Make a few simple changes or swaps to the foods and meals you usually like to eat to make your diet a little healthier without missing out. You’ll be amazed at the differences you can make to your energy, fat, sugar and salt intake.
Breakfasts
Fry up: fried streaky bacon, fried sausage, fried egg, fried bread and fried mushrooms.
Grill up: grilled lean bacon (rind removed), grilled fat-reduced sausage (salt reduced), poached egg, wholemeal (or white wholegrain) toast with spread, grilled mushrooms.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 506 | 19.9 | 37.3 | 7.6 | 24.4 | 1.3 | 2.3 |
| 259 | 17.4 | 13.8 | 4.0 | 17.4 | 3.3 | 2.1 |
Bacon s/w: 2 white bread with butter, 3 fried rashers streaky bacon and ketchup.
Healthy BLT: baguette with spread, 3 grilled turkey rashers, sliced tomato and lettuce.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 519 | 20.9 | 33.6 | 16.1 | 36.2 | 1.4 | 4.4 |
| 386 | 23.8 | 12.0 | 2.4 | 48.8 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
Scrambled egg: 2 eggs with butter, whole milk and pinch of salt on a toasted white English muffin with butter.
Low fat eggs: 2 eggs, with 1 tsp. spread, splash of s/s milk, chives or pepper on a toasted wholemeal English muffin with spread.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 543 | 18.8 | 40.9 | 21.4 | 26.4 | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| 378 | 19.4 | 22.0 | 5.1 | 27.1 | 3.3 | 1.2 |
Cereal and toast: bowl of cornflakes, whole milk and sugar with 2 slices of white toast and butter.
Muesli and toast: bowl of unsweetened muesli, semi-skimmed milk, with a slice of wholegrain toast and spread and a glass of orange juice.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 586 | 14.3 | 25.6 | 15.7 | 78.9 | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| 373 | 15.2 | 8.4 | 1.7 | 62.8 | 4.8 | 0.9 |
Grab and go: sugary cereal bar and a sugary drink.
Healthy and go: bottle of fruit smoothie and a banana.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 225 | 2.4 | 5.4 | 1.7 | 44.5 – 18g added sugar | 1.1 | 0 |
| 171 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 43.0 – 0g added sugar | 1.1 | 0 |
Coffee shop: doughnut and cappuccino.
Healthier: skinny latte and fruit scone.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 288 | 5.3 | 14.0 | 5.0 | 37.4 | 0 | 0.4 |
| 169 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 1.4 | 28.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 |
Marmite on toast: 2 slices white toast with butter and Marmite.
Marmite bagel: toasted multigrain bagel with low fat soft cheese and a smear of Marmite
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 298 | 6.6 | 17.5 | 10.6 | 30.6 | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| 248 | 11.8 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 47.0 | 3.9 | 1.5 |
American pancakes: 2 pancakes with Maple syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.
Crumpets: 2 toasted crumpets with spread, a drizzle of honey and sliced banana.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 625 | 7.1 | 34.2 | 17.7 | 75.9 | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| 356 | 6.6 | 7.3 | 1.3 | 70.3 | 0.9 | 0.5 |
Quick cereal: bowl of sugary cereal with milk.
Quick and healthier: instant oats with semi-skimmed milk.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 246 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 5.0 | 37.4 13.2g added sugars |
0.2 | 0.7 |
| 180 | 10.5 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 29.6 2.5g added sugars |
2.2 | .02 |
Croissant: 1 warmed croissant.
Scotch pancakes: 2 warmed Scotch pancakes.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 223 | 5.0 | 11.8 | 5.9 | 26.0 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| 168 | 3.5 | 6.0 | .04 | 26.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 |
Lunches
Baked potato: baked potato with butter and 3 tbsp. grated Cheddar.
Healthier potato: baked potato with small can of baked beans (no salt or sugar) and 1 tbsp. grated half fat Cheddar.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 543 | 18.5 | 28.4 | 17.6 | 57.2 | 4.9 | 1.2 |
| 389 | 20.8 | 4.3 | 2.1 | 74.3 | 10.0 | 1.2 |
Tuna mayo s/w: 2 white bread with butter, 3 tbsp. tuna (canned in brine) mixed with mayonnaise.
Tuna crunch: 2 slices wholegrain bread with spread, 2 tbsp. tuna (canned in water) mixed with 1 tbsp. reduced fat coleslaw with chopped pepper and spring onion.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 530 | 18.2 | 36.7 | 13.6 | 33.6 | 1.4 | 1.7 |
| 283 | 18.0 | 9.4 | 1.7 | 33.8 | 4.5 | 1.1 |
Cornish pastie: 1 large Cornish pastie.
Beef wrap: 1 tortilla wrap, spread with a little mustard, 3 or 4 strips of lean roast beef, mixed leaves and slices of onion.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 694 | 17.2 | 42.4 | 15.3 | 65.0 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| 297 | 20.8 | 7.4 | 1.6 | 36.7 | 2.4 | 1.0 |
Lunchbox chicken: 2 chicken drumsticks.
Chicken salad: Tub of cooked chicken pieces with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions and pepper.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 185 | 25.8 | 9.1 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 |
| 171 | 13.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 25.0 | 3.5 | 0.1 |
Cheese ham s/w: 2 slices white bread with butter, 3 slices of Cheddar and 3 slices of ham.
Healthier: 2 slices of wholegrain bread with spread, 2 tbsp. grated half fat Cheddar and 3 slices of reduced salt ham.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 466 | 19.5 | 29.2 | 17.5 | 33.7 | 1.4 | 2.7 |
| 351 | 22.7 | 16.1 | 5.2 | 30.8 | 3.6 | 1.8 |
Cheese on toast: 2 slices white toast with 6 slices of hard cheese (e.g. Red Leicester).
