Nutrition – What we eat matters…
Consuming a healthy, balanced diet plays a crucial role in supporting our body's functions and maintaining optimal health. By ensuring we nourish ourselves with a variety of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, we can enhance our energy levels, strengthen our immune system, and promote a healthy weight.
NHS Eatwell Guide
The Eatwell Guide shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet.
The guide is split up into 5 nutritional food groups:
- Fruit and Vegetables
- Starchy carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Dairy or dairy alternatives
- Unsaturated fats
You do not need to achieve this balance with every meal, but try to get the balance right over a day or even a week.
Fruit and Vegetables
Click here for more information on fruit and vegetables.
Starchy Foods and Carbohydrates
Click here for more information on starchy foods and carbohydrates.
Protein
Click here for more information on protein foods
Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
Click here for more information on dairy and dairy alternatives.
Unsaturated Fats including Oils and Spreads
Click here for more information on unsaturated fats and food with high fat, sugar and salt content.
Hydration and Alcohol
Click here for more information on hydration and alcohol.
Helpful article and links
8 tips for healthy eating from the NHS
These 8 practical tips cover the basics of healthy eating and can help you make healthier choices. You should also eat a wide range of foods to make sure you're getting a balanced diet and your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs.
Healthy family friendly recipe ideas
Healthy eating doesn't need to be dull. Whip up tasty, affordable family meals with Better Health easy step-by-step recipes, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, lunch box idea, puddings and so much more!
Get to know your vitamins and minerals with the NHS
Vitamins and minerals are nutrients your body needs in small amounts to work properly and stay healthy. Most people should get all the nutrients they need by having a varied and balanced diet, although some people may need to take extra supplements.
Go to the NHS website: Vitamins and minerals to find out what these nutrients do, how much of them you need, how to ensure you get enough, and what the risks are if you take too much.
Also read this helpful leaflet from the British Nutrition Foundation: Vitamins and Minerals in our food
Mediterranean Diet: Eating for a Healthy Heart
A healthy diet and keeping physically active can help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease and having a heart attack. Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet can also reduce risk of developing problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol and raised triglycerides (these are types of fats found in blood), which are all risk factors for heart disease.
Read Eating for a healthy heart for adults: the Mediterranean diet