13 small changes that add up to a healthy diet

Making healthy changes isn’t always easy. Setting unrealistic goals, like cutting out certain foods completely, often leads to failure. If you’re struggling to make progress, don’t be discouraged. Instead, focus on what positive changes you can make today and take things one day at a time.

Making small changes means you’re more likely to stick to them. Here are our tips for every meal of the day.

Read more on how to make your weight loss efforts a success.

Breakfast

1. Swap to lower-fat milk

Using lower-fat milk is an easy change you’ll soon get used to. If you use whole milk, start by switching to semi-skimmed. If you use semi-skimmed, switch to 1% fat or skimmed.

Choosing to have your morning cereal with skimmed milk, rather than semi-skimmed could save you around 160kcal across the week.

2. Read the labels to help you choose the right cereal

Many cereals are high in added sugar or salt. Don’t be taken in by health claims on the packaging – added vitamins or wholegrains don’t automatically make a cereal healthy. Look for wholegrain cereals with no added sugars (which include honey and syrup), like porridge oats or ‘no added sugar’ muesli.

Check the ingredients, too. If your cereal contains dried fruit, it may appear high in sugar, but you’ll benefit from vitamins and fibre and it can help towards your 5-a-day. Adding fresh fruit to no-added-sugar cereal or porridge is also a great way to get your 5-a-day in.

Read more about understanding ingredients lists and other information on food labels.

3. Healthier bread, toast and toppings

Wholemeal, granary or multiseed bread is much more nutritious than white bread. Choosing reduced-fat spread like light olive or sunflower spread instead of butter is another great change you can make.

When it comes to toppings, if you like something sweet, try a reduced-sugar version of marmalade or jam, or sliced banana sprinkled with ground cinnamon. If you're after a savoury option, try a poached egg to get some extra protein, or experiment with other vegetables like tomatoes or grilled mushrooms to get your 5-a-day in.

Lunch

4. Don't always go for a cheese sandwich

Carrots and crisps in bowls A cheese sandwich is said to be the nation’s favourite lunch. Cheese is fine every now and then, but as it’s high in saturated fat, salt and calories, stick to a matchbox-sized portion. An easy swap is to opt for reduced-fat cheese, but bear in mind this may still be high in salt.

Why not experiment with other sandwich fillings? Tuna or egg with a little reduced-fat mayonnaise is a great option. Using reduced-fat spread instead of butter on your sandwiches or lunchtime jacket potato is better for your heart health and will also save you around 50kcal.

5. Ditch the crisps for nuts

If you usually eat crisps at lunch, try a small handful of unsalted nuts instead. While both crisps and nuts are high in fat, unsalted nuts contain less salt and provide additional nutrients like iron and zinc. If you’re watching your weight, why not try carrot sticks instead? They provide plenty of nutrients, without the calories of nuts.

6. Add fruit and vegetables to your lunch

Adding vegetables and fruit to your lunch goes towards your 5-a-day and provides you with a heap of extra nutrients. If you're not a big fan of vegetables, consider which ones you would enjoy. Try adding a side salad to your lunch, or you could heat up a portion of frozen peas or sweetcorn for an easy side dish.

If you find you want something sweet after lunch, try having a handful of berries or a banana to satisfy your cravings.

Read more about the benefits of colourful foods.

Main meals

7. Choose leaner meat

The fat content of meat varies a lot. Choosing lean or lower-fat versions of mince or sausages can go a long way to reduce your saturated fat intake. Removing all visible fat, such as skins and rinds, and grilling your meat are also great ways to cut down on your intake.

8. Include non-meat options

Choosing a plant-based option, like beans or lentils, instead of meat once or twice a week can reduce your saturated fat intake, and add more healthy fibre to your diet. Changing from meat to fish (white or oily) is also a great heart-healthy choice.

Try our top ten vegetarian recipes.

