How can I eat more healthy food?

What are the benefits of eating healthily?

We all know that healthy eating is better for us – it’s in the name. Eating good food, in the right amounts, is called a balanced diet. Healthy eating means that we’re less likely to develop diseases in later life, and – along with being active – contributes to our being able to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Not got a lot of time? Check out seven top tips for healthy eating. There’s also a lot of information and misinformation about healthy eating. Want the facts about issues like veganism, food rumours and how food and mood are connected? Get your information from reliable sources – the NHS has information on all this and more.

How do I know if something is healthy to eat?

The Eatwell Guide has been created by the NHS to help us understand what kinds of food we should eat in order to eat a balanced diet.

Food labels are on most pre-packed food products and tell you more information about ingredients we need to keep an eye on, such as salt, sugars and fats. The front of the package will often have some basic information, and on the back or sides you might find more detailed facts about the ingredients. Understanding what these numbers mean can help you choose between different food products to make sure that you are eating a balanced diet. If you have access to a mobile phone, you can investigate more for yourself by downloading and using the free NHS Food Scanner app. Scan the barcodes on the packaged food that you have at home, and learn how healthy (or not!) it is using the “Traffic Lights” system. You don’t need to log in or have an account to use the app.

I snack a lot – what can I eat instead of crisps and biscuits?

Snacking can keep us going between meals – but we mustn’t eat food that leaves us wanting more, too quickly. If you want to have a snack in between your meals -it can be a great way to include some veg or fruit- such as having a banana or an apple, some vegetable sticks with a dip, some lentil dahl with chapatti or small portion of rice/pasta/cous cous with veg sauce. If you’re out and about and are feeling peckish – some places sell filled rolls/barms- choosing options with extra salad can be another easy way to increase our veg intake. Look out for other snack options such as boiled egg protein pots, carrot sticks with hummus and also fruit.

 We’re learning more about how many ultra-processed foods (for example, breakfast cereals or ready meals) are having harmful effects on our health and the importance of being careful about what we eat.  An apple, plain yoghurt with berries, toast or crumpet with spread or sticks of carrot with hummus can help to tide us over but it’s also important to enjoy your food. Where you can, try choose less processed/more natural foods.

There are lots of ideas online for healthy snacks. Learn how to swap out your usual snacks for healthier options, put “healthy snack ideas” into Google or Bing or have a look at the ones suggested by the NHS Healthier Families website or the British Nutrition Foundation.

How can I start cooking healthily at home?

Whether you are starting to cook with your family, or learning how to cook for yourself, there’s a lot of help online. If you’re learning how to cook, you will be getting used to knowing how to use equipment, weigh ingredients and handle food safely. You might want to check out these videos that can help you get things right from the outset, with some added recipe ideas on videos at the end for meals and snacks.

Want to get inspiration for how to use your new cooking skills? Social media is crammed with healthy recipes – just search or follow the algorithm on Instagram or TikTok and see if anything tempts you. Trusted sites like BBC Good Food have many budget-healthy recipes you could talk to your family about trying out at home, like this chicken and leek stir-fry. The NHS’ Healthier Families website also has a ton of easy recipes you could try out with your family. And you could see if you’d like to try any of Jamie Oliver’s healthy recipes. Go exploring!

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