This guide on healthy eating in the workplace provides tips, recipes, and key information on food choices aimed at maintaining a balanced diet. It emphasizes portion control and the importance of including various food groups, recommending at least five portions of fruits and vegetables daily, alongside whole grains, proteins, and healthy fats. Additionally, it includes resources for further information and practical suggestions for meal preparation and healthier choices at work.

1. Healthy Eating For Work
This guide is designed to provide you with information, tips and recipes on
healthy eating in your workplace.
You will find:
• ideas for tasty and healthy breakfasts, lunch boxes and snacks that
can easily be prepared at home or in your workplace
• top tips for healthier food choices if you are buying ready made
• quick and easy to follow handy portion sizes
• traffic light system to food labelling
• website links to organisations where you can find out more
By making simple changes to your food choices that will fit around your
lifestyle, these resources will help you to maintain a healthy and balanced
diet.
Take the One You - How are you? 10 minute online self-assessment quiz
which can help you to consider changes to fit your life and make you feel
good. https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/how-are-you-quiz/
So how can I make sure that my overall eating is balanced and includes
lots of those things that can do me good?
An easy way of thinking about this balance is to think about the food on the
plate, as shown in the Eatwell Guide included in this pack.
• Most of the plate should be vegetables, fruits and wholegrain foods
• Add a moderate amount of protein rich food (beans, pulses, fish, eggs
and meat)
• Add a small amount of dairy (or dairy alternatives) and a very small
amount of healthy oil

