Eat well: food and health
What is a healthy diet?
A healthy, balanced diet contains a variety of foods, including:
- plenty of fruit and vegetables
- plenty of starchy foods such as wholegrain bread, pasta and rice
- some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and lentils
- some dairy foods.
It should also be low in fat (especially saturated fat), salt and sugar.
Visit the 5 A DAY website to get ideas on how to increase your fruit and vegetable intake.
I want to eat more healthily
We run various food projects to help encourage children and adults to be able to cook and enjoy healthy food, even if your budget is tight:
Cook and Eat groups
Cook and Eat groups operate across West Sussex, in places as diverse as community centres, schools and centres for the elderly.
You will learn:
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how to cook healthy meals
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why it's important to eat a healthy diet
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how diet can affect your health
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how to eat healthily on a budget.
These courses are designed to help people develop basic cookery skills and are not advanced or specialised cookery classes.
Contact cookerychampions@btinternet.com for more information about Cook and Eat groups.
Cookery Clubs: training people to become Cook and Eat group leaders
NHS West Sussex currently provides free training for people working within West Sussex who want to brush up on their nutrition and cooking knowledge and become cookery leaders.
The training is for people who would like to deliver the Cook and Eat course or other food and health initiatives within their organisation or who would like to work as a cookery leader within the county.
The training covers the following topics:
- why it's important to eat a healthy diet
- how diet affects health
- how to eat healthily on a budget
- a practical session on feeding a family of 4 for just £3
- how to plan and run a cookery session.
If you would like to become a Cookery Club leader
Contact cookerychampions@btinternet.com for more information.
If you work with vulnerable communities, you can find out more about becoming a Cookery Club leader on a free three-day training course (June-July and September 2010 in Worthing and Crawley).
In Bognor Regis, regular cookery clubs are run for local residents around the Community Centre by Bognor Community Action Network. If you live in this area contact the centre directly on 01243 870406.
If you are interested in cookery clubs in school, please contact the Healthy Schools team on 01293 435618.
If you are a cookery club leader
Visit the resources page on the NHS West Sussex Health Professionals site for ideas and information.
Top tips for a healthy diet
- base meals on starchy foods
- eat more fruit and vegetables
- eat more fish
- cut down on fats and sugar
- cut down on salt
- get more active
- drink plenty of water
- eat breakfast.
Healthy recipes
Cook and Eat recipe book:
Winter warmer recipes:
Summer recipes
More recipes are available on the Eat Well website
Recipes for children
Visit the Teachernet website for healthy recipes aimed at secondary school children.
Related pages
Why not look at our Activity and exercise page to see what exercise you can do to boost your health and wellbeing?
Want to find out where to get help with shedding those extra pounds in West Sussex? Go to our Lose weight page.
NHS Health Check
Your free 20-30 minute check to assess your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.
Useful resources
5 A DAY: NHS Choices
Find out what counts towards your daily recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, and how you can make small changes to help you and your family eat enough.
