According to a recent survey a number of supposedly healthy products had more hidden salt than a burger and fries. For example, one noodle salad had 4.4g of salt in a single portion – 73% of an adult’s recommended daily salt limit.

Some McDonald’s salads were saltier than their Big Mac and small French fries meal, according to Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash) which did the survey. Cash says some salads sold in coffee shops and supermarkets should carry health warnings rather than be thought of as healthy options.

As you read earlier, eating too much salt can raise blood pressure which in turn increases the risk of strokes and heart disease, according to the Food Standards Agency. The food watchdog says adults should eat no more than 6g of salt per day but the Cash survey of 156 ready-made salads and pasta bowls bought from high street outlets found 19% contained more than one third of the 6g daily limit. An EAT Thai noodle salad had 4.4g salt per portion – 73% of an adult’s recommended daily intake.

Although salads and pasta dishes are healthy lunchtime options, you need to be careful about the sauces and salt that have been used. It’s easy to assume that something like a salad will be full of goodness – but this report goes to show that the name of a food product doesn’t always mean it’s a healthy food choice.

Good nutrition isn’t brain surgery so it’s time to ditch the diet books for good. In fact the world’s largest study of weight loss at the University of California showed in January that diets only lead to weight gain and increase your risk of heart disease.

Fortunately, healthy eating – the kind of eating that keeps you slim for life – doesn’t leave you starving. The message is simple – forget diets and go back to basics with honest, healthy eating. My healthy eating rules are the only rules you need to know to feel good, stay healthy and lose weight at the same time. And eating better means eating more too!

1. Buy fresh and natural, read labels and learn to cook:

Ditch junk food and buy fresh, natural food instead. Most junk food is heavy in calories and light on nutrition. By junk, I mean burgers, crisps, ready meals, anything in ‘a delicious crispy coating’ or formed in unnatural shapes, anything containing hydrogenated vegetable oils, additives and preservatives.

If you look on a label and an ingredient sounds unnatural the chances are it is. You probably know you should avoid transfats and E numbers, but high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, colourings, additives and preservatives should be avoided too. As a rule of thumb if the list of ingredients looks like a chemistry experiment you don’t understand put it back on the shelf.

2. Know your fats

Fatty foods are more than twice as calorific as other foods for the same sized meals, so it makes sense to limit your fat intake but not to completely avoid it as some fats are good for you. If you are confused here’s what you need to know: transfats found in processed foods, fried foods, commercially baked items, cheap margarines, red meats and hydrogenated vegetable oils clog up arteries, making heart attacks more likely in later life. Try to steer clear of transfats and keep saturated fats to a minimum. Instead, go for ‘healthy’ fats, such as the kind found in fish, nuts and olive oil. These kinds are actually good for your heart, brain, skin and even weight loss, if taken regularly in small doses.

3. Drink lots of water

There are many reasons for drinking water – you’d be dead without it being number one on the list – but it is also vital for maintaining a healthy weight. If you don’t drink enough water your kidneys don’t function properly, and they pass some of their waste-filtration responsibilities on to the liver, which is then required to give up some of its fat-metabolising duties. The result is that you hang on to more stored fat than you would if you drank enough water on a regular basis.

4. Beat food cravings

Most of us have been brought up on the concept of three square meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, this throws your metabolism into disarray because you stuff yourself with food, creating an energy overload, followed by starving yourself until the next meal. Your insulin levels bounce up and down as your body tries to stabilise your blood sugar, and the result is that you store more fat than you actually need to.

A better method is to eat small meals and snacks five or six throughout the day so that you never go for more than three hours without food. That way you get a constant drip-feed of energy and, your blood sugar levels remain stable, so you’re less tempted to reach for comfort foods that are low in nutrients. Have a hearty breakfast, followed by a mid morning snack, a healthy lunch, a mid afternoon snack and a light dinner with perhaps a light snack before you go to bed.

Another great way to beat food cravings is to get to know your carbohydrates. By eating the right carbohydrates you can keep your metabolism burning calories for longer and kick start your digestive system with added fibre. The key is to avoid processed, refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, white flour, white pasta and white rice and choose wholemeal or complex carbohydrate varieties, such as whole grains, wholemeal bread, rice, pasta, oats, rye, barley, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit instead.

5. Breakfast like a Queen

One of the unhealthiest and most fattening things you can do is to skip breakfast. Studies have shown that people with weight problems tend to skip breakfast but this is all wrong if you want to eat healthily and lose weight.

In the morning you need energy to get you through the day, so then is the time to eat metabolism and energy boosting meals. As the day goes on try to eat less with each meal so that your last meal is a small one, mainly protein-based with little or no starchy carbohydrates (save those for breakfast and lunch.) There’s no point having a large bowl of cereal before bed, because all that energy won’t have anywhere to go except on your stomach.

6. Eat quality protein

Protein helps balance your blood sugar because it stays in your stomach longer and suppresses food cravings so try to eat a little protein with each meal and snack. Avoid red meats as these are high in fat and salt and go for fish, eggs, tofu, soya, nuts, seeds, small amounts of organic dairy, legumes, grains and vegetables instead.

