Tips for healthy eating

There are lots of ways in which you can choose to change your diet so that you are eating healthier foods. We've provided some healthy eating guidelines and our healthy eating quiz will show you how balanced your diet is.

Here are some extra tips to help you make changes to your eating habits that you can stick to. This is important to help you maintain healthy eating in the long run.

Eating a more healthy, balanced diet will no doubt be beneficial to your own health and wellbeing.

You'll discover new, exciting foods and healthier cooking methods. You may also find it's easier to make small changes than you think. 

Help to change your eating habits

Start with one small change

Start with one small change first and make sure you can achieve that. Then build up to make more changes.

For example, focus first on one food group, such as fruit and vegetables. Think about how you can improve your intake.

Then once you're happy with what and how you are eating, you can move on to thinking about another food group.

Reduce Ultra Processed Food intake

A processed food is any food or drink that has been altered in some way during preparation or production. In fact, most of the foods we eat are processed to some extent, whether it's freezing vegetables, pasteurising milk, or baking bread. 

However, Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) are products that have been heavily modified from their original ingredients, often using industrial methods and additives such as colourings, flavourings, sweeteners or preservatives. Ultra-processed foods tend to be:

• High in calories, making it easy to overeat
• Low in nutrients, offering little benefit to your body
• Low in fibre and protein, which means they don't fill you up for long

Examples include:

• Crisps and other salty snacks
• Fizzy drinks and energy drinks
• Packaged cakes, biscuits and pastries
• Ready meals and instant noodles
• Processed meats like hot dogs and chicken nuggets

Eating too many UPFs can make it harder to manage energy levels and overall health. Limiting UPF intake to occasionally and instead focusing mainly on whole or minimally processed foods can make a positive difference to your health.

Navigating today's food environment

In our busy lives, it's easy to be surrounded by ultra-processed options which have bright packaging, special offers and convenient grab-and-go aisles which all compete for our attention. These cues can make healthy choices feel difficult. However, with a few simple strategies, you can shape your environment to support better eating habits:

• Plan ahead
  • Create a weekly meal plan and shopping list before you head to the supermarket. Sticking to your list helps you avoid impulse buys and ensures you have wholesome ingredients on hand.
• Shop the perimeter
  • Most fresh produce, lean proteins and wholegrains are found around the edges of the store. Try to spend more time there and less in the middle aisles, where UPFs often dominate.
• Prep healthy snacks
  •  Wash and chop fruit, vegetables or portion out nuts and seeds at home. Having options easy to hand makes it easier to choose nourishing snacks.
• Read labels wisely
  • Look for products with minimal ingredients, and those you recognise. Also watch out for high levels of added sugar, salt and saturated fat.
• Control convenience at home
  • Keep tempting UPFs out of sight - store them on high shelves or in containers and instead display fresh fruit in a bowl on the counter.
• Use technology
  • Try online grocery shopping or apps that allow you to save favourites and re-order healthy staples quickly, reducing the temptation to click on sugary snacks.

By setting up your surroundings to favour whole and minimally processed foods, you'll find it easier to stick with healthy choices, even when life gets busy.

Simple ways to reduce UPF intake: 

1. Aim to mostly choose whole meats or plant-based alternatives - think tofu, chicken breasts and spicy bean burgers instead of processed meats like sausages, bacon or nuggets. 
2. Choose wholegrain versions of bread, pasta and cereals 
3. Keep healthy snacks like fruit, nuts, seeds, or popcorn close 
4. Swap sugary drinks for still or sparkling water infused with fresh fruit or a splash of squeezed lemon or juice, providing flavour without added sugar. 
5. Choose plain yoghurt with fruit instead of flavoured, sweetened versions 
6. Read labels and try to limit foods with long lists of unfamiliar ingredients 

You don't have to avoid ultra-processed foods entirely, but eating less of them and choosing more nourishing, whole foods can support appetite control, balanced energy and healthy weight over time.

Support your gut health

Your gut microbiome is the community of trillions of bacteria living in your digestive system. A healthy, diverse microbiome helps break down food, absorb nutrients, supports your immune system and even influences your mood. Keeping these helpful microbes happy can lead to better digestion, stronger immunity and overall wellbeing.

