Download Healthy Eating - British Dietetic Association

Food Fact Sheet
Healthy eating
A good diet is important for good
health. Eating a variety of foods can
improve general wellbeing, reduce
the risk of conditions including heart
disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes
and osteoporosis (thin bones) and help
you manage your weight. You need
to eat sensibly, choosing a varied diet
from a range of foods, not smoking
and keeping active are all great ways
to boost your health.
The Eatwell Guide is made up of five food groups – fruit
and vegetables; bread, rice, potatoes and other starchy
foods; meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy
sources of protein; milk and dairy foods; and oil and
spreads. If you choose a variety of foods from the groups
you can easily achieve this healthy balance.
Foods high in fat, salt and sugars are not needed in the
diet, so if you do choose to include them then try to have
them less often and in smaller amounts. Read on for
some useful tips.
Different types of food
The Eatwell Guide can help you to understand the
different types of food that make up a healthy diet. It
also shows how much of these foods you should eat to
have a well-balanced and healthy diet. It’s a good idea
to try to get this balance right throughout the week.
Eatwell Guide
Check the label on
packaged foods
Use the Eatwell Guide to help you get a balance of healthier and more sustainable food.
It shows how much of what you eat overall should come from each food group.
Each serving (150g) contains
Energy
1046kJ
250kcal
13%
Fat
Saturates Sugars
3.0g 1.3g
LOW
LOW
4%
7%
Salt
34g 0.9g
HIGH
MED
38% 15%
of an adult’s reference intake
Typical values (as sold) per 100g: 697kJ/ 167kcal
ta
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Low fat
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Per day
Source: Public Health England in association with the Welsh government, Food Standards Scotland and the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland
Limit fruit juice
and/or smoothies
to a total of
150ml a day.
sugar
Whole
wheat
pasta
Lentils
Eat less often and
in small amounts
w
Bagels
Frozen
peas
Sauce
ot
Water, lower fat
milk, sugar-free
drinks including
tea and coffee
all count.
and
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Eat at
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Choose foods lower
in fat, salt and sugars
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2000kcal
Oil & spreads
Choose unsaturated oils
and use in small amounts
2500kcal = ALL FOOD + ALL DRINKS
© Crown copyright 2016
www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts
1. Five portions of fruit and Vegetables each day and remember, fresh,
frozen, dried and canned all count towards
your total 5-a-day. Don’t forget to include
the vegetables you add to cooked dishes,
for example onions in a stew or casserole,
tomatoes in a pasta sauce or vegetable soup
are included.
2.Include starchy foods such as bread,
chapattis, breakfast cereals, potatoes, rice,
noodles, oats and pasta as part of your meals/
snacks. Aim to include one food from this group
at each meal time and eat regularly. Try and opt
for wholegrains where possible.
3. Variety - choose a variety of different
types and colours of fruit and vegetables. As
well as providing vitamins, minerals and fibre,
the natural colours and flavours of plants add
powerful anti-oxidants to our diet.
4. Meat, fish, eggs and pulses (beans
and lentils) - choose lean meat or remove
excess fat and remove the skin from chicken.
Avoid frying where possible. Try to include two portions
of fish each week, one of which should be an oily
fish (darker skinned), for example: mackerel, trout,
sardines, kippers or fresh tuna.
5. Dairy - with dairy foods providing the richest and
best absorbed source of dietary calcium, try for three
portions a day to meet most calcium needs.
A portion is:
•
•
•
a small pot of yoghurt
1/3 pint of milk
a small matchbox size piece of cheese.
Try to choose reduced fat versions where you can, for
example semi-skimmed milk or low fat yoghurt.
6. Oils and Spreads - try to choose low-fat spreads
and use a small amount. Opt for one that is low in
saturated fat and made from olive, sunflower, rapeseed
or vegetable oils. Saturated fat increases the low
density lipoproteins (LDL) or ‘bad’ cholesterol in your
blood which can lead to heart disease. Choosing
mono-unsaturated spreads (such as those made from
Saturated fat
(avoid)
•
•
•
•
•
butter
ghee
lard
coconut oil
palm oils
Unsaturated fat
(alternative)
Polyunsaturated fat
Polyunsaturated fat,
oils, soft spreads
and margarines
including:
• sunflower
and foods made from
• soya
these.
• corn
• linseed (flaxseed)
• pastries
• safflower
• cakes
• fish oil.
• biscuits
•
Monounsaturated
and other foods made
fat
from hydrogenated
• olive oil
fats.
• rapeseed oil
olive or rapeseed oils) help to lower blood levels of
harmful LDL cholesterol, and boost levels of ‘good’ high
density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol.
It is important to remember that all types of fat are high
in energy and should be limited in the diet.
7. Sugar and fat -
are high in calories, so try to
cut down on foods and drinks with lots of sugar/fat in
such as sweets, cakes, crisps and sugary soft drinks.
Choose low-fat or reduced sugar foods where possible.
Summary
Eat a range of foods from the main food groups to
make sure you have a balanced diet. Eat the right
amount of food for how active you are. Most of all –
enjoy your food!
Further information: Food Fact Sheets
on other topics including Fruit and
Veg – how to get 5-a-day, Cholesterol,
Fats and Fluid and Drinks can be
downloaded at bda.uk.com/foodfacts
This Food Factsheet is a public service of The British Dietetic Association (BDA) intended for information only.
It is not a substitute for proper medical diagnosis or dietary advice given by a dietitian. If you need to see a
dietitian, visit your GP for a referral or: www.freelancedietitians.org for a private dietitian. To check your dietitian
is registered check www.hcpc-uk.org
This Food Fact Sheet and others are available to download free of charge at www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts
Written by Janet Jackson Dietitian. Reviewed by Chole Miles.
The information sources used to develop this fact sheet are available at www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts
© BDA August 2016 Review date: August 2019..