SOUTH SEFTON DIABETES GROUP

Balanced Diet

For many people, achieving a balanced diet in practice will mean:

• Eating more starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, rice and pasta. These are already popular foods and increased consumption will help reduce the amount of fat and increase the amount of fibre in the diet. Adding fat to these foods should be avoided or kept to a minimum. Changing the balance of foods eaten will help. An example of this is making sandwiches with thicker bread, less filling and less spread, or having more rice or pasta with less sauce.
• Eating more fruit and vegetables. It has been suggested that individuals aim for at least five portions a day (excluding potatoes). Most fruit and vegetables are low in fat (unless butter, oil, margarine, or cream have been added), so eating these foods instead of foods higher in fat can help to reduce total fat intake. It will also increase intakes of fibre, vitamins and minerals. Some of the vitamins are antioxidants, eg vitamin C and carotenes. Fruit (not covered with cream, sugar or syrup) and vegetables (without added fat or oil) are low in energy so can be useful in slimming diets.
• Choosing leaner cuts of meat and lower fat versions of commonly eaten foods such as dairy products. This will help reduce the amount of fat, particularly saturated fatty acids, in many people's diets. Trimming meat, choosing cooking methods which do not require added fat (eg grilling) and eating smaller portions of high fat foods can all be helpful.
• Drinking sensibly. Some people who drink alcohol drink too much at any one time, thus risking their health. The current guidelines are:

Balance of good health

The Balance of Good Health is a food selection guide produced jointly by the Health Education Authority, the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which is intended to help people understand and enjoy healthy eating. It is based on the Government's Eight Guidelines for a Healthy Diet which are:

• enjoy your food
• eat a variety of different foods
• eat the right amount to be a healthy weight
• eat plenty of foods rich in starch and fibre
• don't eat too many foods that contain a lot of fat
• don't have sugary foods and drinks too often
• look after the vitamins and minerals in your food
• if you drink alcohol, drink within sensible limits.

The Balance of Good Health is in pictorial form and depicts a plate showing the proportion and types of foods needed to make up a balanced diet. It is important to remember that it is not necessary to achieve this balance at each meal but can apply to the food eaten over a day or even a week. Dishes containing more than one food can also fit into the model. A pizza, for example, has a dough base with a topping. The dough base counts as a starchy food so trying to have a thick base would be good. If the pizza is home-made the topping could be made with reduced fat cheese or less cheese and more tomato. Including a side salad with the pizza would increase the amount of vegetables eaten and fruit could be eaten to complete the meal.

The guide applies to all people including those who are above the desired weight for height, vegetarians and people of all ethnic origins. It does not apply to children under two years of age and people with special dietary requirements. People under medical supervision should check with their doctor to see if they should use the guide.

The five food groups

	What's included	Main nutrients	Recommendations
Bread, other cereals and potatoes	Other cereals means things like breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, oats, noodles, maize, millet and cornmeal.	Carbohydrate (starch) Fibre (NSP) Some calcium and iron B vitamins	Eat lots
Fruit & veg	Fresh, frozen and canned fruit and vegetables and dried fruit. A glass of fruit juice can also contribute. Beans and pulses can be eaten as part of this group.	Vitamin C Carotenes Folates Fibre (NSP) and some carbohydrate	Eat lots
Milk & dairy	Milk, cheese, yogurt and fromage frais. This group does not include butter, eggs and cream.	Calcium, Zinc Protein Vitamin B12, B2 Vitamins A and D	Eat or drink moderate amounts and choose lower fat versions whenever you can.
Meat, fish & alternatives	Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, beans and pulses. Meat includes bacon and salami and meat products such as sausages, beefburgers and paté. These are all relatively high fat choices. Beans, such as canned baked beans, and pulses are in this group. Fish includes frozen and canned fish such as sardines and tuna, fish fingers and fish cakes.	Iron Protein B Vitamins, especially B12 Zinc Magnesium	Eat moderate amounts and choose lower fat versions whenever you can.
Foods containing fat and/or sugar	Foods containing fat: Margarine, butter, other spreading fats and low fat spreads, cooking oils, oil-based salad dressings, mayonnaise, cream, chocolate, crisps, biscuits, pastries, cake, puddings, ice-cream, rich sauces and gravies. Foods containing sugar: Soft drinks, sweets, jam and sugar as well as foods such as cake, puddings, biscuits, pastries and ice-cream.	Fat, including some essential fatty acids, but also some vitamins. Some products also contain salt or sugar.	Eat foods containing fat sparingly and look out for the low fat alternatives. Foods containing sugar should not be eaten too often, as they can contribute to tooth decay.