How to support your gut microbiome

• Eat plenty of fibre-rich plants
  • Fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans and pulses are full of fibre and plant nutrients that feed your gut good bacteria.
• Vary your fruits and vegetables
  • Different plants contain different types of fibre and plant compounds. The more colours and types you eat, such as leafy greens, berries, root vegetables and pulses - the more varied the nourishment for your gut.
• Include prebiotic foods
  • Prebiotics are special types of fibre that help good bacteria grow. Try:
    • Onions, garlic, leeks and asparagus
    • Bananas (especially just ripe ones)
    • Oats and barley
    • Apples and chicory root
• Add probiotic foods
  • These contain live beneficial bacteria. Examples include:
    • Natural yoghurt or kefir
    • Unsweetened sauerkraut, kimchi or other fermented vegetables
    • Tempeh and miso

Simple ideas to get started

• Start your day with porridge topped with berries and a spoonful of live yoghurt, like plain Greek yoghurt
• Snack on hummus with raw vegetable sticks or fruit with a handful of nuts
• Swap plain water for water with a slice of ginger or apple
• Batch-cook a mixed-bean salad or lentil stew for the week

By eating a rainbow of plant foods and including both prebiotic and probiotic options, you'll help your gut stay healthy, supporting digestion, immunity and long-term health.

How to work out portion sizes

The key to eating a balanced diet is to eat a wide variety of foods in appropriate amounts. Making healthier choices involves consuming some foods more often, and in larger amounts, than others. Eating too much or not enough of any type of food can increase your risk of health problems.

For each food group (fruits and vegetables, dairy, etc) there are recommendations for how much of each you should be eating. It's common for the recommended portion sizes of certain foods to be listed in grams.

Eating the correct size portion doesn't mean weighing everything you eat. But it can be helpful to familiarise yourself with what a portion is.

How to measure a portion

There are many ways to measure what is the correct portion to be eating. One way is to use household items such as spoons and cups.

Another way is to use your hands to help you work out suitable portion sizes for each of the food groups. The example image below demonstrates this.

Here is a rough guide to portion sizes using your hands as a measure.

Fruit and vegetables

• A portion of fruit should fit in the palm of your hand
• A portion of vegetables should fit in the palms of both hands

Starchy foods (carbohydrates)

• A portion of starchy food (carbohydrates) should fit in the palm of your hand

Meat, fish and beans

• A portion of red meat should fit in the palm of your hand
• A portion of fish or chicken should be the size of your hand
• A portion of beans should fit in the palm of your hand

Dairy and alternatives

• A portion of cheese should be the length of two fingers
• A portion of butter should be the size of your fingertip

Further information 

There are other resources around portion sizes that you may find useful:

• The British Heart Foundation has a portion size guide to help you with each of the food groups. 
• The Eatwell Guide contains information recommended by the NHS and Public Health England. It has particularly good information on fruit and vegetable portion sizes.
• The Association for Dieticians has a visual guide to show what each portion may look like.

Eat breakfast

Some people skip breakfast. But if you don't eat a healthy breakfast you'll be missing out on important nutrients and fibre.

Eating breakfast also means you're more likely to feel full and avoid eating unhealthy snacks later to fill yourself up.

Choose healthier ways to cook 

The way you prepare and cook food can influence the nutritional value of your meals. Even when choosing nutritious ingredients, the way they are cooked impacts how much goodness they retain.

Different techniques offer various benefits, from preserving nutrients to enhancing flavour and efficiency in meal preparation. Below are some common cooking methods and their key features.  

Steaming

Steaming keeps food separate from water, preserving its nutrients, colour, and texture. Depending on the type of steamer used, whether electric, stovetop or bamboo, it can also be an energy efficient way to cook.

Stir-frying

Cooking quickly in a small amount of oil helps retain texture and natural goodness. Stir-frying not only helps retain nutrients but can also help the body absorb certain vitamins when combined with healthy fats. Using oils like olive oil and rapeseed oil, which contain unsaturated fats, can provide additional benefits. 

