April 30, 2011

Milk and dairy

milk poured Milk and dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais are great sources of protein and vitamins A and B12.
They're also an important source of calcium, which helps to keep our bones strong. The calcium in dairy foods are easy for the body to absorb.

On this page

 Healthier choices

 When you are pregnant

 Babies and children

 Pasteurisation

 Allergy and intolerance


Healthier choices

cheese swiss The fat content of different dairy products varies a lot and much of this is saturated fat, which can raise cholesterol and is linked to heart disease.
Most cheeses (e.g. Brie, Stilton, Cheddar, Lancashire and Double Gloucester) contain between 20 and 40g fat per 100g. If you're trying to make the healthier choice, you don't need to avoid cheese, but it's a good idea to keep a check on how much you eat and how often. For example, you could try eating it less often or having smaller portions.
If you're using cheese to flavour a dish or a sauce, you could try using a very strong-tasting cheese, such as mature Cheddar or blue cheese, because then you'll need less.
Another option is to choose reduced-fat hard cheeses, which usually contain between 10 and 16g fat per 100g. A few cheeses are even lower in fat (3g fat per 100g or less), including reduced-fat cottage cheese and Quark.
If you're trying to cut down on fat, it's a good idea to go for lower fat milks. As well as semi-skimmed and skimmed milks, you can also buy 1% fat milk. This contains nearly half the fat of semi-skimmed milk but still provides the important nutritional benefits of milk, including calcium, protein, minerals and vitamins. You can also choose low-fat yoghurts or fromage frais. These products contain at least the same amount of protein, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc as full-fat versions. They just contain less fat.
Cream and butter are high in fat, so try to use them sparingly. You can use plain yoghurt and fromage frais instead of cream, soured cream or Crème fraîche in recipes. And low-fat spreads can be used instead of butter.
It's also worth remembering that some dairy products can be high in salt, and too much salt can cause high blood pressure (hypertension), which is also linked to heart disease. Adults should be eating no more than 6g of salt a day.
Some flavoured and malted milk products and shakes tend to contain added sugar, which can be bad for our teeth.
You can check the amount of fat, salt and sugar by looking at the nutrition information on the label. If you compare similar products you will be able to choose the ones with lower amounts.

When you are pregnant

woman Dairy foods are very important in pregnancy because calcium helps your unborn baby's developing bones to harden.
But when you're pregnant you should avoid unpasteurised dairy products and cheeses such as Camembert, Brie or chevre (a type of goats' cheese), or others that have a similar rind. You should also avoid soft blue cheeses.
This is because they can contain high levels of listeria, a germ that can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or severe illness in a newborn baby.
There is no listeria risk with cottage cheese, processed cheese or hard cheeses (such as Cheddar), even if they are unpasteurised, so there is no need to avoid these.

Babies and children

child's party Milk and dairy products are an important part of a child's diet. They are a good source of energy and protein, and contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals, particularly calcium, which growing children and young people need to build healthy bones and teeth.
Babies
Breast milk is the best drink for babies for the first year and beyond. The only alternative to breast milk in the first six months is infant formula. Choose an infant formula based on cows' milk unless you have been advised otherwise by your health professional. You should continue to give your baby breast milk or formula milk until he or she is at least a year old.
Ordinary milk isn't suitable as a drink until a baby is a year old. This is because it doesn't contain the right balance of nutrients to meet your baby's needs. Ordinary full-fat milks (from cows, goats or sheep) can be used for cooking in foods such as cheese sauce and custard from six months.
At about a year old, a switch can be made from formula to full-fat milk as a drink. If you are breastfeeding you can continue to breastfeed.
Another type of infant formula is soya-based infant formula. But only use soya-based infant formula on the advice of your GP or health visitor. Babies who are allergic to cows' milk may also be allergic to soya.
In almost all cases, breastfeeding or another type of formula will be a better choice.
Infant formulas and follow-on formulas based on goats' milk protein are not suitable for babies and have not been approved for use in Europe. If you are currently using a goats' milk formula for feeding your baby it is important to seek the advice of your health professional about the most appropriate type of formula for your baby's needs, before changing to a different formula.
Children
Children should drink full-fat milk until they are at least two years old because they may not get as many calories as they need from semi-skimmed milk.
After the age of two, children can gradually move to semi-skimmed milk as a main drink, as long as they are eating a varied and balanced diet and growing well.
Don't give skimmed or 1% fat milk to children as a main drink until they're at least five years old because they don't contain enough vitamin A and skimmed milk doesn't contain enough calories.
Children between the ages of one and three need to have about 350mg of calcium a day. About 300ml milk (three fifths of a pint) would provide this.
Goats' and sheep's milk
These aren't suitable as drinks for babies under a year old because they don't contain the right balance of nutrients to meet your baby's needs.
Providing they are pasteurised, ordinary full-fat goats' and sheep's milk can be used as drinks once a baby is a year old.
Ordinary full-fat milks (from cows, goats or sheep) can be used for cooking in foods such as cheese sauce and custard from six months.

Pasteurisation

man drinking milk Pasteurisation is a process of heat treatment intended to kill harmful food poisoning bacteria.
You can sometimes buy unpasteurised milk and cream. Although these products are very popular with some people, they could be harmful.
This is because they have not been heat-treated and so could contain harmful food poisoning bacteria.
When you see raw drinking milk (from cows, goats or sheep) on sale, it needs to carry a warning to say that it has not been heat-treated and may contain harmful bacteria.
Children, people who are unwell, pregnant women and older people are particularly vulnerable to food poisoning and so should not have unpasteurised milk or cream.
If you choose unpasteurised milk or cream, be especially careful to keep them properly refrigerated because they both have a short shelf-life.

