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