A well-balanced diet can help support all aspects of health – from gut health to mental health and everything in between.
But what exactly is a balanced diet? In this article, we break it down and outline how to achieve it.
We explain why each of the major food groups is important – and why it’s best to limit certain foods.
What does a balanced diet include?
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) has designed The Eatwell Guide, which describes what types of foods you should eat and in which amounts. The groups we’ll cover are:
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fruits and vegetables
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starchy foods
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protein sources
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fats, spreads and oils
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dairy and dairy alternatives
Below, we’ll explore these food groups and how much of each you need.
But don’t worry about getting the recommended amounts in every meal. That would be almost impossible, and it could ruin your enjoyment of food, which is an important aspect of eating.
Instead, consider this a rough guide. The most important thing for long-term health is your overall diet across weeks, months, years and decades.
Fruits and vegetables
How much should you eat? Aim for at least 5 portions per day.
Most people in the UK don’t eat enough plant foods, though we know they’re good for us.
Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals, plus a range of plant chemicals that support your health.
You don’t need to go vegetarian or vegan, but aim for at least 5 portions per day.
Alternatively, some experts think that 30 different plants per week is a better target. Recent research has shown that eating at least 30 different plants a week supports gut microbiome diversity – which is is linked with better health. You might prefer to aim for this instead.
Fruits and veggies each contain a mix of different fibres. Some types of fibre help keep your poop soft, bulky and easy to pass. Other types feed your gut microbiome, keeping it happy and healthy.
There are many varieties of fibre, and different gut bacteria like different kinds. So, the more varied your plant intake, the more varied your gut microbiome is likely to be.
Remember: Frozen, dried or tinned veggies and fruits (in their natural juices) all count towards your 5-a-day. A small glass (150 ml) of fresh fruit juice also counts.
In these forms, your plant foods contain just as many nutrients. They’re also easier to store and often more cost-effective.
Tips: If you need to eat more fruits and veggies, try adding 1 extra portion to meals you already make. This can make it easier to hit your target.
For instance:
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Tinned mushrooms can be a welcome addition to most savoury dishes, including salads.
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Mix raisins or sultanas into porridge, cereal or salad.
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Top your cereal with sliced banana.
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Add 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables to almost any evening meal, such as spaghetti bolognese or chilli con carne.
Starchy foods
How much should you eat? These should take up around one-third of your plate.
The most common starch-rich foods are:
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pasta
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rice
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potatoes
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bread
These can each be an important source of carbohydrates, which your body converts into energy.
However, not all starchy foods are equally healthy. White bread, pasta and rice are more processed, or refined. This means that a lot of their nutrients, including fibre, have been removed.
On the other hand, whole-grain types of bread, pasta and rice are minimally processed, so they retain all their nutrients.
Tips: When choosing and preparing starchy ingredients:
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Opt for whole-grain (brown) pasta, or try a 50/50 mix.
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Choose whole-grain bread, such as brown, granary or rye bread. Extra points if you can see seeds in it.
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Choose whole-grain (brown) rice, or try a 50/50 mix.
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Eat potatoes with the skin on, because the skin contains most of the fibre.
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Look for ‘whole grain’ on the packaging of oats, wheat biscuits and cereals, including shredded wheat.
Protein
How much should you eat? Around 2 portions of fish, meat or tofu every day.
Protein is an important building block in your body. It’s an integral part of your hair, nails, skin, muscles, hormones, neurotransmitters and more.
In the supermarket, you might notice that some heavily processed foods are labelled ‘high in protein.’ This might lead you to think that the UK is in the midst of a protein deficiency crisis.
In reality, most of us consume more protein than we need. The recommendation is 0.75 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. This would mean eating 55 g of protein every day for a man who weighs 75 kg – or eating 45 g for a woman who weighs 60 kg.
Rather than worrying about eating enough protein, focus on protein quality – that’s what really matters for your health.
Meat is famously rich in protein, but it’s certainly not the only source. There are plenty of good plant-based sources of protein.
Here are some healthy options:
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dairy and dairy alternatives (more on these below)
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eggs
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nuts
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seeds
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beans
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lentils
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oily fish, which also contain omega-3 essential fatty acids
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white fish
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lean meats, like chicken and turkey
Tips:
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If you eat meat regularly, particularly red and processed meats, think about cutting back to a few portions a week or less – and reduce your portion size. These meats are linked to increased disease risk.
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Cut off the fat, and grill rather than fry your meat.
Fats, spreads and oils
How much should you eat? Small amounts.
Despite their terrible reputation, fats are vital. They form important parts of your cells, provide you with energy, help your body make hormones and play many other crucial roles.
Typically, health experts talk about two types of fats, which have different effects:
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Saturated fats are in fatty meats, cakes and biscuits. A high intake of these fats is linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
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Unsaturated fats are in nuts, seeds, and vegetable and fish oils. A moderate intake of these fats supports your health.
Research shows that swapping out saturated fat for unsaturated fat reduces your risk of developing heart disease. With that said, we should consume all fats and oils in moderation.
