your body to work properly so eat fruit and vegetables every day. Try to eat a variety of all the colourful fruit and veg – imagine you are eating a rainbow!

I really like burgers and sausages, are they really bad for me

Only eat burgers and sausages occasionally, maybe as a treat, as they are high in fat. Having too much fat, especially the type you find in sausages and burgers, is not good for your heart. Grill them instead of frying and any fat that comes out wipe away before eating!

Or... you could have a go at making your own burgers. It’s quite messy and good fun!

I think that my dinner tastes much better if I put some salt on it but I have heard that it is bad for my heart. Is this true?

Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure. High blood pressure makes your heart work much harder. This puts more strain on your heart  and arteries (the tubes that move blood around inside your body)

Don’t put salt at the dinner table and try to use other flavourings like herbs, spices, lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.