For best results, choose oils with a high smoke point, such as refined olive oil or rapeseed oil, to ensure stability at higher temperatures. Measuring oil with a spoon or using spray alternatives helps control the amount used. 

Microwaving

Microwaving is a time saving method that uses less power than an oven. Short cooking times may help retain the original flavours and beneficial properties of ingredients.

Ensure all containers used are microwave safe.

Baking

While some cooking methods, like stir-frying, benefit from oils that can withstand high temperatures, others like baking often require little to no oil, making them naturally lower in fat. You can bake chicken, fish, and vegetables in greaseproof paper or foil parcels with just a splash of water or reduced salt stock for moisture.

For foods that need some oil, such as roast potatoes, parboiling them first and then baking with a small amount of oil can help keep the dish lighter (use less oil or fat).

Air frying

Air frying is a quick cooking method that mimics deep frying using hot air. It speeds up cooking time, requires little to no preheating, and can be used to prepare vegetables, meats, and baked goods while achieving a crispy finish. This makes it a popular way to experiment with different recipes and flavours. 

Slow cooking

Slow cookers allow for meals to be prepared with minimal effort while making the most of cost-effective ingredients. This method is ideal for cooking hearty stews, soups, and curries, allowing for batch cooking and freezing portions for later. 

Boiling

Boiling is a low-fat method, but some vitamins are lost in the water. Using less water can help preserve them.

To reduce waste, consider saving vegetable cooking water to use as stock for soups or sauces.

Grilling

Grilling enhances flavour while allowing excess fat to drain away. However, cooking at high temperatures can cause some nutrient loss.

Marinate food using ingredients like lemon juice, herbs, and spices to boost flavour without adding fat. 

Frying

Frying is the least healthy method of cooking. Adding fat increases the calories of food and the high heat can destroy a lot of the nutrients. It's best to limit foods cooked in this way.

Cookery courses

Norfolk County Council Adult Learning offer an array of life skills cookery courses. This includes slow cooking and cooking on a budget. Please see our Adult Learning life skills cooking courses for more information.

Choosing healthier foods to cook

Now that you know the healthiest way to cook, see Following the Eatwell Guide at home. This will give you some ideas on what healthy foods to choose.

Cost-effective ways to make the most of food 

How you use ingredients can reduce waste, save money, and support sustainability. Choosing wisely and preparing food thoughtfully ensures you make the most of what you have while maintaining nutritional value.

Making the most of meat and offal 

Choosing a variety of cuts can make meals more affordable and nutritious while reducing waste. Minced meat can be extended with chickpeas or lentils, adding protein and making meals more substantial. Bones are excellent for creating a rich stock, providing beneficial compounds that may not always be present in everyday meals. Traditionally, people have used every part of an animal to extract valuable nutrients, making stock a resourceful and nourishing addition to cooking. 

Offal such as liver, kidney, and heart are becoming more popular again, with a growing interest in nose-to-tail cooking. These cuts are packed with essential vitamins and minerals, offering a sustainable way to diversify meals. Rather than relying on the familiar selections available in a packet, incorporating a wider range of ingredients can bring rich flavours and added nutritional benefits to meals. 

Plant-based cooking & budget-friendly choices

Eating more plant-based meals can be nourishing, adaptable, and budget-friendly. Many ingredients, such as pulses and frozen vegetables, are widely available and help keep costs down. There's also the option of purchasing 'wonky veg' or 'too good to waste' boxes often at discounted prices. This type of produce doesn't meet the strict cosmetic standards but it's perfectly edible and it is often available as a box delivery, in local farm shops and in many large supermarkets.  

Fruits and vegetables in season can often be the best value. Eating seasonally means eating foods that are naturally in harvest at that time of year. It's also a great way to add variety to your diet throughout the year. Locally produced seasonal food can be tasty and healthy as nutrients and flavours have fully developed. Have a look at this month-by-month guide to eating seasonally.

Several initiatives in Norfolk are working to make fruit and vegetable growing accessible to the community, often involving local council parks and community spaces. Projects range from residents being provided with free seeds to grow at home, raised beds with herbs and salad leaves in local parks for anyone to pick, to community food growing orchards.