3. The Eatwell Guide – how to achieve a healthy, balanced diet
This resource is designed for consumers who want to find out more about healthy eating.
Resource made October 2016. Next review due October 2019.
For more information on the sources used in this text, please contact postbox@nutrition.org.uk
Food group Key message How much should I eat? Some examples of what foods are included? Tips for healthier choices
Fruit and
vegetables
“Eat at least 5 portions of
a variety of fruit and
vegetables every day”.
5 A DAY:
⁻ One portion = 80g
⁻ One portion of dried fruit = 30g
⁻ One portion of 100% unsweetened
fruit juice/smoothie = limit to
combined total of per day150ml
All fruit and vegetables, including fresh, dried, frozen,
canned and juiced varieties.
Dried and juiced varieties can each only count as a
maximum of 1 of your 5 A DAY.
Potatoes are not part of this group. They are included in
the starchy carbohydrates group.
- Eat a variety of lots of different types of fruit and vegetables.
- Add a banana to your breakfast cereal for extra sweetness.
- Try having fruit as a morning snack, and vegetable sticks like carrot,
cucumber or celery as an afternoon snack with some low fat hummus.
- Add grated carrot or courgette to your pasta sauces like bolognaise.
Potatoes, bread,
rice, pasta
and other
starchy
carbohydrates
“Choose wholegrain or
higher fibre versions with
less added fat, salt and
sugar”.
We should base our meals on starchy
carbohydrates.
This group should make up just over a
of the food we eat.third
Potatoes, bread, rice, breakfast cereals, oats, pasta,
noodles, maize, cornmeal, couscous, bulgur, polenta,
millet, spelt, wheat, pearl barley, yams and plantains.
- Choose wholegrain varieties. They contain more fibre and other nutrients
(e.g. wholemeal bread, whole wheat pasta or brown rice).
- Leave the skins on potatoes for extra fibre.
- Don’t add too much fat to these foods (like butter, mayonnaise or
creamy sauces), as this adds lots of extra calories.
Dairy and dairy
alternatives
“Choose lower fat and
lower sugar options”.
We should try and have some milk and
dairy foods (or dairy alternatives) in
our diet each day.
Milk, cheese, yogurt, fromage frais, quark, cream cheese,
dairy calcium-fortified alternatives to these foods, such
as soya drinks and soya yogurts.
Note: Butters, creams and dairy ice-creams are not
included in this group as they are high in saturated fat.
- Use food labels to help choose lower fat and sugar versions, such as semi
skimmed milk or 1% fat milk, low fat yogurt and reduced fat cheese.
- Use less of standard versions, e.g. choose a strong flavoured cheese to
make a sauce like mature cheddar, so you can use less.
- Choose unsweetened, calcium-fortified dairy alternatives.
Beans, pulses, fish,
eggs, meat and other
proteins
“Eat more beans and
pulses. Have 2 portions of
sustainably sourced fish per
week, one of which is oily.
Eat less red and processed
meat”.
Eating some foods from this group each
is important.day
High consumers of red or processed
meat per day (90g or over) should try
to cut down (no more than 70g).
Meat and poultry, white fish, oily fish, shellfish, nuts,
eggs, beans and other pulses, and vegetarian meat
alternatives such as tofu or mycoprotein.
-Choose lean cuts of meat and mince, and remove any visible fat on meat
or skin on chicken to lower our saturated fat intake.
- Grill, bake or poach meat and fish rather than frying, and try to avoid
fish in batter, breadcrumbs or pastry, as they can be high in fat and salt.
- Pulses (lentils, chickpeas, beans) are good alternatives to meat as they’re
low in fat, and high in fibre. Why not use in curries, stews or soups.
Oils and spreads “Choose unsaturated oils
and spreads and eat in
small amounts”.
Unsaturated fats provide essential
fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins - so
they’re an important part of your diet.
But, consumption should still be limited
.as they are high in calories
Unsaturated oils (vegetable oil, rapeseed oil, olive oil and
sunflower oil); soft spreads made from unsaturated oils.
Note: Butter is high in saturated fat and is not included
in this group.
- Try to replace saturated fats with small amounts of unsaturated fats,
which could help to reduce the risk of heart disease, e.g. rapeseed oil
instead of coconut oil or butter.
- Remember, all types of fat are high in calories, so we should use these in
small amounts to help maintain a healthy weight.
Foods to eat less often
and in small amounts
This group is not needed as
part of a healthy, balanced
diet.
If you do choose to include these foods
in your diet, they should be consumed
and ininfrequently small amounts.
The majority are consuming too much
saturated fat, sugars and salt
Foods/drinks high in saturated fat, salt and sugar -
Chocolate and sweets, cakes and biscuits, puddings and
pastries, jams, table sugar, syrups and honey, savoury
snacks like crisps and pretzels, rich sauces and gravies,
butter and ghee, cream and ice-cream, mayonnaise, fried
foods and sugar-containing soft drinks.
- Rather than spreading butter, jam, marmalade or honey on your toast,
try a scrape of low-fat spread or sliced banana instead.
- Go for wholemeal fruit scones, fruit loaf or oatcakes instead of
croissants, pastries, biscuits or cakes.
- If you like fizzy drinks why not try diluting a small amount fruit juice
with sparkling water and choose diet versions where possible.

4. Portion Sizes
For healthy adults the types of different food and drinks we need may vary
from person to person.
The portion sizes below are a guide for healthy adults. If you’re very active
you may need more, if you’re trying to lose weight you may need smaller
portions.
If you’re measuring portion sizes with your hands then this will vary
depending on the size of your hands - generally bigger people will
automatically get bigger portions and smaller people will get smaller portions.
So let’s look at getting portion size right for you!
Your hand size is a useful tool to help you measure portion sizes:
See the ‘Find your balance’ guide on the next page for more details of how
many portions of each food group you should eat each day
You need a
very small
amount of
unsaturated
fat per day.
The size of 2
thumb tips is
all you need
A dairy portion is a
piece of cheese the size
of two thumbs together,
a small pot of yoghurt or
a medium glass of milk
or non-dairy alternative
Dairy:

