5 Simple Ways To Make Your Meals Healthier

Healthier eating doesn't have to have to be complicated!

Building healthy eating habits doesn't have to be hard. Here are some totally fuss-free tips to help make mealtimes healthier!

1. When it comes to your favourite recipes, try swapping one or two ingredients for a healthier alternative.

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Eating healthier doesn't mean saying "see ya" to your favourite meals. There are some really easy swaps that won't leave you feeling like you've had to sacrifice! If you often cook with palm oil or ghee, swapping to alternatives that are low in saturated fats is a great place to start. Olive, avocado, and rapeseed oils are fantastic alternatives to highly saturated fats, and they taste great too! Making a few swaps to each meal won't feel like a huge change, but it can make a pretty big difference in the long run.

2. Find out what's actually inside the drinks, meals, and snacks you're eating, and how that compares to the recommended guidelines.

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Making sense of what's inside your meals doesn't have to take any detective work. Most pre-packed food and drink have nutrition labels that do the hard work for you – they'll tell you the key info per portion or 100g of food, from how much energy you're getting to the number of carbs. Most supermarkets use a traffic light system to make things even easier, showing you if your food has high, medium or low amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt. A good rule of thumb is to go for products with more greens and ambers, and cut down on reds, it's as simple as that!

3. Make sure you get your 5 a day by simply adding in an extra piece of fruit and veg to each meal.

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Why not chop up a banana and throw it into your cereal, pop a bit of lettuce into your lunchtime sandwich, or add a handful of mixed veg to your evening meal? And they don't even need to be fresh! Fruits and veggies can be frozen, tinned, dried or juiced – they all count towards your 5 a day! Little additions like these will give your meals some extra variety and make getting your 5 a day feel much easier.

4. Be mindful when it comes to portions and serving sizes.

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Following recommended serving sizes can feel a bit confusing if you’re used to going freestyle in the kitchen, but it doesn’t have to be. When you’re cooking, weighing ingredients beforehand really helps when it comes to sticking to suggested serving sizes and it doesn’t stop there. Make sure that your meal is balanced before you tuck in — aim to have half your plate filled with veg and no more than a third filled with carbs like potatoes, rice and pasta.

5. Banish mealtime indecisiveness by planning ahead and getting inspo using the Easy Meals app.

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Ordering a last-minute takeaway isn’t the only way to solve difficult dinnertime decisions. Planning meals in advance plays a huge part in eating healthier, and the Easy Meals app really takes the stress out of things. There are over 150 healthy recipes to choose from, including some healthier takes on your favourite takeaway meals. The Meal Mixer generates delicious break, lunch, and dinner combos, and there’s even a shopping list feature so you can keep track of everything you need when it's time to hit the supermarket. What more could you want?! 

Want more inspiration? Check out the NHS Better Health page for more simple and delicious ways to start developing healthier eating habits!