Renting an allotment from the local or parish council can be a great way to save money on groceries, particularly on fruits and vegetables, by growing your own produce. While there's an initial investment in seeds, tools, and plot rental, the long-term savings on produce can be substantial, particularly if you grow a variety of seasonal crops.  

While tinned options offer convenience and nutrition, dried varieties can be bought in bulk and soaked before cooking, making them a more economical choice. Frozen fruit and vegetables also help reduce waste, lasting longer with minimal preparation while providing year-round access to a variety of produce. They're great in a smoothie which can be a great start to the day! 

Preserving food to reduce waste

Reducing food waste is beneficial for both sustainability and budgeting. One effective approach is batch cooking, which involves preparing meals in larger quantities and freezing portions for later use. This not only saves time but ensures leftovers don't go to waste. 

Another simple method is pickling and preserving vegetables using basic ingredients and a clean, reused jar, allowing you to enjoy them for much longer.  Due to the high salt content in these types of foods, it's best to consume them alongside fresher low salt options as part of a balanced diet. 

Additionally, drying or dehydrating fruits, herbs and meats can significantly extend their shelf life, making them ideal for healthy snacks or long-term storage. 

Reducing food waste in Norfolk

Food Savvy Norfolk helps residents reduce food waste, save money, and celebrate good food. The campaign specifically targets vegetables and salads as some of the most wasted food items.  For some tips and hacks on planning meals, storing food and turning leftover food into something delicious to save money and make a shop last longer have a look at Food Savvy.

For other guidance see Reduce your waste.

Struggling to afford healthy food

You may be struggling with living costs for a range of reasons and we have guidance if you are struggling to afford food.

Knowledge NoW host resources on eating well for less. These include financial support, foodbanks and food hubs, budget-friendly recipes and tips, shopping smart, reducing food waste, and ideas for plant-based alternatives.
 

Find healthy recipes

There are plenty of healthy recipes available on the internet. These can help give you some ideas for how to make healthier meals.

Why not have a look at:

• Change 4 Life - Healthy recipes has a range of recipes grouped together by mealtimes. You can search for dinner, breakfast, and lunch box ideas.
• Recipes - Healthier Families - NHS - This site aims to provide tasty, healthy, affordable family recipes with easy step-by-step guides.
• Veg Power - This site has a vast range of healthy, vegetable-based recipes. They're organised by vegetable type, so you can find recipes to use whatever you have in the fridge.
• British Heart Foundation - Their healthy recipe finder is a search engine. You can look up recipes for specific dietary requirements, mealtimes, cuisines, and cooking times.

Find healthy recipes with Norfolk libraries

Norfolk Libraries have cookbooks you can borrow if you're looking for healthy recipes. You can search the catalogue to find something to suit you. You can also search for eBooks.

Learn how to cook healthy meals

Adult Learning offer healthy cooking classes across Norfolk, which include cooking on a budget and slow cooking sessions. See what classes are on offer.

How to read food labels

Understanding food labels helps us make healthier choices. Whether you're checking the physical packaging or using the NHS Food Scanner app, knowing what to look for can guide you towards a more balanced diet.

In the UK, food packaging must include key details like the name of the food, ingredients, allergens, and nutritional information. While they are not legally required, many supermarkets and food manufacturers voluntarily include traffic light labels to support informed choices, transparency and encourage healthier eating habits.

Not all foods have labels

Many healthy foods don't require packaging, so they won't have labels. Fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices are great examples. These foods are naturally nutritious and don't need added ingredients, making them a smart and wholesome choice.

Traffic light labels

Traffic light labels provide a quick way to assess a product's nutritional content. They display the number of calories and kilojoules, along with red, amber, and green markers to indicate whether a food has high, medium, or low amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugars, and salt - helping you to make quick healthy food choices:

• Green = Low: healthier choice
• Amber = Medium: go steady
• Red = High: every now and again

Most traffic light labels will show a mix of colours. Try to choose food and drinks with more green and amber labels and fewer with red. It's okay to eat foods with red labels sometimes, just try to have them in smaller amounts.

