Choosing a Healthy Balanced Diet

The Department of Health recommends the following eight key guidelines for a healthy diet:

1. Enjoy your food

2. Eat a variety of different foods

3. Eat the right amount to be a healthy weight

4. Eat plenty of foods rich in starch and fibre

5. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables

6. Don't eat too many foods that contain a lot of fat

7. Don't have sugary foods and drinks too often

8. If you drink alcohol, drink sensibly

In addition, it advises us to eat fish at least twice a week, and make one portion an oily fish (such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, trout, pilchards) for the heart healthy omega-3 fats it contains.

 Thanks, that's a great set of guidelines!  Now add 'Partner this with 20 minutes of exercise, 3 times a week'.  Do they think we don't know this?  How many times have you heard the phrase, "eat less, exercise more" from people who have never had a weight problem?  It really doesn't help, we're fat, not stupid!  

The guidelines also state that the following is a daily intake guideline for average-sized people:

So where's the guidelines for overweight people?

To be continued...

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