Allergy and intolerance

milk 2 Some people have an intolerance to milk. This is called 'lactose intolerance'.
Lactose intolerance is more common in certain countries and ethnic groups than in others. In communities where milk is not traditionally part of the typical adult diet, a much bigger proportion of people are affected. For example, in South America, Africa and Asia, more than 50% of the population are intolerant to lactose, reaching nearly 100% in some parts of Asia. In the UK, Ireland, Northern Europe and America, we think that, on average, about 5% of the adult population have this condition.
Lactose intolerance can cause symptoms such as bloating and diarrhoea. There is no medical treatment for lactose intolerance, but symptoms can be avoided by controlling the amount of lactose in the diet. Adults with lactose intolerance can often have a small amount of milk without reacting. Milk from mammals including cows, goats and sheep all contain lactose. This means that goats' milk and sheep's milk aren't suitable alternatives to cows' milk for people who are intolerant to lactose.
People with lactose intolerance often find that they can eat cheese and yoghurt without any problems. Cheese contains much less lactose than milk. Yoghurt contains a similar amount of lactose to milk, but it still seems to be easier to digest for people with lactose intolerance. This might be something to do with the bacteria used to make it.
Milk allergy, unlike lactose intolerance, can cause severe reactions. But often the symptoms are mild. They can affect any part of the body and can include rashes, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps and difficulty breathing.
In a very few cases, milk allergy can cause anaphylaxis. This is a life-threatening allergic reaction, which involves someone finding it hard to breathe, their lips or mouth become swollen, and they could collapse. If this does happen, you should call 999 immediately and describe what is happening.
Milk allergy affects 2 to 7% of babies under a year old. Children usually grow out of milk allergy by the time they are three, but about a fifth are still allergic to milk when they are adults.
Don't cut milk and dairy products out of your diet, or your child's diet, without talking to your GP or a dietitian. Otherwise you or your child might not get enough of important nutrients such as calcium.



Drinking enough?

water fizzy It's very important to make sure we are drinking enough. Our bodies need water or other fluids to work properly.

On this page

 Why it's important

 Losing water

 How much water do we need?
 
Caffeine in drinks
 
Signs of dehydration

Why it's important

Water makes up about two-thirds of our body weight. And it's important for this to be maintained because most of the chemical reactions that happen in our cells need water. We also need water for our blood to be able to carry nutrients around the body.

Losing water

water carbonated As your body works it produces waste products and some of these waste products are toxic. The body gets rid of these toxins through the kidneys in urine, and urine is mainly made up of water.
We also lose water through evaporation when we breathe and sweat. As the temperature rises and as we do more activity, this increases the amount of water the body loses.
To stay healthy, you need to replace the fluids you lose. And don't forget, if the weather is hot or you are exercising, you will be losing even more water.

How much water do we need?

In climates such as the UK, we should drink approximately 1.2 litres (6 to 8 glasses) of fluid every day to stop us getting dehydrated. In hotter climates the body needs more than this. We also get some fluid from the food we eat.

Caffeine in drinks

coffee Drinks that contain caffeine, such as tea, coffee and cola, can act as mild diuretics, which means they make the body produce more urine.
This affects some people more than others, but it also depends on how much caffeine you drink and how often.
It's fine to drink these sorts of drinks, but we should also drink some fluids each day that don't contain caffeine.

Signs of dehydration

One of the first signs of dehydration is feeling thirsty.
If you think you might not be getting enough fluids, check if you are showing any of these other common signs of dehydration:
  • dark coloured urine and not passing much when you go to the toilet
  • headaches
  • confusion and irritability
  • lack of concentration

Nutrition essentials

This section contains practical advice about making healthier and safer food choices. Remember that to have a healthy diet, most people should be eating:
  • plenty of fruit and veg
  • plenty of starchy foods such as rice, bread, pasta (try to choose wholegrain varieties when you can) and potatoes
  • some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and pulses
  • some milk and dairy foods
  • just a small amount of foods high in fat, salt and sugar
It's also important to eat a variety of foods to make sure we get all the nutrients our bodies need.
girl drinking from a water fountain

Drinking enough?

Find out how much water you should be drinking to keep your body healthy and working properly...

bread loaf

Starchy foods

Find out the benefits of starchy foods such as bread, rice, pasta and potatoes...

milk in glass

Milk and dairy

Milk and dairy products are a great source of some essential vitamins and minerals...

Alcohol

beer There is nothing wrong with having the occasional tipple, but drinking too much can cause problems.
Alcohol is high in calories and so can make you put on weight. It's also a diuretic, which means it makes the body lose more water than usual. So when you drink alcohol, you need to have more non-alcoholic drinks that aren't diuretics, otherwise it's easy to get dehydrated.
Heavy drinking can lead to a wide range of health problems, including cancer, liver disease, stroke, high blood pressure and can affect mental health.

On this page

 How much?
 Tips for cutting down
When you are pregnant
 When you are breastfeeding

 When to take extra care

How much?

wine red Women can drink up to 2 to 3 units of alcohol a day and men up to 3 to 4 units a day, without significant risk to their health.
A unit is half a pint of standard strength (3 to 5% ABV) beer, lager or cider, or a pub measure of spirit. A glass of wine is about 2 units and alcopops are about 1.5 units.
For good health, it's a good idea to spread your drinking throughout the week and avoid binge drinking.
If you have drunk too much, you should avoid alcohol for at least 48 hours to give your body a chance to recover.
There is evidence to suggest that having between one and two units of alcohol a day can help protect against coronary heart disease. But this is only thought to work for men when they're over 40 and for women after the menopause.

