In the past 35 years, we have a better understanding in the role of diet in coronary heart disease. The relationship between diet and heart disease is now well established. Western diet, primarily consists of meat, dairy product and little fiber, associates with a high incidence of ischaemic heart disease.

An average westerner consumes 34 to 38% of calories in fat and a high proportion of it is saturated fat. In Hong Kong, our diet is now more westernized and we include more meat and fats in our meals. This may account for our increasing trend of ischaemic heart disease in the past decades. Ischaemic heart disease is currently the number one killer as a single disease entity in Hong Kong.

We are all aware of a high fat and high cholesterol diet is not good for our heart. However, many other nutrients like vitamins, antioxidants and dietary fiber are important for the health of our heart. Hence a balanced is essential and highly recommended as compared to a mere low fat and low cholesterol diet. Our meals should mainly comprise of grains and non-possessed products with large amount of fruits and vegetables. Meat and dairy product should be the accent of our dishes where fats and high fat food kept to a minimum.

A healthy diet should be nutritious, delicious, and enjoyable. Throughout these years, our eating habit tends to consume more than enough with every meal. To develop a healthy habit is of utmost importance to you and your family.

In this pamphlet, the first of its kind, we would like to introduce to you recipes recommended by renowned dietitians and winners of healthy recipe competition. These are excellent examples of healthy balance diet that are both nutritious and delicious.

We are sure that you will find them useful and we hope that they could be the premier for you and your family's healthy diet and lifestyle.