A balanced diet

The best way to understand it is to think of foods in food groups.

Everyone should aim for a well balanced diet. Faddy crash diets may not provide the balance of nutrients you need.

Try to eat:

• plenty of fruit and vegetables
• plenty of starchy foods such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta. Choose wholegrain varieties wherever possible
• some milk and dairy products
• some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
• only a small amount of foods and drinks high in fats and/or sugar.

Choose options that are lower in fat, salt and sugar whenever you can.

Fruit and vegetables

A well-balanced diet should include at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day. Try to vary the types of fruit and veg you eat. They can be fresh, frozen, dried or tinned. Pure unsweetened fruit juice, pulses and beans count as a portion, but they only make up a maximum of one of your five a day, however much you eat in one day.

A portion is about a handful (80g or 3oz), for example:

• 4 broccoli florets
• 1 pear
• 3 heaped tablespoons of carrots
• 7-8 strawberries 

Sign up to our free service Heart Matters where you can access our portion finder to find out what makes up a portion of other fruits and vegetables. 

Fats

To help look after your heart health it is important to keep an eye on how much fat you are eating as well as making sure you choose the right type of fats.

So to help keep your heart healthy:

• Cut right down on saturated fats
• Replace saturated fats with small amounts of mono and polyunsaturated fats
• Reduce the overall amount of fat you eat
• Cut down on foods containing trans fats.

It's also important to remember that all fats and oils are high in calories, so even the unsaturated fats should only be used in small amounts.

Saturated fat

Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which can increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease. 

Unsaturated fats

Unsaturated fats, which can be monounsaturated fats (for example olive oil, rapeseed oil, almonds, unsalted cashews and avocado) or polyunsaturated fats (including sunflower oil and vegetable oil, walnuts and sunflower seeds), are a healthier choice.

Omega-3 fats are a particular type of polyunsaturated fat, usually found in oily fish, that can help protect heart health. Try to have at least one portion of oily fish a week eg. fresh tuna, fresh or tinned salmon, sardines, pilchards and mackeral. If you have had a heart attack, aim for two to three portions a week.

Trans fats

Another type of fat, known as trans fat, can also raise the amount of cholesterol in the blood.  

Salt

Eating too much salt can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure. Having high blood pressure increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease.

Want to cook healthily?

Our exclusive Heart Healthy everyday British cookbook contains tasty recipes for food lovers that are guaranteed to inspire a well-balanced diet.

Alcohol

If you drink alcohol, it's important to keep within the recommended guidelines - whether you drink every day, once or twice a week or just occasionally.