Why not check the traffic light labels on some of your favourite foods and see what colours they have? 

Nutritional label

Producers must include the nutritional value on any pre-packed food they sell in the UK. This is a legal requirement.

On the back of food packets, you should find a label that looks like the example on this page.

Information is given in terms of 100g or 100ml of the food for the following nutrients:

• Energy (in kilojoules or calories)
• Protein (in grams)
• Carbohydrate (in grams)
• Fat (in grams)

It may also show:

• Sugars (in grams)
• Saturates (in grams)
• Fibre (in grams)
• Sodium (in grams)

Sodium and salt

Sodium and salt are not quite the same. If the label only gives sodium, you can work out the amount of salt in it by multiplying the total sodium by 2.5.

For example, 1g of sodium per 100g is 2.5g of salt per 100g. To learn more about how much you should aim to eat of these nutrient and food groups, see What is healthy eating: the Eatwell guide.

List of ingredients

Almost all pre-packed food with more than one ingredient must list the individual ingredients on the back of the pack.

Ingredients are usually listed in order of how big a percentage they are in the food. This means that the ingredients listed first make up most of the product you are buying.

Using the NHS Food Scanner App

The NHS Food Scanner app brings food labels to life and helps you make healthier choices. Simply scan the barcode to see how much sugar, saturated fat, and salt is in your food and drink, then choose one of the healthier swap suggestions. 

NHS Food Scanner app - Healthier Families - NHS

Examples of labels

This label tells us that this product is red (high) in sugars, amber (medium) in salt and green (low) in fat and saturated fat. Traffic light information can be given as per 100g or as per portion or serving. If it's per 100g, you can compare similar products if they also have per 100g information. If it's per portion or serving, then you can't compare, as portions sizes can vary.

For some great further tips on understanding food labels including detail on portion sizes and whether the label's portion size is relevant for you, see the British Heart Foundation's 10 tips for understanding food labels.

This label shows information about energy, fats, carbohydrates, sugars, fibre, protein and salt. The label gives information per 100g (at number 1), and per portion or serving (at number 2). It also shows, beside the number 3, that there are 16 servings in this product.

Drink plenty of water

Staying hydrated by drinking enough water is essential for your health and for the body to work properly. It also helps you to get all the benefits from a healthy diet.

Water can help digest food and transport nutrients around your body.

Cut down on saturated fat

There are several types of fats to look out for when trying to eat healthily. Eatwell guidelines state a small amount of fat is an important part of a healthy, balanced diet.

But too much saturated fat is particularly bad for our health. For example, it can lead to heart disease and weight gain. 

Learning how to read and use food labels is also a good way to ensure you keep levels of saturated fats low.

We've listed some common foods that we should be looking out for that contain saturated fats. We've then suggested some healthier swaps for you to consider making.

For more advice, go to Following the Eatwell guide at home.

Food swaps to cut down on fat

Fruit and vegetables

• Food to watch out for: Deep fried fruit (such as pineapple or apple fritters) and vegetables.
• Instead choose: Fresh fruit and vegetables, raw or cooked in healthier ways, vegetable juices.

• Food to watch out for: Salads with heavy dressings, such as coleslaw or Caesar salad.
• Instead choose: Salads dressed with vinegar, lemon juice, herbs and small amounts of oil. Low fat natural yoghurt or kefir can also work as a creamy but healthier base for dressings. 

Starchy foods (carbohydrates)

• Food to look out for: Bread with a lot of butter on.
• Instead choose: Bread (wholegrain where possible) with butter spread thin or not at all. You could try a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, smashed avocado or nut butter with no added sugar as healthier plant-based toppings.

• Food to look out for: Fried rice and fried noodles cooked in oil.
• Instead choose: Boiled rice or noodles, and for rice, choose vegetable-based sauces.

• Food to look out for: Potatoes mashed or roasted with cream, butter or dripping.
• Instead choose: Steamed potatoes or roasted with no or low-fat oils. You could also try having mashed potatoes with low fat milk or a small amount of plain Greek yoghurt.

Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins

• Foods to look out for: Processed meats such as sausages, burgers, meatballs, bacon. Also pasties, meat pies or sausage rolls.
• Instead choose: Vegan sausage rolls, low-fat alternatives, home-made burgers and meatballs using less than 5% fat mince. Also check labels of processed meats, pasties and pies and eat in moderation.

• Foods to look out for: Fatty meats such as lamb, belly pork, duck or goose or chicken with skin.
• Instead choose: Lean cuts of meat such as pork, ham, beef, game, veal, rabbit or venison, with skin removed and fat cut off.

• Foods to watch out for: Crumbed or deep-fried fish or meat (such as chicken nuggets).
• Instead choose: Fish or cuts of meat that you grill, steam or poach, and add no extra fat when cooking. Air fry or bake crumbed meats (such as chicken nuggets) if eating and check the label for the varieties lower in saturated fats.

• Foods to watch out for: Eggs fried or cooked with butter, dripping.
• Instead choose: Boiled, poached or scrambled eggs with low fat milk.

• Foods to watch out for: Coconut products such as cream, milk or oil.
• Instead choose: Reduced-fat coconut products.

• Foods to watch out for: Peanut butter or peanuts roasted in salt and oil.
• Instead choose: Other nuts or seeds in small quantities (such as pistachio, walnut) not roasted in salt or oil.

• Foods to watch out for: Dishes that use large amounts of ghee (clarified butter), such as some traditional Indian recipes. For example, lentil-based dishes like dahl can be high in saturated fat depending on how they're prepared .
• Instead choose: Use ghee in smaller amounts and/or combine it heart healthy oils like rapeseed or olive oil when cooking. Choose Tandoori-style dishes or vegetable style curries with pulses like lentils, chickpeas or beans that are simmered with spices rather than fried.

Milk, dairy and alternatives

• Foods to look out for: Full fat or extra cream milks, evaporated or condensed milks.
• Instead choose: Lower fat milk or alternatives, such as soy, oat or almond with no added sugar. 

• Foods to look out for: All kinds of full-fat creams including single, double, whipped or sour cream. Cream substitutes like crème fraiche.
• Instead choose: Lower-fat alternatives, unless using occasionally in dishes when only a small amount is needed.

• Foods to look out for: Hard cheeses such as stilton, Cheddar, Double Gloucester. Soft cheeses such as goats cheese, brie, camembert, cream cheese, mascarpone.
• Instead choose: Lower fat, softer cheeses such as low-fat cottage cheese, ricotta, quark. Stronger cheeses can be used in smaller amounts to add flavour without using too much.

Other foods or drinks high in sugar and fats

• Foods to look out for: Butter, lard, ghee, suet and dripping. Spreads such as margarine with any hydrogenated oil in the ingredients list.
• Instead choose: Low fat, unsaturated spreads, plant-based spreads.

• Foods to look out for: Many types of salad dressings such as mayonnaise, salad dressing, blue cheese dressing. Cream-based sauces. Gravies made from cooking fat.
• Instead choose: Low-fat salad dressings. Dressings based on yoghurts rather than creams and cheeses. Cornflour-based sauces.

• Foods to look out for: Oils - particularly those that have been reheated several times.
• Instead choose: Oils with lower amounts of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated unsaturated fats. This includes rapeseed, olive, sunflower or soy oils.

• Foods to look out for: Many cakes, biscuits and puddings, particularly if using cream or pastry. Flapjacks, tray bakes and currant squares. Chocolates (milk or plain). Sweets.
• Instead choose: oat or fruit-based snacks with minimal or no added fat or sugar, very dark chocolate, fruit, milk-based puddings or sorbets.

• Foods to watch out for: Creamy dips and fried snacks such as samosas, crisps.
• Instead choose: Tomato-based dips or hummus with vegetables. Air popped popcorn or roasted chickpeas can work as crunchy alternatives.

Food swap ideas

Making better food choices, whether to lose weight or improve your health, can be as simple as making some healthy food swaps.

There might be several areas of your diet you are thinking about changing. Our food quiz will show you which areas of your eating you might want to change first.

We know that sometimes it can be helpful to 'swap' a food item you regularly eat for something a little healthier, rather than cut it out altogether.

