Which two food groups should each make up just over a third of what we eat?

Fruit and vegetables; starchy carbohydrates

The Eatwell Guide

What does a healthy, balanced diet look like? The Eatwell Guide shows it on one plate.

Key Stage 3
About 15 minutes

The five main food groups

The Eatwell Guide is the UK government's guide to a healthy, balanced diet. It shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group:

Based on the NHS Eatwell Guide. It applies from age 2 upwards.
Food group	How much
Fruit and vegetables	Just over a third
Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates	Just over a third
Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins	A smaller amount
Dairy and alternatives	A smaller amount
Oils and spreads	Small amounts only

Key messages

Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.
Choose wholegrain or higher fibre starchy foods where you can.
Eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily, such as salmon or mackerel.
Choose unsaturated oils, such as vegetable or olive oil, and use them in small amounts.
Drink 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day. Limit fruit juice and smoothies to 150 ml a day in total.

Foods to eat less often

Foods high in fat, salt and sugar, such as chocolate, cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks and crisps, sit outside the main guide.
They are not needed in a healthy diet, so eat them less often and in small amounts.
The guide shows a balance over a day or a week, not necessarily on every plate.

Worked example

Tom's lunch is a white bread ham sandwich, crisps and a cola. Suggest two changes to make it fit the Eatwell Guide better.

Crisps and cola are high in fat, salt or sugar, and sit outside the main guide.
The meal has no fruit or vegetables.
Swapping to wholemeal bread adds fibre.

Answer: For example: swap crisps for an apple or carrot sticks, swap cola for water, and use wholemeal bread.

Key idea

The Eatwell Guide shows a balanced diet: just over a third fruit and vegetables, just over a third starchy carbohydrates, some protein and dairy, and small amounts of unsaturated oils. Eat at least 5 a day and drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluid.

Key words

Eatwell Guide: The UK government's guide showing the proportions of each food group in a healthy, balanced diet.
5 A DAY: Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. A portion of fresh fruit or vegetables is 80 g.
Fluid: Drink 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day. Limit fruit juice and smoothies to 150 ml a day in total.
Fibre: Adults should aim for 30 g of fibre a day.
Fish: Eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, one of them oily.
Salt and sugar: No more than 6 g of salt and 30 g of free sugars a day for adults and children aged 11 and over.

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Quick check

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Extra practice

2 more questions

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Which food group should we eat the least of on the Eatwell Guide?
1. Fruit and vegetables
2. Starchy carbohydrates
3. Dairy and alternatives
4. Oils and spreads
Show the answer
Answer: Oils and spreads
Oils and spreads are the smallest section.
The NHS advises eating at least how many portions of fruit and vegetables a day?
Show the answer
Answer: 5
At least 5 a day.

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Sources and references

Checked by the GCSE-ready editorial team, 16 October 2026. Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.