Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating and Mental Wellbeing

Eating a healthy balanced diet, including drinking plenty of non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic fluids is important for a healthy mind.

What we eat and drink affects our mental as well as our physical health.  Eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of the right liquids can help improve your mood and sense of wellbeing. Eating and drinking well can give you more energy, as well as helping to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of many physical health conditions.

For more information on how diet affects our mental health, see our resources below.

What is a healthy diet?

Following a healthy, balanced diet means our bodies get all the goodness they need to work well and reduce the risk of certain diseases, such as cancers, heart disease and strokes.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ diet. The British Nutrition Foundation advise that we should be guided by the following principles:

• Eat plenty and a range of fruit and vegetables – at least 5 A DAY
• Eat plenty of fibre-rich foods, especially wholegrains
• Eat a range of protein sources – especially beans, peas and lentils
• Include dairy foods or fortified alternatives
• Choose mainly unsaturated fats and oils
• Reduce the foods and drinks that are high in fat, sugar and salt

For more information on how you can achieve a healthy, balanced diet see our resources below.

Eating disorders

If you think you, or someone you know, may have an eating disorder please see our information on eating disorders. There is help and support available. You can also talk in confidence to an adviser from eating disorders charity. See our eating disorders topic page for relevant resources and helplines.