From a hub full of tips, to inspirational healthy recipe ideas, Tesco is dedicated to helping you shop and cook healthier
It’s hard to eat healthily or try new recipes when time is short, there’s a family to feed and, well… life gets in the way.
That’s why Tesco are making it simpler to understand the benefits of what you buy – both in store and at home.
“We know making healthier choices can feel overwhelming. Advice on healthy eating changes constantly and can be difficult to understand,” explains Richard Reback, Tesco’s lead marketing manager for health.
“At Tesco, we want to make this easier and help our customers to eat a little better every day. Through clear labelling on products, better signposting in stores and responsible marketing, we’re making it simpler to understand the nutritional benefits of what you buy.”
Getting the message right
This commitment starts with the way Tesco talks to shoppers.
“We deliberately don’t target children with products high in fat, salt or sugar. This includes things like not placing cartoon characters on Tesco’s own-brand packaging, and not giving away toys.
“In 2022 we voluntarily removed multibuy promotions on products high in fat, salt and sugar to ensure customers aren’t encouraged to buy more than they need; and way back in 2015, we were the first supermarket to remove sweets and chocolates from all checkouts.”
Inspiring healthier choices
Eating well is so much easier when you feel inspired – and Tesco is here to help.
“One way is through Clubcard,” explains Richard. “As well as helping you to save on your shop, each month Clubcard holders can receive tailored newsletters and personalised recommendations, such as seasonal recipe ideas and health-focused tips for healthy cooking at home.”
Millions of customers can also earn Clubcard stamps on fresh fruit and veg and gain extra points through new Clubcard Challenges on frozen fruit and veg, beans and pulses.
“We’re putting healthier options front and centre in stores and also introducing more healthy options for our famous Meal Deal, with more than 80% of drink options now being classed as healthy,” Richard adds.
These include foods that are part of your 5-a-day, or are high in fibre and/or vitamins – with no ‘red’ front-of-pack nutritional values.
It seems customers are loving the changes – Tesco sold 34 million more fruit pots last year compared to 2024, and a whopping 11 million egg protein pots as part of the Meal Deal.
Healthy ideas
Stuck for inspiration? As well as the brilliant 5-a-day-hub on the Tesco Real Food website, you’ll find hundreds of healthy, easy-to-make recipes, plus heart and diabetes-friendly meal suggestions, created in conjunction with the British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK.
Grab a copy of Tesco magazine to discover seasonal healthy recipes; or hop over to Tesco’s social media channels for even more healthy food content, helping to make 5-a-day both easy and fun.
- Keep your finger on the pulse – Lentils, chickpeas and beans are an easy way to bulk out meals while reducing reliance on meat. They’re high in protein, low in fat and budget-friendly, especially when using tinned versions.
- Veg-pack your meals – Boost everyday dishes by adding extra veg wherever you can. Stir grated carrots into Bolognese, add spinach to curries or bulk out stews with mushrooms and lentils. For a lighter twist, try swapping rice or noodles for carrot ribbons in a stir-fry. Frozen and tinned veg are just as convenient and nutritious.
- Swap to lighter cooking fats – Switching to lighter oils or using less oil overall can reduce saturated fat without compromising flavour. You can also try cooking methods like grilling, roasting or air frying instead of frying.
- Choose leaner cuts of meat – If you’re cooking with meat, opt for leaner options like chicken breast, turkey mince or lower-fat beef mince. You can also stretch portions by combining meat with lentils or veg.
- Make simple plant-based swaps – Even swapping just one or two meals a week to plant-based alternatives, like meat-free mince or veggie burgers, can help increase fibre and reduce saturated fat, without changing your routine too much.
