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A Balanced Diet Essay

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A Balanced Diet This section contains details on what a healthy diet should consist of and why each vitamin and mineral is an essential part of staying healthy. The majority of people in this country eat too much fat and not enough fibre and for most people a healthy diet is simple and easy to do. The move towards a healthy diet may just mean eating more fruit, vegetables, bread, cereals, potatoes, and pasta. People in the UK have a 1 in 3 chance of developing cancer at some time in their lives, eating a healthy diet, which includes 5 portions of different fruit and vegetables a day can help reduce the risk of developing heart disease, or cancer. There are 7 basic food groups and a healthy diet …show more content…

Good sources of these fats are found in vegetable oils like sunflower, Soya or corn, oily fish like mackerel, sardines and pilchards, olive oils, margarines (labelled high in polyunsaturated) and avocado pears. 2. Saturated fats - A diet high in these types of fat will increase your cholesterol levels and also increase the risk of heart disease. These fats are found in high quantities in meat, dairy products like full-fat milk, cheese, and butter, pies, cakes, chocolate and biscuits. As well as cutting down on fat intake you should try to eat foods containing unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats. You can cut down on your fat intake by reducing the amount of butter and margarine that you use and by avoiding biscuits, cakes and sweets. Try not to fry food, instead bake, grill, poach or microwave. Cut any visible fats off meats before cooking, and remove the skin from chicken and other poultry before cooking. Fats make up 20% of a balanced diet. Protein Protein is essential for growth, repair and the healing of the body. Protein may be found in meats and poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, beans and lentils. You should aim to have two to three portions a day from this group, choosing low-fat when possible. Proteins make up 20% of a balanced diet. Fibre Fibre helps to keep our bowels working regularly and

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