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GOOD FOOD. EVERYDAY WELLBEING.

Healthy Living

208 food and drink ideas, including 100 meat recipes across breakfast, lunch, tea-time and supper.

Browse meat, vegetarian and vegan ideas, including lighter tea-time dishes.

Food & drinks

About the ratings
Recipe ideas
About recipe tags

Dietary tags depend on choosing suitable labelled ingredients, including vegetarian cheese and vegan bread, wraps, stock and sauces. Quick meals exclude long chilling or standing times. Budget-friendly ideas are recipes built around everyday staples, with fresh or frozen additions. Costs vary by shop and portion size. Protein ingredients does not mean high protein. No calorie, gluten-free or price-per-serving claims are made.

NHS vegan diet guidance

Something delicious

Original recipe ideas, not yet kitchen-tested or nutritionally analysed. Timings are estimates; chilling, resting and cooling are noted separately. The collection includes meat, vegetarian and vegan ideas. Choose suitable labelled cheeses and packaged ingredients for your dietary needs, and check every ingredient and product label for allergies.

SHOP / RETAILER LINKS

Healthy Living Products

Nuts, seeds, dried fruit and snacks from external retailers.

The Holland & Barrett and Myprotein links are affiliate links that may earn Claire/PAW a commission; the price you pay is unchanged.

PAW does not sell or recommend these individual products, collect payment details or handle orders. You choose products and pay on the retailer's website; the retailer handles prices, stock, delivery and returns. No recipe-guide ratings apply to supplements.

Supplements are not a replacement for a varied, balanced diet. Speak to a pharmacist or GP before taking supplements if you take medicines, have a health condition, or are pregnant or breastfeeding. Follow product warnings; do not exceed the recommended dose.

NHS vitamins & minerals Supplement safety guidance

About the Health Guide

The PAW score awards one point for each of five recipe features: a fruit or vegetable ingredient; wholegrains, oats, barley or pulses; meat, eggs, pulses, tofu, nuts, seeds or dairy; no sugar, honey or syrup added in the method; and up to 1 tsp added oil per portion with no butter or full-fat cheese, using reduced-salt stock or soy sauce where specified. Unspecified-salt condiments such as harissa do not earn the last point. Ratings apply to the listed recipe and portions, not substitutions.

This is a simple editorial checklist, not a validated health score, NHS rating or calculated nutrient profile. Points identify ingredients, not minimum nutrient amounts or full fruit-and-veg portions. A 5/5 recipe is not necessarily a complete meal or suitable for everyone. Product ingredients can include added sugars even when none are added in the method; check labels. Smoothies need small portions regardless of score. Quantity, overall diet and personal needs matter.

NHS balanced diet NHS fibre guidance NHS drinks & hydration

Benefits describe what ingredients can contribute to a balanced diet, not promises to prevent or treat illness. No calorie, protein-gram, vitamin-dose or weight-loss claims are made. Seek tailored advice from a registered dietitian for medical diets.

Cooking & Food Safety

Oven temperatures are for a conventional oven, in Celsius first with Fahrenheit in brackets. Use your appliance's conversion guidance for fan ovens. Check doneness as well as time: egg dishes should be fully set and cooked food should be hot through. Where a core-temperature check is appropriate, the FSA advises 70 C (158 F) for 2 minutes, or an equivalent safe time and temperature.

Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat food and use clean utensils between tasks. Do not wash raw chicken. Cook poultry, pork, burgers and mince thoroughly; check the thickest part with a clean food thermometer. Meat recipes specify a safe core-temperature check or clearly require fully cooked, ready-to-eat meat. Raw meat cannot be substituted into a ready-to-eat recipe without cooking it safely first.

Meat can contribute to a balanced diet alongside plant-based protein sources. Vary your choices and eat red and processed meat less often; bacon and ham recipes are occasional options. NHS meat guidance explains portions and choices.

Wash produce, use clean equipment and follow packet cooking instructions. Keep chilled ingredients refrigerated. Cool leftovers promptly, refrigerate and reheat until steaming hot throughout. Cook rice fresh where possible; follow the FSA's specific rice storage advice before saving leftovers.

Safe cooking guidance FSA leftovers & rice guidance Food allergies
Category photo credits

Category photographs are inspiration, not photographs of the individual recipes. Images are resized and cropped for display.