Healthy Food Swaps

NHS

These simple food swap ideas can help cut down on sugar, salt and fat in your and your family's diet, plus discover easy ways to make a swap when you next shop.

Even just 1 or 2 everyday swaps can really make a difference and go a long way to making each day healthier – but the more you make, the better!

Breakfast swaps

Sugar and fat are the biggest things to watch out for at breakfast time – try some of these easy swaps, or see our breakfast recipes to help you start the day smart!

Swap from

  • Chocolate cereal
  • Frosted flakes
  • Honey crunch cereal
  • Croissants
  • Cereal bars

Swap to

  • Wheat biscuit cereal
  • Shredded wholegrain cereal
  • No-added-sugar muesli
  • Porridge
  • Wholemeal toast
  • Plain natural yoghurt topped with chopped fruit

Lunchbox and lunchtime swaps

When lunchtime rolls around, it's easy to eat more sugar or salt than we might realise.

Try some of our simple swaps, and remember to check out our page for loads more lunchbox inspiration.

Swap from

  • Split pot yoghurts and pudding pots
  • Cake bars and cereal bars
  • Muffins and chocolate
  • Crisps
  • Juice pouches and fizzy drinks
  • Tinned soup
  • Ham and cheese sandwiches

Swap to

  • Lower-sugar fromage frais or plain natural yoghurt
  • Sugar-free jelly
  • A slice of malt loaf or a fruited teacake
  • Fresh or tinned fruit (in juice, not syrup)
  • Plain popcorn, plain rice cakes or raisins
  • No-added-sugar juice drinks, or water with berries and chopped fruit
  • Homemade spiced chicken and vegetable soup or harvest vegetable soup
  • Our delicious beefed up sarnies

Dinner swaps

Salt and saturated fat can really add up at dinnertime without us noticing – there can be a surprising amount of both in everyday foods.

Give some of these dinner swaps a go, or browse our dinner recipes for loads of tasty, healthier meal ideas.

Swap from

  • Sausages
  • Pizza
  • Salt and soy sauce
  • Ketchup
  • Brown sauce
  • Mustard
  • Gravy

Swap to

  • Low-fat mince – try our spaghetti bolognese or meatballs and sauce recipes
  • Our cheats' pizza calzone
  • Different herbs, spices and seasoning, like paprika, oregano or lemon juice
  • Reduced-salt and reduced-sugar versions of sauces

Snack and pudding swaps

Whether it's fighting the after-school tummy rumbles or rounding off dinner with a tasty pud, sugar is the main watch-out here.

But even if they don't taste of it, some of these snack foods can contain a lot more salt (and fat) than you might realise too!

Give these easy swaps a go, then head to our healthier snacks page for loads more ideas, suggestions and tips.

Swap from

  • Biscuits
  • Chocolate
  • Cake bars
  • Chocolate pudding pots
  • Doughnuts
  • Muffins
  • Crisps
  • Salted peanuts
  • Split-pot and higher-sugar yoghurts

Swap to

  • A slice of malt loaf or fruited teacake
  • Fresh or tinned fruit (in juice, not syrup) or fruit salad
  • A scotch pancake or crumpet
  • Sugar-free jelly or lower-sugar custard
  • Crackers topped with lower-fat cheese
  • Bread or toast with lower-fat spread
  • A bagel topped with sliced banana
  • Plain popcorn or rice cakes
  • Unsalted mixed nuts
  • Chopped veg with lower-fat hummus
  • Lower-sugar yoghurts or lower-sugar rice pudding

Drink swaps

A quarter of the sugar kids have every day comes from sugary drinks – help them cut back by making these easy swaps, and remember to keep juice drinks to mealtimes only to help prevent tooth decay.

Swap from

  • Cola and other fizzy drinks
  • Juice drinks
  • Milkshakes
  • Whole milk

Swap to

  • Water
  • Sugar-free drinks
  • No-added-sugar drinks
  • Lower-fat milks

Brighten up water!

Add a pop of colour with chopped fruits like frozen berries, kiwi and apple to make water taste and look interesting.

Or buy a plain re-usable water bottle and let your kids decorate it with some coloured markers. The more they like their bottle, the more likely they are to drink from it!

Make a swap when you shop

When it comes to cutting back on sugar, salt and saturated fat, here are a few quick tips and tricks you can try when you're next in the supermarket or shopping online to help you make healthier choices.

Scan the barcode

Use the free NHS Food Scanner app to find out what's really in the food you're buying and get swap suggestions while you're at the shelf!

Go for a Good choice

Picking products that have the "Good choice" badge on the packaging is a quick and easy way to decide what to buy.

Get the green light

Many items now have traffic light labelling on the packaging – go for products that have more greens, and cut down on ones with reds and ambers.

Check the label

If products don't have traffic lights, you can still compare amounts of sugar, salt or fat by looking at the amount per 100g on the nutrition information panel.

 

Useful resources

Cancer Focus NI, Keeping Well vans are mobile drop-in units which bring health checks,...
Nightingale groups are confidential, inclusive, and welcoming spaces for anyone with...
Swan groups are a confidential, inclusive and welcoming space for anyone with anorexia to...
This idea is a walk in the park. It really is that simple, post a news item to see how...
The Quick Fit programme offers positive steps to improve your health through diet and...
The message boards are here to support you whether you are concerned about yourself or...
Solace is a free video-based peer support group hosted over Zoom. It’s for anyone...
Kingfisher groups are a confidential, inclusive and welcoming space for anyone suffering...
You can talk one-to-one with us using our secure instant messaging service. Beat’s...
Fun, fast food for less. This is a practical six-week nutrition programme aimed at...
Raising Resilience is a series of online workshops for carers that take place live over...
Fabulous! Is a motivational app that uses challenges to help build physically and...
Nutrition scanner
It’s an easy to follow programme known the world over, and perfect for those new to...
Food diary, exercise tracker and diet coach
Our free Easy Meals app is a great way to eat foods that are healthier for you. You’ll...
Fitness tracker
Fitness tracker
Develop healthier eating habits, be more active, and get on track to start losing weight...
The Nike+ Run Club app tracks your run and helps you reach your goals, whether it’s...
Active 10 is a free and easy to use walking app that tracks your walking and shows you...
Use this calculator to check your body mass index (BMI) and find out if you are a healthy weight. Or, use it to check your child's BMI centile.