Our diet has a significant impact on our health. With confusing and conflicting advice in the media it can be difficult to know what we should be eating. However, general guidance and tips for healthy eating are available from NHS Live Well and the British Nutrition Foundation. These are based around the Eatwell Guide which reflects current advice from Government nutrition advisors. The key messages are:
- Base meals on starchy carbohydrates (wholegrain where possible)
- Eat lots of fruit and veg
- Eat more fish, including oily fish
- Cut down on sugar and saturated fat
- Eat less salt
- Get active and be a healthy weight
- Don’t get thirsty
- Don’t skip breakfast
As one in six meals is eaten outside of the home, food businesses have a huge influence on the diet of their customers. Meals and snacks eaten outside the home are often high in calories, salt and fat.
Public Health England have produced a number of guidelines to help food businesses provide healthier food:
- Healthier catering guidance for different types of business
- Healthier catering for adults
- Serving food to older people in residential care
The Children’s Food Trust have a number of free resources for early years providers and school caterers.