Top 5 tips for healthy eating

These 5 practical tips cover the basics of healthy eating and can help you make healthier choices.

1. Base your meals on higher fibre starchy carbohydrates

Try to include at least 1 starchy food with each main meal. Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram the carbohydrate they contain provides fewer than half the calories of fat.

2. Eat lots of fruit and veg

Getting your 5 A Day is easier than it sounds. Why not chop a banana over your breakfast cereal, or swap your usual mid-morning snack for a piece of fresh fruit?

3. Eat more fish, including a portion of oily fish

Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. Aim to eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, including at least 1 portion of oily fish. Oily fish are high in omega-3 fats, which may help prevent heart disease.

4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

On average, men should have no more than 30g of saturated fat a day. On average, women should have no more than 20g of saturated fat a day.

5. Eat less salt: no more than 6g a day for adults

Adults and children aged 11 and over should eat no more than 6g of salt (about a teaspoonful) a day. Younger children should have even less.