What the current dietary advice in UK?

To get the nutrients you need, it's important to eat a variety of foods from all food groups. The Eatwell Guide shows how much of each food group you need to eat each day.

Base your meals on starchy carbohydrates

Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates should make up just over a third of the food you eat. Choose wholegrain versions where possible.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables

Aim for at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day. Fresh, frozen, dried and juiced all count. Fruit juice and smoothies only count as a maximum of one portion each day.

Eat protein-rich foods

Meat, fish, eggs and beans are all good sources of protein. Try to eat two portions of fish each week, one of which should be oily. For example, salmon, trout, herring, sardines and mackerel. Limit your intake of red and processed meat.

Choose unsaturated fats

Unsaturated fats help keep your heart healthy. They're found in foods like vegetable oils, oily fish and avocados. Choose unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats, which are found in foods like butter, lard and fatty meat.

Limit your intake of salt

Too much salt can raise your blood pressure. Adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day (2.4g of sodium). Children should have less salt than adults.

Limit your intake of free sugars

Free sugars are sugars that are added to food or drinks. They're often found in sugary snacks, drinks, cakes, chocolate, biscuits and sweets. Limit your intake of free sugars to no more than 30g a day for adults and 24g a day for children aged 11 to 18 years old. Children aged 4 to 10 years should have no more than 19g of free sugars a day, and children under 4 should have no added sugar.

Drink plenty of fluids

The government recommends that adults drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day. This includes water, tea, coffee, fruit juice, vegetable juice and milk.

Cut down on alcohol

Men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week. A unit of alcohol is equivalent to half a pint of ordinary strength beer, a small glass of wine or a single measure of spirits.