Side note on seed oils: There’s a great deal of misinformation out there. The truth is: when we use these oils for home cooking, or as an ingredient, there’s no evidence that they cause any harm.
In fact, because these oils are rich in essential omega-6 fatty acids, they’re linked to reduced heart disease risk.
So, whether you’re using them in a dish or to cook with, some healthy oil options include:
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olive oil, particularly extra-virgin
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sunflower oil
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rapeseed oil
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peanut oil
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avocado oil
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sesame oil
Experts consider extra-virgin olive oil to be the healthiest choice because it's rich in nutrients, including monounsaturated fats and polyphenols, which also feed your gut bacteria.
Tip: As people move away from buying ultra-processed foods, some are avoiding spreads like margarine and returning to butter.
However, a plant-based spread that’s rich in unsaturated fats (like one made from olive oil) is still healthier than butter, which is linked to heart disease.
Dairy and dairy alternatives
How much should you eat? Aim for around 3 portions per day.
One portion could be a glass of milk, a standard yogurt pot or a piece of cheese the size of a matchbox.
Historically, dairy has been demonised for containing high levels of saturated fats.
More recent research suggests that a moderate consumption of milk, yoghurt and cheese isn’t linked with a higher risk of heart disease and actually supports heart health – or at least has a neutral effect. Note that butter isn’t vindicated in this research.
Milk, yoghurt and cheese are also rich in vitamins, protein and calcium – which supports healthy bones.
Nowadays, there’s a wide range of dairy-free and lactose-free milks, too, including:
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oat
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almond
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coconut
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cashew
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soy
Because many of these plant milks are relatively new, there’s been less research into their health effects. But look for options that contain no added sugar and are fortified with calcium, which will be the non-organic versions. These are likely to be healthier.
Also, it’s worth noting that coconut milk contains much more saturated fat than the other types.
If you enjoy coconut milk, there’s no reason to avoid it completely, but it might be worth having coconut milk less often, mixing it up with other plant-based milks or opting for coconut water instead.
Tip: Try fermented milk products, like kefir. These contain the vitamins and minerals you need, plus probiotic bacteria to support your gut health.
Foods to limit
Rather than worrying about what to avoid, try to focus on delicious foods that support your health, like those we’ve mentioned above. If you fill your plate with these foods, there won’t be much room for less healthy options.
However, whenever possible, try to reduce your intake of:
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ultra-processed foods, including ready meals, processed meats, fizzy drinks, biscuits, cakes and other products with lots of added sugar and salt
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red meats
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alcohol
What about calories?
Calories are an estimated measurement of how much energy a given food contains. On average, these are the recommendations for energy intake per day:
males: 2,500 kcal
females: 2,000 kcal
However, these figures vary greatly depending on your size, activity levels, metabolic rate, age and other factors.
Importantly, how many calories you eat isn’t related to how balanced your diet is.
For instance, an avocado may contain the same number of calories as a burger, and you can guess which would fit more easily into a well-balanced diet.
Calorie counting has been a popular weight loss method for many years, but research shows that it rarely works, and even when it does, the weight soon comes back.
Tip: Rather than limiting your calorie intake, it’s best to focus on good-quality whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and lean meats and fish.
Summary
A well-balanced diet contains all the major food groups that give your body what it needs.
Maintaining this balance means getting the right amounts of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, like protein and fibre, while not having too many foods and drinks linked to poorer health.
To follow a well-balanced diet, aim to:
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Eat at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables per day.
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Fill one-third of your plate with starchy foods, like bread or rice, but opt for brown (whole-grain) rather than white, or try a 50/50 mix.
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Eat protein-rich foods every day, like beans, nuts or fish.
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Only eat small amounts of fats and oils.
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Eat 3 portions of dairy or dairy alternatives per day.
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Limit ultra-processed foods, alcohol, processed meats, and products that are high in fat and sugar.
It’s nearly impossible to have a perfect diet, so try not to get hung up on the details. It’s your general eating and drinking pattern over weeks and months that matters most.
To learn more about other gut health topics, visit Symprove’s Gut Hub.
Sources
American Gut: An open platform for citizen science microbiome research. mSystems. (2018). Link.
Association of red and processed meat consumption with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in participants with and without obesity: A prospective cohort study. Clinical Nutrition. (2021). Link.
Consumption of dairy foods and cardiovascular disease: A systematic review. Nutrients. (2022). Link.
Dairy benefits. (2019). Link.
Fats in foods: Current evidence for dietary advice. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. (2018). Link.
Fruit and vegetable intake and mortality: Results from 2 prospective cohort studies of US men and women and a meta-analysis of 26 cohort studies. Circulation. (2021). Link.
Protein. (n.d.). Link.
Protein: What you need to know. (2024). Link.
Saturated fats, dairy foods and cardiovascular health: No longer a curious paradox? Nutrition Bulletin. (2022). Link.
The Eatwell Guide. (2022). Link.
Weight-loss outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of weight-loss clinical trials with a minimum 1-year follow-up. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2007). Link.
What’s a whole grain? A refined grain? (n.d.). Link.
