- Healthy Eating
- Introduction
- For Everyone
- For Schools
- For Caterers
- For Professionals
- Healthy Eating Directory
- Diet and Health
- Healthy Towns
- Top Tips for Eating Out Healthily
- Healthy Restaurant Choices
- What sort of Establishments are in the Directory?
- Establishments Serving Healthier Food Choices
- Dudley Area
- Halesowen Area
- Hospitality Catering
- Kingswinford & Wall Heath Areas
- Sedgley & Coseley Areas
- Stourbridge Area
Diet and Health
The link between diet and our physical and mental health is now well established. A poor diet has been attributed to a number of diseases including coronary heart disease (CHD), strokes, type 2 diabetes, certain digestive disorders, some cancers and poor mental health. Cancer and CHD account for 60% of all early deaths in the UK.
It has been estimated that diet may contribute to the development of one third of all cancers, and that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is the second most important cancer prevention strategy, after reducing smoking (Department of Health, 2000).
The Eat Well Plate
Choosing foods for a healthy diet doesn’t mean giving up your favourite foods. Achieving a balanced diet means eating a variety of foods from the following main food groups in the correct proportions:
- Fruit and vegetables
- Bread, other cereals and potatoes
- Milk and dairy foods
- Meat, fish and alternatives
- Foods containing sugar and fat