Why healthy eating is important

The food you eat contains many types of nutrients and fibre. These are all required for many vital processes in your body. Examples of some of these, and what your body uses them for, are as follows:

• carbohydrates - your body's preferred source of energy. All your organs (including your heart, lungs, brain and digestive system) need a constant supply of energy to work properly. You also need energy to grow and repair your body's tissues, keep you warm and to power your muscles for movement
• protein - another source of energy and essential for the growth and repair of all tissues in your body
• fat - a highly concentrated source of energy that also helps transport essential vitamins around your body
• vitamins and minerals - there are many different vitamins and minerals which all have different and important functions in your body. For example, iron is needed to transport oxygen in your blood, calcium and vitamin D are essential for healthy bones, vitamin C is important for wound healing, and vitamin A helps to keep your eyes healthy
• fibre - helps keep your digestive system healthy and controls your cholesterol and blood sugar levels

A balanced diet

No single kind of food contains all the nutrients and fibre you need, so it's important to eat a range of foods. Eating the right balance from the main food groups will ensure that your body gets all it needs to stay healthy. There are five main food groups:

• starchy foods
• fruit and vegetables
• dairy foods
• meat, fish and other non-dairy sources of protein (such as beans)
• fats and sugar

Starchy foods

Most of the carbohydrate in your diet should come from starchy foods (complex carbohydrates). These include bread, cereals, potatoes, pasta or rice.

Starchy foods tend to be bulky, so they fill you up. Wholegrain varieties can be particularly rich in nutrients and fibre, and therefore they should be preferred to white choices.

Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are good sources of many nutrients, in particular vitamins, minerals and fibre. You should aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. There is good evidence that fruit and vegetables cut the risk of disease, including some cancers and heart disease.

Dairy foods

Milk and dairy products such as cheese and yogurt are important sources of calcium, protein and vitamins.

Choose lower-fat options such as semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, low-fat yogurts and cheeses (such as Edam). However, children under the age of two need the full-fat versions to help them grow.

Some dairy foods, such as butter and cream, should be eaten in much smaller amounts because of their high fat content (particularly saturated fats which have been linked to a higher risk of certain diseases). You should regard these foods as members of the 'fats and sugar' food group rather than the 'dairy foods' group.

Non-dairy proteins

Red meat, poultry, fish (fresh, frozen or tinned), beans and pulses, eggs and nuts are all important non-dairy sources of protein. When preparing meat and poultry, cut off any extra fat and skin and don't add butter or oil when cooking it (or only use small amounts); consider grilling, baking or poaching meat, fish and poultry rather than frying it. Also try to limit amounts of processed meat (such as sausages) as they often contain a lot of fat, and also salt.

It's recommended that you eat two portions of fish per week (one portion is about 140g), of which one should be oily. This is because of its high content of long chain omega 3 fatty acids. These fatty acids have a protective effect on your heart.