Recommended foods: the healthiest options at the supermarket

This isn't about strict diets or feeling guilty every time you buy something packaged. It's about knowing the alternatives — and choosing them when they're as available and practical as the product they replace.

• 🔄
  Same effort, less processing

  Plain yoghurt instead of flavoured yoghurt with thickeners. Brown rice instead of pre-cooked rice in a pouch. Canned pulses in water instead of a ready meal with legumes. The convenience is almost identical; the quality is not.

• 🎯
  The 80/20 rule works

  If 80% of what you eat is Group 1–2 (see NOVA classification), the 20% of more processed products makes no real difference. Dietary health is measured on a weekly average, not on a single meal.

• 💡
  "Recommended" foods aren't all organic or expensive

  Canned chickpeas, eggs, wholemeal flour, plain yoghurt, oats, lentils, seasonal vegetables, sardines in oil — these are among the healthiest foods available and cost less than almost any equivalent packaged product.

Carbohydrates are not the problem — the problem is the degree of refining and processing. A whole grain is radically different from a refined grain puffed with sugar syrup.

Good-quality protein is found in both the animal and plant worlds. The point is not the source, but the degree of processing: a grilled chicken breast and a chicken nugget are two completely different things.

• 🐟
  Fish and seafood

  Fresh or frozen fish (without batter), sardines and mackerel in olive oil, tuna in water, salt-packed anchovies (rinsed). Oily fish is one of the most affordable and nutritious protein sources available.

• 🥚
  Eggs and dairy

  Whole eggs (not just whites), plain Greek yoghurt, ricotta, cottage cheese, aged cheeses in moderation. Avoid industrial egg substitutes, "protein" yoghurts with thickeners and sweeteners, processed cheese slices with phosphates.

• 🌿
  Legumes: the most underrated plant protein

  Lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas, edamame. Canned in water, they're already cooked and can be added to any meal in 30 seconds. They're inexpensive, high in fibre, and have an excellent amino acid profile when combined with grains.

Fat doesn't inherently make you gain weight. Quality fats — extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, avocado, oily fish — are among the most protective components for the cardiovascular system.

Industrial snacks (snack cakes, packaged treats, ultra-processed protein bars) are among the main sources of ultra-processed foods in the daily diet. Here's what to keep instead.

1. 🥜
   Plain nuts and seeds

   Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews with no added salt. A handful (30 g) provides protein, healthy fats and minerals. Avoid the "honey-roasted" versions with syrups and additives.

2. 🍎
   Whole fresh fruit

   Whole fruit has fibre that slows sugar absorption. An apple, a pear, a kiwi — not fruit juice, which has lost almost all its fibre and is often classified as ultra-processed.

3. 🥛
   Plain Greek yoghurt

   High protein content, low glycaemic index, no additives. Add your own honey or fresh fruit if you want sweetness — that way you control the sugar.

4. 🧀
   Hard cheese + wholegrain crackers

   A little parmesan or pecorino on wholegrain crackers with a short ingredients list (wholemeal flour, oil, salt, yeast). Long-lasting satiety, simple ingredients.

A well-stocked pantry with these products covers 90% of healthy meals using simple, accessible ingredients.