5. LABELLING
F O O D
THERE’S LOTS OF INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE TO BE FOUND ON FOOD
LABELLING BUT MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL MIGHT NOT BE QUITE THAT EASY.
if there’s no colour coding label - you can still use the back of pack information to help you make
healthy choices. Why not cut out and keep the traffic label guide and take it along when you do
your shopping. Then you can work it out for yourself.
DON’T
PANIC
Typical values 100g Each pack (typically % RI* for an
contains 400g) contains RI* average adult
Energy 463kJ 1853kJ 8400kJ
110kcal 442kcal 22% 2000kcal
Fat 4.2g 16.8g 24% 70g
of which saturates 5.4g 21.6g 108% 20g
0.3g
Carbohydrates 13.3g 53.2g
of which sugars 1.7g 6.8g 8% 90g
Fibre 1.5g 6.0g
Protein 4.1g 16.4g
Salt 0.4g 1.8g 30% 6g
This pack contains 1 serving
*Reference intake of an average adult (8400kJ/2000kcal)
Nutrition
HERE’S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW IT WORKS.
SATURATES
SUGARS
SALTFAT
1
each pack contains:
% of an adult’s reference intake.
Typical values per 100g: Energy 463kJ/110kcal
SERVING
ENERGY
463kJ 16.8g 7.2g 0.2g 1.8g
110kcal
FAT SATURATES SUGARS SALT
6% 24% 36% 8% 30%
HIGHMED LOW HIGH
Some manufacturers use traffic light labelling to help you see
at a glance what’s healthy and what’s not. It’s usually found
on the front of packaging and will look something like this.
FAT SATURATES
(TOTAL)
SUGARS SALT
HIGH MORE THAN
17.5g per 100g
MORE THAN
5g per 100g
MORE THAN
22.5g per 100g
MORE THAN
1.5g per 100g
MEDIUM BETWEEN 3.1g
and 17.5g per 100g
BETWEEN 1.6g
and 5g per 100g
BETWEEN 5.1g
and 22.5g per 100g
BETWEEN 0.31g
and 1.5g per 100g
LOW 3g OR LESS
per 100g
1.5g OR LESS
per 100g
5g OR LESS
per 100g
0.3g OR LESS
per 100g
THE TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM IS BASED ON THE FOLLOWING UK GOVERNMENT RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES.
ONLY EAT
OCCASIONALLY
OK MOST
OF THE TIME
THE HEALTHY
CHOICE
CUTMEOUTANDTAKEMESHOPPING
Make sure you’re comparing
the values per 100g/ml
not the values per portion/slice figures.

6. An easy guide for finding
the right balance for you
Handy portion sizes!
The image below shows how many portions
to aim for from each food group each day for
a healthy, balanced diet.
Having a healthy, balanced diet is about
getting the right types of foods and drinks
in the right amounts for you. This guide
aims to give you an idea of portion sizes
for different foods for adults and how
many portions of each food group to
aim for each day.
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
A variety of different types each day
PROTEIN FOODS
Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and others
DAIRY AND ALTERNATIVES
Milk, cheese, yogurt and alternatives
UNSATURATED OILS
AND SPREADS
It’s so quick and easy to follow!
Group Food 1 Portion Weight
Fresh fruit About one handful or more 80g
Vegetables About 3 serving spoons or more 80g
Fruit juice 1 small glass 150ml
Dried rice or pasta About 2 handfuls 65-75g
Cooked pasta or rice About the amount that would fit 180g
in two hands cupped together
Flaked breakfast cereals About 3 handfuls 40g
Dried porridge oats About 1 and a half handfuls 40g
Baked potato About the size of your fist 220g
Plain popcorn About 3 handfuls 20g
Grilled chicken breast About half the size of your hand 120g
Cooked fish fillet About half the size of your hand 100-140g
(e.g. salmon or cod)
Cooked steak About half the size of your hand 130g
Cooked beans, About 6 tablespoons 120g
chickpeas or lentils
Canned tuna in water One can (about 160g net weight) 120g
Houmous About 2 tablespoons or 55g
about ¼ standard pot
Nuts and seeds The amount you can fit in your palm 20g
Low fat yogurt About 4 tablespoons or one individual pot 120g
Cheddar cheese About the size of two thumbs together 30g
Milk or plant-based One medium glass 200ml
alternative
Unsaturated oils or spread One teaspoon 3-5g
5+
3-4
2-3
2-3
SMALL
AMOUNTS
STARCHY CARBOHYDRATES
Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and others
These portion sizes have been based on averages and may be different to what you see in
stores and on pack.They have been developed based on a 2000kcal per day diet. Individual needs
vary and you may need larger or smaller portions.As hand size varies you can use your hands as a
measure of a suitable portion size for you. Note that where we have used ‘tablespoon’ this refers to
a 10ml spoon that would be used to eat soup or pudding, rather than a larger serving spoon.
PORTIONS
2-3PORTIONS
2-3PORTIONS
SMALL AMOUNTS
5+PORTIONS
These resources were developed by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), with
guidance from a panel of expert scientists. The BNF is grateful to the following
companies that provided financial support: Alpro, Asda, Associated British Foods,
Mars, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Tetrapak and Waitrose & Partners.
© British Nutrition Foundation www.nutrition.org.uk. January 2019.
Next review due January 2022. For more information about the sources
used in this text please contact postbox@nutrition.org.uk
Finding your balance
across the day
Your hands are perfect for measuring the right
portion size for you – this guide gives examples of
portion sizes for different food and drinks for adults.
You can find portion sizes for more foods
on the BNF website.