Tips for cutting down

water iced in glass If you want to try to cut down on the amount of alcohol you are drinking, here are some practical tips:
  • always try to eat before you start drinking - eat before you go out for the evening or have a meal while you are out
  • try not to start drinking alcohol if you are thirsty - quench your thirst with water or a non-alcoholic drink first
  • avoid salty snacks such as crisps and nuts because these make you thirstier (as well as being high in fat and salt)
  • have some non-alcoholic or low-alcoholic drinks through the evening
  • always have a glass or bottle of water with you as well as your alcoholic drink
  • think about the strength of your drink - choose beers or lagers that contain less alcohol (they will have a lower 'ABV', or 'alcohol by volume')

When you are pregnant

Pregnancy 1 When you're pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, it’s best to stop drinking alcohol altogether. But if you do drink, have no more than one or two units of alcohol, once or twice a week and don’t get drunk.
This is because alcohol can reduce the ability to conceive, damage the unborn baby and may lead to early miscarriage.

When you are breastfeeding

Babies and toddlers If you are breastfeeding it's best to avoid drinking alcohol just before a feed. This is because the alcohol can pass to the baby in small amounts through breast milk.

When to take extra care

If any of the following are true for you, then you need to take care because alcohol increases your risk of serious illness. If you are unsure, then check with your GP.
  • Recovering from an injury or operation
  • Taking medication
  • Gastritis, ulcers and liver disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Serious psychiatric illness
It's also important to avoid alcohol if you are going to:
  • drive
  • operate machinery
  • do energetic physical activity

Drinks

Drinks are very important for our bodies to work properly and to make sure we don't get dehydrated. But to make healthy choices it's important to know what to drink and when.
water fizzy

Drinking enough?

Are you getting enough fluids for your body to work properly? Can you spot the signs of dehydration?

 
orange juice

Soft drinks

We should be trying to drink at least 6 to 8 glasses a day to avoid dehydration. But watch out for the empty calories in many soft drinks.
 
beer

Alcohol

Find out how much you can drink and still be healthy and get some practical tips if you need to cut down.

 

Height/weight chart


You can use this chart to check if you are the right weight for your height.

BMI calculating chart
If you're underweight, this may be of concern. You may need to put on weight, in which case this should be done as part of a well-balanced and nutritious diet. If your weight is very low, consult your GP.
If your weight is in the ok range, you don't need to lose weight. You're eating the right amount of food to keep your weight in the desirable range for health, but it's still important to make sure you're eating a healthy balanced diet. If your weight is at the lower end of the range, try to maintain it and don't be tempted to aim for the underweight category.
If you're overweight for your height, make sure you don't put on any more weight. Try to cut down on the amount you're eating, especially food and drinks high in fat or sugar, and try to do more physical activity. Aim to lose half to one kilogram (one to two pounds) a week, until you get down to the OK weight range. Check with your GP if you need to lose weight and you've had problems losing it in the past. Have a look at the How to be a healthy weight section for some practical tips.
If your weight has reached the obesity level, this could increase your risk of heart disease, Type II diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis. If you fall into this group, it's important for you to lose weight. If you've had problems trying to lose weight in the past, check with your GP first.
But remember this information is only a guide and it's aimed at healthy adults. It isn't suitable for children, young people or older people.
Also, if you have well-developed muscles, you may find that you will fall into the category of overweight on the Body Mass Index calculator and the 'Are you the right weight for your height?' chart, when in fact you may have a healthy body shape and very little fat. If you think this is the case, have a look at the 'Your body shape' section to help you find out.


Healthy weight

It's not a good idea to be either underweight or overweight. Eating too much can make you overweight, which can lead to ill health, such as heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes. Not eating as much food as your body needs could also affect your health. If you're concerned about your weight, get in touch with your GP or a dietitian. But if you just need to lose a little weight and you want some help to get you started, have a look at the practical tips and advice in this section.
bread stacked

BMI calculator

Check out what sort of shape you're in
 
pears

Your body shape

Is your waist a healthy size for your height?
 
woman jumping

Get physical

Get some tips on getting active and losing weight...

Salt

Are you having too much salt? You might not think so. But every day 26 million adults in the UK eat too much salt. You could be eating too much without realising because about 75% of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy. If you want to cut down, the good news is there are plenty of simple things you can do.
salt and pepper shakers

Why cut down on salt?

Cutting down on salt will lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of stroke and heart diseases.
salt crystals

How much salt should we eat?

Find out how much salt adults, children and babies should eat.
pizza cut

Which foods contain salt?

Most foods contain salt – but some contain a lot more than others.
Man checking label on food tin

Checking the label

Checking the label is crucial if you want to find out how much salt is in the food you buy.
spice jars

Salt tips and myths

Follow our tips and check out the myths to help you cut down on salt.

Sugars

cola cans open Most adults and children in the UK eat too much sugar. We should all be trying to eat fewer sugary foods, such as sweets, cakes and biscuits, and drink fewer soft drinks.

