On this page you will find some useful information on healthy eating, cooking and nutrition, including details of services available, related guidance pages and quick links to helpful websites.
Healthy eating, cooking and nutrition
Useful Information
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The eatwell plate
The eatwell plate highlights the different types of food that make up our diet, and shows the proportions we should eat them in to have a healthy, balanced diet. It's a good idea to try to get this balance right every day, but you don't need to… -
Healthy eating for teens
As a teenager, your body is going through many physical changes - changes that need to be supported by a healthy, balanced diet. By eating a varied and balanced diet as shown in the Eatwell Guide, you should be able to get all the energy… -
Height/weight chart
You can use this chart to check if you're the right weight for your height. Alternatively, you can use the BMI healthy weight calculator. This height/weight chart is only suitable for adult men and women. It isn't suitable for children or people under 18. If… -
Why 5 A Day?
Fruit and vegetables are part of a healthy, balanced diet and can help us stay healthy. It's important that we eat enough of them. Evidence shows there are significant health benefits to getting at least five 80g portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. That's five portions… -
Vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy
Eating a healthy, varied diet in pregnancy will help you to get most of the vitamins and minerals you need. There are some vitamins and minerals that are especially important. It's best to get vitamins and minerals from the food you eat, but when you are pregnant you will… -
Food labelling terms
Food labels can help us choose a healthier diet and make sure our foods are safe to eat. Here's a guide to some of the most common food labelling terms. Food labels provide a wide range of information about foods. But understanding all of that… -
Salt: the facts
Find out the daily salt recommendations for adults, children and babies and learn how to use nutrition labels to spot the salt in food. A diet high in salt can cause raised blood pressure, which can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure… -
Fat: the facts
Too much fat in your diet, especially saturated fats, can raise your cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease. Current UK government guidelines advise cutting down on all fats and replacing saturated fat with some unsaturated fat. This page covers: Why we need some… -
How to prepare and cook food safely
Find out how to prepare, cook and store food correctly to minimise the risk of food poisoning, including E. coli. This page covers: Washing hands Storing and preparing meat Cooking meat Cooking meat on a barbecue Acrylamide in starchy food Washing fruit and vegetables Washing hands… -
Baby and toddler meal ideas
If you need some inspiration to help you cook healthy and tasty food for your kids, try these meal ideas. They're not suitable as first foods, but fine once your baby is used to eating a wide range of solid foods. When preparing food for babies,… -
Vegetarian food on a budget
If you shop carefully, you can eat a healthy vegetarian diet on a limited budget. When buying your fruit and vegetables, remember that fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juiced all count towards your 5 A DAY. This means you can include a variety of fruit and… -
Healthy eating for vegetarians and vegans
To ensure you have a balanced and varied diet, read our advice on healthy eating for vegetarians and vegans. To have a healthy, balanced diet which includes all the nutrients your body needs, make sure you eat a wide variety of foods. Vegetarians and vegans eat a diet of:…