9. Healthier pasta

You don't have to cut out pasta to lose weight. Instead, choose a wholewheat pasta and opt for a tomato-based sauce without cream. Add as many vegetables as possible, and if you want cheese, keep it to a small serving sprinkled on top. All these changes will mean you're getting much more fibre and less saturated fat.

A slice of bread

Check your portion sizes, too: starchy carbohydrates should make up about a third of the food you eat.

Find out the correct portion sizes for carbohydrates like pasta.

10. Add vegetables to meals

A healthy diet isn’t just about cutting things out – it's about adding things in too, like vegetables to your meals wherever possible. Try new vegetables and experiment with different ways of cooking them to find the tastiest way for you.

Vegetables are good sources of fibre, vitamins and minerals, and can help lower your risk of heart and circulatory disease. They can also make you feel fuller, which could help you stop snacking between meals.

Drinks

11. Go "skinny" with coffee and hot chocolate

Instead of a full-fat latte, try a cappuccino or skinny latte. Even better, try a plain black coffee like a filter coffee or americano (add a dash of low-fat milk if you like it white).

Say no to whipped cream on hot chocolate and, if possible, have it with skimmed milk instead of semi-skimmed or whole. Use unsweetened cocoa instead of hot chocolate powder to cut back on the sugar content - that way you can just add a little sugar or low-calorie sweetener to taste.

12. Skip sugar in hot drinks

Yearly sugar saving figure If you usually have sugar in your tea or coffee, replace it with a low-calorie sweetener. Not all sweeteners taste the same, so experiment to find one you like.

You can also try gradually reducing the sugar in your drinks. Although it might be tough at first, you’ll get used to a less sweet taste and might find you can leave it out without missing it.

13. Go easy on fruit juice

While fruit juices are a great source of vitamins, they are high in ‘free sugars’, because the juicing process releases natural sugars from the cells of the fruit. Try to stick to a small glass (150ml), or even better, enjoy a portion of whole fruit and a glass of water.

Choosing no-added sugar or diet versions of sugary squashes and fizzy drinks can also significantly reduce your sugar intake.

Read more about how to start eating more healthily.

Small changes add up

Small changes make a big difference when you stick to them. If you want to lose weight, 0.5kg–1kg (1–2lb) per week is a sensible aim, but even losing 0.25kg (0.5lb) a week leads to half a stone in three months, or two stone in a year. Don’t get fixated on losing a set amount. If your weight is moving in the right direction, you’re doing well.

Huge changes are hard to stick to. Small ones tend to have a greater impact over time. Don’t be put off if a single change only saves a few calories – it all adds up.

Skimmed milk on cereal instead of semi-skimmed can save 8,320kcal in a year. That means you can lose (or avoid gaining) about 1kg (2.2lb) of fat. Having reduced-fat spread instead of butter in your sandwich five days a week for a year saves up to 13,000kcal – more than 1.7kg (3.5lb) in weight. A skinny, instead of full-fat, latte saves 90kcal. If you do that five times a week for a year, you’ll save 23,400kcal – more than 3kg (6.5lb) in weight. These three changes could help you lose 5.7kg (12lb). And, vitally, they’re easy to stick to.

Why are we recommending these changes?

The results of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey show that, on average, we are eating more than the recommended amounts of saturated fat, sugar and salt, while not getting the recommended 5-a-day fruit and vegetables and two portions of fish per week.

Rising levels of obesity suggest that people in the UK are eating more energy than is being used up doing physical activity.

Less sugar: Too much sugar can mean your diet is too high in energy. Over time this can lead to obesity and then associated health conditions, such as coronary heart disease and diabetes.

Less saturated fat: Cutting your saturated fat intake could help reduce your cholesterol level. All fat is high in calories, so reducing fat generally can help control your weight.

More fibre: Fibre, found in wholegrains, pulses, fruit and vegetables, helps keep your digestive system healthy and keeps you fuller for longer. Soluble fibre, like that found in pulses and oats, can help lower your cholesterol level.

The government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition report from July 2015, Carbohydrates and Health, recommended that we increase our fibre intake further to benefit our health.