7. Eat 30g of fibre every day

Fibre doesn’t just get things moving down there it helps to lower insulin levels in your body, which decreases fat absorption. It also absorbs water and swells up in your stomach, making you feel fuller and less tempted to overeat. Good sources of fibre are oat-based cereals, beans and pulses and, of course, your healthy eating essentials; vegetables and fruit.

8 Get your five a day

Vegetables are the one food you can eat as much of as you like all the time as they provide stacks of vitamins with minimum calories. Vegetables make great snack foods eaten raw – carrots, celery, etc – and can provide the mainstay of bigger meals when steamed, grilled or fried. To get the most out of vegetables, pay as much attention to them as you do to the rest of your meal. Cook them quickly and eat them crunchy before they lose their nutrients.

Five portions a day is a minimum – nine would be better. Start by adding more vegetables into foods, such as soups, curries and casseroles then get adventurous and try cooking whole dishes with vegetables and treating the fish or carbohydrates as side dishes. Using fresh herbs is a great way to spice up your vegetables. Rosemary, for example is great with carrots and new potatoes. Try basil with roasted vegetables, fresh ginger with stir fries and soups and garlic with anything. Lime juice is delicious with steamed vegetables and lemon juice with salads.

9. Take a multi vitamin and mineral

If your diet is good enough, in an ideal world you shouldn’t need to take a multi vitamin and mineral supplement but your body needs a huge array of nutrients. Unfortunately, these days however hard you try to eat healthily modern farming and processing methods depletes food of vital nutrients so a quality multi-vitamin and mineral on a daily basis is advised as your insurance policy. Choose the multi-vitamin and mineral depending on your age so if you over the age of 45 go for one that is designed for the menopause whereas choose a different multi if you are aiming to conceive.

10. Follow the 80/20 rule

If you love chocolate, have a small organic bar as an occasional treat. Just don’t eat it every day. If you always deny yourself the stuff you like, you’re unlikely to be able to keep up a healthy eating plan, and you’re more likely to fall off the wagon and have a binge.

The secret is to have occasional treats to keep you happy, while eating healthily the rest of the time. If you’re eating healthily at least 80 per cent of the time in my book that is about as good as it gets. That way you’ll find it easier to make good nutrition part of your life, rather than something you do reluctantly for short periods of time.

You enter the shop with the best of intentions: to buy healthy foods for yourself and your family. But it’s easy to go through on autopilot–buying the same things over and over even when you suspect (or know) that your choices aren’t good for you.

A diet high in nutrients and low in additives and preservatives is the key to good health. But supermarkets can be confusing places with so many different types of foods, labels and brands. If you just haven’t got time to read food labels or aren’t sure what you should be buying to maximise your health use the following as a guide to help you know which foods to include and which to avoid to maintain good health.

Note: It’s always a good move to choose food that is organically produced as it has fewer toxins, chemicals and additives.

Beans: Avoid canned beans if they contain sugar, salt or preservatives. Choose instead all fresh, frozen or dried beans. You can now buy organic tinned beans like kidney beans already cooked which are easy to toss into a stir fry or casserole. You can even buy organic baked beans that are sugar free (they do not contain artificial sweeteners either).

Why? Beans are a fantastic source of nutrients that can help reduce cholesterol but their nutritional value can be depleted if they full of sugar, salt or preservatives. Beans canned in salt can counteract the cholesterol lowering effect of beans and increase the risk of heart disease, fluid retention and high blood pressure.

Drinks: Avoid alcoholic drinks, coffee, cocoa, sweetened juices (any kind of sweetener e.g. sugar, glucose or artificial sweeteners), squashs, sodas and caffeinated teas. Choose instead herbal teas, fresh (preferably organic) fruits and vegetables and juices, smoothies, cereal grain beverages (like grain coffee), mineral water. If possible choose glass bottles.

Why? Your body is made up of two-thirds water and water is essential for all bodily functions so it is important to keep your liquid intake high. Pure water is the best drink for quenching thirst and hydrating the body but don’t forget that fruits and vegetables consist of 90 per cent water. Alcohol and caffeinated beverages deplete your body of essential nutrients so best to avoid. Cans of fizzy drink contain six times the amount of aluminium compared to the same drink in a glass bottle. There is always a certain amount of residue that dissolves into a drink from the lining of a can or from a plastic bottle so always best to choose glass bottles.

Dairy products: Avoid all soft cheeses and artificially coloured cheese products. Instead of low fat choose organic milk, cheese, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, goat’s milk and cheese, rice milk, oat milk and soya products instead.

Why? Dairy products are a good source of protein so should be eaten in moderation but soft cheeses, ice cream and artificially coloured cheese products can be high in saturated fat, dyes and preservatives and should be avoided.

Eggs: Avoid fried or pickled. Choose boiled, poached or scrambled. Buy organic free range if possible.