On this page

 Different types of sugar
 
Tips for cutting down

 Checking food labels

 Keeping teeth healthy

Different types of sugar

Sugars occur naturally in food such as fruit and milk, but we don't need to cut down on these types of sugars. It is food containing added sugars that we should be cutting down on.
Sugar is added to many types of food, such as:
  • fizzy drinks and juice drinks
  • sweets and biscuits
  • jam
  • cakes, pastries and puddings
  • ice cream
Food and drinks containing lots of added sugars contain calories but often have few other nutrients, so we should try to eat these types of foods only occasionally.
Sugary foods and drinks can cause tooth decay, particularly if you have them between meals. This includes fruit juice and honey.
The sugars found naturally in whole fruit are less likely to cause tooth decay because the sugars are contained within the structure of the fruit. But, when fruit is juiced or blended, the sugars are released. Once released, these sugars can damage teeth, much like added sugars, especially if fruit juice is drunk frequently.
Fruit juice is still a healthy choice, and counts as one of the five portions of fruit and vegetables we should be having every day, but it is best to drink fruit juice at mealtimes.

Tips for cutting down

It's a good idea to try to cut down on foods and drinks that contain lots of added sugar, such as sugary fizzy drinks, sweets and some biscuits. This will help to keep our teeth healthy. Many foods that contain added sugar can also contain lots of calories so eating less of these foods may help with weight control.
If you are trying to cut down on sugar, these tips might help you cut down:
  • Have fewer sugary drinks and snacks.
  • Instead of sugary fizzy drinks and juice drinks, go for water or unsweetened fruit juice (remember to dilute these for children). If you like fizzy drinks then try diluting fruit juice with sparkling water.
  • Instead of cakes or biscuits, try having a currant bun, scone or some malt loaf with low-fat spread.
  • If you take sugar in hot drinks, or add sugar to your breakfast cereal, gradually reduce the amount until you can cut it out altogether.
  • Rather than spreading jam, marmalade, syrup, treacle or honey on your toast, try a low-fat spread, sliced banana, or low-fat cream cheese instead.
  • Check food labels to help you pick the foods with less added sugar or go for the low-sugar version.
  • Try halving the sugar you use in your recipes. It works for most things except jam, meringues and ice cream.
  • Choose tins of fruit in juice rather than syrup.
  • Choose wholegrain breakfast cereals rather than those coated with sugar or honey.

Checking food labels

When you are checking food labels, you can use the following as a guide to work out if a food is high or low in sugar.
Nutrition panel
Look for the 'Carbohydrates (of which sugars)' figure in the nutrition information panel. The panel is usually found on the back of food packs.
High is more than 15g sugars per 100g
Low is 5g sugars or less per 100g
If the amount of sugars per 100g is in between these figures, then that is a medium level of sugars.
Remember that the amount you eat of a particular food affects the overall amount of sugars you will get from it.
The sugars figure in a nutrition panel is the amount of total sugars in the food. It includes sugars from fruit and milk as well as the sugars that have been added to the food.
So a product containing lots of fruit or milk will be a healthier choice than one that contains lots of added sugars, even if the two products contain similar amounts of total sugars. You can tell if the food contains lots of added sugars by checking the ingredients list (see below).
Sometimes you will only see a figure for 'Carbohydrates', and not for 'Carbohydrates (of which sugars)'. The 'Carbohydrates' figure will also include starchy carbohydrates so you can’t use it to work out if a food contains a high, medium or low amount of sugars. But you can still check the ingredients list to get a feel for whether the food is high in added sugars.
Traffic light labelling
Some foods have traffic light labels on the front of the pack. This means you can see at-a-glance if the food you're looking at has high, medium or low amounts of sugars in 100g of the food.
Red = High
Amber = Medium
Green = Low
More on traffic light labelling, including an up-to-date list of retailers and manufacturers using it on their products
Ingredients list
You can get a feel for whether a product is high in added sugars by looking at the ingredients list.
Added sugars must be included in the ingredients list, which always starts with the biggest ingredient first. Watch out for other words that are used to describe added sugars, such as sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, hydrolysed starch and invert sugar, corn syrup and honey. If you see one of these near the top of the list, you know that the product is likely to be high in added sugars.
Some foods that you might not expect to have sugar added to them can contain lots, for example some breakfast cereals and cereal bars. Other foods can be higher in added sugar than you might expect, such as tins of spaghetti or baked beans.

Keeping teeth healthy

To help keep teeth healthy, as well as brushing teeth regularly and visiting the dentist, we should cut down on added sugars. These are the sugars found in fizzy drinks, juice drinks, sweets, cakes and jam. It's best to stick to having these kinds of foods and drinks at mealtimes.
It's also important to avoid sipping sugary drinks or sucking sweets too often. This is because the longer the sugar touches your teeth, the more damage it can do.

Fish and shellfish

fish steak We should be eating at least two portions of fish a week including one of oily fish. Fish and shellfish are good sources of a variety of vitamins and minerals, and oily fish is particularly rich in omega 3 fatty acids. But if we want to make sure there are enough fish to eat now, and in the future, we need to start thinking about the choices we make when we choose which fish we eat.

On this page

 
Why is fish a healthy choice?

 
Oily fish, shellfish and omega 3

 
Are there enough fish in the sea?

 
Preparing and cooking fish and shellfish

 
Pregnancy, children and babies

Why is fish a healthy choice?

Fish and shellfish are good sources of essential vitamins, such as niacin, and minerals, such as selenium and iodine.
Different types of seafood also give different health benefits. Check out the lists below.

