Eating a balanced diet is one of the best ways to ensure healthy living.  Make an appointment to see one of our Nurses or HCA for advice tailored to your lifestyle.

You should eat a variety of foods to obtain all of the essential nutrients.  Too much as well as too little can be bad for you.   The key to a healthy balanced diet is not to ban or omit any foods or food groups but to balance what you eat by consuming a variety of foods from each food group in the right proportions for good health.

Fruit and vegetables should make up about a third of your daily diet and can be eaten as part of every meal, as well as being the first choice for a snack.

You should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Research suggests this can help to protect against cancer, obesity and various chronic diseases such as heart disease.

Milk and dairy foods need to be consumed in smaller proportions than the other categories. They contain nutrients essential to our diet, so it’s important not to leave them out altogether.  They have a high saturated fat content, but they’re an important source of calcium, which is essential for healthy bones and teeth. It is best to choose low-fat or reduced-fat versions.

Foods made up of high fat and sugar should only be eaten sparingly because, although they’re an important energy source, they contain very few nutrients and are  ‘empty calories’.