The Eatwell Guide outlines the recommendations for eating a healthy balanced diet.
The guide shows the different types of foods and drinks you should consume – and in what proportions – every day or over a week.
The Eatwell Guide divides the foods and drinks we consume into 5 main groups:
You should try to choose a variety of foods from each group to help you get the nutrients you need to stay healthy.
These recommendations apply to most people regardless of their:
If you’ve special dietary or medical needs, ask a registered dietitian or nutritionist about the best way to adapt this guide to your needs.
Children between the ages of 2 and 5 should gradually move towards eating the same foods in the same proportions recommended by the guide.
Children under 2 have different nutritional needs and so these recommendations don’t apply.
More healthy eating guidance for babies
You can use this guide to help you make healthier choices when:
Most of the meals we eat are a combination of food groups. When planning meals, work out the main ingredients and think about how these fit within the 5 main food groups.
Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre — essential for maintaining a healthy gut and preventing digestion problems.
They’re one of the 5 main food groups and should make up over a third of your diet.
You should aim to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day. However, potatoes don’t count towards your 5 a day as they’re a starchy food.
You can choose from fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced.
A portion of fruit and vegetables is 80g or:
A small glass (150ml) of fruit juice or smoothie:
These foods are a good source of nutrients, energy and fibre and should make up just over a third of your diet.
They’re one of the 5 main food groups.
Starchy foods should make up just over a third of your food intake. You should base each meal around these.
Wherever possible, choose wholegrain foods as they are:
When preparing these foods, limit the amount of added fat by using unsaturated oils (olive or sunflower) or lower-fat spreads.
These foods are sources of protein, vitamins and minerals, therefore, it’s important to include some foods from this group.
Protein is used by the body for growth and repair.
Some types of meat are high in fat – particularly saturated fat.
The type of meat you choose and the way you cook it can make a difference:
If you eat more than 90g per day of red or processed meats, try to reduce this to no more than 70g per day.
Beans and pulses are naturally low in fat, filling and can often provide a healthy and cheaper alternative to meat in most dishes. This includes beans, chickpeas, lentils and peas.
You can eat fresh, frozen or canned fish. Remember that fish canned in brine, or smoked fish, can be high in salt.
You should aim for 2 portions of fish per week, with one portion being oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines or fresh tuna.
Eggs are high in a range of nutrients including:
Boiled, scrambled or poached eggs made without using fat are better for you than fried. Try to avoid adding salt and saturated fats such as butter or cheese when having eggs.
Dairy includes milk, cheese, yoghurt, fromage frais, quark and cream cheese as well as non-dairy alternatives to these foods.
Dairy and dairy alternatives (for example – soya and nut milks) are a good source of protein, vitamins and calcium — essential for strong teeth and bones.
When buying dairy alternatives, go for unsweetened, calcium-fortified versions.
You should aim to eat a variety of dairy foods. Some dairy products like cheese and flavoured yoghurts can be high in fat, sugar, or salt. Choose lower fat, salt and sugar options wherever possible.
Semi-skimmed, skimmed, or 1% milk are lower in fat than full fat milk, but still contain the same amount of calcium and protein.
Low-fat yoghurts and fromage frais are also lower in fat than full fat yoghurts, but don’t forget to check the labels and look for unsweetened or versions with less sugar.
As an example, a portion of dairy is a:
Use these products sparingly as they’re high in fat. Although some fat is essential in the diet, generally we consume too much and need to reduce our consumption of certain types of fat.
Saturated and trans fats can increase the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Too much cholesterol can have a serious effect on your health as it increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Saturated fats can be found in:
Wherever possible replace saturated fats with small amounts of unsaturated fats.
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats provide essential fatty acids and can help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Unsaturated fats are usually from plant-based sources and can be found in:
Lower fat spreads are a good alternative to butter to help reduce your saturated fat intake.
As fats used in oils and spreads are high in calories, you should only eat a small amount to maintain a healthy weight.
As a guide:
More about fats
Drinking plenty of fluid is essential to keep our bodies hydrated and working properly.
You should aim to drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of fluid every day. This can include:
During hot weather and exercise, you might need to drink more than this to avoid becoming dehydrated.
Fruit juice and smoothies are a good source of vitamins and minerals.
A small glass (150ml) of either fruit juice or a smoothie counts as a maximum of 1 of your 5 a day, however, these drinks contain a lot of sugar. Any more than this and you’ll just be consuming extra sugar that you don’t need.
Drinks that are high in sugar:
Swap sugary soft drinks for water or diet, sugar-free and no added sugar varieties.
Drinks that contain caffeine – including tea, coffee and some fizzy and energy drinks – can make you pass urine more frequently. This means your body will lose more water than normal.
To keep hydrated, you might need to drink more to replace the fluids you lose.
Alcohol contains a lot of calories and can damage your health if you drink too much and too often.
The calorie content of an alcoholic drink depends on the:
As a guide:
You should limit the amount you drink to no more than 14 units spread evenly throughout the week.
More about alcohol
Foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt or sugar and low in nutritional value are known as ‘discretionary foods’. These aren’t required for a healthy balanced diet.
This includes:
These types of foods can be enjoyed occasionally in small portions as part of a healthy diet, however, most people eat too much of these too often. This can lead to an increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure and tooth decay.
Many pre-packaged foods have food labels on the front of the pack which shows the nutrition information per serving.
Food labels can help you:
Where colour coded labels are used, you can tell at a glance if they’re high, medium or low in a particular nutrient. For a healthier choice, aim to pick products with more greens and ambers and fewer reds.
More about food labelling
Last updated:
16 March 2023