Everyday nutrition in the UK

Use the Eatwell Guide across the week

The Eatwell Guide shows the mix of food groups that make up a balanced diet. Look at what you eat over a day or a week. A quick breakfast, a shop-bought lunch and a home-cooked dinner can all fit into that picture.

At your main meals, start with a starchy food such as potatoes, wholemeal bread, brown rice or wholewheat pasta. Add some vegetables and a source of protein such as beans, eggs, fish, tofu or lean meat. Include milk, yoghurt or suitable dairy alternatives across the day. If you buy plant drinks, check the label for unsweetened options with added calcium.

Try a jacket potato with cottage cheese and broccoli, or wholewheat pasta with tomato, lentils and spinach. If there’s a meal you already cook most weeks, it’s a good place to start.

Build a weekly shop around ingredients you can reuse

Check the freezer, fridge and cupboards first. Pick two or three meals that share ingredients, then buy enough to make those meals. For example, a bag of carrots can go into lentil soup, roast alongside chicken or chickpeas, and fill out a lunch box.

Keep a few options for the nights you get home late. Frozen mixed vegetables, tinned tomatoes, beans and wholewheat pasta are easy to turn into a quick dinner. If you only need a handful of vegetables at a time, a frozen bag lets you use what you need and keep the rest for next time.

Compare the price per kilogram or litre where shops display it. A bigger pack may cost less per portion if you can use it up or freeze it in time.

Pack a lunch that fits your working day

Plan around the break you actually get. If you have access to a fridge and a microwave, soup with wholemeal toast is one option. If you need something you can eat cold, try a wholemeal wrap with hummus, grated carrot and peppers, with a piece of fruit on the side. Check how you’ll keep chilled foods cold until lunch.

Keep a spare option where you’ll use it, such as oatcakes and an unopened tin of soup at work if there’s somewhere to heat it. Keep a drink nearby as well. The NHS gives six to eight cups or glasses of fluid a day as a general guide, and water, unsweetened tea and coffee also count.

Compare similar foods on the label

If you’re deciding between two soups or pasta sauces, look at the nutrition figures per 100g. That gives you the same basis for comparison, even if the packs use different serving sizes. Check the portion you’re likely to eat as well. A tin that lists half a can as a serving may be your whole lunch.

Traffic-light colours, where shown, offer a quick way to compare fat, saturates, sugars and salt. Use the figures that matter to your choice. For instance, the per-100g salt value makes it easier to compare two tins of soup, while the ingredients list helps you check what’s in each one.

Choose one change for the week ahead

Pick a meal you have regularly and make one change you can repeat. Add frozen peas to your pasta, take a pear with your packed lunch or keep wholemeal bread in the freezer for a quick meal. Once that feels easy, look at the next part of your week where a bit of planning would help.

• Find out what counts towards your 5 A Day
• Read the guide to fibre and everyday meals
• Build a daily wellness routine you can keep