Healthy eating tips and support

Healthy eating is about balance. It means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions and eating the right amount of food and drink.

It can be hard to make changes to eating - life is busy, traditions and family habits matter, healthy food can be pricey, and quick processed options are everywhere when you're short on time.

It’s easy to start with small changes that work for you and the whole family. Small changes make a big difference.

To get started:

• start now
• start small
• give it time to see changes
• set realistic goals for you and your family e.g. cook one homemade meal a week or try adding a side salad to your meals.

Healthy eating tips

People with special dietary needs or a medical condition should ask their doctor or a registered dietitian for advice.

Have:

• Eat a variety of vegetables and fruit

  • Try to include different colours and types — fresh, frozen, or canned all count.
  • Fruit and veg that are in-season tend to be cheaper and tastier.

• Eat lean proteins like chicken or turkey.

  • Good sources of protein can also be plant-based e.g. tofu, tempeh, beans.

• Eat beans and lentils.

  • Add in foods like lentils, chickpeas, black and red beans and other pulses to your meals

• Eat at least two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily fish like mackerel, sardines, hilsha etc.

  • Choose from fresh, frozen or tinned but watch out for the high salt in canned fish.

• Pick wholegrain types of rice, pasta and bread

  • Brown rice, bulgur wheat, couscous
  • Wholemeal, brown and seeded bread, chapatis and rotis,
  • Wholewheat pasta,
  • Potatoes with their skins on 

• Use small amounts of oils and spreads.
  • • Olive, sunflower, and rapeseed oils are good choices but try to use small amounts.
    • Bake, grill, air-fry or steam cook instead of frying in lots of oil.

• Use herbs, spices and lemon to add flavour and cut back on salt

  • Taste food before adding extra salt. Use herbs and spices to flavour food instead of adding salt.

• Eat whole, unprocessed foods.

  • Pick foods with fewer ingredients and less packaging.

• Drink more water

  • Drink plenty of water throughout the day to not be thirsty
  • Swap sugary drinks for water, diet, sugar-free or no-added sugar
  • Have tea and coffee without sugar. Use lower fat milk e.g. semi-skinned or unsweetened plant-based options.

Have less often and in small amounts:

• foods high in saturated fat, sugar and or salt
  • e.g. fried foods, packaged cakes and biscuits, some ready meals, sweets, chocolates and crisps.
• fried foods
  • Instead try grilling, baking, roasting or steaming.

Cultural and traditional foods

You can still enjoy your favourite traditional foods—just start with small changes like

1. cooking with less oil
2. smaller portions of rice and fried foods
3. adding more vegetables to your plate.

Portion sizes

You should aim to adjust portion sizes to ensure you have the correct amount, depending your age, size and activity level.

Using your hand acts as a great guide. The British Heart Foundation have produced an interactive portion guide and handy tips to help keep your diet balanced. 

Bags of Taste

Join the free fun cooking courses delivered by Bags of Taste. This course is delivered at your home - all you need is a kitchen and a phone! Learn how to make delicious healthy meals from all over the world whilst saving money. This programme takes about 2-weeks but you can work at your own pace.

About the course

• Free ingredients included*
• Cook tasty, healthy meals, cheaply in 
• Get tips on how to budget and save money when you're shopping
• Learn how to waste less

How does it work?

Bags of Taste deliver three step-by-step recipes and all the ingredients you need straight to your door. Your personal mentor will support you by phone or Whatsapp with lots of tips and advice along the way. At the end you'll get a free  gift of wallet-friendly recipes.

You will be asked to cook the three recipes and send photos of your lovely food!

How do you join?

• Register online:
  https://bagsoftaste.org/students
• Call/WhatsApp 07807 398 181
• Email: towerhamlets@bagsoftaste.org

Healthier Families - NHS

Discover healthy recipes, food swaps, nutritional advice, and top tips and activities to help the whole family stay healthy on the NHS website. Click here.

NHS Food Scanner App

With a speedy scan of your family's favourite foods, you can find healthier swaps for next time you shop. Get the NHS Food Scanner app by clicking here.

Markets in Tower Hamlets

There are a number of markets in Tower Hamlets which offer cheap, nutritious healthy produce such as vegetables. To find more information on where these are please click here.

Food Stores, Food banks and other food aid 

If you are struggling to get food for yourself or your family there are a number of food aid organisations in Tower Hamlets that can help. Click here for more information. There are several types of food aid organisations.

• Open Access
  A food bank that anyone can go to for food
  
  
• Limited Access/by referral only
  A Food bank that needs someone to refer you into the service. Please contact the organisation for more details.
  
  
• School food provision
  A food bank or food aid service that specifically works with students and parents who attend the school
  
  
• Hot meals service/Hostel
  Provides hot meals or premade goods to residents

If you need other cost of living support such as staying warm, housing costs and more, you can find this here.

Recipes

For cheap, simple healthy recipe ideas there are number of places you can find these:

• Cook Well, Eat Well - a collection of go-to recipes from local community groups and NHS nutritionists in Tower Hamlets. This recipe booklet was developed by Well One and partners. Available by clicking here.
• Healthier Families NHS Recipes - Available by clicking here. 
• Diabetes UK Recipe Finder - click here.
• Watch a video on how to eat well if you have Type 2 Diabetes created by NHS North East London - click here