Information on Healthy Eating

Welcome to the Healthy Eating section of the Leeds Let's Change website. This page includes information on eating healthy and includes a link to services which can support you to eat more healthily.  

What is healthy eating?

Healthy eating is about eating a balanced diet which contains a variety of foods. This includes eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and starchy foods such as wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals; some protein rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and lentils and some dairy foods.

Take a look at the eatwell plate below to see how your diet measures up!

Why should I eat healthily? 

Eating a healthy, balanced diet provides nutrients to your body. These nutrients give you energy and keep your heart beating, your brain active, and your muscles working.

Eating well is essential for good health and wellbeing, and contributes to reducing the risk of conditions including heart disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes and osteoporosis.

Eat well by:

• Eating lots of fruit and vegetables. Remember to try and have at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables a day. Whether it is dried, tinned, frozen or a fruit juice, they all count!  A portion is roughly a handful, for more exact  measurements check out our '5 A Day leaflet' for the correct portion size!
• Have plenty of starchy foods such as wholegrain bread, pasta, rice. A good tip is to plan your meals around starchy foods. Aim to include 1 food from this group in each meal.
• Eat some protein rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and beans. Go lean - remove the skin from chicken and the excess fat from meat. Remember to try to include two portions of fish a week one of which should be oily.
• Have some dairy foods. Try to choose lower fat versions where possible for example, semi skimmed milk, low fat yoghurts, lower fat cheeses such as Edam or cottage cheese.  
• Go easy on your intake of foods containing fat and sugar.  Our resource 'Saturated fat made simple' explains how to reduce your fat intake with simple tips for cutting down. 

For more in-depth guides to healthy eating check out our downloadable resources (on the right-hand-side of this page) which include: 

1. 'Eatwell: 8 tips for making healthier choices' which gives you some practical tips on eating well to make you feel your best.
2. 'Your guide to the eat well plate' which helps you eat an all-round healthier diet.
3. 'A guide to food labelling' which explains just what food labels mean.
4. '5 A Day Recipe Books 1 and 2' which contain lots of quick and easy recipes for eating healthily throughout the day.
5. Change 4 Life: 'Swap It, Don't Stop It' and 'Top Tips for Kids' these give great advice for both adults and children to help staying healthy without giving up the foods you love. Click on the picture below for more information on Change 4 Life.

Don't forget food hygiene!

When you're cooking don't forget to keep yourself and your family healthy and protected in the fight against germs.  When you're preparing food remember the 4 Cs:

Cleaning

Cooking

Chilling

Cross-contamination

For more information check out the Food Standards Agency Leaflet 'It came from the Chopping Board' on the right of the screen which includes killer facts warning you about the dangers of poor food hygiene and letting you know how to prevent it.

Where can I get support to eat more healthily?  

There are lots of activities which run across the city to support people to learn about healthy food choices, plus teaching people how to prepare and cook healthy food.

For more information on services available in Leeds, please click here. For further information and advice on healthy eating, please see the downloads on the righthand side of this page.