How to achieve a balanced diet

Learn more about the foods that can form part of a balanced diet, including healthy recipe ideas for everyday.

Food Editor

When it comes to a balanced diet, it's important to consider each of the main food groups and to look at your diet as a whole. The NHS Eatwell Guide illustrates the proportions of each food group needed to achieve a healthy, balanced diet that provides a variety of essential nutrients.

Louisa Brunt, Senior Nutritionist at M&S Food says, “At M&S, we believe that a balanced diet starts with offering delicious and healthy choices for every occasion. Our goal is to help our customers achieve this by providing nutritious foods that never compromise on quality."

The Home of Health

What is a balanced diet?

A balanced diet contains all the essential nutrients in the right amounts, allowing us to maintain good health, energy and overall wellbeing. We should aim to eat a variety of foods from each food group including fruits and vegetables, protein, carbohydrates, fats and dairy, as well as water for hydration.

According to the NHS Eatwell Guide, the average daily calorie intake requirement for women is 2,000kcal, and for men it's 2,500kcal. This can vary, however, depending on weight, height and activity levels.

Eating a balanced diet which supports our brain health with nutrients such as omega-3 (DHA), iron, zinc, iodine, folate, zinc, and vitamin B12 is important to maintain good overall health and wellbeing.

Healthy foods to try

Foods to eat for a balanced diet

Some simple steps will help you balance your diet and meet your nutritional goals. Maybe you need to pack in more high-protein foods like meat, beans and pulses. Or add more high-fibre foods like oats and lentils to improve your gut health.

Food groups to include in your diet:

Fruit and vegetables: Full of vitamins, minerals, and fibre, aim for at least five per day.
Wholegrain carbohydrates: Carbs provide energy and fibre. Opt for wholegrain options wholemeal bread and brown rice.
Protein sources: Important for getting essential amino acids, get your protein from meat, fish, eggs, beans, pulses, nuts, or tofu.
Dairy: A source of protein and calcium, including milk, yogurt, cheese, or fortified plant-based alternatives.
Healthy fats: Include a small amount of unsaturated oils and spreads in your diet, like olive oil.

Fruit and vegetables

We should all aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day or 30 different plant sources throughout the week. Eating a diverse range of fruits and vegetables ensures you get a variety of essential vitamins, minerals and fibre that you need.

Choosing different types and aiming to eat a range of colours is a good way to achieve the variety needed for better health and to reduce the risk of disease.

Need to pack in some extra fibre? Our brand-new H5O Shot (available 5 January) is high in fibre from baobab and Jerusalem artichoke and contains a unique combination of five botanicals expertly selected and verified by researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Or try our Roasted Butternut and Almond Grains Pot (available 5 January), part of our new Nutrient Dense range, packed with hearty grains, cannellini beans, and veggies with a miso dressing. It contains over a third of your recommended daily fibre in just one serving.

Fruit & veg

Wholegrain carbohydrates

Wholegrain carbohydrates are rich in nutrients such as fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Opt for wholegrain options such as bread, rice and pasta to increase fibre intake and help maintain optimal health.

Fibre plays an essential role in many bodily functions including gut health, heart health and blood sugar control. Dietary fibre is a carbohydrate that's found in many plant-based foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, pulses, nuts and seeds.

To add a little extra fibre to your diet, try our new Nutrient Dense Super Seeded Oaty Bread (in store from 2 January), packed with crunchy linseeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin Seeds.

Healthy carbs

Chicken drumstick and slices of chicken on black plate

Protein

Whether it's beans, pulses, fish, eggs or lean meat, protein is important for getting the essential amino acids your body needs for growth and maintenance of muscle mass. The building blocks of muscle, protein helps repair and grow muscle fibres after exercise or injury.

To get an extra boost of protein in your diet, look for our High Protein Shot (available 5 January), packed with 10g of protein, has no added sugar and is a source of magnesium.

High protein foods

Fish

Eating two portions of fish a week is recommended for getting essential omega-3, which is important for heart health. Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel or sardines are great sources of omega-3.

Packed with nutrients, our new Nutrient Dense Salmon and Green Goddess Crush (in store from 5 January), combines tender smoked salmon with a vibrant pea and edamame crush on hearty oat bread.

Fish and seafood

Dairy and alternatives

Dairy is a good sources of calcium, an essential nutrient for bone strength. Milk, yogurt, and cheese supply complete proteins that help build and repair tissue.

Dairy is also a source of vitamin B12 which is important for nerve function and red blood cell formation. Fortified dairy often includes vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium.

With billions of live bacterial cultures thank to our TriMarks™ blend, our new Kefir (available 5 January), is a source of calcium and high in protein. Plus, it features our Eat Well flower so you know it's a healthy choice as part of a balanced diet.

Dairy

Healthy fats

Fats provide a concentrated source of energy, which helps fuel daily activities and exercise. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, meaning your body needs fat to absorb them properly.

All types of fat are high in energy and should be eaten in small amounts. Look out for healthier fats like unsaturated fats including vegetable, rapeseed, olive and sunflower oils.

Your guide to cooking oils

More tips for a balanced diet

Limit the quantity of saturated fat, sugar and salt in your diet – try to choose food products with green and amber traffic lights on the front of the pack packaging.
Drink plenty – hydration is key, so aim for 6-8 glasses of fluid, ideally water. Or opt for sugar-free drinks, including tea, coffee or fruit teas, milk, or fortified dairy alternatives. One 150ml glass of fruit juice or smoothie also counts, but stick to recommended portion sizes to limit sugar intake.
Get active every day – anything that increases your heart rate, whether that's walking, gardening or dancing. Being active also helps to improve mood and relieve stress.

Healthy recipe ideas

Looking for some healthy recipe inspiration? We have plenty of recipes to keep you covered all day long. Get organised with a week of healthy lunches or use our meal planner tool to craft your own list.

For breakfast, try our nutrient-packed fibre toasts with flavour-packed ingredients that will help you reach your fibre and protein goals – think oily fish, fresh veggies and jammy boiled eggs.
For lunch, whip up these high protein chicken bagels packed with hearty cottage cheese and spiced with a touch of sumac. Or pack our high protein caramelised onion and cheddar egg bites made with sweet, sticky onions and punchy mature cheddar.
Dinner calls for a hearty dish like this healthier lasagne packed with fibre-rich lentils, lean beef mince, and plenty of hidden veg. Or try these turmeric cod parcels, served with a bright and zingy nuoc cham dressing.

Healthy recipes

Eat Well with M&S Food

At M&S we use the Eat Well health seal of approval, a flower on the pack to signpost healthy choices. Each product that gets the Eat Well flower meets evidence-based nutrition criteria, provides health benefits and supports the principles of a balanced diet, so you can feel confident you're making a healthy choice.

Eat Well foods

Published 12.29.2025