Oily fish
  • includes fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout and herring
  • is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which helps prevent heart disease
  • is a good source of vitamins A and D
White fish
  • includes fish such as haddock, plaice, pollack, coley and cod
  • is very low in fat. This means, just like beans and pulses or chicken without the skin, white fish is a healthier low-fat alternative to, for example, red or processed meat that tends to be higher in fat, especially saturated fat
  • contains some omega 3 fatty acids, but at much lower levels than oily fish. See Oily fish, shellfish and omega 3 for more on omega 3 fatty acids
Shellfish
  • includes prawns, mussels and langoustine
  • is low in fat
  • is a good source of selenium, zinc, iodine and copper
  • some types such as mussels, oysters, squid and crab are also good sources of omega 3 fatty acids. (See Oily fish, shellfish and omega 3)
Fish where you also eat the bones
  • includes whitebait, canned sardines, pilchards and salmon
  • help make our bones stronger because they are good sources of calcium and phosphorus
If you want to make the healthier choice, remember to go for steamed, baked or grilled fish or shellfish, rather than fried. This is because frying makes fish and shellfish much higher in fat, especially if they’re cooked in batter.
But this doesn’t mean you need to stop having an occasional portion of fish and chips. Check out Preparing and cooking fish and shellfish for tips on making your fish and chips a healthier option.

But don’t eat too much fish

Although most people should be eating more fish for their health, there are maximum levels recommended for oily fish and crab (and some types of white fish), see How much oily fish? in Oily fish, shellfish and omega 3. Also, again for health reasons, adults should have no more than one portion of swordfish, shark or marlin a week. This is because these fish could contain high levels of mercury.
People who eat a lot of fish every week should try to eat as wide a variety as possible not only for good health but also because of concerns about numbers of fish.
'Pregnancy, children and babies' below contains advice about fish for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying for a baby, and for children and babies.

Do you take supplements?

If you take fish liver oil supplements, remember these are high in vitamin A. This is because fish store vitamin A in their livers. Having too much vitamin A over many years could be harmful.
If you take supplements containing vitamin A, make sure you don't have more than a total of 1.5mg a day from your food and supplements.

Oily fish, shellfish and omega 3

The type of omega 3 fatty acids found in fish (they’re actually called ‘long chain omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids’) help prevent heart disease. These fatty acids are also important for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding because they help a baby's nervous system to develop (see Pregnancy, children and babies).
Oily fish such as mackerel, sardines, trout, herring and salmon are the richest source of omega 3 fatty acids. The main shellfish sources are mussels, oysters, squid and crab. Some white fish and other shellfish also contain omega 3 fatty acids but not as much as oily fish.
You can check which fish are oily and which aren't in the table below. And while you’re looking at the lists, have a think about how many of these fish you usually eat. Why not try eating something different?

Oily fishWhite fish
Anchovies
Carp
Eel
Herring (Bloater)
Hilsa
Jack (also known as Scad, Horse mackerel and Trevally)
Kipper (herring)
Mackerel
Orange roughy
Pilchards
Salmon
Sardines
Sprats
Swordfish
Trout
Tuna (fresh)
Whitebait
Brill
Catfish
Cod
Coley
Dab
Dover sole
Flounder
Flying fish
Gurnard
Haddock
Hake
Halibut
Hoki
John Dory
Lemon sole
Ling
Marlin
Monkfish
Pangas (also known as River cobbler, Basa or Pangasius)
Parrot fish
Plaice
Pollack
Pomfret (also known as Butterfish)
Red and grey mullet
Redfish (also known as Ocean perch or Rose fish)
Snapper (also known as Jobfish and Red snapper)
Rock salmon/Dogfish (also known as Flake, Huss, Rigg or Rock eel)
Rohu (also known as Ruhi)
Sea bass
Sea bream (also known as Porgy)
Shark
Skate
Tilapia
Tuna (canned)
Turbot
Whiting
Fresh tuna is an oily fish and is high in omega 3 fatty acids. But when it's canned, these fatty acids are reduced to levels similar to white fish. So, although canned tuna is a healthy choice for most people, it doesn't count as oily fish.

How much oily fish?

Most people should be eating more oily fish because omega 3 fatty acids are very good for the health of our hearts.
However, there are recommendations for the maximum number of portions of oily fish we should be eating each week (a portion is about 140g):
2 portions of oily fish 4 portions of oily fish
Girls and women who might have a baby one dayWomen who won’t have a baby in the future
Women who are pregnant or breastfeedingMen and boys

Why are there limits for oily fish?

Oily fish can contain low levels of pollutants that can build up in the body. The pollutants found in oily fish include dioxins and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). Dioxins and PCBs tend to be found in all foods containing fats. They have no immediate effect on health, but can be harmful because they build up in our bodies over time.
The recommended maximums for oily fish are lower for most girls and women because high levels of dioxins and PCBs in the diet could affect the development of a baby in the future.
If a woman changes her diet when she becomes pregnant, or when she starts trying for a baby, this won't change the levels of dioxins and PCBs that are already in her body. So it's a good idea to limit the amount of oily fish eaten from a young age.
Omega 3 fatty acids are good for a baby's development so pregnant women shouldn't stop eating oily fish (see Pregnancy, children and babies).
So remember, don't give up eating oily fish because the health benefits outweigh the risks as long as you don't eat more than the recommended maximums.
Recent surveys have shown that some other fish, as well as brown crab meat, might also have similar levels of dioxins and PCBs as oily fish.
These fish are: sea bream, sea bass, turbot, halibut and rock salmon (also known as dogfish, flake, huss, rigg or rock eel).
Anyone who regularly eats a lot of fish should consider choosing a wider variety – and avoid eating crab and these five fish too often. Eating a wider variety of fish and shellfish will also help reduce the environmental impact.
Also adults should have no more than one portion of swordfish a week. This is because it could contain high levels of mercury.

Are there enough fish in the sea?

