Forth Valley Public Health Dietitians and Community Food Workers support a number of campaigns throughout the year.

NHS Events

View NHS Events for dates of health events and campaigns.

Salt Awareness Week

Many of us eat too much salt. Too much salt can raise your blood pressure which can increase your risk of developing health problems such as heart disease and stroke.

Adults should aim to eat less than 6g of salt a day – that’s around one teaspoon. Children should eat even less!
It’s worth bearing in mind that as much as 75% of the salt we eat is hidden in the everyday foods we buy.  Some foods can be high in salt even although they don’t taste salty.  Foods such as breads, breakfast cereal, takeaways and ready meals can contain high amounts of salt.
Remember to check the food labels and choose foods labelled ‘No Added Salt’ or ‘Reduced Salt’.

It’s a good idea to get in the habit of tasting your food before sprinkling the salt.

Smart Salt Swaps

• Use black pepper, herbs or spices to add extra flavour to soups, stews, stir fries and other dishes.
• Instead of salt try using herbs, spices, chillies, pepper, garlic, ginger, lemon and lime juice.
• Reduce your intake of salty snacks – crisps, salted nuts, salted popcorn or salted biscuits.
• Cut back on salty foods such as cheese, bacon, pickles and smoked fish.
• Watch out for cooking sauces and seasonings like soy sauce – some of these are very high in salt.
• Make your own stock and gravy instead of using cubes or granules, or look out for reduced-salt products.

Further Information

• Sprinkle Less..Taste More.. – NHS Forth Valley – Leaflet
• Salt – Food Factsheet – British Dietetic Association
• Tips for a lower salt diet – NHS
• Low Salt Shopping Guide
• Low Salt Recipes – World Action on Salt & Health
• Why not try the Foodswitch App, it’s free, download it and start scanning the barcodes as you shop, it can help you make healthier choices.

Veg Power UK Campaign, hits the screens.

We’re supporting @VegPowerUK  and ITV’s #EatThemToDefeatThem Campaign, which took to the screens last week.  This campaign from ITV and Veg Power is aiming to encourage kids and adults to eat more vegetables. 80% of kids and 96% of teenagers don’t eat enough vegetables. We want to get them eating more. This fun campaign aims to do just that, by turning it into a game. After all, we all learn through play.

• Visit VegPower to watch the advert.
• Download free resources – posters, charts and more to help spread the word.
• See our recipe sheet How to – Veggies..
• Vegetarian Kids Recipes – BBC Good Food
• Vegetarian and Vegan Babies and Children – NHS

Scottish Breastfeeding Awareness Week

‘Together we can build a breastfeeding friendly Scotland’

This year Scottish Breastfeeding Awareness Week focuses on the new national Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland scheme which supports women to breastfeed when out and about in public spaces.  You can show your support of the scheme by posting a photo of yourself breastfeeding wherever you are during #ScottishBreastfeedingAwarenessWeek #SBAW2019 #BreastfeedingFriendlyScotland

Find out more about breastfeeding support groups running throughout Forth Valley:

• Local Breastfeeding Groups – Visit this NHS Forth Valley Local Service Directory webpage – put in your postcode and under Service Type Box select Breastfeeding Group then hit the Search button.
• Parent Club – This website is full of helpful tips and advice on breastfeeding and common problems.
• Breastfeeding – BDA Factsheet.
• National Breastfeeding Helpline – 0300 100 0212 – Open 9.30am – 9.30pm every day of the year.

For further information on the Breastfeeding Friendly Scheme email Lesley Hetherington Community Dietitian / Infant Feeding Co-ordinator.

National Sugar Awareness Week 

Over the week Action on Sugar will be raising awareness of the health impacts of consuming excess sugar and calories  and educating the public to help them consume less. As a nation we are consuming far too much sugar.  Eating too much sugar can lead to tooth decay and can cause excess weight gain.

This year’s theme will be ‘Eating out’. According to Action on Sugar, more than 1/4 of adults and 1/5 of children eat out at least once a week.

• How does sugar in our diet affect our health – NHS
• How to cut down on sugar in your diet – NHS
• Sugar – BDA Factsheet
• Let’s be Food Smart – Change4Life Food Facts.

Use FoodSwitch to see what’s in your shopping basket, and make better food choices when shopping for you and your family.

If you would like to get involved by running a Sugar Awareness Week event in your area or workplace, visit the ordering page to download and order some posters and leaflets.

#ChooseAHealthyStart Campaign