In the fridge…

Bin: The full fat milk

Milk may be packed with a range of nutrients, but you’re also helping yourself to a not-so-healthy dose of fat…about 22 grams per pint.

Buy: Semi skimmed

Skim the cream off and you’ll lose over half the fat but save all the nutrients. Your taste buds will hardly notice the difference.

Bin: The butter

Bye bye butter. It contains both cholesterol and high levels of saturated fat which means it could raise your levels of bad cholesterol and potentially cause long term health problems.

Buy: Margarine or low fat spreads

Margarine is made from vegetable oils, so it contains no cholesterol. It’s also higher in ‘good’ fats — polyunsaturated and monounsaturated — than butter. Can’t give up butter completely? Try a light or reduced-fat version instead.

Bin: High calorie dips, dressings and sauces

Trash the guacamole, cheese and chive dip, blue cheese salad dressing and mayonnaise. Yes they’re yummy but they’re also setting up a cosy home on your hips.

Buy: Low fat or natural alternatives or make your own

Stock up on salsa, hummus and vinaigrette style dressings or try one of the many mustard varieties to add kick to your food (yellow hamburger mustard doesn’t count!). Better yet, get chopping, blending and mixing and make your own.

In the freezer…

Bin: Full-fat instant dinners

They may be fast and filling but the average instant meal contains a huge amount of fat and salt, neither of which will do your waistline or your arteries any good. Anything creamy – from carbonara to stroganoff is off the menu.

Buy: Low fat alternatives

Most supermarkets offer low fat versions of their instant meals. Look for meals containing about 400 calories, and less than 13 grams of fat. Save on the main event and you’ll have more room for dessert!

Bin: The ice cream

Ice cream delivers a cream and sugar double whammy of health busting, waist-line expanding fat. Even worse, the premium varieties are often the worst offenders (that’s why they taste so good).

Buy: Sorbet

Saintly sorbets are light, refreshing and contain almost zero fat. Made from water and fruit puree you can choose from a variety of supermarket brands or dust off the blender and whip up your own.

Bin: Deep pan pizzas

High in fat, carbs, sugar and salt, the thicker base absorbs more oil upping the calorie content. Lardy toppings such as cheese and pepperoni only increase the calorie carnage.

Buy: Thin crust pizzas

Thin crusts immediately lower the calorie count meaning you can be more liberal with your toppings. Load up on lycopene rich tomato sauce and pile on the veggies for extra nutrients.

In the store cupboard…

Bin: The high-fat breakfast cereal

Many breakfast cereals, especially those aimed at kids are high in fat and low in fibre. Choose plain cereals that contain wholegrains and are low in salt and sugar. You can always add fruit to sweeten.

Buy: Porridge oats

Porridge is cheap and contains vitamins, minerals and fibre. Always use semi-skimmed or skimmed milk and add some honey, a few dried apricots or a sliced banana for extra flavour.

Bin: The jelly sweets

Teeth rotting, belly expanding sweets are calorifically high in sugar so rid yourself of the lot. Out!

Buy: Dried fruit

Dried fruit counts towards your five-a-day and provides energy in the form of natural sugars and fibre. As a rule of thumb a portion of dried fruit is one heaped tablespoon.

Bin: Tinned fish in oil

It sounds like a healthy choice, but oil not only increases the calorie count but also mixes with the natural, healthy fats; so when you chuck the oil some of the nutrition goes too.

Buy: Tinned fish in water or brine

Salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout and pilchards all retain their omega oils when tinned. And since water and oil don’t mix, you won’t lose any of the natural goodness.