On this page you can find out about making healthy choices between the five main food groups, with links to more detailed advice on the Eatwell website.
In this section you can find out about the Eatwell Plate, which shows the proportions of foods we need from each food group to have a healthy and well balanced diet.
Fruit and Vegetables
Eat plenty
Choose at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day
You can choose from fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced
Fruit and vegetables should make up about a third of the food you eat each day. Most of us do not eat enough.
Fruit and vegetables are good sources of many vitamins and minerals and are also very low in fat.
Bread, Rice, Potatoes, Pasta and Other Starchy Foods
Starchy foods should make up about a third of the food you eat. Most people should be eating more starchy foods.
Foods rich in fibre are a very healthy choice, so try to include a variety of fibre-rich foods in your diet.
Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but they contain less than half the calories of fat. If you are concerned about your weight, wholegrain varieties are an especially good choice.
Milk and Dairy Foods
Milk and dairy products are good sources of protein, vitamins A and B12 and calcium.
But the fat content of different dairy products varies a lot and much of this is saturated fat, which can raise cholesterol and is linked to heart disease.
Meat, Fish, Eggs, Beans - Non-Dairy Sources of Protein
Eat some
Choose lower fat alternatives whenever possible or eat higher fat versions infrequently or in smaller amounts
Aim for at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish
Meat is a good source of protein and vitamins, but some types of meat are high in fat, particularly saturated fat, which can raise cholesterol levels. Fish and shellfish are rich in protein and minerals, and oily fish is rich in omega 3 fatty acids.
Foods and Drinks High in Fat or Sugar
Foods and drinks high in fat and sugar such as sweets, cakes and biscuits are not essential to a healthy diet.
We should be cutting down on fat, but it is even more important to try to replace the saturated fat we eat with unsaturated fat. This type of fat can actually reduce cholesterol levels and provide us with the essential fatty acids that the body needs.
Most adults and children in the UK eat too much sugar. We should all be trying to eat fewer sugary foods, such as sweets, cakes and biscuits, and drink fewer soft drinks.
