A lot of the food and drink we eat is consumed at home. As a result, the food and drink we have available at home can greatly influence our food choices and the overall balance of our diet.
What you eat and drink at home
There are no good or bad foods or meals. The key is to aim for balance and variety so that your body gets the range of nutrients it needs with the food you find satisfying, interesting and enjoyable too.
Planning your meals and food shopping will help make sure what you eat and drink at home is good for you whilst fitting with your routine, preferences and the facilities you have. Our shopping and meal planning pages can help if you would like more support to get started.
Cooking meals at home can be a great way to manage the types and range of foods you eat and make meals go further within your budget. If you want to make some small, simple changes to the meals you cook at home, you may also find the making everyday meals healthier page helpful.
How much you eat at home is just as important as what you eat. We can often snack more than we realise when food is easy to access at home. Think about the snacks you have at home, are the healthier snacks just as easy to reach as the less healthy snacks? We may also eat bigger portions than we need when we cook and serve up food at home. If you struggle with getting the right portions for you, our portion sizes page can help.
How and when you eat and drink at home
Food is more than just eating for your body. Meals can be an enjoyable social time too. If you live with family and friends, sit and eat together around a table when you can. This can make meals their own occasion, where you can slow down, notice and enjoy what you are eating, and spend time together.
Sitting at a table to eat when you can is a great habit to start if you don’t already. We are less likely to be distracted, which can help us be more aware of what and how much we eat. Avoiding distractions whilst eating at home is important as sometimes we can eat more than we realise when distracted by other things.
Establishing an eating routine that suits you can help with eating regularly and healthier snacking. Eating regularly and not skipping meals may help you to be more aware of your body’s hunger and full signals.
Which of the following areas could help improve what you eat and drink at home?
- Healthier eating overview
- Meal planning
- Shopping
- Making everyday meals healthier
- Portion sizes
- Snacking