7. *any sugars added to food or drinks, or found naturally in honey, syrups and unsweetened fruit
This resource is designed for consumers who want to find out more about healthy eating. Last reviewed November 2016. Next review due November 2019.
What counts?
 Chocolate
 Sweets
 Cakes and biscuits
 Puddings and pastries
 Jams, table sugar, syrups and honey
 Savoury snacks like crisps and pretzels
 Rich sauces and gravies
 Butter and ghee
 Cream and ice-cream
 Mayonnaise
 Fried foods including fried chips
 Sugar-containing soft drinks
Foods high in saturated fat, salt and sugar
 These foods are not needed as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
 If these foods are chosen to be included in the diet, they should only be
eaten infrequently and in small amounts.
 Most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat salt and sugar, and
need to cut down.
Top tips: How do I make healthier choices?

Too much saturated fat can…
Too much salt can...
Too much sugar can…
… raise blood cholesterol levels and increase risk
of heart disease and stroke.
…cause you to eat too many calories, increasing
risk of weight gain, plus increase the risk of tooth
decay.
…raise your blood pressure, and increase risk of
developing heart disease or having a stroke.
Look at food labels – they can help you
choose foods that are in saturatedlower
fat, salt and sugar, and avoid those that
are !high




Swap cooking with butter or coconut
/palm oil, for rapeseed or olive oil
Swap honey for mashed banana
and a sprinkle of cinnamon in porridge
Swap cakes and pastries for
fruit loaf/scones or even some fruit
To add flavour to your meals, try
to replace salt with pepper, herbs
and spices
Swap high fat savoury snacks for oatcakes
or crackers/melba toast with some
cottage cheese or hummus
SALT no more than each day6g
SAT FAT no more than each day20g
FREE SUGARS* no more than each day30g
SALT no more than each day6g
SAT FAT no more than each day30g
FREE SUGARS* no more than each day30g
Recommendations for adults:

