Eating for most people is one of life’s great pleasures; however the foods that we chose to include in our diets are extremely important for many reasons.
Healthy eating from an early age encourages good eating habits for life, and will ensure that the high nutrient requirements for growth and development during childhood and adolescence are met.
Studies also indicate that consuming a healthy balanced diet from early childhood can significantly reduce the risks of developing diseases in later life.
Consumption of a healthy diet in adulthood is also essential to provide the recommended levels of nutrients needed to protect and maintain the functions of our bodies and to protect us from disease and illness.
A healthy balanced diet should provide the correct amount of energy, protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, minerals and fluid to meet the nutritional requirements appropriate for age as recommended by the UK Department of Health, Dietary Reference Values (DRVs).
No single food can provide all the nutrients we need, therefore in order to meet our requirements it is important to eat a wide variety of different foods. However, some foods should be eaten in greater quantities and more regularly than others.
