Healthy Eating

It should be relatively easy to eat a balanced healthy diet, even if you are on a low budget, or do not have a lot of time, it often requires no more than a little extra effort when you visit the supermarket

You should aim to eat:

• Starchy foods such as bread, cereals, potatoes, rice, and pasta. Contrary to popular belief these are not fattening, provided you do not start to add fat in the form of butter, or by frying (chips). Most starchy foods contain fibre, which is not digested but helps your bowels to open regularly, helps you to feel full, and is thought to reduce bad cholesterol
  
  
• Fruit and vegetables are very important as they supply vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre. You are recommended to eat five portions a day which will reduce your chances of developing heart disease, stroke, and bowel cancer when you are older. Fruit and vegetables are low in calories and it is perfectly acceptable to use tinned fruit, and fruit and vegetable juices as part of your five a day
  
  
• Fish, particularly oily fish (such as herring, sardines, mackerel, salmon, kippers, pilchards) help to protect against heart disease. If you can, eat fish twice a week
  
  
• Protein is necessary but it is important that your protein source is also low fat; for example fish, chicken, pulses, nuts. Meat is high in protein, but red meat can contain a lot of fat
  
  
• Fats are required by your body, but you should avoid saturated fats found in butter, lard, some margarines, pastries, cakes, chocolate. Try to use unsaturated 'good' fats which you will find in corn oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, and low fat spreads. Buy low fat options where available, for example; low-fat milk, cheese, yoghurt, ice-cream
  
  
• Alcohol contains a lot of calories, causing unwanted weight gain, and drinking to excess can damage the liver, brain, stomach, pancreas, and heart. It can also cause high blood pressure
  
  
• Sugary foods and drinks are high in calories which contribute to weight gain. Try not to add sugar to hot drinks, and buy sugar-free canned drinks. Eat cakes, chocolates, sweets as treats rather than as regular daily items
  
  
• Salt can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure. If you use a lot of salt try to reduce the amount you use over time, and change to a low-salt, available from most supermarkets
  
  
• Takeaways and ready meals can contain a lot of chemicals and preservatives, and be high in salt, sugar, and saturated fat. Most will display this information if you look for it, so unless it has a healthy profile try and make them an occasional treat rather than a regular part of your diet

Aim for at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Fresh, frozen, chilled, canned, 100% juice, and dried fruit and vegetables all count towards 5 a day
1 apple	1 medium banana	2 broccoli florets	7 cherry tomatoes
1 handful of grapes	16 okra	1 medium glass of orange juice	2 halves of canned peaches
1 medium pear	3 tablespoons of peas	12 chunks of canned pineapple	1 bowl of salad
2 satsumas	7 strawberries	3 tablespoons of sweetcorn	1 handful of vegetable sticks

Source: LSMP

Back to top

Advice to users

Contact the Web Master

Last revision: April 2011