8. Making your own breakfast, lunch and snacks
You can have more control of what and how much you eat and can save
yourself money if you plan ahead and bring food in to work with you.
Make your fridge, freezer and microwave your friends. Prepare large batches
of healthy lunch foods when you have the time and split into portions (don’t
forget the portion control advice) and store in the fridge and/ or freezer until
needed. Make use of workplace fridges and microwaves to keep food fresh
and to heat it up. See the recipes in this pack for ideas.
Breakfast at work
If you can’t face breakfast when you get up, try preparing one of the breakfast
recipes in this pack to have at your first break time at work. Having breakfast,
particularly one which includes protein, may help you to stave off hunger and
reduce snacking on less healthy foods. It is also a great opportunity to get at
least one of your 5 a day. Check out the Have Breakfast Challenge sheet in
this pack and our breakfast recipes for ideas.
Lunch time options
Make your own healthy soups, salads and sandwiches from the recipes in
this pack, or take in leftovers from yesterday's healthy dinner which will
save you time and money.
Snacks at work
Depending on what you choose, snacks can form part of a healthy diet. They
can also stop you overeating at lunch and other meal times by ensuring you
don’t get too hungry throughout the day.
Instead of reaching for high fat, salt and sugar snacks, why not try some of
the Super Snacks suggestions in this pack. If you're buying packaged
snacks, choose those products with more greens and ambers on the traffic
light label and keep an eye on the calories (see the Food Labelling sheet in
this pack for an explanation of how the Traffic Light System works).
Drinks at work
In the UK, it is recommended that we have 6-8 drinks every day, in addition to
any water provided by food. Drinking plenty of fluid prevents headaches,
fatigue and dizziness from dehydration. The following are all healthier drink
options:
• water (this is the best option for a regular drink)
• lower fat milks
• unsweetened beverages (e.g. tea, coffee, sugar-free drinks)

9. BNF Healthy Eating Week is developed by the British Nutrition Foundation and supported by the
Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Danone UK, Garfield Weston Foundation, innocent drinks, Quorn Foods and Waitrose.
www.foodafactoflife.org.uk © British Nutrition Foundation 2019 www.nutrition.org.uk
The Super Challenge
Have a different wholegrain or other higher fibre food at breakfast,
plus at least one of your 5 A DAY, every day for a week!
• Breakfast helps get the day off to a good
start by providing some of the energy
and nutrients the body needs for good
health (e.g. starchy carbohydrates, fibre, B
vitamins, calcium and iron).
• Breakfast is a great opportunity to get at
least one of your 5 A DAY.
• Having breakfast, particularly one which
includes protein, may help you to stave
off hunger and reduce snacking on less
healthy foods.
• Choose wholegrain (e.g. porridge,
wholegrain breakfast cereals with no added
sugar, wholegrain breads) and other higher
fibre (e.g. wholemeal bread) varieties of
starchy foods.
• Include at least one of your 5 A DAY
(e.g. chopped banana, a handful of berries,
grilled tomatoes or mushrooms).
• You could include dairy foods (e.g. milk,
yogurt) or calcium-fortified non-dairy
alternatives (e.g. soya drinks). Choose
lower fat and no added sugar options.
• You could include a source of protein
(e.g. eggs, beans, kippers, nuts).
• Always include a drink so you start the day
hydrated – water, unsweetened tea and coffee,
and lower fat milk are good choices. 100%
fruit juices and smoothies count towards one
of your 5 A DAY, but should be limited to a
combined maximum of 150ml per day.
Why is it important to have
breakfast?
What makes a healthy breakfast?
The Challenge
Have a healthy breakfast every
day – go for wholegrain or other
higher fibre foods, include a
drink and at least one of
your 5 A DAY!
As well as eating the right type of foods and drinks
at breakfast, it’s important to eat the right amounts!
Here are some examples of sensible portion sizes:
3 handfuls of flaked breakfast cereal (3.3g fibre)
or muesli (4.2g fibre)
1½ handfuls of dry porridge oats (3.5g fibre)
About half a glass of semi-skimmed milk or unsweetened
milk alternatives on cereal
2 pieces of medium-sliced wholemeal bread (5.6g fibre)
2 hard-boiled eggs
About 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (1.6g fibre)
½ standard can of baked beans (9.8g fibre)
4 tablespoons of plain, low-fat yogurt
To find out more about portions sizes, take a look at the
BNF ‘Find your balance’ guide https://bit.ly/2FywMF4
Some of these foods can help you on
your way to your 30g of fibre a day!