Why? Frying increases the fat content and the pickled eggs can be high in salt. Organic eggs won’t contain the antibiotics pumped into factory produced eggs and theoretically are fed more naturally.

Fish: Avoid all fish in batter or breadcrumbs. Choose instead all freshwater white fish, salmon, boiled or baked fish, tuna in spring water or oil, instead of salt, canned sardines in olive oil.

Why? Freshwater and oily fish are rich in the good fats, known as omega 3, essential for reducing cholesterol and promoting health and well-being. They are also low in salt, saturated fat and nutrient depleting additives.

Fruits: Avoid canned, bottled, or frozen fruits with sweeteners, in syrup or sugar added. Choose instead all fresh, stewed or dried fruits without sweeteners, unsulphured fruits and without mineral oil coating the dried fruit. Try to buy organic as much as possible.

Why? Fruits are high in essential fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Always best to eat them fresh because when they are processed or juiced their nutrient and fibre content decreases. Sugar or artificial sweeteners can also be added.

Grains: Avoid all white flour products, white rice, pasta, crackers, cold cereals, instant porridge and other hot cereals. Choose instead all whole grains and products containing whole grains; cereals, breads, muffins, whole-grain crackers like oat or rye, buckwheat, millet, oats, brown rice, wild rice.

Why? Grains are a great energy source. Avoid white and choose whole grains instead because whole grains don’t usually have the additives and preservatives that white products do and give you a sustained burst of energy instead of a roller coaster of highs and lows. Unlike white products, whole grains are also rich in fibre which is essential for healthy digestion.

Meats: Avoid beef, all forms of pork, hot dogs, luncheon meats, smoked, pickled and processed meats, corned beef, duck, lamb, bacon, ham, goose, spare ribs and organ meats. Best to cut out meat altogether but if you must eat meat choose organic skinless turkey and chicken.

Why? Red meats are high in saturated fat. Factory farmed meat and poultry often contains hormones and antibiotics that upset your hormonal, immune and digestive systems. Bear in mind too that many processed meats/foods are not only high in additives but also come in packets ready to warm for heating. They are stored wrapped in plastic and aluminium which adds additional non-food chemicals into your food, especially when heated

Nuts: Go for all fresh, raw nuts instead of salted or roasted nuts.

Why? Nuts are a good source of protein but you don’t need the extra salt and the effect of high heat on the essential fats that go with salted and roasted nuts.

Oils: Avoid all saturated fats, hydrogenated margarine, refined processed oils, shortenings and hardened oils. Choose instead cold-pressed oils: corn, sunflower sesame, olive, flaxseed and hemp oil. But the exception to that is to choose organic butter in moderation over hydrogenated margarines.

Why? Saturated fats contain substances that encourage blood clotting and inflammation and help raise cholesterol. Processed oils are also high in additives which can harm your health. Cold-pressed oils don’t contain these substances and are rich in health boosting anti-inflammatory, cholesterol lowering essential fatty acids.

Seasonings: Avoid black or white pepper, salt and hot red peppers. Choose instead garlic, onions, lemon, cayenne, herbs, dried vegetables, apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, tamari (wheat free soya sauce), miso, seaweed like nori flakes.

Why? Salt causes fluid retention and can raise blood pressure. Instead of salt experiment with preservative and additive free alternatives, many of which- like garlic which is thought to reduce cholesterol and seaweed which is packed with minerals – have incredible health benefits.

Soups: Avoid canned soups made with high salt, preservatives, MSG or sugar and all creamed soups. Choose instead low salt bean, lentil, pea, vegetable, barley, brown rice type soups. Better still make your own.

Why? Processed foods, such as canned soups, can be high in additives and preservatives. Most of the instant soups will read like a chemistry set so best to avoid. You can buy instant miso soup in a packet (just add hot water in a cup) which is excellent.

Sprouts and seeds: Avoid all seeds cooked in oil or salt. Choose instead all lightly cooked sprouts (except alfalfa which should be raw and washed) wheatgrass, and all raw seeds.

Why? Sprouts and seeds are nutritional powerhouses. The majority of these nutrients are destroyed when they are cooked and oil, additives and salt are added.

Sweets: Avoid white, brown, or raw cane sugar, corn syrups, chocolate, candy, fructose, all syrups (except pure maple) all sugar substitutes and jams made with sugar. Choose instead barley malt or rice syrup, raw honey (in moderation), pure maple syrup, blackstrap molasses that is unsulphured.

Why? Sugar and sweets high in sugar, have no nutritional value and are packed with calories, additives, colourings and preservatives. You don’t need them.

Vegetables: Avoid all canned or frozen containing salt, sugar or additives. Choose instead all raw, fresh, frozen, or canned without salt or sugar, preferably organic,

Why? Too much salt added to your vegetable intake can raise your blood pressure. Additives added to canned vegetables can deplete essential nutrients called phytochemicals – substances that have incredible benefits for your heart, skin, hair and mental and reproductive health. Raw, fresh or frozen vegetables are less likely to contain additives and preservatives and are therefore higher in health boosting phytochemicals.