Below we have listed some ideas for 'swaps' that may be helpful for you. Some suggestions you may have thought of before but may not have tried.

You may want to think about including a swap idea in your healthy eating goal that you set yourself this week.

Try swapping these foods for healthier alternatives

Starchy foods (carbohydrates)

• White bread - swap for granary bread, wholemeal pittas, oatcakes, chapattis made with wholemeal flour
• Breakfast cereals - swap for porridge, yoghurt with fruit, wholegrain cereal (with no added sugar and not sugar coated, such as Weetabix, muesli, Fruit 'n' Fibre)
• Roast potatoes - swap for steamed new potatoes or sweet potatoes
• Mashed potato - swap for mashed sweet potato, carrot, swede or butternut squash
• White pasta or rice - swap for wholemeal versions, quinoa, couscous, bulgar, or finely chopped cauliflower
• Deep-fried chips - swap for a jacket potato or oven or air-fried versions

Meat, fish and alternatives

• Red meat - swap for chicken, turkey, oily fish or tofu
• Beef mince - swap for pork, turkey or Textured Vegetable Protein (available in different brands, or loose in some store - it has a mince like texture)
• Baked beans - swap for low sugar and salt versions
• Crumbed or battered fish - swap for white fish not in crumbs or batter or oily fish
• Fried egg - swap for poached egg or scrambled eggs

Dairy

• Cream - swap for natural yoghurt, skimmed or semi-skimmed milk
• Butter - swap for olive oil or nut butter (with no added sugar)
• Cheese - swap for low fat versions, cottage cheese, quark

Oils, spreads and condiments

• Full-fat mayo - swap for low-fat versions, mustard, vinaigrette, balsamic vinegar
• Salt - swap for garlic, herbs

Snacks high in fat or sugar

• Ice cream - swap for vegan or dairy free sorbet, or frozen fruit with Greek yoghurt
• Shortcrust pastry - swap for a lower fat alternative or filo pastry
• Desserts (general) - swap for plain yoghurt, tinned or fresh fruit, baked apple or steamed pear
• Crisps - swap for pretzels, unbuttered popcorn, unsalted nuts, crispbread, crackers, crudites (raw vegetables), vegetable crisps, rice cakes
• Chocolate bar - swap for granola bar, fruit, or a bar high in cocoa content
• Flavoured nuts (peanuts, cashews) - swap for roasted chickpeas, air popped corn

Healthy menu ideas

It can be tricky knowing where to begin when starting a healthy eating plan. You might get some ideas by seeing what a healthy diet for a day can look like.

It might also keep you motivated to see that it's not too hard to start making some changes.

Healthy eating doesn't mean having to eat boring, tasteless food. It can mean new foods, new cooking methods, new flavours and new tastes - you may wonder why you haven't done it before.

We've based the examples below on a diet that follows the Eatwell guidance. This is from Public Health England and endorsed by the NHS.

One of the best ways to make changes to your healthy eating is by making small changes first. Then gradually add more and more changes until you have a full day of exciting new healthy foods.

See Following the Eatwell Guide at home for more ideas for how to make sensible, gradual changes to what you eat.

Ideas for a day of healthy eating

Day 1 example

• Breakfast: Porridge made with semi-skimmed or 1% milk; handful of berries and a sprinkle of mixed seeds, glass of water with a splash of squeezed lemon.
• Morning snack: Fresh apple sliced and spread with a heaped teaspoon of unsweetened nut butter. Cup of herbal tea.
• Lunch: Grilled chicken and salad wholegrain wrap (including lettuce, half an avocado, cucumber), with low-fat yoghurt dressing. 2 plums.
• Afternoon snack: Hummus or butterbean dip and vegetables.
• Evening meal: Low fat beef-mince meatballs, wholemeal spaghetti and a homemade sauce with a side of steamed green vegetables. Go to the NHS Meatballs and tomato sauce - Recipes - Healthier Families - NHS for an example recipe.

