In this section:

> Introduction to eat well
> Key food groups to give you energy to care
> Everything in moderation
> Planning your meals
> Drinks and snacks
> More information and resources

Introduction to eating well

When your time is spent caring for someone, eating a healthy, balanced diet may not come top of your list of priorities. But variety in your diet is important. It ensures you are getting a range of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fibre and of course energy from all the different foods you are eating.

And it’s important that you are as healthy as you can be, as caring for someone is virtually impossible when you are unwell yourself.

If you plan in advance, getting a healthy, balanced diet shouldn’t take up too much of your time.

What should I be eating? 

All the food we need to eat can be divided into five main groups. The eat well plate below shows what’s in the food groups, and how much of each group you should eat across a whole day.

Your diet should include:

• Plenty of fruit and vegetables– aim for 5-a day

• Plenty of starchy food – like pasta, rice and bread (always choose wholegrain where you can)

• Some protein – like meat, fish, eggs, beans and vegetarian options like Soya and Quorn

• Some milk and dairy foods– choose low-fat milk, low-fat yoghurt and reduced fat cheese

• A very small amount of foods high in fat or sugar – like crisps, chocolate, pastries and pies

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