Eating balance diet

 

Eating a balanced diet

Eatinga healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health and can help you feel your best.

This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain healthy body weight.

This page covers healthy eating advice for the general population.

Food groups in your diet

The balanced diet, people should try to:

• eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day
• base meals on higher fiber starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice, or pasta
• have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks)
• eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat, and other protein
• choose unsaturated oils and spreads, and eat them in small amounts
• drink plenty of water (at least 6 to 8 glasses a day)

If you're having foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt, and sugar, have these less often and in small amounts.

Try to choose a variety of different foods from the 5 main food groups to get a wide range of nutrients.

Most people in the UK eat and drink too many calories, too much saturated fat, sugar, and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables, oily fish, or fiber.

Fruit and vegetables: are you getting your 5 A Day?

Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals and fiber and should make up just over a third of the food you eat each day.

It's recommended that you eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. They can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or juiced.

There's evidence that people who eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.

Eating 5 portions is not as hard as it sounds.

A portion is:

• 80g of fresh, canned, or frozen fruit and vegetables
• 30g of dried fruit – which should be kept to mealtimes
• 150ml glass of fruit juice or smoothie – but do not have more than 1 portion a day as these drinks are sugary and can damage teeth

Just 1 apple, banana, pear, or similar-sized fruit is 1 portion each.

A slice of pineapple or melon is also 1 portion, and 3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables are another portion.

Adding a tablespoon of dried fruit, such as raisins, to your morning cereal is an easy way to get 1 portion.

You could also swap your mid-morning biscuit for a banana, and add a side salad to your lunch. 

In the evening, have a portion of vegetables with dinner and fresh fruit with plain, lower-fat yogurt for dessert to reach your 5 A Day. 

 

Starchy foods in your diet

Starchy foods should make up just over a third of everything you eat. This means your meals should be based on these foods.

Choose wholegrain or wholemeal varieties of starchy foods, such as brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and brown, wholemeal, or higher fiber white bread.

They contain more fiber, and usually more vitamins and minerals, than white varieties.

Potatoes with skins on them are a great source of fiber and vitamins. For example, when having boiled potatoes or a jacket potato, eat the skin too.

 

Milk and dairy foods (and alternatives)

Milk and dairy foods, such as cheese and yogurt, are good sources of protein. They also contain calcium, which helps keep your bones healthy.

Go for lower fat and lower sugar products where possible.

Choose semi-skimmed, 1% fat or skimmed milk, as well as lower-fat hard cheeses or cottage cheese, and lower fat, lower sugar yogurt.

Dairy alternatives, such as soya drinks, are also included in this food group.

When buying alternatives, choose unsweetened, calcium-fortified versions.

 

Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat, and other proteins

These foods are all good sources of protein, which is essential for the body to grow and repair itself.

They're also good sources of a range of vitamins and minerals.

Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, including iron, zinc, and B vitamins. It's also one of the main sources of vitamin B12.

Choose lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry whenever possible to cut down on fat. Always cook meat thoroughly.

Try to eat less red and processed meat like bacon, ham, and sausages.

Eggs and fish are also good sources of protein and contain many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish isparticularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Aim to eat at least 2 portions of fish a weak, including 1 portion of oily fish.

You can choose from fresh, frozen, or canned, but remember that canned and smoked fish can often be high in salt.

Pulses, including beans,peas, and lentils, are naturally very low in fat and high in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Nuts are high in fiber, and unsalted nuts make a good snack. But they do still contain high levels of fat, so eat them in moderation.

Read more about eggs and pulse and beans.

Oils and spreads

Some fat in the diet is essential, but on average people in the UK eat too much-saturated fat.

It's important to get most of your fat from unsaturated oils and spreads.

Swapping to unsaturated fats can help lower cholesterol

Remember that all types of fat are high in energy and should be eaten in small amounts.

Eat less saturated fat, sugar, and salt

Too much-saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease

Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar increases your risk of obesity   and tooth decay

Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which increases your risk of getting heart disease or having a stroke.