Around the world, some types of fish, especially in certain areas, are threatened by being over-fished. At the same time, we’re eating more fish and shellfish in this country and across Europe. Fish and shellfish farming (and other types of what are known as ‘sustainable aquaculture’) have a significant role to play in meeting our demand for fish and shellfish, along with fishing at sea.
Here are some practical things we can all do when we’re choosing seafood:
  • try to choose fish and shellfish that comes from responsibly managed sources, this means it will have been caught in a way that allows the fish population to continue in the future. Or choose fish and shellfish that has been produced sustainably, this means it will have been farmed in a way that allows the fish population to continue in the future. See below for where to find advice on choosing sustainable seafood.
  • read the labels on fish. These often tell you where the fish comes from as well as what species it is. This can be important because stocks of certain types might be declining in some areas but not in others.
  • look for assurance scheme logos (‘eco-labels’), for example the Marine Stewardship Council’s 'blue tick'.
  • be adventurous – try something new. If you eat fish regularly, try eating a wider variety of fish to help reduce the environmental impact.
For help choosing sustainable seafood check out the following websites:
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is a UK charity that offers a viewpoint on the sustainable supply of both farmed and wild seafood. They provide a fish online website containing information on choosing sustainably caught fish: www.fishonline.org
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is a global organisation with standards for assessing the sustainability of fishing. The MSC runs a certification and labelling programme for sustainable wild seafood. The assessments are made by independent third-party accredited certifiers. More about the MSC: www.msc.org
Seafish is an organisation that seeks to promote good quality sustainable seafood, and is funded by Government Fisheries Departments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. See: www.seafish.org
The great majority of the fish caught in the UK is landed in Scotland and The Scottish Government recently launched its ‘Eat more fish’ initiative, which aims to promote the consumption of Scottish Seafood. Its website also provides some useful links to fish sustainability information. See: www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/fisheries/fish
Seafood Scotland is a regional body set up to market, promote and develop responsibly caught Scottish seafood. See: www.seafoodscotland.org
Find out more about what the Government and other organisations are doing about the sustainability of fish at the link below.

Preparing and cooking fish and shellfish

If you fancy being adventurous, why not choose some different types of fish and shellfish that you haven’t cooked before?
Check out the links below for some ideas on how to go about it:


If you want to make the healthier choice, remember to go for steamed, baked or grilled fish or shellfish, rather than fried because frying makes fish and shellfish much higher in fat, especially if they’re cooked in batter.

But this doesn’t mean you need to stop having an occasional portion of fish and chips. If you make your own fish and chips at home or if you love your occasional trip to the fish and chip shop, check out these tips to help make it a healthier choice:
  • have some baked beans, peas or salad with your fish and chips
  • at the fish and chip shop, ask for your food without salt, then add it yourself to taste. You could try having a little less – remember, you can still have plenty of vinegar!
  • go easy with the ketchup and mayonnaise because these can be high in salt and fat. And if you’re eating out, ask for salad dressings or sauces on the side, so you have only as much as you need.
  • have a bread roll with your chips and see if you can manage with a smaller portion of chips, or try sharing them with a friend
  • the thicker the chips the better, because they absorb less fat
  • if the oil is at the right temperature, the fish and chips will not only taste better but they will absorb less fat
  • you could try not eating all the batter on the fish, because this contains a lot of fat

Buying fish and shellfish

Once you've worked out which types you want to buy, try to remember the following when you’re choosing fish and shellfish:
  • buy fish and shellfish from reputable sources. Be wary of people selling seafood out of the boot of their car
  • choose fresh fish or shellfish that is refrigerated or kept on ice
  • don't buy cooked or ready-to-eat fish or shellfish that is touching raw fish or shellfish because cooked and raw food should always be kept separate
  • when you're shopping, pick up fish and shellfish last and take it straight home. Fish and shellfish go off very quickly when they’re out of the fridge

Storing and preparing fish and shellfish

Once you get it back home, remember:
  • put fish and shellfish in the fridge or freezer as soon as you get home
  • make sure that all fish and shellfish are in covered containers but don’t put mussels, oysters or clams or any other live shellfish into airtight containers because they need to breathe
  • don't store fish or shellfish in water
  • discard mussels, oysters or clams or any other live shellfish if their shells crack or break, or if the shells are open and don’t close when you tap them. Live shellfish will 'clam up' if their shells are tapped
  • wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling fish or shellfish
  • don't allow raw fish or shellfish to come into contact with cooked or ready-to-eat food
  • use separate cutting boards, knives, plates, etc. for preparing raw and cooked ready-to-eat food
  • it’s best to thaw fish or shellfish in the fridge overnight, or if you need to thaw it more quickly, you could use a microwave. Use the ‘defrost’ setting and stop when the fish is icy but flexible
  • if you’re marinating seafood, put it in the fridge and throw the marinade away after removing the raw fish or shellfish. If you want to use the marinade as a dip or sauce, set some aside before it touches the raw fish

Avoiding shellfish food poisoning

There are strict rules and monitoring in place that mean all shellfish in the UK should be safe to eat cooked or raw.
However, live shellfish such as mussels, clams and oysters can contain harmful viruses and bacteria when eaten raw or without being thoroughly cooked. These shellfish are filter feeders. This means the water they live in passes through them and they filter their food from this water. So any pollution or germs in the water will build up in the shellfish.
It's also important to take care how you store, prepare and cook all shellfish. So make sure you follow the advice given above in Buying fish and shellfish and in Storing and preparing fish and shellfish.
However, it should be fine to eat all sorts of shellfish that have been thoroughly cooked, because this usually kills any bacteria or viruses in them.
Most of the shellfish we eat is cooked first, but oysters are often served raw, so be especially careful when buying and storing oysters.
Older people, pregnant women, very young children and people who are unwell might want to avoid eating raw shellfish to reduce their risk of getting food poisoning.

