Healthy balance
Foods & drinks high in fat and/or sugar
There’s no need to think of these foods as the baddies – they are fine as part of a healthy, balanced diet as long as you keep them as a treat
Foods in this group include butter, margarine, low-fat spreads, salad dressings, mayonnaise, crisps, cream, biscuits, pastries, cakes, puddings, soft drinks, chocolate and confectionery.
The good news is that you don’t need to deny yourself the pleasure of these foods – providing you eat them in moderation and as part of a healthy balanced diet. Think of them as treats rather than foods you eat every day. Try choosing healthier options like reduced-fat and -sugar options where possible – try our be good to yourself range.
How to eat less sugar
- Save fizzy drinks as an occasionally treat rather than a regular part of the diet – even though the diet versions don’t contain sugar they are still very sweet which can encourage a sweet tooth.
- Try diluting fruit juice half and half with fizzy water. Dilute squash and cordial well.
- Check food labels to help you pick the foods and drinks with less added sugar or go for the ‘low-sugar’ or ‘no added sugar’ version. Choosing food and drink with a green traffic light for sugar will mean they are ‘low sugar’.
- Try choosing tins of fruit in juice rather than syrup.
- Try having sugar coated breakfast cereals as an occasional treat and sweeten your cereal by adding fresh fruit.
- Try halving the sugar you use in your recipes. It works for most things except jam, meringues and ice cream.
- Rather than spreading jam, marmalade, syrup, treacle or honey on your toast, try a mashed banana instead.
- Try to avoid adding sugar to hot drinks or your cereal.
Look at the label - On Sainsbury’s own brand products you can see at-a-glance how much sugar food or drinks contain just by checking the traffic light labelling on the front of pack. Food and drinks that have a red traffic light for sugar are high in sugar and should be an occasional treat rather than a regular part of the diet. Food and drinks that have a green traffic light for sugar are low in sugar.
Another way to check the sugar is to look at the nutrition information on the back of the pack, we provide information per 100g and per serve and we also colour code the nutrition panel and provide Guideline Daily Amount information.
A food which contains less that 5g of sugar per 100g is low in sugar. A drink which contains less that 2.5g of sugar per 100ml is low in sugar.
Fat
Although some fat is essential in the diet most of us eat far more than is good for us. A high fat diet, particularly one that contains a lot of saturated 'animal' fats is known to increase the risk of problems such as heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer. Gram for gram fat contains twice as many calories as protein or carbohydrate making it a dieters biggest enemy.
There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated – the unsaturated group can be divided again into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.
Saturated fat
A diet high in saturated fats can raise levels of LDL 'bad' cholesterol in the blood which causes narrowing of the arteries and increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
Foods high in saturated fat include:
- Hard and full fat soft cheeses
- Cream,
- Crème fraiche
- Butter, lard, suet
- Fatty cuts of meat such as sausages, burgers, salami
- Pastry
- Coconut oil
- Coconut milk
- Palm oil
Unsaturated fats
These are better for the heart and are found in foods like:
- Oil rich fish
- Vegetable oil
- Olive oil
- Nuts & seeds
- Avocado
Look at the label
On Sainsbury’s own brand products you can see at-a-glance how much fat and saturated fat a food or drink contains just by checking the traffic light labelling on the front of pack. Food and drinks that have a red traffic light for fat or saturated fat are high in fat and/or saturated fat should be an occasional treat rather than a regular part of the diet. Food and drinks that have a green traffic light for fat or saturated fat are low in fat and/or saturated fat.
Another way to check the fat is to look at the nutrition information on the back of the pack, we provide information per 100g and per serve and we also colour code the nutrition panel and provide Guideline Daily Amount information.
A food which contains less than 3g of fat per 100g is low in fat and less than 1.5g of saturated fat per 100g is low in saturated fat. A drink which contains less than 1.5g of fat per 100ml is low in fat and less than 0.75g of saturated fat per 100ml is low in saturated fat.
How to trim the fat from your diet
We all know it makes sense to eat less fat and the good news is that it doesn't have to mean compromising taste and enjoyment. Even small changes can make a big difference. Try some our healthier tips below.
Preparing dairy based desserts and sauces
- Try serving desserts with yogurt or custard rather than cream.
- Try making desserts with semi skimmed milk rather than cream.
- Choose low and reduced fat alternatives such as skimmed or semi skimmed milk and reduced fat cheeses whenever possible.
- Make gravies and sauces creamy by adding yoghurt or fromage frais rather than cream. Stir in at the end of cooking to prevent curdling.
- To make a lower fat white sauce blend 1tbsp cornflour with 2 tbsp cold water, whisk this mixture into 300ml skimmed milk. Bring to the boil and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 minute.
Preparing meat dishes
- Over half the fat in chicken or turkey is in the skin. You can leave the skin on during cooking to help keep the meat moist, but always remove it before eating.
- Choose lean cuts of meat and trim off any visible fat before cooking.
- Make stews and casserole a day in advance - the fat will rise to the surface as the dish gets cold and solidify and you can skim it off.
Healthier cooking techniques
- Invest in a good heavy based non-stick pan and remember that oil expands once it gets hot so when you're softening onions or vegetables you don't need to add as much as you might think. Use a vegetable or olive oil non-stick cooking spay for dishes that require light frying.
- Try choosing low fat cooking techniques - poach, braise, steam, roast, grill or stir-fry. Marinades are a good way of adding extra flavour without fat.
- Remove fat from gravy by adding a couple of ice-cubes to the hot gravy - the fat will congeal around the ice cubes, which you can then remove and discard.
This information is a guide only and should not replace advice given from your healthcare professional.
