Nutrition and Health
Eating for Health
One way of looking at the make-up of a balanced diet is to group foods together by the essential nutrients they contain. Below is a guide to the main food groups, based on "The Balance of Good Health", which was developed by the Health Education Authority, the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthydiet/eatwellplate/.
In order to obtain all the essential nutrients needed in the correct amounts, a mixture of different foods should be eaten every day - no single food contains all nutrients; different foods are rich in different nutrients. It is the total diet which is either healthy or unhealthy, rather than specific foods, although some foods contribute more to healthy eating than others.
Within each food group, it's not only the quantity of foods eaten, but also the type of foods chosen that is important for good health, and to help with weight management.
The following chart indicates the essential nutrients provided by each food group, the healthier options, and an indication of how much we should aim to eat from each group.
Concept for the The eatwell plate, © Food Standards Agency http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthydiet/eatwellplate/
| Food group main nutrients | Types of foods to choose most often | How much to choose |
| Fruit and vegetables | ||
| Provide: vitamins, e.g. vitamin C, carotenes, folates, some minerals and "dietary fibre". | All types. Eat a wide variety of fresh, frozen and tinned. Dried fruit and fruit juice also count. | Aim for at least five portions daily, e.g. orange juice at breakfast, salad in sandwich at lunch, banana to follow, two portions of vegetables with evening meal. |
| Bread, other cereals and potatoes | ||
| Provide: energy, some protein, calcium and iron, B vitamins. Wholegrain varieties are high in fibre. | Wholemeal varieties of bread, pasta, rice, pita bread, chapatti, boiled, baked or mashed potatoes, wholegrain breakfast cereals e.g. bran flakes, Weetabix. | Include some with every meal. |
| Milk and dairy foods | ||
| Includes milk, cheese, yoghurt, fromage frais. Provide: calcium, protein, vitamins A, D and B12. | Lower fat varieties e.g. skimmed/semi-skimmed milk; low fat (0.1% fat) yoghurts or fromage frais, lower fat cheese (e.g. Edam, Camembert). | Eat or drink moderate amounts. As a guide two to three servings daily (e.g. one carton yoghurt, 200ml milk, 30-40g hard cheese). |
| Foods containing fat | ||
| Includes: some processed foods, pastries, margarine and spreads, butter, cooking oils. Provide: vitamins and essential fatty-acids, but also high in fat and energy (calories). | Low fat spreads, or use smaller amounts of fat spreads/butter. Unsaturated oils for cooking (e.g. rapeseed, olive, sunflower, soya). | Small amounts of spreading fats and cooking oils. |
| Foods and drinks containing sugar | ||
| Includes: biscuits, cakes, confectionery, savoury snacks (crisps/nuts). Provide: mainly energy, often high in fat and/or sugar. | Plain biscuits, fruit cake, bread muffins, scones, currant buns, tea cakes, savoury crackers, crisp breads. | Small amounts, snacks high in fat/sugar eaten as occasional foods. |
| Meat, Fish and Alternatives | ||
| Includes meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, beans and pulses. Provide: iron, protein, B vitamins especially B12, zinc. | Lean cuts of meat (remove all visible fat), all types of fish (no batter), beans peas, and lentils are low in fat, high in fibre. Use in stews, curries, casseroles. | Eat moderate amounts. As a guide 2-3 servings daily (e.g. 50-70g meat, 100-150g fish, 200g beans/pulses, 40g hard cheese, eggs). |
