What is a healthy, well-balanced diet?
A well-balanced diet includes food from the five main food groups. These are: • bread, cereal (including breakfast cereals) and potatoes (starchy foods), • fruit (including fresh fruit juice) and vegetables, • meat and fish, • milk and dairy foods, and • fat and sugar. Most people should be eating three main meals a day. Most people need to eat more starchy foods and more fruit and vegetables, as well as reduce their fat intake, drink less alcohol and eat less salt. Look for labels that say food is low in fat (particularly saturated fat), low in salt and sugar-free. Fruit and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals, low in calories and high in fiber. Eating lots of fruit and vegetables keeps the heart and body healthy. They are also an ideal alternative to eating chips and chocolate as snacks between meals.
