Healthy Eating Plate & Portion Guide

Healthy Eating Guide

What should I know about NHS Eatwell Guide Proportions?

The NHS Eatwell Guide recommends the following proportions of each food group by plate area and calorie contribution: Fruit and vegetables: 39% of the plate (5-a-day, variety of colours). Starchy carbohydrates: 37% (wholegrain versions — brown bread, brown rice, jacket potato). Protein (dairy and alternatives): 8%. Protein (beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat): 12%. Oils and spreads: small amounts (4%). Ultra-processed foods, cakes, biscuits: occasional treats only — not a daily plate component. A key principle of the Eatwell Guide is that it applies across a whole week, not to every single meal — occasional treats fit within a generally balanced pattern.

What do I need to know about The Harvard Healthy Eating Plate?

Harvard's evidence-based alternative to USDA guidelines: half the plate vegetables and fruits (emphasis on variety — potatoes and fries do not count). One quarter whole grains (brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, quinoa). One quarter healthy protein (fish, chicken, beans, nuts — limit red meat; avoid processed meat). A bottle of water as the primary drink. Healthy plant oils in cooking and dressing. Harvard's plate differs from NHS Eatwell in key ways: dairy is not given a dedicated section, since calcium can come from a range of sources beyond dairy, and the Harvard model places more emphasis on whole grains over refined ones than the Eatwell Guide does.

What do I need to know about Portion Sizes in Practice?

Visual guides for practical portion estimation: protein portion ≈ size of your palm (approximately 85-120g cooked). Carbohydrate portion ≈ size of your fist (approximately 200g cooked rice/pasta). Fat portion ≈ size of your thumb (approximately 15ml oil, 30g nuts). Vegetable portion ≈ 80g fresh or 30g dried. A standard plate (25-28cm diameter) with half vegetables, quarter protein, quarter complex carbs naturally produces appropriate calorie portions for most adults without counting. The 'hands'

What should I know about 5-a-Day Science?

The 5-a-day recommendation is based on epidemiological research showing that consuming 400g of fruit and vegetables daily is associated with reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. More recent research suggests that 7-10 portions may provide additional benefit. One portion = 80g fresh fruit or vegetables, 30g dried fruit, 150ml juice (only one portion of juice counts regardless of quantity), 80g beans/pulses (only one portion counts regardless of quantity). Beans and pulses can only count once toward your 5-a-day regardless of how much you eat, since they're lower in some of the vitamins found in other vegetables even though they're an excellent source of fibre and protein.