3 Simple Steps to Manage your Weight
Improving your Child's Diet
Simple Steps for a more Active Lifestyle
Add it Up:
Your Sugar Intake
Healthy Living Factsheets
In order to enjoy a healthy diet, it is recommended that you follow these eight guidelines:
- Base your meals on starchy foods
- Eat lots of fruit and veg
- Eat more fish
- Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
- Try to eat less salt - no more than 6g a day
- Get active and try to be a healthy weight
- Drink plenty of water
- Don't skip breakfast
Reproduced by kind permission of the Food Standards Agency.
The picture shows the recommended balance of foods in the diet, which aims to help people understand and enjoy healthy eating. It shows that people don't have to give up the foods they most enjoy for the sake of their health - just eat some in smaller quantities or less frequently. Variety and a change towards more vegetables, fruit, bread, breakfast cereals, potatoes, rice and pasta are what matters. Snacks as well as meals count towards a healthy balance.
Breads, cereals and potatoes (eat lots)
What: Cereals means foods such as breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, oats, noodles, maize, milled and cornmeal.
Recommendation: Try to eat wholemeal, wholegrain, brown or high fibre versions where possible. Avoid having them fried too often (e.g. chips), adding too much fat (e.g. thickly spread butter) or adding rich sauces and dressings (e.g. cream or cheese sauce on pasta).
Fruit and vegetables (eat lots)
What: Fresh, frozen or canned fruit and vegetables and dried fruit. A glass of fruit juice also counts. Beans and pulses can be eaten as part of this group.
Recommendations: Try and eat at least 5 portions or a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. A glass of fruit juice (150ml) or 3 heaped tablespoons of beans and pulses count but only as a maximum or one portion a day.
Milk and dairy (eat or drink moderate amounts)
What: Milk, cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais. This group does not include butter, eggs and cream.
Recommendation: Try lower fat versions such as semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, low fat yoghurts and lower fat cheeses.
Meat, fish and alternatives (eat moderate amounts)
What: Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, beans and pulses. Meat includes bacon and salami and meat products such as sausages, beefburgers and pâté. Beans, such as canned baked beans and pulses are in this group and they are a good source of protein for vegetarians. Fish includes frozen and canned fish such as sardines and tuna, fish fingers and fish cakes.
Recommendation: Aim to eat at least two portions of fish each week, including one portion of oily fish such as sardines and salmon. Cut excess fat off meat, eat poultry without the skin and fish without batter. Beans and pulses are good alternatives to meat as they are naturally very low in fat.
Foods containing fat; foods and drinks containing sugar (eat sparingly)
What: Margarine, butter, other spreading fats and low fat spreads, cooking oils, oil-based salad dressings, mayonnaise, cream, chocolate, crisps, biscuits, pastries, cakes, puddings, ice cream, rich sauces and gravies. Soft drinks, sweets, jam and sugar, as well as foods such as cakes, puddings, biscuits, pastries and ice cream.
Recommendation: Try to eat these sorts of foods less often or in small amounts. Foods containing fat such as cakes, biscuits, pastries and ice cream should be limited and low fat alternatives chosen where available. All foods and drinks containing sugar should be eaten mainly at mealtimes to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Adapted from the Food Standards Agency guide 'The Balance of Good Health'. Further information on this topic is available at www.eatwell.gov.uk