10. Top tips for buying healthier lunch options
If you don’t have the time, storage space or inclination to make your own
lunches and snacks for work, follow our top tips for buying ready-made healthy
lunches while you are out and about.
Salad tips:
• avoid salads prepared with mayonnaise or covered in oily dressings –
examples include coleslaw, potato salads and some pasta salads
• check the calories and the fat, sugar and salt on the nutrition label of pre-
packed salads. See the Food Labelling guidance in this pack.
• Choose salads with dressings sold separately so you can control how
much you eat
Sandwich tips:
• choose brown, wholemeal or higher-fibre breads
• check the calories and the fat, sugar and salt on the nutrition label of pre-
packed sandwiches. See the Food Labelling guidance in this pack.
• you may not need butter, spread or mayonnaise if your choice of sandwich
filling is moist
• bulk up your sandwich with vegetables, like tomatoes, lettuce and
cucumber
• healthier sandwich fillings include turkey, chicken, tuna, seafood (such as
prawn and crayfish), avocado, reduced-fat hummus and hard-boiled egg
(without the mayonnaise)
• lower-fat cheeses include quark, cottage cheese, mozzarella (especially
reduced fat), feta, lower-fat soft/cream cheese and reduced-fat cheddar
• with sandwich meal deals, choose water and fruit or yoghurt if they're
available, rather than sugary drinks and crisps
Hot food tips:
• healthier fillings for baked potatoes include baked beans, cottage cheese,
tuna and sweetcorn, vegetarian chilli con carne and ratatouille – avoid
adding butter, which is high in fat and calories, and be wary of ready-
mixed fillings, which can be high in fat and salt
• with pasta, opt for tomato or vegetable-based sauces, which count
towards your 5 A Day and are lower in calories and fat than cheese- and
cream-based sauces, and avoid adding cheese to your pasta
• go for soups with chunky vegetables – have it with a wholemeal bread roll
to make it a filling meal
Sources: www.nhs.uk/live-wy-eating-out-tips/ell/eat-well/health
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/cheese/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly

11. Super Snacks
Here are some healthy snack ideas based on the four main food groups in
the Eatwell Guide:
Fruit and vegetables
• Banana
• Grapes
• Mixed fruit salad
• Vegetable sticks (served with reduced fat houmous or low fat cream cheese)
Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates
• Rice cakes (served with a no added sugar/no added salt peanut butter)
• Wholemeal toast or pitta (served with banana slices)
• Multi-seed flat bread (served with mashed avocado or guacamole or a
dip/spread made with oily fish)
• Plain popcorn (with a sprinkle of chilli powder or cinnamon)
Dairy or dairy alternatives
• Small plain unsweetened low-fat yogurt (topped with fruit, nuts and seeds)
• Reduced fat cheese cubes (served with cherry tomatoes)
• Reduced fat cream cheese (served with wholegrain breadsticks)
• Low fat milk – semi or skimmed (blended with a banana and pinch of
cinnamon)
Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
• Hard-boiled egg
• Baked chickpeas
• Small handful of nuts and seeds
• Houmous (served with wholemeal pitta)
• A dip/spread made with oily fish like sardines or mackerel
100 kcal snack examples
• A large banana
• Small piece of reduced fat cheddar cheese (about 25g) and cherry tomatoes
150 kcal snack examples
• A small low fat plain yogurt, orange segments
and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds
• Carrot sticks and two tablespoons of low fat houmous
200 kcal snack examples
• Slice of wholemeal bread or toast, low fat spread and no added sugar or salt
peanut butter
• Small handful of unsalted mixed nuts

