Common Foods & Drinks: Quick Decisions
What the evidence says about the things actually in your trolley
This section exists to answer the question people actually have standing in a supermarket aisle or looking at a menu: is this fine? The verdicts below apply to the average healthy adult eating a generally varied diet — not to anyone with a specific diagnosed condition, who should follow medical advice over a general table.
| Food / drink | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Bread | Wholemeal/wholegrain over white most of the time; white bread occasionally is not a problem |
| Pasta / rice | Wholewheat pasta and brown rice over white most of the time; portion size matters more than the colour |
| Potatoes | A nutritious whole food despite the reputation — it's the butter, cheese, and frying that add the calories |
| Breakfast cereal | Check sugar per 100g — under ~5g is good; muesli/porridge/wholegrain over sugary cereals |
| Eggs | Fine daily for most people — dietary cholesterol has minimal effect on blood cholesterol for the majority[71] |
| Butter vs olive oil | Olive oil as the default for cooking and dressing; butter occasionally is fine — neither needs to be banned |
| Milk (whole vs skimmed) | Either is fine — the difference is fat calories, not a health verdict; pick based on calorie goals |
| Yoghurt | Plain/Greek over flavoured — flavoured versions often carry as much sugar as dessert |
| Cheese | Fine in normal portions (a matchbox-sized serving); easy to overeat by volume, not inherently unhealthy |
| Nuts | A small handful daily is genuinely beneficial — easy to overeat by volume since they're calorie-dense. Walnuts and almonds specifically are a good source of vitamin E, magnesium, and plant omega-3s |
| Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower) | Contain sulforaphane, which activates the body's own antioxidant and detox pathways — worth prioritising over other vegetables when choosing, not just eating vegetables generally |
| Berries | Contain plant compounds that cross into the brain, associated with improved memory and reduced oxidative damage — a good default fruit choice |
| Dark leafy greens | A concentrated source of magnesium, folate, and dietary nitrates, which support blood flow and brain health |
| Liver | Among the most nutrient-dense foods available — B12, iron, vitamin A, and CoQ10 (a compound involved in cellular energy production) in a single small serving; worth eating occasionally even if not a weekly staple |
| Peanut butter | Choose the kind with just peanuts and salt; versions with added sugar/palm oil are closer to a spread than a health food |
| Canned fish (tuna, salmon, sardines) | As nutritious as fresh and a cheap source of protein and omega-3 — a genuinely good staple |
| Deli meats / cold cuts | Processed meat — treat as occasional, not daily (see Section 4) |
| Coffee | Fine, and likely net beneficial for most adults — counts toward fluid intake[72] |
| Tea | Fine; similar profile to coffee with less caffeine |
| Fruit juice | Treat as a sugary drink, not a fruit serving — whole fruit has the fibre juice lacks |
| Smoothies | Homemade with whole fruit/veg is fine; shop-bought can carry as much sugar as a soft drink — check the label |
| Diet/zero-sugar drinks | A reasonable substitute for sugary drinks — see Section 3 on sweeteners |
| Energy drinks | The caffeine is fine in moderation (~3-6mg/kg is a reasonable ceiling); the sugar in non-diet versions is the real issue |
| Ready meals | Check protein and fibre, not just calories — many are low in both; not inherently bad, just check the label |
| Frozen vegetables | Nutritionally equivalent to fresh in most cases — frozen at peak ripeness, often more convenient[73] |
| Protein bars | A convenience tool, not a health food — check sugar content; whole food is usually cheaper and as effective |
| Chocolate | Dark over milk if choosing on nutrition grounds; either is fine in a normal portion as an occasional food |