What exactly is a balanced diet? How much of which foods should you eat?
The ten rules:
- Get down to and maintain your desirable body weight
- Reduce your total fat intake, particularly your intake of saturated fats and trans fats
- Ensure adequate intake of mono- and certain poly-unsaturated fats
- Reduce your intake of foods high in cholesterol
- Increase your fibre intake
- Use sugar and foods high in simple carbohydrates in moderation
- Use less salt
- Eat a variety of foods
- Drink alcohol only in moderation and regularly rather than in binges
- Drink enough water or other fluids throughout the day (let thirst be your guide - remember that drinking too much water can actually be dangerous)
Healthy food choices include:
Fats, oils and nuts
- Sunflower, canola, olive and soya oils
- Soft margarines (check the label to see if it's free of trans fats)
- Non-stick vegetable sprays
- Almonds, pecan, hazelnuts and peanuts in moderation
Meat, fish and poultry
- Lean cuts only
- Portion sizes must be 90g to 120g a day – about the size of your palm
- Eat chicken without the skin
- Eat fish at least twice a week
- Shellfish is fine, but limit your intake of prawns, shrimps and caviar
- Tinned fish should be in water or brine
Lentils and dry beans
- All types of lentils, peas and beans
- Baked beans and other tinned beans
Eggs
- You can eat one egg a day as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Avoid having fried eggs, rather choose boiled, poached or scrambled
Milk and milk products
- Low-fat and skim milk
- Low-fat and fat-free yoghurt
- Low-fat and fat-free cottage cheese
- Low-fat buttermilk
Breads and cereals
- Brown, wholewheat and low-GI bread
- Oats, oat bran and maize meal
- High-fibre, low-fat breakfast cereals
- Low-fat wholewheat crackers
- Rice and pasta
Fruit and vegetables
- Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day
- Choose fresh fruits instead of fruit juices
- Use avocado and olives in moderation
Beverages
- Tea and coffee without sugar, diet cold drinks, sugar-free squash
- Use sweetened cold drinks in moderation
- Use fruit juice in moderation
- If you drink alcohol, have no more than two drinks a day (1 drink = 340ml beer or 120ml wine or 25ml spirits). Avoid alcohol if you have high blood pressure or if you are overweight.
Desserts
- Choose fresh fruit, jelly, skim-milk custard, fat-free or low-fat yoghurt, fruit ices, fruit yoghurt
Avoid the following foods:
Fats and oils:
- Butter
- Hard brick margarine, brick cooking fat, lard
- All fried foods
- Coconut and biscuits containing coconut
- Mayonnaise
Meat, fish and poultry:
- Fatty beef, pork and mutton
- Processed meats such as salami and polony
- Organ meats such as offal, liver and kidneys
- Tinned meat and pies
- Take-aways such as fried chicken and hamburgers
- Deep-fried foods such as doughnuts and samoosas
Milk and milk products:
- Full-cream milk
- Condensed milk
- Cream, artificial cream, coffee and tea creamers
- Full-fat ice cream and yoghurt
- Full-fat cheeses
Breads and cereals:
- White bread and rolls
- Refined breakfast cereals
- Salted, high-fat savoury snacks
- Biscuits, cakes, puddings, chocolates, fudge etc.
- Crisps, corn crisps, other savoury snacks