Fish and shellfish allergy

Cooking fish or shellfish doesn't make someone with a fish or shellfish allergy less likely to react.
Allergies to fish or shellfish are quite common allergies and can sometimes cause severe reactions. People who are allergic to one type of fish often react to other types as well. Similarly, people who are allergic to one type of shellfish, such as prawns, crabs, mussels or scallops, often react to other types too.

Pregnancy, children and babies

When you're trying for a baby, pregnant or breastfeeding

You can eat most types of fish when you're trying for a baby, pregnant or breastfeeding. Eating fish is good for your health and the development of your baby. But you just need to avoid some types of fish and limit the amount you eat of some others.
This table shows the maximum number of portions you should have each week for the fish you need to limit.
  Trying for a baby Pregnant Breastfeeding
oily fish 2 portions 2 portions 2 portions
tuna 2 tuna steaks or 4 cans 2 tuna steaks or 4 cans 2 tuna steaks or no limit on cans
shark, swordfish and marlin don't eat don't eat 1 (same for all adults)

The figures for tuna are based on tuna steak weighing 140g when cooked or 170g raw and medium-size cans with a drained weight of about 140g per can.
Canned tuna doesn't count as oily fish, so you can eat this as well as your maximum two portions of oily fish. If you’re eating canned tuna, don’t pick fresh tuna as your oily fish. And if you eat two tuna steaks in a week, don’t eat any other oily fish that week.
When you’re totting up your weekly portions of oily fish, you’ll need to include a few other types of fish (as well as crab) because they might have similar levels of dioxins and PCBs as oily fish. These fish are: sea bream, sea bass, turbot, halibut and rock salmon (also known as dogfish, flake, huss, rigg or rock eel).
The limits for shark, swordfish, marlin and tuna are because these fish contain more mercury than other types of fish. The amount of mercury we get from food isn't harmful for most people, but if you take in high levels of mercury when you're pregnant this could affect your baby's developing nervous system.
Oily fish are very good for our health, but we need to limit how much we have because they contain pollutants. These pollutants have no immediate effect on health, but can be harmful if they build up in our bodies over time.
Omega 3 fatty acids are good for a baby's development so don’t stop eating oily fish. If you change your diet once you’re already pregnant this won't change the levels of the pollutants that are already in your body. You just need to stick to the limits shown in the above table.
Unless your GP advises otherwise, you should avoid taking fish liver oil supplements when you’re pregnant or trying for a baby because these are high in vitamin A, which can be harmful to your unborn baby.
When you're pregnant you might also want to avoid eating raw shellfish. This is to reduce your chances of getting food poisoning, which can be particularly unpleasant during pregnancy.
See the links below for more advice about what foods you should avoid.

Children and babies

Don't give any fish or shellfish to babies younger than six months because these foods can trigger the development of a food allergy at this age.
Children should avoid eating any shark, swordfish or marlin. This is because the levels of mercury in these fish can affect the development of children's growing nervous systems.
You might also want to avoid giving raw shellfish to babies and children to reduce their risk of getting food poisoning.

Starchy foods

pasta tricolor Starchy foods such as bread, cereals, rice, pasta and potatoes are a really important part of a healthy diet. Try to choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can.

On this page

 How much do I need?

 Fibre

 Tips for eating more starchy foods and fibre

 All about rice and grains

 All about bread
All about potatoes


How much do I need?

potatoes Starchy foods should make up about a third of the food we eat. Most people should be eating more starchy foods. So if you want to eat healthily try to think about the proportions of the different foods you eat in a day.
Starchy foods are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet. As well as starch, these foods contain fibre, calcium, iron and B vitamins.
Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but they contain less than half the calories of fat. You just need to watch out for the added fats used for cooking and serving, because this is what increases the calorie content. If you're concerned about your weight, wholegrain varieties are an especially good choice.
Low-carbohydrate diets
'Low-carbohydrate' diets have had a lot of publicity recently. These diets usually involve cutting out most starchy foods.
Cutting out starchy foods, or any food group, can be bad for your health because you could be missing out on a range of nutrients. Low-carbohydrate diets tend to be high in fat, and eating a diet that is high in fat (especially saturated fat from foods such as meat, cheese, butter and cakes) could increase your chances of developing coronary heart disease.
These diets may also restrict the amount of fruit, veg and fibre you eat, all of which are vital for good health.
So, rather than avoiding starchy foods, it's better to try and base your meals on them, so they make up about a third of your diet.
If you're concerned about your weight see the Healthy weight section.

Fibre

lentils Most people don't eat enough fibre. Foods rich in fibre are a very healthy choice, so try to include a variety of fibre-rich foods in your diet. These are all rich in fibre: wholegrain bread, brown rice, pasta, oats, beans, peas, lentils, grains, seeds, fruit and vegetables.
Fibre is only found in foods that come from plants. There are two types of fibre: insoluble and soluble.
Insoluble fibre
This is the fibre that the body can't digest and so it passes through the gut helping other food and waste products move through the gut more easily.
Wholegrain bread, brown rice, wholegrain breakfast cereals and fruit and vegetables all contain this type of fibre.
Insoluble fibre helps to keep bowels healthy and stop constipation. And this means we are less likely to get some common disorders of the gut. Foods rich in this sort of fibre are more bulky and so help make us feel full, which means we are less likely to eat too much.
Soluble fibre
This fibre can be partially digested and may help to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Particularly good sources of soluble fibre include oats and pulses such as beans and lentils.

