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Aim for at least 5 fruit and vegetable portions a day. A daily glass
of orange juice, an apple, banana or a small can of tomatoes each
count as a portion. A portion is roughly 80g, or for example an apple,
2-3 tablespoons of frozen veg, 1 glass of fruit juice (juice only
counts as one portion however much you drink). Fresh, canned, frozen
and dried fruit and vegetable can contribute as good sources of your
5 a day. They are convenient and economical too. But remember that
potatoes, yams and plantains don't count here because they're a starchy
food. |
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Aim to eat lots of these sorts of foods, to make up the main part
of your meals. Try to eat a variety and remember you can choose
from all these: bread, breakfast cereals (choose ones that don't
contain too much added sugar), chappattis, oats, pasta, noodles,
rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, dishes made from maize millet
and cornmeal, plantains, green bananas, beans and lentils. Choose
wholegrain, wholemeal, brown or 'high fibre' varieties wherever
you can.
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Foods containing fat:
Margarine, butter, other spreading fats and low fat spreads,
cooking oils, oil-based salad dressings, mayonnaise, cream, chocolate,
crisps, biscuits, pastries, cakes, puddings, ice cream and rich
sauces and gravies.
Food and drinks containing sugar:
Soft drinks (except diet or sugar-free varieties), sweets, jam
and sugar, as well as foods such as cakes, puddings, biscuits, sweet
pastries, ice cream.
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We all need to eat some salt, but most of us eat much more than we
need. On average we eat about 9 grams a day, this is about two teaspoonfuls
of salt. Too much salt encourages high blood pressure, strokes and
heart diseases. So it is recommended that we try to cut this down
to less than 6 grams of salt a day. About three quarters of the salt
we eat comes from processed foods, whilst the remaining quarter comes
from salt present naturally in food, or is added when cooking or at
the table.
There are lots of ways to cut down on salt consumption. For example:
- Add less salt to your food during cooking and at the table
- Cut down on salty snacks, heavily salted foods such as bacon,
cheese, pickles and many processed convenience foods.
- Check the labels on processed foods, such as tinned or packet
soups and ready-prepared meals, to find those with less added
salt.
- Eat more home cooked food with ingredients you control yourself.
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Eat only moderate amounts of foods from this group, and choose lower
fat when you can. Choose lean meat and trim off the fat and skin from
poultry. Aim to eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, one of which
should be oily such as sardines or salmon. |
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Eat moderate amounts of dairy products. Choose lower fat versions
of pasteurised milk, cheese, yoghurt, fromage frais and other dairy
foods (except for young children and babies - semi-skimmed milk can
be introduced after 2 years, and skimmed milk is not suitable for
children under five years of age, as it does not provide enough energy
and vitamin A for the growing child. |
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Keep to moderate amounts of alcohol. Women can drink up to 2 to 3
units a day and men up to 3 to 4 units a day, without significant
risk to their health. A unit is half a pint of standard strength beer,
a small glass of wine or a pub measure of spirit. To help reduce alcohol
consumption, try drinking lower-strength drinks, half pints instead
of pints or alternating alcohol with non-alcoholic drinks. Aim to
drink at least 6-8 cups of water a day. |
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