The benefits of a healthy diet

A healthy diet may help to prevent certain serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. It may also help to reduce your risk of developing some cancers. If you become sick, eating a healthy diet may help you to recover more quickly. Also, a main way of preventing obesity and overweight is to eat a healthy diet. If you are overweight or obese, eating a healthy diet can help you lose weight.

As well as healthy eating, regular physical exercise is also very important for health and to avoid or reduce obesity.

What makes up a healthy diet?

As a general rule, vegetables, fruits and starchy foods should provide the bulk of most of your meals. The remaining part of your diet should be made up from milk and dairy foods and protein foods. As mentioned above, you should limit the amount of foods and drinks that are high in fat or sugar. The dietary guidance to reduce your risk of heart disease is as follows:

Intake of saturated fat to less than 10% of total fat intake (preferably in lean meat and low-fat dairy products):

• Replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat where possible.
• Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day (new research has suggested that we should all aim for seven portions per day).
• Eat at least two servings of fish (preferably oily fish) per week.
• Consider regularly eating whole grains and nuts.
• Keep the amount of salt in your diet to less than 6 g per day.
• Limit alcohol intake to less than 14 units per week for men and less than 14 units per week for women.
• Avoid or reduce the following in your diet:
  • Processed meats or commercially produced foods (including 'ready meals') which tend to be high in salt and trans fatty acids.
  • Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and processed cereals.
  • Sugar-sweetened drinks.
  • High-calorie but nutritionally poor snacks, such as sweets, cakes and crisps.

This advice may not apply to you. If in doubt, you should check with your doctor. There are also some changes that pregnant women need to make to their diet.