The balance of good health

The key to healthy eating is a varied and balanced diet. You should aim to:

Eat foods from each of the main food groups every day

The five main food groups are:

Starchy foods, like bread, cereals and potatoes
Fruit and vegetables, including fresh, frozen and tinned
Milk and dairy foods, including cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais
Protein-rich foods, including meat, fish, nuts, beans and pulses
Fatty and sugary foods.

Eat plenty of foods rich in starch and fibre

Aim to increase the amount of starchy foods you eat, like bread, rice, potatoes, chapattis, yams and breakfast cereals. These foods help to fill you up and provide fibre.

In this section

Eat at least five helpings of fruit or vegetables every day

A helping is a medium-sized piece of fruit, a dessert bowlful of salad, two tablespoonfuls of vegetables or a glass of fruit juice. These foods provide vitamins, minerals and fibre, and can protect against some kinds of cancer. Aim to eat fresh produce wherever you can, but frozen or tinned varieties can be nutritious, convenient and good value.

Eat three servings of dairy foods a day

A serving is equal to a third of a pint of milk, a pot of yoghurt or a matchbox-sized piece of cheese. These foods provide valuable protein, vitamins and calcium.

Cut down on fatty meats and choose lean protein instead

Select lean cuts of meat or trim excess fat from meat before cooking. Sources of protein like chicken and turkey, fish, eggs and beans or pulses are lower in fat.

Cut down on fats in general

Be sparing with butter, margarine, cooking oil and solid cooking fats. Avoid saturated fats, and choose polyunsaturated (like sunflower oil) or monounsaturated alternatives (like olive oil) instead. Bake, grill, poach or casserole foods instead of frying, and watch out for the hidden fat in cakes, biscuits and chocolate.

Keep sugary foods for occasional treats

Cut down on added sugar and keep sweets and chocolate for treats rather than daily snacks. Your teeth will benefit as well as your waistline!

Go easy on the salt

Avoid adding salt in cooking, and read labels to check the salt content of prepared foods. Things like bread, ready-made soups and pizza can be surprisingly high in salt. Try to keep to 2.0–2.5g of sodium a day – the equivalent of about 4–6g of table salt (one teaspoon full).

Drink alcohol in moderation

Men should not drink more than 21 units of alcohol a week; women should drink less than 14 units. A unit is half a pint of beer, a pub measure of spirits or a small glass of wine. The good news is that red wine appears to have benefits for your heart, and moderate drinkers seem to have better overall health than teetotallers.

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