Balanced Diet

A healthy diet contains the right balance of the different foods you need and the right amount of energy.

The 5 Food Groups:

Food Group	Use	Found in
Carbohydrates	Instant energy	Sweets, Honey,
	Long term, sustained energy	Flour, Pasta, Bread, Rice, Root vegetables eg Potato,
	growth and repair	Meat, Fish, Dairy products
	small amounts for chemical reactions and development	Fruit and Vegetables
	warmth and protection of organs and energy	Meats
	to push on through the GI tract to help waste removal	Wholegrain foods eg cerals, brown bread, brown rice

To be well we need to eat the correct balance of these food groups and therefore foods:

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This generally means eating:

• plenty of fruit and veg
• plenty of starchy foods such as rice, bread, pasta (try to choose wholegrain varieties when you can) and potatoes
• some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and pulses
• some milk and dairy foods
• just a small amount of foods high in fat, salt and sugar

Find out more at:

• www.eatwell.gov.uk from the Food Standards Agency
• Change 4 Life