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In the UK the government gives 7 basic recommendations for healthy
eating:
- Enjoy your food
Food should be enjoyable: there is no nourishment in food that
is uneaten.
- Eat a variety of different foods
Choosing a wide variety of foods and including more vegetables,
fruit, bread, breakfast cereals, potatoes, rice and pasta will
ensure that the body gets all the nutrients it needs.
The Balance of Good Health Plate overleaf shows the types and
proportions of foods needed for a well-balanced and healthy diet.
- Eat the right amount to be a healthy weight
Each person needs a different amount of energy and therefore each
individual differs in the amount of food they should eat. However
much people need, the proportions of food from the five groups
remain the same.
- Eat plenty of foods rich in starch and fibre
Foods like bread, other cereals and potatoes are rich in starch
and can be good sources of fibre. Most people do not eat enough
of the starchy, fibre-rich foods like bread, potatoes, rice and
pasta. Wholegrain cereal foods are particularly rich in fibre.
- Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables
There is growing evidence that diets rich in fruit and vegetables
reduce the likelihood of developing chronic diseases in later
life. A balanced diet contains at least five portions of fruit
and vegetables a day.
- Don't eat too many foods that contain a lot of fat
Some fat is needed in the diet. However, many people eat far more
fat than they need, and a diet high in fat can increase the risk
of heart disease. There is a lot of fat which cannot be seen,
in pastry, pies, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, and meat products
like sausages, sausage rolls, pastries, meat pies and burgers
and their vegetarian alternatives.
- Don't have sugary foods and drinks too often
Tooth decay is still a major problem in this country. How often
a child consumes sugar has more influence on tooth decay than
how much they eat in total. Frequent consumption of acidic drinks
- such as fruit squashes, fruit juices, fizzy drinks and colas
- may cause the surface of the teeth to dissolve gradually. Acidic
drinks are best kept to mealtimes.
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The Balance of Good Health
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The British Nutrition Foundation has
further information on nutrition and has a Chinese version
of the Balance of Good Health, 020 7404 6504 
