Healthy food swaps

Trying to eat more healthily can seem daunting. In fact, by changing just a couple of your eating habits you can get more of the vital nutrients your body needs, achieve or come closer to your 5 A DAY fruit and vegetables target, and lower your calorie intake.

Stop indulging in high calorie, unhealthy foods and swap them for something healthier.

• Start swapping your fatty, sugary snacks for fruit and vegetables.
• Check that your portion sizes aren't too large.
• Drink plenty of water (two litres - around eight glasses - a day).
• Remember, small changes add up.

This is the 'stop and swap' method for reducing your daily calorie intake and eating more healthily. It means stopping your usual snack or meal and replacing it with something just as tasty, but healthier and lower in calories. Here's a typical stop and swap day:

8am: breakfast

It's the start of the day, and you need something to fill you with energy.
STOP: croissant with jam and butter, orange juice and a cup of tea with milk and two sugars (415.5 calories).
SWAP: Begin the day with a slice of lemon in hot water and enjoy some homemade porridge with semi-skimmed milk and a little honey. The porridge will provide a much slower release of energy that will keep you going until lunch (378.4 calories).
CALORIE SAVING: 37

11am: morning snack

You're feeling peckish and want something to snack on.
STOP: a bag of crisps (288.8 calories).
SWAP: a handful of fruit or nuts, or plain popcorn instead (188 calories).
CALORIE SAVING: 100

1pm: lunch

You're heading out for lunch and you're after something filling.
STOP: a mozzarella, tomato and pesto panini (487 calories).
SWAP: a jacket potato with cottage cheese and a salad. This will fill you up without giving you that mid-afternoon energy slump (402.5 calories).
CALORIE SAVING: 84.5

3pm: mid-afternoon snack

A mid-afternoon tea break, and it's time for something sweet.
STOP: a chocolate-chip cookie (168 calories).
SWAP: a piece of fruit. Bananas are good if you're craving something sweet (116 calories).
CALORIE SAVING: 52

8pm: dinner

Tonight you planned to make something special.
STOP: roast beef, roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding (558 calories).
SWAP: Try a warming beef casserole with mash and vegetables. You'll save calories and it'll be just as satisfying (475 calories).
CALORIE SAVING: 83

10pm: close to bedtime

It's nearly bedtime and you fancy a late night nibble.
STOP: chocolate digestive (83.8 calories).
SWAP: have two dried figs. They're sweet enough to satisfy your sugar craving without the high saturated fats (57.2 calories).
CALORIE SAVING: 55.2

Total STOP calories: 2,001.1
Total SWAP calories: 1,617.1

TOTAL CALORIE SAVING PER DAY: 384

Note: all calorie values are taken from the nutrition labels of a leading supermarket.