We've all overdone it at one time or another. When you need to redress the balance of your diet, make sure you don't surgically remove the flavour. It's all about healthy recipes that are balanced, varied and a pleasure to eat. Let BBC Food show you how.
Minestrone with butternut squash ‘noodles’
Smoked salmon open-topped sandwich
Red lentil and bacon soup
Homemade beans on toast
Wilted spinach and poached egg on toast
Bircher muesli
Porridge with berries
Berry yoghurt
Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon
Piedmontese peppers
Baby aubergines with oregano and red onions
Chargrilled sea bass summer rolls with pineapple dipping sauce
Chinese-style prawn filo tartlets
Raw Brussels sprouts slaw
Quinoa goji tabbouleh
Healthy oven chips
Greens with bacon and hazelnuts
Baked apples
Healthy plum crumble
Disco pops
Poached quince and winter fruit in spiced wine
Lower-fat chocolate brownies
Banana bran muffins
Irish soda bread
Chickpea flatbreads with tasty toppings
Cinnamon, banana and blueberry muffins
Spiced clementine smoothie
Chocolate avocado shake
Blackberry and apple crumble smoothie
Mango smoothie
Virgin Mary
Jalapeño and anchovy ketchup
Real guacamole
Eye-health smoothie
Plum compôte
See all healthy recipes (521)
Don't be swayed by claims like 'fat-free' and 'only 50 calories'. Look for what they don't tell you and try to compare them with similar products to make sure they're not giving the misleading impression that they’re healthier than they really are.
Some 'healthy' ready meals are high in salt - sometimes higher than the standard version. Low-fat desserts can be full of sugar. Don't assume household brand-names or economy packs compare unfavourably with supposedly 'healthier' foods either. Often foods marketed at slimmers are not very nutritious.
The healthiest food you can buy - fresh fruit and vegetables - doesn't come with a label. Fresh ingredients won't list their nutrients, additives (or absence of) or boast that they're good for you (they don't need to).
Where possible, prepare foods yourself. You'll know exactly what you're eating and nothing with a 'healthy choice' label emblazoned on it is likely to be as virtuous - or as delicious.
Give your food an extra kick. If you're bored with your dinner, then you'll either eat too much of it, or eat too much of something else after it, so the best idea is to not get bored in the first place. That means:
• shop seasonally (food in season is at its height of flavour and nutritional value)
• use fresh herbs and herb oils for instant flavour
• add zing with chilli, garlic, relishes and mustards
• cook with wine instead of fats, reducing it down and using its wonderful flavour to add depth and complexity to stews
• use lemons to add a citrus tang, roasting them alongside chicken, grilling them with fish, and squeezing their juice over green vegetables and salads
• lighten up a simple fish or chicken dish by turning it into a soup: the broth fills you up yet is very light
Type the ingredients you want to use, then click Go. For better results you can use quotation marks around phrases (e.g. "chicken breast"). Alternatively you can search by chef, programme, cuisine, diet, or dish (e.g. Lasagne).
Simple fish in a bag 
Baked sweet potato with roasted vegetables and bulgur wheat 
Baked sweet potato with easy black beans and purple slaw 
All-day breakfast frittata