Fiona Dickens, community dietician for the Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust and Swindon Primary Care Trust, will be giving weekly advice about how to eat healthy

What is a healthy diet? A healthy diet is one that promotes positive health, while providing enough nutrients to fuel our daily activities, without leading to unnecessary weight gain.

Regular eating boosts energy levels and good digestion.

Try three daily meals plus snacks like fruit or a low calorie yoghurt, if you're hungry.

A balanced diet includes the following every day, choosing foods you like:

At least five portions of fruit and vegetables fresh, frozen, dried or tinned.

High fibre starchy foods eaten at each mealtime, eg, wholegrain cereals and breads, potatoes, rice, pasta or noodles.

Two to three servings of low fat dairy products, eg, skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, low calorie yoghurt or low fat cheese.

Small amounts of lean protein at two meals, eg, meat, poultry, fish, beans, pulses, Quorn, tofu or soya.

At least eight cups of fluid. Water is best or alternate water with sugar-free tea or coffee or diet drinks or no added sugar drinks.

To improve your diet, try gradually reducing salt and swapping less healthy foods for healthier alternatives. Sweet and fatty foods are fine occasionally if most of what you eat is healthy.

Remember, healthy eating is for life, not just a 'diet' and NO foods are forbidden, it's the quantity that matters.