Dietary changes

There are many ways in which a diet can be adapted and improved ...and the information we have covered during this Session can help you to identify how a person’s diet may be adapted to make it healthier.

Click through the slide panel below to explore some potential dietary changes and improvements.

  • Eating too much/consuming too many calories

    As you learned earlier, if a person regularly consumes too many calories in their diet, they will gain weight as their body is unable to use up (burn off) all of the calories they consume. The following changes could be made to improve this type of diet:

    • The person could do more exercise, in order to burn extra calories
    • The person could swap high calorie food choices for foods that are lower in fat (for example, swapping crisps for a piece of fruit, or swapping sugary fizzy drinks for water)
    • The person could increase the amount of fruit and vegetables they eat – the fibre content helps you to feel fuller for longer, therefore avoiding unhealthy, high calorie snacking between meals
    • The person could reduce the portion sizes of the food that they eat, in order to reduce calorie content

  • Not eating enough/consuming too few calories

    If a person does not get enough calories in their diet, their body will not have enough fuel/energy to function. The person will lose weight and could be at increased risk of becoming ill. The following changes could be made to increase their calorie intake:

    • Swap low calorie options for higher calorie items – for example, drinking fruit juice or milk instead of water. It’s important to make sure that the higher calorie options are still healthy choices (not just lots of fats and sugars).
    • Include high energy foods in the diet – for example, bananas, nuts, eggs and peanut butter are great options for breakfast and snacks through the day.
    • Dried fruit is another healthy option that is high in energy (it contains more energy than fresh fruit).

  • Eating habits and lifestyle choices

    Sometimes, our eating habits and lifestyle choices can have an impact on our diet. For example:

    • Busy families may rely heavily on convenience foods, ready meals and takeaways for quick eating options (instead of spending time preparing food ‘from scratch’). These types of food can be particularly high in fat, sugar and salt content and it is not healthy to eat them on a regular basis. Instead, they should be replaced with healthy, balanced meals which can be prepared quickly.
    • Drinking alcohol can lead to weight gain, as it contains calories that are not needed by the body.
    • A person who has a hectic working day may snack on crisps and biscuits when they can during the day, without stopping to eat a proper meal. At the very least, they could swap the crisps and biscuits for healthier snack options such as nuts and dried fruit, but it would be better if they could make time to eat a healthy, balanced meal at lunchtime.
    • If a person smokes, this can cause them to have a smaller appetite which means they won’t eat the right amount of food each day to provide the right nutrients for their body.