What is a Healthy Diet?

What is a Healthy Balanced Diet?
A healthy diet doesn't mean surviving solely on bird seed, rabbit food and carrot juice! The new approach to eating healthily means we’re positively encouraged to eat a wide range of foods, including some of our favorites – it’s just a question of making sure we get the balance right. As no single food provides all the calories and nutrients we need to stay healthy, it’s important to eat a variety of foods to make a balanced diet. Meanwhile, most nutrition experts also agree that mealtimes should be a pleasure rather than a penance. This means it’s fine to eat small amounts of our favorite foods from time to time.

A balanced diet means eating plenty of different foods from four main groups of foods and limiting the amount we eat from a smaller fifth group. Ultimately, it’s as simple as eating more fruit, veg, starchy, fiber-rich foods and fresh products, and fewer fatty, sugary, salty and processed foods.

Bread, Other Cereals and Potatoes:
Eat these foods at each meal. They also make good snacks.
Foods in this group include bread, breakfast cereals, potatoes, rice, pasta, noodles, yams, oats and grains. Go for high-fiber varieties , such as whole grain cereals, whole grainl bread and brown rice. These foods provide carbs, fiber, B vitamins and small amounts of calcium and iron. They should fill roughly a third of your plate at mealtimes.

Typical serving sizes:
2 slices bread in a sandwich or with a meal, a tennis ball sized serving of pasta, potato, rice, noodles or couscous, a handful of breakfast cereal
Fruit and Vegetables:
Eat five different servings every day.
Foods in this group include all fruits and vegetables, including fresh, frozen, canned and dried products, and unsweetened fruit juice. Choose canned fruit in juice rather than syrup and go for vegetables canned in water without added salt or sugar. These foods provide fiber and a range of vitamins and minerals. They should fill roughly a third of your plate at mealtimes.

Typical serving sizes:
a piece of fruit - apple, banana, pear, 2 small fruits - plums, apricots,
a bowl of fruit salad, canned or stewed fruit, a small glass of unsweetened fruit juice, a cereal bowl of salad, 3tbsp vegetables

Milk and Dairy Foods:
Eat two or three servings a day.
Foods in this group include milk, cheese, and yogurt . Choose low-fat varieties where available such as semi-skimmed milk, reduced-fat cheese and fat-free yogurt. These foods contain protein, calcium and a range of vitamins and minerals. They should fill no more than a sixth of your plate at mealtimes.

Meat, Fish and Alternatives:
Eat two servings a day.
Foods in this group include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, nuts and seeds. Choose low-fat varieties, such as extra-lean minced beef and skinless chicken and don’t add extra fat or salt. These foods provide protein and a range of vitamins and minerals, especially iron. They should fill no more than a sixth of your plate at mealtimes.

Typical serving sizes:
a piece of meat, chicken or fish the size of a deck of cards, 1-2 eggs, 3 big tablespoons of beans, small handful of nuts or seeds

Fatty and Sugary Foods:
Eat only small amounts of these foods.
Foods in this group include oils, spreading fats, cream, mayonnaise, oily salad dressings, cakes, biscuits, puddings, crisps, savory snacks, sugar, preserves, confectionery and sugary soft drinks. These foods contain fat, sugar and salt and should only be eaten occasionally.

Typical serving sizes:
a small packet of sweets or a small bar of chocolate, a small slice of cake, a couple of small biscuits, 1 level tbsp mayo, salad dressing or olive oil