The cornerstone of any healthy diet is ensuring you eat foods from all of the five main food groups across each week. So that’s fruit and vegetables (aim for at least five portions a day), starchy carbohydrates (potatoes, bread, rice and pasta- choose wholegrain varieties for extra fibre), dairy or dairy alternatives (when choosing dairy-free look for products that have been fortified with calcium), protein (pulses, tofu, eggs, lean meat, fish) and unsaturated fats (oils and spreads, only eaten in small amounts).
Variety is key, so try and eat a range of foods from each group to get a wide range of different nutrients, and avoid consuming too much sugar, salt and saturated fat. 

For more recipe ideas and inspiration for nourishing meals and snacks see our 'Eating a balanced diet' blog. 

 

When you’re tired and hungry at the end of a busy day it can be all too tempting to order a takeaway or reach for the nearest snack, rather than spend time rustling up a healthy homemade dinner. But when it comes to trying to stick to a healthy balanced diet, nothing beats cooking from scratch so you can understand what’s really going into your food. 

Spending a bit of time planning and shopping for meals for the week ahead makes eating well much more achievable, and has numerous benefits- both for your health, and your wallet. Dishes like curries, stews and chilis that can be batch-cooked in advance and portioned out make the ideal fuss-free midweek meal. Meal planning also helps minimise food waste, as you find new ways to turn one meal’s leftover ingredients into tomorrow’s lunch- making some mirepoix or kale kimchi is a brilliant way to use up leftover veg and will give any dish a nutritional boost.
 

We all know it’s important to drink plenty of water, but do you know why? Your hydration levels can affect everything from your mood and memory to your ability to focus, be active and digest food. 

Try to drink between six to eight glasses every day, and avoid sugar-laden fizzy drinks and juices that are often high in calories. Keep a large bottle of water at your desk or in your bag to remind you to sip regularly, and remember that lower fat milk and tea and coffee (without added sugar) can all count towards your daily fluid intake too.
 

If you haven’t already it’s time to wake up to the benefits of starting your day with a healthy, balanced breakfast. Not only will it put a spring in your step, eating breakfast will also kickstart your metabolism, help stabilise your blood sugar levels and improve your concentration and productivity levels. 

Breakfast is perhaps even more important if you’re trying to maintain a healthy weight. Eating something that contains plenty of fibre, like this delicious bircher muesli , or protein, like this omega-3 rich berry chia seed porridge, will leave you feeling fuller for longer, and less tempted to snack during the day. And even if you’ve overslept there’s no excuse to rush out of the door on an empty stomach; you can whizz up a vitamin-packed smoothie in your blender in just five minutes, while these breakfast bars are perfect to grab and go.