Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health. This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain health and a healthy body weight.

Aim to….

• eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day – fresh/tinned/frozen
• base meals on wholegrain bread, rice, pasta and potatoes
• have dairy or dairy alternatives daily (eg soya, nut or coconut based yogurts, milk and cheeses)
• eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and nuts and other protein.
• choose unsaturated oils and spreads in small amounts
• drink plenty of fluids – especially water

Eating a healthy nutritious diet doesn’t need to be expensive – here are some tips to help feed your family for less….

1. Plan meals ahead
2. Cook in bulk and freeze leftovers (if not using the next day) to prevent wastage
3. Buy fruit and vegetables in season
4. Buy frozen fruit and vegetables
5. Visit the Market at the end of the day and buy the £1 bowls – if buying large amounts chop up and store in the freezer so they are ready to go when you need them
6. Take a packed lunch to work and on days out with the family
7. Try ‘value’ supermarket brands
8. Reduce meat and fish meals and instead have more meals using beans, lentils and chick peas
9. Reduce number of snack and take-away foods
10. Use ‘value’ wholegrain cereals and ‘value’ wholegrain breads/pitta’s
11. Aim to home-cook most meals and choose quick simple recipes the family will enjoy
12. Cut down on fatty, sugary, salty snacks and choose fruit, carrot sticks, nuts or cereal instead
13. Make homemade soups – add lentils

Nutritious affordable foods

• Baked beans
• Tinned chick peas, tinned lentils and beans
• Frozen peas and other frozen vegetables
• Fresh carrots, potatoes, swede and broccoli (especially ‘less than perfect’)
• Frozen berry fruits
• Tinned sweetcorn
• Tinned sardines
• Plain frozen fish
• Bananas
• Own brand cereals and porridge oats
• Eggs
• Tinned tomatoes
• Liver and bacon mis-shapes
• Cheaper cuts of meat and chicken to make slow cooked casseroles
• Value ranges of foods

Eat less

Processed meats – sausages, burgers, fatty meat products
Pastry – pies, pasties, sausage rolls
Fast foods and takeaways
Fizzy drinks
Crisps, biscuits, cakes

More information

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/