Eat five portions of fruit a vegetables a day
Eating a healthy and varied diet is important as you get older. It can improve general well being and protect against illness. Eat regularly, at least three times a day, or have more frequent small meals with nutritious snacks in between.
What to eat
Most of your meals should be based on:
- bread
- cereals (wholegrain varieties when possible)
- potatoes
- fruit and vegetables.
Also smaller amounts of
- fish and meat (or vegetarian alternatives)
- milk
- dairy foods.
Fatty and sugary foods are not forbidden, but they should only be eaten as occasional treats.
Find out more about healthy eating and keeping food fresh.
Drinking
Drink plenty of fluids (at least 6-8 cups a day). Tea and coffee can be dehydrating so drink lots of water, squash and fruit juices.
Alcohol
Most of the time drinking alcohol doesn't cause any problems, but drinking more than the daily recommended amount increases your risk of liver damage, cancer and depression.
The recommended guide is no more than 3-4 units for men (1-2 pints of beer) and 2-3 units for women (1-2 glasses of wine).
Find out where you can get help with an alcohol problem.