Introduction

Healthier eating means looking at the food and drink we are eating each day. It is important to eat well as this can impact on our health and wellbeing.

Recommendations

Food recommendations are often referred to portion sizes. A recommended portion sizes is different for every person; one portion is approximately the same size as your hand.

British Heart Foundation

We should aim to eat a balance and range of different types of food and drink every day.

• Five portions of different fruit and vegetables every day
• Small portions of sugary foods, such as sweets, chocolate and cake
• Try not to add additional salt to your meals
• Aim to have 6 glasses of water every day
• Reduce the number of sugary drinks you have

For more information on the recommendations look at the Eatwell plate.

What can I do?

Making small adjustments to your diet can make big changes.

• Make and use a food diary to capture what you are eating each day.
• Try to reduce your food portions where possible if they are larger than recommended.
• Increase your portions of fruit and vegetables at every meal
• Reduce the number of unhealthy snacks per day. Try to replace with fruit, nuts or vegetable sticks.
• Replace your snacks with a healthier alternative, such as fruit.
• Increase the amount of home cooked meals/snacks.
• Increase the amount of water you drink and reduce the number of sugary drinks such as fizzy drinks and juice.
• Reduce the number of alcoholic drinks you have.
• Talk to your friends and family for additional support.
• Shop and cook meals with your family or carers.

National Support

Mencap have created a brilliant resource to explain the recommendations, portions, healthy eating advice and recipes: Mencap “A healthier me”

For more detailed information visit out healthy eating page.