Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an essential part of maintaining good health. The real key to safe and successful weight loss is to adopt a healthy lifestyle that suits your individual needs and that you can maintain for life. This entails eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and making the right choices to maintain a healthy body weight. Individuals with special dietary needs or a medical condition should consult with their doctor first.

The following tips are healthy, realistic ways to get you back on track and headed towards your weight and fitness goals. 

An eating plan that helps manage your weight incorporates a variety of healthy foods. Add a range of colours to your plate and think of it as eating the rainbow. Dark, leafy greens, oranges, and tomatoes even fresh herbs are loaded with vitamins, fibre, and minerals. Adding frozen peppers, broccoli, or onions to stews and omelettes gives them a quick and convenient boost of colour and nutrients.

It is recommended by the (Eat Well Guide) to consume a variety of different food groups to get a wide variety of nutrients. You don’t need to achieve this balance with every meal, but try and get the balance right over a day. 

It is recommended by the (Eat Well Guide) to consume a variety of different food groups to get a wide variety of nutrients.

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts
• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars
• Stays within your daily calorie needs 

The majority of individuals in the UK consume too many calories, too much saturated fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables, oily fish or fibre.

It is well documented that fruit and vegetables are good for us, but most of us are not consuming the recommended 5 a day. They should make up over a third of the food we eat each day, with vegetables containing the bulk of the portion. You can choose fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced, be aware that dried and canned fruit may contain added sugars or syrups. Choose canned varieties of fruit packed in water or in its own juice.

Consuming 5 portions is not as difficult as you might think

A portion is:

• 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables
• 30g of dried fruit-which should be kept to mealtimes
• 150 glass of fruit juice or smoothie- but no more than one a day as these drinks are sugary and can damage teeth
• Just 1 apple, banana, pear or similar sized fruit is 1 portion each 
• A slice of pineapple or melon is also 1 portion, 3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables is another portion. 
• Adding a tablespoon of dried fruit, such as raisons, to your morning cereal is an easy way to get 1 portion
• You could eat a portion of fruit for your mid-morning snack and add a salad to your lunch.

Starchy foods in your diet:

Starchy foods should make up just over a third of everything we eat, but it’s important to make the right choices such as: Wholegrain or wholemeal varieties of starchy foods, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and brown, wholemeal or higher fibre white bread. They contain more fibre, and usually more vitamins than the white choices. Potatoes with skins on are a great source of fibre and vitamins.

Milk and dairy foods (and alternatives):

Milk and dairy foods, such as cheese and yoghurt, are good sources of protein. They also contain calcium, which helps keep your bones healthy. Go for lower fat and lower sugar products where possible. Choose semi-skimmed, 1% fat or skimmed milk, as well as lower fat hard cheeses or cottage cheese, and lower fat, lower sugar yoghurt. Dairy alternatives, such as soya drinks, are also included in this food group. When buying alternatives, choose unsweetened, calcium-fortified versions. Most cheeses, including brie, stilton, cheddar, Lancashire and double Gloucester, contain between 20g and 40g of fat per 100g. Foods that contain more than 17.5g of fat per 100g are considered high in fat. The total fat in dairy products are usually high in fat content, so always check the label and try and source lower fat content.

Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins: 

These foods are all good sources of protein, which are fundamental for the body to grow and repair itself. They are also packed with vitamins, minerals, the meat is a good source of iron, zinc and B vitamins, and also the main source for vitamin B 12. Chose lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry whenever possible to cut down on fat. Try and reduce red and processed meat like bacon, ham, and sausages. Try and aim to eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, with 1 being an oily fish, such as salmon or mackerel. You can choose from fresh, frozen or canned, but remember that canned a smoked fish can often be high in salt.

Drink plenty of water:

Drinking enough water throughout the day is good for overall health and can even help you maintain a healthy weight. What’s more, people who drink water before meals have been shown to eat fewer calories

Oils and spreads:

Some fats are necessary, but on average individuals in the UK consume too much fat. Try and switch to unsaturated oils and spreads if possible. Remembering that all types of fat are high in calories and should be consumed in small amounts.

Consume less saturated fat, sugar and salt:

Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in saturated fat, sugar, salt can raise your blood pressure, increase the risk of heart disease or having a stroke, as well as obesity and tooth decay.

Healthy eating is all about balance. You can enjoy your preferred foods, even if they are high in calories, fat or added sugars. The key is eating them only once in a while and balancing them with healthier foods and more physical activity.

Some general tips for comfort foods:

• Eat them less often. If you normally eat these foods every day, cut back to once a week or once a month.
• Eat smaller amounts. If your favourite higher-calorie food is a chocolate bar, have a smaller size or only half a bar.
• Try a lower-calorie version. Use lower-calorie ingredients or prepare food differently. For example, if your macaroni and cheese recipe include whole milk, butter, and full-fat cheese, try remaking it with non-fat milk, less butter, low-fat cheese, fresh spinach and tomatoes. Just remember to not increase your portion size.

Some day to day tips for healthy eating:

Shop smart:

Making a shopping list and sticking to it is a great way to avoid buying unhealthy foods hastily. Plus, the benefit of making a shopping list has been shown to lead to healthier eating and encourage weight loss Another way to limit unhealthy purchases at the grocery store is to eat a healthy meal or snack before you go shopping. 

Have a high protein breakfast:

protein-rich foods like eggs in your breakfast has been shown to benefit weight loss. Increasing Protein intake in the morning  may also help you avoid unhealthy snacking and improve appetite control throughout the day.

Preparing and cooking meals at home:

Preparing meals at home allows you to experiment with new, healthy ingredients, and have ready meals for when hunger strikes. focusing on cooking more healthy meals at home is a great way to keep your weight in check. 

Don’t drink your calories:

Sports drinks, coffee beverages and flavoured waters tend to be very high in calories, artificial colourings and added sugar. Even juice, which is often promoted as a healthy beverage, can lead to weight gain if you consume too much. 

Walk your way to health:

Walking is an enjoyable activity, in fact, just 30 minutes of walking per day has been shown to aid in weight loss.