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Types of food to eat:
Eat plenty of foods rich in starch and fibre
Foods like bread, other cereals and potatoes are rich in starch and can be good sources of fibre. Starch and fibre are names for groups of carbohydrates. There are different sorts of starch and fibre and these are found only in plants or foods made from plants.
Most people do not eat enough of the starchy, fibre-rich foods like bread, potatoes, rice and pasta and need to eat about half as much again. Wholegrain cereal foods are particularly rich in insoluble fibre, which helps to prevent constipation. Soluble fibre in fruit, pulses (beans, lentils and chickpeas) and vegetables can help to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood.
Starch provides less than half the calories of the same weight of fat. However, adding concentrated sources of calories, such as cooking potatoes in oil or fat and adding a thick spread of butter or margarine to bread, greatly increases their calorie content.
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables
There is good evidence that diets rich in fruit and vegetables reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease and possibly some cancers, in later life. Most people would benefit from increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables to twice the amount they currently eat.
Fruit and vegetables make good snack foods. A balanced diet contains at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and should include a wide variety to get a range of their protective substances. Fruit and vegetables may be fresh, frozen, canned, dried or 100% juice (juice counts only once a day as a portion).
Don't eat too many foods that contain a lot of fat
A completely fat free diet does not support life, as certain fats are essential to health, some contain vitamins, and fats also help to make foods pleasant to eat. However, many people eat far more fat than they need, and a diet high in fat, especially saturated fat, in common with other factors including smoking and lack of exercise, can increase the risk of heart disease.
Fat is high in calories and eating too much can contribute to overweight. Visible fat, like the fat on meats or in fat spreads is easy to spot, but there is also a lot of fat hidden in foods like pies, pastries, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, and some meat products like sausages and burgers and their vegetarian alternatives. Checking the labels and choosing lower fat versions whenever possible is a good way to reduce fat in the diet.
Don't have sugary foods and drinks too often
Tooth decay is caused by the interaction of sugar and dental plaque. Each time sugar enters the mouth, acid is produced by plaque bacteria which can eventually produce a cavity. Frequency of eating sugar has more influence than the amount eaten in total.
Good dental health can be maintained by:
- Reducing the frequency of sugar consumption
- Brushing twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste
- Visiting the dentist at least once a year.