A genuinely healthy diet is less exciting than most headlines suggest: plenty of vegetables and fruit, wholegrain carbohydrates, some protein (fish, meat, eggs, beans or pulses), a little dairy or a dairy alternative, and small amounts of unsaturated fats — with sugary, salty and highly processed food kept as an occasional extra rather than a daily habit.
The NHS "Eatwell Guide" is a useful, evidence-based reference for roughly how to balance these food groups, and it's a far more reliable long-term guide than most fad diets, which often exclude entire food groups without good evidence.
See also our pages on dieting, nutrients and superfoods.
Common questions
What does a genuinely healthy diet look like?
Plenty of vegetables and fruit, wholegrain carbohydrates, some protein, a little dairy, and small amounts of unsaturated fats, with sugary and processed food kept occasional.
Is the NHS Eatwell Guide a reliable reference?
Yes, it is a useful, evidence-based reference for balancing food groups, more reliable long term than most fad diets.