The Eatwell Guide

The Eatwell guide has been created by the government as guidelines for healthy eating. The Eatwell guide is an easy way of showing how much or how little of each food group is recommended.

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Recommended calories per day

Men should consume 2500 kcal.

Women should consume 2000 kcal.

Fruit and Vegetables

Fruit and Vegetables should make up about 1/3 of your daily food intake.

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You should always aim for 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

1 portion is:

One piece of medium sized fruit (banana, apple, orange)

One heaped tablespoon of dried fruit (raisins or sultanas)

Three heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables (carrots, sweet corn, kale)

150ml of fruit juice (one glass a day).

Meat proteins (or vegan alternatives)

These include: beans, pulses, fish, meat, nuts.

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Aim for 2 portions of fish per week (one should be an oily fish such as salmon).

Pulses should be eaten as a good alternative to meat.

When consuming meat you should choose lean cuts and reduce your intake of processed meat such as sausages or bacon.

Starchy carbohydrates

Starchy carbohydrates should make up about 1/3 of your daily food intake.

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These include: potatoes, cereals, wholegrain bread, rice and pasta.

When picking carbohydrates you should choose higher fibre and wholegrain options which include less sugar, fat and salt.

Every meal should include 1 starchy food.

Oils and spreads

You should limit your consumption of oils and spreads and only use unsaturated oils and spreads such as sunflower and olive oil.

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Dairy products and vegan alternatives

You should consume some dairy every day. Stick to lower fat options such as skimmed milk (1% fat) or reduced fat cheese.

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Dairy alternatives include: soya, oat or rice based milks.

Other healthy eating tips

You should drink 6-8 glasses of fluids every day. These should be mainly drinks such as water or tea.

Reduce your consumption of sugary, salty and fatty foods. You should not consume more than 6 grams of salt a day.