the eatwell guide

• the eatwell guide is designed to help all those over 2 years of age to eat a healthy, balanced diet as it shows how much of what is eaten should come from each food group
• the flour food groups are:

  • potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates
  • fruit and vegetables
  • dairy and alternatives
  • beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
• there is a fifth group of the eatwell guide, oils and spreads, but this small section reflects that our diet should only have small amounts of unsaturated fat and lower-fat spreads
• the eatwell guide shows a plate divided into segments, showing the amounts of foods that should be eaten daily from each segment
• the two main segments consist of fruit and vegetables and the cereal group, it is advised that cereals chosen should be mainly wholemeal varieties which contain more fibre
• two other segments are made up of foods providing protein and dairy foods
• the remaining segment is very small and contains unsaturated fats and spreads
• other advice in the eatwell guide includes:

  • drink plenty of fluid such as water and drinks with no added sugar
  • front of pack nutrition labelling
  • average energy requirements for men and women
• some snacks and dishes are made up of ingredients from more than one of the food groups on the eatwell guide, these are called composition foods
• fruits and vegetables:

  • about 1/3 of the daily intake
  • aim to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day
• one portion of fruit or veg is:

  • one piece of medium sized fruit, eg apple, banana, an orange
  • one heaped tablespoon of dried fruit eg raisins, sultanas
  • three heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables eg carrots, sweetcorn
  • 150ml of fruit juices or smoothies (only one glass a day)
• beans, pulses, fish, meat and other protein:

  • aim to eat two portions of fish a week (one oily eg salmon, sardines)
  • pulses are a good alternative to meat
  • choose lean cuts of meat and eat less processed meat (eg less bacon or sausages)
• drink 6-8 glasses of fluids a day
• dairy products and alternatives:

  • have some dairy and try lower fat options, eg 1% fat milk, or reduced fat cheese
  • you can also try dairy alternatives, such as soya or rice-based milks
• eat less sugary, salty and fatty foods, eg muffins, cakes, biscuits
• oils and spreads:

  • use unsaturated oils and spreads and not very often
  • eg sunflower and olive oil
• starchy carbohydrates:

  • about 1/3 of your daily food intake (amount of carbs not energy from them)
  • choose higher fibre, wholegrain options with less fat, sugar and salt
  • try to include a starchy food in every meal, eg potatoes, wholegrain bread, pasta and cereals
• total calories a day:

  • women - 2000 kcal
  • men - 2500 kcal