Healthy eating
Food is there to enjoy, which is often forgotten amid all the media hype surrounding various food items. The key is to ensure you have a balance of different food types and to keep a check on portion size. In this section you can find more information about a balanced diet.
Why is a balanced diet important?
Consuming at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day can reduce the risk from heart disease, stroke and cancer by up to 20%.
A healthy balanced diet contains a variety of types of food, including lots of fruit, vegetables and starchy foods such as wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals, some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and lentils and some milk and dairy foods.
What do we mean by ‘balanced’ diet?
It is important to remember that a balanced diet is not about banning or leaving out any foods or food groups but about balancing what you eat by having a wide variety of foods.
There are five food groups in the recommended balanced diet:
1. Fruit and vegetables
2. Bread, rice, potatoes and pasta
3. Milk and dairy foods
4. Meat, fish, eggs and beans
5. Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar (on a very limited basis)
How to eat a balanced diet
Eat a variety of foods to obtain all of the essential nutrients. Too much as well as too little can be bad for you – balance is required. Everyone's plate will look slightly different as we all have different requirements depending on our body’s shape and size, and our levels of activity.
Fruit and vegetables are also generally low in fat and calories so that eating fruit and vegetables instead of foods that are high in fat and added sugars may help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
How do i work out my five-a-day portions?
One portion is equivalent to 80 grammes (about 3 ounces). These portion sizes are for adults, portion sizes for children may be smaller.
Examples...
• ½ Grapefruit, a slice of melon, 2 satsumas, 1 portion of dried fruit (3 dried apricots, a tablespoon of raisins)
• 3 heaped tablespoons of cooked carrots/peas or sweetcorn, a cereal bowl of mixed salad
Exceptions...
Beans and other pulse vegetables count only as one a day however much you eat. Potatoes don't count as they are considered a 'starchy' food. A glass of fruit juice counts as one portion however much you drink.
For more detailed information about healthy eating visit the Eatwell website.
Looking for an NHS Hampshire publication?
Want to find out more about our priorities?
© Copyright 2009 NHS Hampshire. NHS Hampshire is a part of Hampshire Primary Care Trust 