What is a balanced diet?

In the quest for a healthier lifestyle, finding the right balance in our diets is key. At ‘Let’s Eat Balanced’ we’re here to guide you on the path to well-rounded nutrition, using the ‘Eatwell Guide’. This guide shows us the healthy diet recommendations from government, and emphasises the importance of balance and variety in our daily food choices.

The Eatwell Guide is a visual representation of the proportions of different food groups we should eat and recommends:

• Over a third of our diet should be fruit and vegetables
• About another third should be made up of starchy carbohydrates, like potatoes, bread, rice and pasta, particularly high fibre and wholegrain options
• It also includes dairy products (or unsweetened calcium-fortified dairy alternatives)
• And protein foods like beans, pulses, fish, eggs and lean meat
• With a small section for unsaturated oils such as rapeseed or olive oil, and spreads made from these
• Foods high in saturated fat, salt and free sugars are not needed as part of a healthy diet, so if chosen, the guide recommends these should be eaten less often and in small amounts
• And finally, there’s guidance on keeping our bodies well-hydrated

The key to having a healthy, balanced diet is to eat a variety of foods in the right proportions to help us get the wide range of nutrients that our bodies need.