Balanced eating - what is it?

What balance might look like? Infographic from "Is butter is a Carb?" by Helen West and Rosie Saunt, 2019

Balanced eating is eating food that you enjoy while taking care of your body. This means that sometimes you might prefer eating a piece of cake and other days a piece of fruit or both together.

​Eating is more than counting calories and providing nutrients to keep us healthy. Eating is also about socialising, celebrating and enjoying food. There isn't "good" and "bad" foods. All foods fit on a healthy lifestyle.

Denying yourself from foods that you enjoy can lead to unhealthy relationships with food.
Being healthy is not just about diet. There are many other factors that contribute to our health, for example our genetics, stress, environment, financial, food security. 

There isn’t one perfect diet that promotes optimum health. The healthier diet is the one that you can keep for longer, including all foods from all food groups, and not eliminating food groups and punishing your body.
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A healthy diet might look different, depending on the circumstances, like food availability, finances, cooking skills, routine, etc. 

The 7 basic principles of balanced eating are:

1. Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables daily, and try to include different colours on your plate, and beans and legumes
2. Eat at least one portion of oily fish a week (140 g)
3. Reduce red meat and processed meat intake switching to plant-based protein, like (legumes, nuts, tofu, tempeh)
4. Reduce saturated fats and replace it with unsaturated fats, like olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds and oily fish
5. Prefer whole grains options, for example wholemeal bread, rice, pasta, oats, bran
6. Unsweetened dairy or non dairy products alternatives
7. Eat less often sugary drinks, sweets, pastries and other products high in salt, sugar and saturated fat (like fried food)

Context matters. What does balance look like for you?

Joana Jardim, Dietitian MSc Clinical Nutrition
​Founder of Your Diet Advice