Achieving a balanced diet
Eating well is sometimes hard when you are feeling tired or unwell. Hopefully you will find the tips and recipes on this website helpful. To help get the best from your food it is good to know what a good balanced diet should include.
Variety is the key to getting all the nutrients that your body needs. Try to eat some foods from each of the food groups each day.
The food groups:
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Fruit and vegetables - good sources of vitamins and minerals
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Bread, other cereals and potatoes - great for energy, fibre and B vitamins
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Milk and dairy foods - particularly good for protein!
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Meat, fish and alternatives - more good sources of protein, as well as key minerals such as iron
- Foods containing fat/Foods containing sugar - don't be afraid to include some of these foods as they are a concentrated source of calories for energy
If you are struggling to eat a variety of foods, eat what you fancy and talk to your healthcare professional who can refer you to a dietician or offer some advice.
Protein is required by the body for structure, growth, maintenance, repair, and recovery from illness. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that to be in good health we need to consume at least one gram of protein per kg of bodyweight per day.
When a person becomes ill, two significant changes happen at the same time: the body protein requirements increase but the intake of dietary protein may decrease. Evidence has shown that one in three patients at risk of undernutrition fail to consume the recommended daily protein intake.
Protein plays a vital role in fighting infections and healing wounds. For ideas on how to increase the protein in your diet go to the recipes section, on the top menu.
Source: Nutrition in cancer Editorial Board