12. Healthy diet and lifestyle tips for
SHIFT WORKERS
First thing's first - what should a healthy balanced diet look like?
Wholegrain or high fibre
starchy foods (e.g. pasta, rice,
bread, potatoes with skins)
Fruit and vegetables
- a wide variety
6-8 drinks each
day (water is best)
Some lower fat, lower
sugar dairy foods (e.g.
plain milk and plain yogurt)
Some good sources of protein
(e.g. beans, lentils, fish, lean
meat, eggs, nuts, seeds)
A good diet can help lower your risk of developing heart disease, type 2
diabetes and some cancers, and help the way you look and the way you feel!
BEFORE your shift DURING your shift
AFTER your shift
When buying foods, use traffic light labels. Go for mainly greens and limit reds
Getting enough good quality sleep during the daytime can be challenging, but is really important for
your overall health and well-being.
What should I eat?
Try to avoid having large, heavy meals as this can make you feel
drowsy. If it is hard to purchase a healthy meal on shift, try to take
your own! Filling options which you can prepare at work that will
provide lots of nutrients include:
Eat breakfast so you won’t wake up from hunger - keep meals light. Eating late at night, especially high fat/high calorie
meals, may cause indigestion which can disrupt sleep.
Avoid drinking alcohol - people sometimes drink alcohol before going to bed to calm them, but it actually disturbs sleep.
Relax - get into a relaxing bedtime routine that promotes good sleep, like having a warm shower/bath, reading a book,
doing some light stretching (like yoga) and avoiding screen time - so no TV, phone, laptops and tablets before sleeping.
Before you go to sleep...
What should I eat?
There are some healthy, filling options you can eat at home
(or take to work and re-heat) that will provide lots of
nutrients. Making extra, or preparing some of these meals in
advance, to eat when you finish your shift, could be a good,
time-saving option too! Why not try:
Porridge with low fat milk, nuts, seeds and dried fruit
Bean and vegetable chilli with brown rice
Bagel with chicken, low fat mayonnaise and salad
Wholewheat pasta with canned fish, tomato and spinach
Noodles with stir-fry veg and tofu
Meat/vegetable and chickpea curry with chapatti
Wholegrain lower sugar cereal with fruit (like a banana)
Jacket potato (with skin), baked beans, low-fat cheddar and
salad or canned tuna and sweetcorn
Low-fat ready meals that have some carbohydrates (rice,
noodles or pasta), protein (chicken, beans, prawns or fish),
add some veg (can be microwave pack) and/or a side salad.
Sandwiches with wholemeal bread, rolls or pitta, protein such
as chicken, egg or tuna, and salad. If you want to add mayo
or sauce, you can find low fat versions!
Soups - good choices have lots of veg and beans and make
sure the salt content isn’t too high. Why not add a wholegrain
roll or pitta too!
Fruit and/or low-fat yogurt for dessert or keep for a snack
Do you eat lots of processed meat (e.g. sausages,
burgers)? Why not swap to less fatty meats like chicken,
turkey or lean beef, or some bean alternatives like falafel.

13. top tips for...
Energy boosts
Caffeine lovers
Relying on caffeine to stay awake?
Too much caffeine can increase anxiety, stop you from sleeping after your shift and may lead to heart
problems over time.
How much caffeine are you having in one day (average measures)?
tea
75mg
coffee
100mg
cola
40mg
energy drink (250ml)
80mg
NOTE: If you are pregnant, your daily limit of caffeine is 200mg.
2 mugs of tea
2 mugs of coffee
1 large energy drink can (500ml)
Recommended limit of caffeine for adults in 24 hours = 400 mg
If you have 150mg
+ 200mg
+ 160mg
= you will have gone over the recommended
limit of caffeine for adults in a 24 hour period
You should also try avoiding having more than 200mg in one sitting
During your night shift, do you often find yourself grabbing sugary foods and drinks like chocolate and
biscuits to try and give yourself a quick energy boost?
It's a better idea to choose fibre-rich foods, as they release energy more slowly. Why not try these
fibre-providing snacks:
Although you may reach for energy drinks to help you stay awake and alert during night shifts, be careful
about having too many.
Fruit Vegetable sticks Unsalted nuts
Rye crispbread
with nut butter
Wholemeal pitta
with houmous
Lower sugar cereal bar
Many energy drinks contain lots of added sugars which are linked to tooth decay and weight gain.
Drinking just 1 large (500 ml) can of an energy drink can easily take you over the amount of sugar you should
be having in a day, so do limit your intake and try to choose ‘diet’ versions.
REMEMBER: Energy drinks contain caffeine, and having more than 1 small
can of energy drink close to bedtime can affect sleep in some people.
Eat regularly - to help with energy levels, try to have 3 balanced main meals in each 24 hour period,
instead of eating very little throughout the day and then a big meal at the end of your shift! Sit down,
relax and let your food digest.
Stay active - during breaks or time at home, try to do some regular exercise (even if it's just light -
walking up and down stairs). Physical activity can improve quality of sleep and reduce stress as well!
Keep hydrated - don't forget to drink (water is best) to prevent dehydration! Dehydration may make you
feel tired and possibly lightheaded. Carrying a re-usable water bottle with you can help remind you to
keep hydrated.
Hydration can also affect your sleep - drinking too little can cause you to wake during your sleep feeling
thirsty; drink too much, and you might wake needing the toilet! Try your best to balance your fluid intake.
A healthier lifestyle
NOTE: Try not to drink any caffeine 4 hours before sleep.
In addition to a healthy diet - you should also remember to...
Energy drinks
Find yourself grabbing these often?

