Making healthier food choices involves reducing our intake of fats (especially saturated fats), sugars and salt that can increase our risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
Learn about labels
With a little understanding, food labels are a great source of information and can help you make informed choices. Some products claim to be a healthier option when in fact one unhealthy ingredient has been exchanged for another e.g. “low in fat” may be much higher in sugar than the standard product and equally less good for your health. Many food products are now labelled using the traffic light scheme, but even where they aren’t, looking at the nutritional information for a product can help.
Aim to move from products that are mainly in the red zone to those in the amber or green zone:
Red = HIGH - eat less or less often
Amber = MEDIUM - Okay but not all the time
Green = LOW - Okay to eat every day in the right amount
For more information about traffic light nutrition labels visit the British Nutritional Foundation here. Start with small changes
Avoid adding unnecessary fat, sugar or salt to your food
Use vegetable-based oils for cooking, such as olive and sunflower oils. Instead of pouring oil into the pan, measure out a teaspoon of oil and use a pastry brush to coat the pan.
Grill, bake or steam food rather than frying or roasting
Avoid processed foods that add sugar and salt to improve their taste such as ready-made meals. Try making your own from fresh or frozen ingredients – you can usually make more for less and have some to store in your freezer for a healthier “ready meal”.
Cut back gradually, e.g. if you have 2 spoons of sugar in your hot drink try it with one, then none or don’t add table salt to your meal and then try cooking without salt using herbs and spices to add flavour instead.
Check that you're eating the recommended portion size. The portion size on the packet may be less than you would normally eat.
Food swap ideas
Swap:
Red meat
for
Poultry - chicken or turkey (skin removed)
Fish
Eggs
Beans and pulses
Quorn
Swap:
Full fat milk
Cheese from cow's milk
Cream
Ice cream
Mayonnaise
for
Semi-skimmed milk, skimmed milk or 1% milk
Cheese from goat's milk
Single cream (not double)
Frozen yoghurt
Tzatziki (yoghurt dressing)
Swap:
White bread, rice & pasta
for
Wholegrain varieties
Swap:
Pastry
Pies
Sausage rolls
for
Pies or flans with a lid or case - not both
Sausage on a wholemeal roll
Swap:
Cakes
Biscuits
Sugar-coated cereals
Chocolate & sweets
Sugary drinks
for
Scones (buttered)
Rice cakes
Porridge or wholegrain cereal
Dried fruit and nuts
No added sugar options
Swap:
Crisps
Salted nuts
for
Popcorn (unsalted)
Unsalted nuts
Vegetable sticks
Our sources and for more information: https://www.nhs.uk/ https://www.bhf.org.uk/ https://www.diabetes.org.uk/ https://www.nutrition.org.uk/
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