Eating well
Your diet can have a positive or negative affect on your general health. A poor diet is associated with a wide range of diseases and health conditions, including heart disease, some cancers and diabetes. A healthy diet which includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables can reduce cholesterol levels, help you maintain a healthy weight and contribute to a general sense of well-being.
In the UK, we use ‘the balance of good health’ model to show what is involved in a healthy diet for the majority of people. This picture shows the different types of food you should eat for good health.
The balance of good health splits food into five groups, and the size of the group differs depending on how much of that food group we need to achieve a healthy diet.
Therefore, we need lots of fruit and vegetables and unrefined starchy foods (such as bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and cereals). We need some meat, fish and alternatives (such as beans and pulses) and milk and dairy foods, but we only need a little of the foods containing fat and sugar.
These eight tips can also help you to achieve a healthy diet:
1. Base your meals on starchy foods (such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes or cereals)
2. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables
3. Eat more fish
4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
5. Try to eat less salt
6. Get active and try to be a healthy weight
7. Drink plenty of water
8. Don’t skip breakfast
What support is available?
Different services and support groups can give you practical advice about a healthy balanced diet.
The NHS provides a range of information about healthy eating and advice about weight loss through a number of different outlets - from GP practices and health centres to schools, healthy living centres and children’s centres. Ask your GP or health professional for advice if you are concerned about what you are eating and they will point you to the right services.
These websites can give you more detailed information about healthy eating, and also specific information for different age groups:
