eat more starchy food such as bread, cereals, pasta, rice and potatoes

Starchy foods should make up about a third of the food we eat 

They are a good source of energy and as well as starch, these foods contain fibre, calcium, iron and B vitamins.  Try to include at least one starchy food with each of your main meals.  Perhaps start the day with a wholegrain breakfast cereal or porridge, have a sandwich for lunch, and potatoes, pasta or rice with your evening meal?

Try to choose wholegrain

Wholegrain foods contain more fibre and other nutrients than white or refined starchy foods.  We also digest them more slowly so they can help make us feel full for longer.

Wholegrain foods include:

• Wholemeal and wholegrain bread, pitta and chapatti
• Wholewheat pasta and brown rice
• Wholegrain breakfast cereals

Some people think that starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram they contain less than half the calories of fat.  So, you need to watch the fats you add when cooking and serving these foods.