The importance of a varied and balanced diet for good health is well established.

A healthy balanced diet contains a range of foods including plenty of fruit and vegetables, and starchy foods like potatoes, wholegrain breads and cereals, some protein-rich foods such as fish meat, eggs, beans and lentils and some dairy foods. Foods containing sugar, salt and fat especially saturated fat should be kept to a minimum.

Nutritional recommendations around the world have been inspired by the Mediterranean diet, first highlighted for its health benefits by researchers in the Seven Countries Study and MONICA project. Traditionally, people living in the Mediterranean ate a lot of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds and moderate amounts of fish.

Health experts in the UK recommend at least two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily fish like salmon, and any variety of white fish like tilapia.

• Fresh tilapia fillets are low in fat and high in protein
  
• Fresh tilapia fillets are high in phosphorous, selenium, vitamin B12 and are also a source of niacin
• Tilapia fish are a source of omega 3 fatty acids
  

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22 (2009)