Modern life can sometimes make eating a healthy diet difficult. After a hard day, it can be tempting to grab the nearest ready meal from the supermarket shelf. But these foods are often high in saturated fat and sugar and low in the nutrients we need.
A healthy diet is a balanced diet. Eating a wide range of foods helps us to get all the nutrients we need. Cutting down on foods that are high in fat and sugar can allow us to strike a balance between the energy that we put into our bodies and the energy that we use through physical activity.
At your NHS Health Check, you may have discussed your diet with your GP or another health professional.
A healthy diet can help to minimise your risk of vascular disease. It’s also an important part of achieving or maintaining a healthy weight.
If you’re aiming to change your diet after your NHS Health Check, there is lots of information and advice on NHS Choices than can help you, such as healthy recipes, facts about salt and fat and advice on decoding food labels (see NHS Choices links).
The five food groups
A balanced diet means eating foods in the right proportion. All foods belong to one of five groups:
- Starchy foods, such as rice, wholewheat pasta and bread and potatoes.
- Fruit and vegetables.
- Meat, fish, eggs and beans.
- Milk and dairy foods.
- Foods containing fat and sugar.
Have a balance
It’s no surprise to learn that most of us in England eat too many foods that are high in fat and sugar and not enough fruit and vegetables.
For a balanced diet:
- Base your meals on starchy foods, such as wholemeal pasta, brown rice and potatoes. Around 30% of the calories we eat should come from food in these groups.
- Combine startchy foods with lean proteins such as chicken, fish and beans. Around 15% of the calories we eat should come from foods in this group.
- Get your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
- Cut down on foods that are high in saturated fat and sugar. That means processed meats such as those found in sausages, pasties and pies, as well as cakes, biscuits, sweets and pastries. You should only eat these foods occasionally.
Get your five portions a day
Fruit and vegetables contain the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. You can improve your diet by ensuring you get your five portions a day of fruit and veg. It’s easier than you think.
A single piece of medium-sized fruit such as an apple, banana or a pear can count as one portion, as does drinking a glass of fruit juice. Vegetables in casseroles and stews also count towards your five a day and so do dried and tinned fruits.
Find out more at the NHS 5 A DAY website (see External links).
Get cooking
Processsed foods and supermarket ready meals – including the ones called 'healthy choice' – are often high in saturated fat, salt and sugar.
That means that one of the best ways to improve your diet is to get active in the kitchen. When you cook for yourself, you take charge of your diet and you’ll know exactly what is in your food. Cooking for yourself is also cheaper than buying ready-prepared food, so is perfect for the credit crunch.
If you’re keen to get cooking, take a look at the advice and recipe ideas on NHS Choices (See NHS Choices links).