Day 2 example

• Breakfast: 2 slices of wholemeal toast with low salt peanut butter; 150ml glass of pure, unsweetened orange juice.
• Morning snack: Homemade low fat/ low sugar blueberry and oatmeal muffin. Go to Blueberry and banana muffins - Recipes - Healthier Families - NHS for an example recipe. Cup of tea with semi-skimmed milk.
• Lunch: Slice of homemade vegetarian pizza (mushroom, tomatoes, peppers, feta, sweetcorn) with a salad with olive oil and lemon dressing. 1 satsuma.
• Afternoon snack: Handful of unsalted almonds and a pear.
• Evening meal: Roast dinner with lean chicken, roasted new baby potatoes with spray olive oil, low-salt gravy, steamed broccoli, cabbage, peas and carrots.

Beware of hidden food offenders

For some types of foods, it's easy to see if they're a healthy choice to eat, like fruit and vegetables. There are some foods though, that can have hidden amounts of unhelpful ingredients like sugars, fats and salts.

If you don't know about these 'hidden offenders', you might be eating more sugars, fats and salts than you realise. This means you're undoing some of the good work you're doing by trying to eat more healthily.

The recommended amount of added sugar you should be having per day is 30g for an adult, about 7 sugar cubes. 'Added sugars' mean sources of sugar which don't occur naturally in foods. These are added during the preparation or packaging of food.

The recommended amount of salt you should be having per day is 6g for an adult, or about 1 teaspoon.

See What is healthy eating: the Eatwell Guide for more information.

The NHS also has some further information about foods high in added sugars and salt.

To learn more about how to spot these offenders like sugar, fats and salts, see our tip to reading food labels (above).

Below is a list of some common 'hidden offender' foods.

Foods that can have hidden amounts of added sugar and salt

Fizzy, carbonated drinks

Most people know cola has sugar in it, but it might surprise you to know just how much.

One 500ml bottle of cola (the bottles often sold as part of lunch meal deals) has as much as 17 cubes of sugar.

Fruit yoghurts

Many dairy-based foods also contain high amounts of sugar and fats. This includes fruit yoghurts.

Be aware that 'lower fat' versions of foods like yoghurts often make up for taste by adding extra sugar. Sugar and fat tend to make foods taste good.

Flavoured milks (including milkshakes)

These can also have surprisingly high amounts of sugar in them.

One 400ml bottle of flavoured milk (the size of a standard lunch box carton) can contain as much as 9 cubes of sugar.

Fruit juice, cordial or squash

Most of the added sugars we have tend to come from our non-alcoholic drinks. Fruit juice or fruit drinks are another source of high amounts of added sugar.

Fruit contains natural, non-added sugars. But pressing the fruit to make juice releases more added sugar.

This is why fruit juice or fruit drinks are often higher in sugars than fruit alone.

Pre-made sauces

Many pre-made sauces, such as ketchup (tomato sauce), pasta and curry sauces or salad cream are savoury, but they have high levels of added sugars.

You could try making you own tomato based pasta sauce - try this recipe from the NHS. 

Pasta sauces and ketchup can also have high amounts of salt as well as added sugars within them. Soy sauce is also one to watch out for.

Crisps

Many types of crisps contain sugar either in their flavouring or within the crisp itself.

Snacks without added flavourings are healthier alternatives. Try unsalted nuts, popcorn, or pretzels.

Alcohol

A lot of people do not include alcohol when thinking about their daily sugar and calorie intake.

Wine can have as many calories and as much sugar as chocolate.

Breads and breakfast cereals

These can contribute a lot of salt to our diet. It's not because they are high in salt but because we tend to eat a lot of these types of food.

Pickled or preserved food

Foods like anchovies, olives, and gherkins are preserved using salt, which helps extend their shelf life, making them a practical choice for reducing food waste and managing your budget. 

Some, like olives, also offer nutritional benefits as they're technically a fruit and contain healthy fats. However, because pickled and preserved foods are often high in salt, it's a good idea to enjoy them in moderation and balance them with fresh or lower-salt options.  Even foods with health benefits can have drawbacks if eaten too often or in large quantities. 

Processed meats

Bacon, sausages, salami and ham also have high amounts of salt added to them too.

You should eat foods such as these less frequently and in small amounts.

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