The food pyramid is designed to make healthy eating easier. Eat foods from each shelf of the food pyramid in the correct amounts each day.  This way, you’ll get the balance of energy and nutrients you need for good health.

Foods that are like each other sit together on the same shelf and can be swapped. So if your children aren’t great potato eaters, don't worry – offer them rice or pasta instead.  Plenty of variety is the key to getting the balance right!

You don’t have to get the balance right at every meal, but try to get it right over a whole day or the week.  Go for options that are lower in fat, salt and sugar whenever you can.

So in a nutshell, the whole family should try to eat:

• plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and cereals – going for the wholegrain varieties whenever you can
• plenty of fruit and vegetables
• some milk, cheese and yoghurt
• some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein, and just a small amount of foods and drinks that are high in fat or sugar

If you eat a varied and balanced diet, then there is normally no need to take any food supplements – you’ll get everything you need from your food.  The one exception to this is folic acid.  All women of child-bearing age who could become pregnant should take a supplement of 400µg (micrograms) folic acid each day.  If a woman does become pregnant, she should continue to take the supplement during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.

For more information on supplements download our leaflet [PDF] [Word]