Healthy diet benefits
A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition
Healthy eating is about having a balance of different foods and
nutrients in the diet for good health and wellbeing. No single food or
food group can provide everything we need to be healthy. Eating a
variety of different foods from each of the food groups can help us get
the full range of nutrients our bodies need. Fruit and vegetables are a
key part of a healthy diet, and we should aim to get our 5 A DAY or more
if we can. This can be from fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruit and
vegetables. Starchy foods like bread, potatoes, pasta, rice and other
grains are part of a healthy diet, but the quality of what we choose is
important. It is a good idea to choose wholegrains like wholemeal or rye
bread, wholewheat pasta, oats and potatoes with skins to help us get
enough fibre and other important nutrients. Plant-based protein foods
like beans, lentils, chickpeas and other pulses provide protein and
fibre and are naturally low in saturated fat. It is good to include
these regularly in the diet. Animal protein foods like fish, eggs, meat
and dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese) provide a range of vitamins and
minerals and can be part of a healthy diet. It is best not to eat too
much red and processed meat. It is recommended that we have two portions
of fish a week, one of which should be an oily fish like salmon,
mackerel or sardines. Dairy foods provide protein, calcium, B vitamins
and iodine. It is best to go for lower sugar versions (for example
natural yogurt) most of the time. If choosing plant-based dairy
alternatives, then look for those that are fortified with calcium and
ideally other vitamins and minerals. It is best to choose healthier fats
like vegetable, nut, seed or olive oils most of the time and to not to
have too much of sources of saturated fat such as butter, coconut or
palm oils. We probably know that we should not have too many foods or
drinks that are high in saturated fat, salt and sugar such as chocolate,
cakes, biscuits, pastry, crisps and fried chips. If you include these,
try to keep portion sizes small.
👉 learn more on British Nutrition Foundation
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