These eight practical tips will help you to make better choices about your diet.

A healthy diet requires that you eat enough calories to match your level of activity. This will allow you to balance the amount of energy you consume and the amount you expend.

You will gain weight if you consume more calories than you need. The energy that you don’t use is stored in fat. You will lose weight if you consume and drink too little.

Eat a variety of foods to get a balanced diet. This will ensure that your body receives all the nutrients it needs.

Men should consume around 2,500 calories per day (10,500 kilograms), and women should consume around 2,000 calories per day (8,400 Kilojoules).

The majority of adults in the UK consume more calories than necessary and should reduce their intake.

1. Focus on starchy carbs with more fibre

Just over a third should be made up of starchy carbohydrates. These include cereals, potatoes, bread, and rice.

Choose wholegrain or high-fibre products, such as brown rice, wholewheat spaghetti, or potatoes with still-on skins.

These carbohydrates are richer in fibre than refined white starchy carbohydrates, and they can make you feel more satisfied for longer.

Include at least one starchy food in each main meal. Starchy foods may seem fattening to some people, but they actually contain fewer calories per gram than fat.

When you cook or serve these foods, be aware of the amount of fat you use. For example, oil in chips, butter in bread, and creamy sauces for pasta.

2. Fruit and vegetables are good for you

You should eat five portions of fruits and vegetables every day. These can be fresh, frozen, or canned.

It’s easier than you think to get your 5 A Day. Why not add a banana to your cereal for breakfast or replace your mid-morning snack with a fresh piece of fruit?

80g is the portion size of fruit or vegetables, whether they are fresh, canned or in a frozen state. A portion of dried fruits (which you should only eat at mealtimes) is about 30g.

One portion also counts as 150ml of juice from fruit, vegetables, or smoothies. However, limit your intake to one glass per day, as these drinks contain sugar and can damage teeth.

3. Eat more oily fish and other types of fish.

Fish is an excellent source of protein, and it contains many vitamins and minerals.

Eat at least two portions of oily or fatty fish per week.

Omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish may help to prevent heart disease.

Included in oily fish are:

• Salmon
• Trout
• Herring
• Sardines
• Pilchards
• Mackerel

Non-oily fish includes:

• Haddock
• Place
• coley
• Codified
• tuna
• skate
• Hake

Fresh, frozen, and canned fish are all available, but smoked and canned fish may contain high levels of salt.

There are limits to certain types of fish that should be consumed.

Learn more about shellfish and fish.

4. Reduce your consumption of sugar and saturated fat

Saturated fat

It’s essential to include fat in your diet. However, you should pay attention to how much and what type of fats you consume.

Unsaturated and saturated fats are the two main types. Saturated fats can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood and increase your risk for heart disease.

Men should not consume more than 30g of saturated fat per day. Women should not consume more than 20g of saturated fat per day.

A low-fat diet for children younger than 5 years is not recommended. Children under the age of 11 should have less saturated fat than adults, but a low-fat diet is not suitable for children under 5.

Many foods contain saturated fat, including:

• Fatty cuts of meat
• sausages
• Butter
• hard cheese
• Cream
• Cakes
• biscuits
• Lard
• Pies

Choose foods with unsaturated fats, such as avocados, avocado oil, vegetable oils, and spreads.

Instead of butter, lard, or ghee, use a little vegetable oil, olive oil, or spreads with reduced fat.

Choose lean cuts of meat and trim off visible fat.

Fats are all high in energy and should be consumed in small quantities.

Sugar

Sugary foods and beverages can increase your risk of tooth decay and obesity.

Sugary drinks and foods are high in calories (measured as kilojoules). If consumed in excess, they can lead to weight gain. Sugary foods and beverages can cause tooth decay if consumed between meals.

Sugars that are added to food or beverages, or sugars found in honey, syrups, unsweetened juices, and smoothies, are considered free sugars.

You should reduce the amount of sugar in your diet, not the sugar that is found in milk and fruit.

Unexpectedly, many packaged foods and beverages contain high levels of sugar.

Many foods contain free sugars, including:

• sugary fizzy drinks
• Sugary breakfast cereals
• Cakes
• biscuits
• Pastries and puddings
• Sweets and chocolate
• Alcoholic drinks

Food labels can help. You can use them to see how much sugar is in your food.

If the total sugars in a 100g serving are greater than 22,5g, the food has a high sugar content. 5g or less of sugar total per 100g is deemed low sugar.

Learn how to reduce sugar intake in your diet.

5. Eat less salt – no more than six grams per day for adults

Too much salt in your diet can increase blood pressure. High blood pressure can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

You may be eating too much salt even if you don’t add it to your food.

When you buy food, you’re likely to find that about three-quarters of it is already salty. This includes breakfast cereals and soups, as well as breads, sauces, and even breads.

You can reduce your salt intake by reading the labels on food. Foods with more than 1.5g salt per 100g are high in sodium.

Children and adults over 11 years old should consume no more than 6g (about one teaspoon) of salt per day. Children under the age of 11 should consume even less.

Learn how to reduce your salt intake.

6. Be active and maintain a healthy body weight

Regular exercise, along with a healthy diet, can help you reduce your risk for serious health conditions. Your overall health and well-being are also affected by this.

Find out more about the benefits and guidelines for physical activity.

Obesity and being overweight can cause health problems such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Being overweight can also have a negative impact on your health.

The majority of adults will lose weight by consuming fewer calories.

Eat less and get more exercise if you want to lose weight. A healthy, balanced diet can also help you maintain your weight.

Use the BMI calculator to determine your healthy weight.

The NHS 12-week weight-loss plan is easy to follow. This guide combines healthy eating advice with physical activity.

If you’re underweight, see Underweight Adults. If you are worried about your weight, ask your GP for advice.

7. Don’t get thirsty

Drink plenty of fluids every day to avoid becoming dehydrated. The government recommends that you drink 6 to 8 glasses of water every day. You can drink this in addition to your food fluids.

Water, tea, coffee and milk with lower sugar content are the best choices.

Avoid sugary, fizzy, and soft drinks, as they are high in calories and bad for teeth.

Even smoothies and unsweetened juices contain a lot of sugar.

You should limit your total daily intake of fruit juices, vegetable juices and smoothies to 150ml, which is about a small cup.

Drink more fluids in hot weather and when exercising.

8. Breakfast is important.

Many people believe that skipping breakfast will help them lose weight.

A healthy breakfast that is high in fibre and low in sugar, fat, and salt can be part of a balanced meal and help you get the nutrients needed for good health.

Breakfast can be made healthier by adding fruit and semi-skimmed or whole grain cereal to semi-skimmed or whole grain cereal.