Weight Loss Success

Despite what you see in some diet books and TV programmes, healthy eating can be really straightforward.

A diet based on starchy foods such as rice and pasta, with plenty of fruit and vegetables, some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish and lentils, and some milk and dairy foods (and not too much fat, salt or sugar) will give you all the nutrients that you need.

When it comes to a healthy diet, balance is the key to getting it right. This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions.

Achieving a balanced diet in modern life can be tricky. After a long day, it can be tempting to grab the first ready meal on the supermarket shelf, which is OK occasionally. But the nutritional labels on these foods show that many ready meals contain high levels of fat, added sugar and salt. If you eat ready meals too often, they'll upset the balance in your diet.

Food Groups

All the food we eat can be divided into five groups. In a healthy diet you eat the right balance of these groups. I will discuss these groups in more detail in later posts.

1. Fruit and vegetables.
2. Starchy foods, such as rice, pasta, bread and potatoes. Choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can.
3. Meat, fish, eggs and beans.
4. Milk and dairy foods.
5. Foods containing fat and sugar.

Most people in the developed world eat too much fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables and fibre.

David Ogden
Healthy Weight Loss
Helping People Help Themselves