Nutrition in Schools Advisory Service

Eat plenty of breads and cereals, vegetables (legumes) and fruits.

Those of us who eat a diet with plenty of plant foods, that is breads, cereals, vegetables (legumes) and fruits will have a diet that is low in saturated fat, low in salt, low in cholesterol and lower in energy. It will also mean our diet is higher in fibre, and complex carbohydrates, higher in potassium and beta-carotene, higher in vitamins C and E and contain larger amounts of phytochemicals. Eating a diet with plenty of plant foods also puts us at less risk of having a heart attack, developing high blood pressure and diabetes and becoming overweight and obese. Plant foods contain phytochemicals which probably help protect us against certain cancers of the bowel, breast, prostate, stomach, pancreas and cervix. We are also less likely to be constipated if we eat plenty of plant foods.

Phytochemicals - what are they and why do we need them (click here for more information)