Panini melt: 1 panini filled with 3 thick slices of Mozzarella and sundried tomatoes.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 518 | 28.1 | 37.5 | 19.7 | 30.4 | 1.2 | 2.3 |
| 334 | 16.2 | 11.5 | 6.0 | 44.2 | 2.7 | 1.4 |
Cupa soup: Instant soup with a buttered white roll.
Chunky soup: Half a carton of fresh vegetable soup with 3 or 4 tbsp. cooked pasta added.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 358 | 7.0 | 15.9 | 8.6 | 50.1 | 1.2 | 4.0 |
| 335 | 12.5 | 5.9 | 0.5 | 54.7 | 5.0 | 1.4 |
Lazy vegetarian’s s/w: 2 slices white bread with butter and chocolate spread.
Healthy vegetarian’s s/w: large wholemeal pitta stuffed with hummus, grated carrot and green pepper.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 375 | 6.6 | 20.2 | 7.5 | 44.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| 368 | 14.1 | 7.0 | 0.1 | 66.4 | 8.4 | 1.2 |
Classic bagel: plain bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon.
Healthy bagel: plain bagel with low fat soft cheese mixed with half a small can of pink salmon and cucumber.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 348 | 16.2 | 12.3 | 6.2 | 46.2 | 1.9 | 2.7 |
| 294 | 18.3 | 5.1 | 1.4 | 47.5 | 2.1 | 1.6 |
Pesto pasta: tub of cooked pasta mixed with pesto sauce, mixed leaves and grated Parmesan.
Pasta salad: tub of cooked pasta mixed with spicy bean salsa, mixed leaves, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and spring onions.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 683 | 29.4 | 42.3 | 12.2 | 49.3 | 2.8 | 1.2 |
| 294 | 18.4 | 8.6 | 2.0 | 40.6 | 6.0 | 1.2 |
Dinners
Fish fingers: 2 fried fish fingers, homemade chips and baked beans.
Fish supper: oven baked fish in light breadcrumb coat, 5% fat oven chips and baked beans (no sugar or salt).
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 759 | 24.3 | 34.9 | 5.1 | 92.8 | 9.8 | 2.9 |
| 528 | 21.0 | 14.9 | 4.7 | 59.2 | 7.6 | 1.6 |
Chinese prawns: sweet and sour prawn balls with fried noodles.
Prawn stir-fry: Tiger prawns stir-fried with vegetables and a little sweet chilli sauce with boiled noodles.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 633 | 22.3 | 47.3 | 21.5 | 31.7 | 4.4 | 3.6 |
| 276 | 24.9 | 4.7 | 0.7 | 35.6 | 4.6 | 0.5 |
Chicken curry: chicken tikka masala with fried rice.
Healthier curry: chicken and vegetable curry in a light spicy tomato based sauce with boiled rice.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 793 | 37.2 | 36.7 | 10.1 | 83.6 | 5.2 | 3.3 |
| 415 | 28.4 | 7.3 | 2.1 | 77.9 | 6.6 | 1.8 |
Spaghetti: carbonara spaghetti with a ham and cheese sauce.
Healthier: spaghetti neopolitana (tomato and basil sauce) or spaghetti bolognaise (lean minced beef with a tomato and onion sauce).
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 702 | 30.1 | 24.9 | 13.8 | 95.4 | 5.1 | 1.5 |
| 537 | 18.4 | 5.6 | 6.8 | 109.4 | 5.5 | 1.5 |
Roast lamb: 3 slices of roast lamb, gravy, cauliflower cheese, 6 small roast potatoes and carrot and broccoli (boiled in salted water).
Roast beef: 3 slices of lean roast beef, gravy, Yorkshire pudding, 3 large roast potatoes, low fat cauliflower cheese (use skimmed milk and half fat cheese), steamed vegetables.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 890 | 54.8 | 54.8 | 23.1 | 47.7 | 6.6 | 3.2 |
| 549 | 43.6 | 20.0 | 3.8 | 52.2 | 6.6 | 2.2 |
Bangers and mash: 2 fried sausages, mashed potato made with milk and butter and onion gravy.
Green bangers: 2 grilled reduced fat sausages, mashed potato made with s/s milk and a dollop of Quark and small can of mushy peas.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 389 | 11.7 | 23.3 | 10.1 | 35.3 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| 301 | 17.9 | 6.3 | 2.0 | 46.1 | 4.1 | 1.9 |
Pie and peas: 1 individual double crusted steak and kidney pie with peas.
Cottage pie: 1 minced beef pie topped with mashed potato and peas.
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 1038 | 33.3 | 64.5 | 25.4 | 86.5 | 7.8 | 4.1 |
| 413 | 19.9 | 17.6 | 7.6 | 46.6 | 7.9 | 2.2 |
Chicken Kiev: 1 oven baked chicken Kiev with 2 potato waffles and small can of sweetcorn.
Healthier: grilled chicken breast with a baked potato (and a dollop of half fat crème fraiche) and a corn on the cob (with a little spread).
Nutrition information
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 829 | 38.4 | 40.8 | 13.6 | 82.4 | 5.3 | 3.5 |
| 560 | 40.8 | 10.8 | 1.9 | 80.4 | 7.5 | 0.4 |
| kcal | protein (g) | fat (g) | sats (g) | carbs (g) | fibre (g) | salt(g) |
| 389 | 30.9 | 14.3 | 5.2 | 36.2 | 6.1 | 1.5 |
| 333 | 25.9 | 12.2 | 2.4 | 32.4 | 4.5 | 0.2 |