These eight practical tips cover
the basics of healthy eating, and can help you make healthier choices.
The key to a healthy diet is to:
• Eat the right amount of calories
for how active you are, so that you balance the energy you consume with the
energy you use. If you eat or drink too much, you'll put on weight. If you eat
and drink too little, you'll lose weight.
• Eat a wide range of foods to
ensure that you're getting a balanced diet and that your body is receiving all
the nutrients it needs. 
It is recommended that men have
around 2,500 calories a day (10,500 kilojoules). Women should have around 2,000
calories a day (8,400 kilojoules). Most adults are eating more calories than
they need, and should eat fewer calories.
Base your meals on starchy carbohydrates
Starchy carbohydrates should make
up just over one third of the food you eat. They include potatoes, bread, rice,
pasta and cereals.
Choose wholegrain varieties (or
eat potatoes with their skins on) when you can: they contain more fibre, and
can help you feel full for longer.
Most of us should eat more
starchy foods: try to include at least one starchy food with each main meal.
Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram the
carbohydrate they contain provides fewer than half the calories of fat.
Keep an eye on the fats you add
when you're cooking or serving these types of foods because that's what
increases the calorie content, for example oil on chips, butter on bread and
creamy sauces on pasta.
Eat lots of fruit and veg
It's recommended that we eat at
least five portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day. It's easier than
it sounds.
Why not chop a banana over your
breakfast cereal, or swap your usual mid-morning snack for a piece of fresh
fruit?
Unsweetened 100% fruit juice,
vegetable juice and smoothies can only ever count as a maximum of one portion
of your 5 A DAY. For example, if you have two glasses of fruit juice and a
smoothie in one day, that still only counts as one portion.
Eat more fish – including a portion of oily fish
Fish is a good source of protein
and contains many vitamins and minerals. Aim to eat at least two portions of
fish a week, including at least one portion of oily fish. Oily fish contains
omega-3 fats, which may help to prevent heart disease.
Oily fish include:
• salmon
• mackerel
• trout
• herring
• sardines
• pilchards.
Non-oily fish include:
• haddock
• plaice
• coley
• cod
• tuna
• skate
• hake
If you regularly eat a lot of
fish, try to choose as wide a variety as possible.
You can choose from fresh, frozen
and canned: but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt.
Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
Saturated fat in our diet
We all need some fat in our diet,
but it's important to pay attention to the amount and type of fat we're eating.
There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Too much saturated
fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your
risk of developing heart disease.
The average man should have no
more than 30g saturated fat a day. The average woman should have no more than
20g saturated fat a day, and children should have less than adults.
Saturated fat is found in many foods, such as:
• hard cheese
• cakes
• biscuits
• sausages
• cream
• butter
• lard
• pies.
Try to cut down on your saturated
fat intake, and choose foods that contain unsaturated fats instead, such as
vegetable oils, oily fish and avocados.
For a healthier choice, use just
a small amount of vegetable oil or reduced-fat spread instead of butter, lard
or ghee. When you're having meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat.
Sugar in our diet
Regularly consuming foods and
drinks high in sugar increases your risk of obesity and tooth decay.
Sugary foods and drinks,
including alcoholic drinks, are often high in energy (measured in kilojoules or
calories), and if eaten too often, can contribute to weight gain. They can also
cause tooth decay, especially if eaten between meals.
Many packaged foods and drinks
contain surprisingly high amounts of free sugars. Free sugars are any sugars
added to foods or drinks, or found naturally in honey, syrups and unsweetened
fruit juices.
Cut down on:
• sugary fizzy drinks
• alcoholic drinks
• sugary breakfast cereals
•
cakes
• biscuits
• pastries
These foods contain added sugars:
this is the kind of sugar we should be cutting down on, rather than sugars that
are found in things such as fruit and milk.
Food labels can help: use them to
check how much sugar foods contain. More than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g
means that the food is high in sugar, while 5g of total sugars or less per 100g
means that the food is low in sugar.
Eat less salt – no more than 6g a day for adults
Eating too much salt can raise
your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop
heart disease or have a stroke.
Even if you don’t add salt to
your food, you may still be eating too much. About three-quarters of the salt
we eat is already in the food we buy, such as breakfast cereals, soups, breads
and sauces.
Use food labels to help you cut
down. More than 1.5g of salt per 100g means the food is high in salt. Adults
and children over 11 should eat no more than 6g of salt (about a teaspoonful) a
day. Younger children should have even less.
Get active and be a healthy weight
Eating a healthy, balanced diet
plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy weight, which is an important
part of overall good health.
Being overweight or obese can
lead to health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart
disease and stroke. Being underweight could also affect your health.
Check whether you're a healthy
weight by using our Healthy weight calculator.
Most adults need to lose weight,
and need to eat fewer calories to do this. If you're trying to lose weight, aim
to eat less and be more active. Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help: aim
to cut down on foods that are high in saturated fat and sugar, and eat plenty
of fruit and vegetables.
Don't forget that alcohol is also
high in calories, so cutting down can help you to control your weight.
Physical activity can help you to
maintain weight loss or be a healthy weight. Being active doesn't have to mean
hours at the gym: you can find ways to fit more activity into your daily life.
For example, try getting off the bus one stop early on the way home from work,
and walking.
Being physically active may help
reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. For more ideas,
see Get active your way.
After getting active, remember
not to reward yourself with a treat that is high in energy. If you feel hungry
after activity, choose foods or drinks that are lower in calories, but still
filling.
If you're underweight, see our
page on underweight adults. If you're worried about your weight, ask your GP or
a dietitian for advice.
Don't get thirsty
We need to drink plenty of fluids
to stop us getting dehydrated – the government recommends 6-8 glasses every day.
This is in addition to the fluid
we get from the food we eat. All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water and
lower-fat milk are healthier choices.
Try to avoid sugary soft and
fizzy drinks that are high in added sugars and calories, and are also bad for
teeth.
Even unsweetened fruit juice and
smoothies are high in free sugar. Your combined total of drinks from fruit
juice, vegetable juice and smoothies should not be more than 150ml a day –
which is a small glass.
For example, if you have 150ml of
orange juice and 150ml smoothie in one day, you'll have exceeded the
recommendation by 150ml.
When the weather is warm, or when
we get active, we may need more fluids.
Don't skip breakfast
Some people skip breakfast
because they think it will help them lose weight. In fact, research shows that
people who regularly eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight.
Breakfast has also been shown to
have positive effects on children’s mental performance and increase their
concentration throughout the morning.
A healthy breakfast is an
important part of a balanced diet, and provides some of the vitamins and
minerals we need for good health.
A wholegrain, lower-sugar cereal
with fruit sliced over the top is a tasty and nutritious breakfast.
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