Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health and can help you feel your best.
This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
This page covers healthy eating advice for the general population.
People with special dietary needs or a medical condition should ask their doctor or a registered dietitian for advice.
Food groups in your diet
shows that to have a healthy, balanced diet, people should try to:
- eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day (see
- base meals on higher-fibre starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta
- have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks)
- eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein
- choose unsaturated oils and spreads, and eat them in small amounts
- – this can include tap and bottled water, tea, coffee and fruit juice
If you’re having foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt and sugar, have these less often and in small amounts.
Try to choose a variety of different foods from the 5 main food groups to get a wide range of nutrients.
Most people in the UK eat and drink too many calories, too much saturated fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables, oily fish or
The Eatwell Guide does not apply to children under the age of 2 because they have different nutritional needs.
After the age of 2 years, children should move to eating the same foods as the rest of the family in the proportions shown in the Eatwell Guide.
Milk and dairy foods (and alternatives)
Milk and dairy foods, such as cheese and yoghurt, are good sources of protein. They also contain calcium, which helps keep your bones healthy.
Go for lower-fat and lower-sugar products where possible.
Choose semi-skimmed, 1% fat or skimmed milk, as well as lower-fat hard cheeses or cottage cheese, and lower-fat, lower-sugar yoghurt.
Dairy alternatives, such as soya drinks, are also included in this food group.
When buying alternatives, choose unsweetened versions that are fortified with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin D and calcium.
Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
These foods are all good sources of protein, which is essential for the body to grow and repair itself.
They’re also good sources of a range of vitamins and minerals.
Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc and B vitamins. It’s also one of the main sources of vitamin B12.
Choose lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry whenever possible to cut down on fat. Always cook meat thoroughly.
Try to eat less red and processed meat like bacon, ham and sausages as this may help reduce your risk of getting certain cancers, such as bowel cancer.
You should limit the amount of red meat you eat to 3 portions a week (350 to 500g of cooked meat per portion).
Eat less saturated fat, sugar and salt
Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar increases your risk of andEating too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which increases your risk of getting heart disease or having a stroke.
See to find out more about why you need to cut down on saturated fat, sugar and salt, which foods they’re found in and how to make healthier choices.
Need to lose weight?
Most adults in England are overweight or obese. Check whether you’re a healthy weight using the If you need to lose weight, you can use the It’s a free 12-week diet and exercise plan to help you lose weight and develop healthier habits.
Take the Healthy Choices quiz
If you want to improve your health and wellbeing but are not sure where to start, the can give you personalised advice about how to live a healthier life.
Fruits and berries
and berries are popular health foods.
They are sweet, nutritious, and easy to incorporate into your diet because they require little to no preparation.
1. Apples
contain fiber, vitamin C, and numerous antioxidants. They are very filling and are a good snack if you’re hungry between meals.
2. Avocados
are different from most other fruits because they contain lots of healthy fat. They are not only creamy and tasty but also high in fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. Swap mayonnaise for avocado as a salad dressing, or spread it on toast for breakfast.
3. Bananas
are a good source of potassium. They’re also high in vitamin B6 and fiber and are convenient and portable.
4. Blueberries
are both delicious and high in antioxidants.
5. Oranges
are well known for their vitamin C content. They’re also high in fiber and antioxidants
Foods to limit
A heart-healthy eating plan limits sodium (salt), saturated fat, added sugars, and alcohol. Understanding nutrition labels can help you choose healthier foods.
Limit sodium
Adults and children over age 14 should eat less than 2,300 milligrams of a day. Children younger than age 14 may need to eat even less sodium each day based on their sex and age. If you have you may need to limit sodium even more. Talk to your healthcare provider about the amount of sodium that is right for you or your child.
Try these shopping and cooking tips to help you choose and prepare foods that are lower in sodium:
- Read food labels and choose products that have less sodium for the same serving size.
- Choose low-sodium, reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added products.
- Choose fresh, frozen, or no-salt-added foods instead of pre-seasoned, sauce-marinated, brined, or processed meats, poultry, and vegetables.
- Eat at home more often so you can cook food from scratch, which will allow you to control the amount of sodium in your meals.
- Flavor foods with herbs and spices instead of salt.
- When cooking, limit your use of premade sauces, mixes, and instant products such as rice, noodles, and ready-made pasta.
Limit added sugars
You should limit the amount of calories you get each day from added sugars. This will help you choose nutrient-rich foods and stay within your daily calorie limit.
Some foods, such as fruit, contain natural sugars. Added sugars do not occur naturally in foods but instead are used to sweeten foods and drinks. They include brown sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, raw sugar, and sucrose.
In the United States, sweetened drinks, snacks, and sweets are the major sources of added sugars.
- Sweetened drinks include soft drinks or sodas, fruit drinks, sweetened coffee and tea, energy drinks, alcoholic drinks, and favored waters. Sweetened drinks account for about half of all added sugars consumed.
- Snacks and sweets include grain-based desserts such as cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, doughnuts; dairy desserts such as ice cream, frozen desserts, and pudding; candies; sugars; jams; syrups; and sweet toppings.
Lower how much sugar you eat or drink.
- Choose drinks without added sugar such as water, low-fat or fat-free milk, or 100% vegetable juice.
- Choose unsweetened foods for snacks or dessert.
- Eat sweetened drinks, snacks, and desserts less often and in smaller amounts.
Use up at least as many calories as you take in.
- Start by knowing how many calories you should eat and drink to maintain your weight. Nutrition and calorie information on food labels is typically based on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. You may need fewer or more calories depending on several factors including age, gender, height, weight, level of physical activity and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Aim for at least or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity (or an equal combination of both) each week. Ideally, your activity should be spread throughout the week.
- Increase the amount and intensity of your physical activity to burn more calories.
Regular physical activity can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, keep off weight that you lose and reach physical and cardiovascular fitness. If it’s hard to schedule regular exercise, look for ways to build short bursts of activity into your daily routine such as parking farther away and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Try incorporating muscle-strengthening activity at least twice a week. You can do these workouts separately from your cardio activity or add resistance to an existing workout.