14. Eating at Work - Top Tips
This pack is full of tips and recipes to help you eat healthy food at work, but
how and where you eat it is also important. These are our top tips.
Don’t eat while distracted
What happens while you’re eating can be as important as what you eat. A
study mentioned in British Heart Foundation’s ‘Heart Matters’ online
magazine suggests that distractions while eating mean we are more mindless
about what we consume so the food we eat doesn’t fill us up. We are
therefore more likely to continue eating, and also eat more later on. Remove
distractions such as phones and computers and just focus on eating.
Fix your meal times
Pin food to certain times. Plan what you’re going to eat and what time you’ll
have it, then stick to it: have breakfast and don’t eat again until lunchtime,
even if you feel hungry at 11 o’clock. Then pin food to certain places: the
office table, a café, the common room. That way, food gets put back where it
belongs rather than filling up all the nooks and crannies of our lives.
Manage your environment
Don’t keep food in the car, put healthy foods at eye level in the fridge, try not
to have unhealthy foods in the house/office and avoid restaurants and shops
that don’t serve any healthy options. If you work somewhere where people
bring cakes and biscuits into every meeting, say you don’t want that and
suggest healthier habits for the workplace.
Move more
Sitting still and eating too much are a particularly bad combination for weight
gain. Try and spend most of your break times moving, even if you just walk
to a different part of the office or building. Weather and venue permitting, try
to go outside. Exercise can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart
disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer by up to 50% and lower your risk
of early death by up to 30%.
Find different ways to treat yourself
Often, a problematic relationship with food comes from years of failed dieting.
It can make food more of a preoccupation – it starts to fill our lives. If you use
food to deal with difficult emotions, it can help to find a replacement. Come up
with non-food rewards to celebrate a good day or achievement or for
surviving a particularly difficult meeting.
Sources:
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/weight/food-decision-making
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-health-benefits/

15. Where to find out more
www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/home
Food Fact Sheets written by dietitians to help you keep your body fit and
healthy
www.choosetolivebetter.com
Helps you check if you are overweight or obese and provides top tips on how
you can make healthier choices in life.
www.derbyshire.gov.uk/heartofderbyshire
Go to the ‘Portion Control’ page for lots of great fact sheets including calories
in drinks, sweet and savoury food swaps, fat and sugar in foods and what 100
calories actually looks like.
www.nhs.uk/change4life
Fun ideas to help your family eat more healthily including games, quizzes,
activities and recipes
www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well
Lots of advice including getting your 5 a day, eating a healthy vegetarian or
vegan diet and eating healthily on a budget.
www.nhs.uk/oneyou/
One You is aimed at adults and contains advice on healthy eating
including recipes, an alcohol checker to monitor alcohol consumption, and
tips for encouraging physical activity, plus the ‘How are you’ quiz
mentioned at the start of this pack.
www.nutrition.org.uk
Find your balance (advice on portion sizes), tips for a healthy heart, healthy
eating during pregnancy, 7 day meal plan and more.
www.safefood.eu/Healthy-Eating
Healthy eating advice and lots of great recipes for healthy breakfasts, lunches
and snacks