Tips for eating more starchy foods and fibre

Most people aren't eating enough starchy foods or fibre. Here are some good sources for you to choose from:
  • all sorts of bread including wholemeal, granary, brown, seedy, chapattis, pitta bread, bagels, roti and tortillas
  • potatoes, plantain, yam and sweet potato
  • more exotic choices included dasheen, coco yam and kenkey
  • squash, breadfruit and cassava
  • wholegrain breakfast cereals
  • beans, lentils, peas
  • couscous, bulgar wheat
  • maize, cornmeal
We should all be trying to eat a variety of starchy foods and choosing wholegrain, brown or high fibre varieties whenever we can.
Here are some tips to help you increase the amount of starchy foods and fibre you are eating:
  • Have more rice and pasta and less sauce.
  • If you're having sausages and mash - have more of the mash, some vegetables and one less sausage.
  • Add beans or lentils to your casseroles, stews and curries - this will also bump up the fibre content and because you will be able to use less meat, the meal will be cheaper and lower in saturated fat.
  • Try different breads such as seeded, wholemeal and granary and go for thick slices.
  • Try brown rice - it makes a very tasty rice salad.
  • Opt for wholegrain cereals or mix some in with your favourite cereal.
  • Porridge is a great warming winter breakfast and whole oats with fresh fruit and yoghurt makes a great start to a summer's day. Oats are a good source of soluble fibre.

All about rice and grains

rice bowls three Rice and grains are an excellent choice as a starchy food. They give us energy and are also good value and low in fat.
There are many types to choose from such as:
  • all kinds of rice - quick cook, abborio, basmati, long grain, brown, short grain, wild
  • couscous
  • bulgar wheat
Rice and grains contain:
  • some protein, which the body needs to grow and repair itself
  • some fibre that can help the body get rid of waste products
  • B vitamins, which release the energy from the food we eat and help the body to work properly
We should eat some starchy foods, such as rice, grains, bread and potatoes every day as part of a healthy balanced diet.
Rice is eaten in many countries throughout the world. There are many different types that have different tastes and textures.
Rice and grains such as couscous and bulgar wheat can be eaten hot or cold and in salads, such as tabbouleh.
Storing and reheating
There are a few things to remember when you are storing and reheating cooked rice and grains. This is because the spores of some food poisoning bugs can survive cooking.
If cooked rice or grains are left standing at room temperature, the spores can germinate. The bacteria multiply and produce toxins that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Reheating food won't get rid of the toxins.
Therefore, it's best to serve rice and grains when they've just been cooked. If this isn't possible, cool them within an hour after cooking and keep them refrigerated until reheating or using in a cold dish.
You should throw away any rice and grains that have been left at room temperature overnight.
Don't keep cooked rice and grains longer than one day and don't reheat them more than once. Check the 'use by' date and storage instructions on the label for any cold rice or grain salads that you buy.

All about bread

bread assorted Bread, especially wholemeal, granary, brown and seedy bread, is a healthy choice as part of a balanced diet.
Bread is a starchy food, like pasta, potatoes and rice, and these foods should make up about a third of our diet.
Wholegrain, wholemeal and brown bread give us energy and contain B vitamins, vitamin E, fibre and a wide range of minerals. White bread also contains a range of vitamins and minerals, but it has less fibre than wholegrain, wholemeal or brown bread.
Bread has been a staple food in the UK for centuries. These days, more than 200 varieties of bread are available in this country, with origins from all around the world. These range from ciabatta, pumpernickel, baguette and soda bread, to bagels, flour tortillas and pitta.
Some people avoid bread because they think they're allergic to wheat, or because they think bread is fattening. But it's very important to talk to your GP before cutting out any type of food.
This is because you could be missing out on a whole range of nutrients that we need to stay healthy.

All about potatoes

potatoes Potatoes are counted as a starchy food rather than one of your five fruit and veg, because this is how they’re eaten as part of a meal. And they’re a great choice, particularly if they’re not cooked in too much salt or fat. They’re a good source of energy, fibre, B vitamins and potassium.
Although potatoes don’t contain much vitamin C compared to other vegetables, in Britain we get a lot of our daily vitamin C from them because we eat so many.
Whether they're mashed, boiled, sautéed or steamed, you’ll find potatoes in many British and international dishes from shepherd's pie to Spanish omelette. Potatoes can also give soups a thick and creamy texture without having to add butter or cream. When cooking or serving try to go for lower fat (polyunsaturated) spreads or unsaturated oils like olive or sunflower instead of butter.
There are lots of varieties of potatoes, which are great for cooking in different ways. New potatoes are planted and harvested early in the year and are a little higher in vitamin C. Some are more ‘waxy’, good for using in salads, others have a ‘floury’ texture, great for fluffy mash. But for a good all-round potato choose a King Edward or a Maris Piper.
o get the most out of them, leave the skins on to keep in more of the fibre and vitamins. If you’re boiling them some nutrients will leak out into the water, especially if you’ve peeled them. So use only enough water to cover them and cook for the minimum time.

Storing and Cooking

You should keep potatoes somewhere dark, cool and dry, but not in the fridge. This is because putting them in the fridge can increase the amount of sugar they hold, which could lead to higher levels of a chemical called acrylamide when the potatoes are roasted, baked or fried at high temperatures.
Keeping potatoes cool and dry will also help stop them sprouting, you shouldn’t eat any green or sprouting bits of potatoes.