Your Guide to Healthy Eating: 8 Practical Tips for a Balanced Diet
Eating healthy is all about making smart food choices to ensure your body gets the right nutrients while maintaining a balance between energy intake and expenditure. Whether you’re looking to maintain a healthy weight, boost your energy levels, or prevent chronic diseases, these eight essential tips will help you develop better eating habits.
1. Base Your Meals on High-Fibre Starchy Carbohydrates
Starchy foods like potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, and cereals should make up about a third of your meals. Opt for wholegrain or high-fibre varieties, such as brown rice and wholewheat pasta, as they provide sustained energy and keep you full for longer. Avoid adding too much fat to these foods, like butter on bread or creamy sauces on pasta, as this increases calorie intake.
2. Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables
To ensure you’re getting a good variety of vitamins, minerals, and fibre, aim for at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. These can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or juiced. One portion is:
• 80g of fresh, canned, or frozen fruit and vegetables
• 30g of dried fruit (should be eaten at mealtimes to prevent tooth decay)
• 150ml of fruit juice or smoothies (limited to one glass per day due to high sugar content)
Incorporate fruits and veggies into meals by adding banana slices to cereal, snacking on an apple, or including a side salad with lunch.
3. Eat More Fish, Including Oily Fish
Fish is an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Try to eat two portions per week, with at least one portion of oily fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that support heart health. If opting for canned or smoked fish, be mindful of their salt content.
4. Reduce Saturated Fat and Sugar Intake
• Saturated fats (found in butter, cheese, fatty meats, and pastries) raise cholesterol levels, increasing heart disease risk. Instead, choose unsaturated fats from olive oil, avocados, nuts, and oily fish.
• Limit added sugars found in fizzy drinks, sweets, cakes, and processed foods, as they contribute to weight gain and tooth decay. Check food labels, more than 22.5g of sugar per 100g means the food is high in sugar, while 5g or less per 100g is low in sugar.
5. Cut Down on Salt: No More Than 6g Per Day
Consuming too much salt raises blood pressure and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Since most salt comes from processed foods like cereals, bread, and sauces, use food labels to monitor intake. Aim for less than 1.5g per 100g in packaged foods and avoid adding extra salt at the table. Instead, season meals with herbs and spices.
6. Stay Active and Maintain a Healthy Weight
A balanced diet goes hand in hand with regular exercise. Staying active helps you:
• Burn off excess calories
• Reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes
• Improve mental health and overall well-being
If you’re trying to lose weight, focus on eating fewer calories and increasing physical activity rather than crash dieting.
7. Drink Plenty of Fluids
Staying hydrated is essential for digestion, circulation, and temperature regulation. Aim for 6 to 8 glasses of fluids daily, including:
• Water (the best choice)
• Low-fat milk
• Herbal teas or sugar-free drinks
Avoid sugary soft drinks as they add unnecessary calories and can harm your teeth. Even natural fruit juices and smoothies contain free sugars, so limit them to 150ml per day.
8. Never Skip Breakfast
Skipping breakfast won’t help with weight loss in fact, a nutritious morning meal provides essential nutrients and keeps you energized throughout the day.
Opt for high-fibre, low-fat options like:
• Wholegrain cereals with semi-skimmed milk and fruit
• Oats with yogurt and berries
• Wholegrain toast with eggs or peanut butter
Making small, sustainable changes to your diet can have a big impact on your overall health. By balancing nutrients, controlling portion sizes, and reducing processed foods, you’ll create healthier habits that last a lifetime. Start by implementing one or two tips today, and gradually build up to a well-rounded, balanced diet!