Nutrition basics
The everyday food advice that public health bodies agree on: a balanced plate, fruit and vegetables, fibre and whole grains, and the limits on free sugars and salt.
- A Balanced Plate: What the Eatwell Guide and WHO Healthy Diet Advice Have in Common
How the NHS Eatwell Guide divides food into five groups, the WHO's four principles of a healthy diet, what US guidance changed in 2026, and how to turn a balanced plate into everyday meals without counting everything.
- Fibre and Whole Grains: How Much You Need and Where to Find It
Why dietary fibre matters, how much adults and children need according to the NHS and WHO, what most people actually eat, the best everyday sources (whole grains, pulses, vegetables, fruit, nuts) and how to read labels for fibre.
- Free Sugars and Salt: What the Daily Limits Mean on Your Plate
What free sugars are, the WHO and NHS limits (under 10% of energy, 30 g a day for adults), why salt raises blood pressure, the 5 g and 6 g salt limits, where hidden sugar and salt come from and how to read labels.
- Fruit and Vegetables: What Counts Towards 5 A Day and the WHO's 400 g Target
What counts as a portion of fruit or vegetables, why potatoes do not count, the limits on juice, pulses and dried fruit, how the NHS 5 A Day relates to the WHO's 400 g a day, and simple ways to eat more without spending more.
