Sign inFood / Nutrition / Diet
UK sources of information and / or support
Patient UK
Has an information leaflets on
and other diet and nutrition leaflets in the Health Promotion section.
Healthy eating
All kinds of information about food and diet from NHS Choices, the government's health portal.
Start4Life
Start4Life brings together all the latest news and advice on nutrition and activity, for when it's needed most. It's all about building healthy habits, for babies, from day one.
Change 4 Life - Eat well - Move more - Live longer
Change4Life is a society-wide movement that aims to prevent people from becoming overweight by encouraging them to eat better and move more. It is the marketing component of the government's response to the rise in obesity.
Nutrition
Information from the Department of Health, including the eatwell plate.
Food Standards Agency
The Food Standards Agency is an independent government department set up by an Act of Parliament in 2000 to protect the public's health and consumer interests in relation to food.
Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)
An advisory Committee of independent experts that provides advice to the Food Standards Agency and Department of Health as well as other Government Agencies and Departments. Its remit includes matters concerning nutrient content of individual foods, advice on diet and the nutritional status of people.
Nutrition and school lunches
Information from Directgov, the government's digital service for people in England and Wales.
Nutrition Network for Wales
The networks are for all individuals, organisations and sectors with a role to play in improving nutrition and levels of physical activity in Wales. They support members by providing and improving access to information and by providing a forum for sharing knowledge and good practice, enabling members to learn from each other.
Food and Health Alliance
The Food & Health Alliance (FHA) is managed by NHS Health Scotland and supported by the Scottish Government and Food Standards Agency Scotland. FHA is a network for everyone with an interest in food and health improvement work in Scotland. It represents the range of stakeholders involved in implementing a multi-sector, food-chain based food and health strategy.
Maternal and child nutrition
A patient guide to complement the NICE guideline of the same name for health professionals.
Nutrition support in adults
A patient guide to complement the NICE guideline of the same name for health professionals.
Serial transverse enteroplasty procedure (STEP) for bowel lengthening in parenteral nutrition-dependent children
A patient guide to complement the NICE guideline of the same name for health professionals.
Diet overview
NICE Pathways are for people who use NICE guidance. This includes health and social care professionals, public health experts, those who commission or provide health and social care services, employers and members of the public.
Food
Information from Health Challenge Wales.
Food and Health
Information from Health Scotland.
British Nutrition Foundation
Promotes the nutritional wellbeing of society through scientifically based nutritional knowledge and advice. Includes information on Vegetarianism, Healthy Teeth, Bone Health, Achieving a Balanced Diet, Obesity, Heart disease, Unpleasant Reactions, Malnutrition, Diet and Cancer Prevention, The Role of Iron and more.
British Dietetic Association
The British Dietetic Association is the professional organisation for Registered Dietitians in the UK. This site contains information on the work of the organisation and they have a range of Food Fact Sheets written by registered dietitians.
CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health)
CASH was set up in 1996 as a response to the refusal of the Chief Medical Officer to endorse the COMA recommendations to reduce salt intake, following the threat of withdrawal of funds by the food industry to the Conservative Party. This view was contrary to the current medical and scientific consensus and they aim to counter these claims with the wealth of scientific evidence, which clearly links high salt intake to ill health.
Dietarycard
Dietarycard offers discreet, durable and highly professional cards in a number of languages explaining your dietary needs to waiters and chefs. The online service offers the translation of a card tailor-made to your personal requirements covering up to seven allergy/intolerance foods.
Eating for Pregnancy
The Eating for Pregnancy service was established in 1989. The service is funded by Wellbeing of Women and serviced by Centre for Pregnancy Nutrition at the University of Sheffield. The Eating for Pregnancy provides information for women on healthy eating and food safety before and during pregnancy, and whilst breast feeding.
Eating well at work
From the British Heart Foundation's Health at Work programme promoting health and wellbeing in the workplace. As part of the programme, members get free information, resources and practical tips on how to encourage themselves and their colleagues on getting fit and active and eating well whilst at work.
Food Magazine
The Food Magazine is a magazine that lifts the lid on the food industry and explains what is really going on with the food we eat. The magazine is published by the campaigning watchdog The Food Commission and is an ideal resource for people and organisations that care about food quality and good nutrition for all.
Food and Drink Federation (FDF)
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the UK food and drink manufacturing industry. FDF promotes the industry's views and works to build consumer confidence in the food chain as a whole.
Food Additives and Ingredients Association
Affiliated to the Chemical Industries Association and represents companies whose principal business is the manufacture and marketing of food additives and ingredients. The organization promotes better awareness of the role additives play in modern food.
Foodreactions.org
Includes information about Lactose Intolerance; Food Intolerance, Carbohydrate Intolerance; Alcohol Intolerance; Fructose Intolerance; Fructose Malabsorption; Gluten Intolerance (Coeliac); Non Coeliac Gluten Intolerance; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Pancreatitis; Baby Colitis; Food Allergy; Milk Allergy; Natural and Chemical Allergy; Food Additives.
Foodfitness
Foodfitness is a healthy lifestyle initiative with a unique dual approach promoting increased moderate physical activity coupled with enjoyable, healthy eating. The Food and Drink Federation's (FDF) foodfitness programme was established in 1996, on behalf of the UK food and drink manufacturing industry.
Hydration for Health Initiative
Their mission is to establish healthy hydration as an integral part of public health nutritional guidelines and routine patient counseling so people can make informed choices. The website raises awareness of the importance of healthy hydration, encourage scientific discussion and independent research regarding hydration practices, and provide pragmatic tools and advice to create behaviour change.
Join the Activaters
Healthy lifestyle messages for primary school children. It promotes the complementary benefits of healthy eating and moderate physical activity in an innovative and fun way with the aid of two cartoon families - the Activaters and the Dolittles. Their aim is to engage the public and show that a healthy lifestyle need not be dull, demanding, extreme or expensive.
Kellogg's Easy Energy Evaluator
Allows individuals to calculate their current energy intake (calories), and current energy needs (often different!) assess their activity levels and monitor their food intake throughout the day, then in a few simple steps calculate what their GDA intake is - including total calories - and what it should be based on their current energy needs. It also provides realistic recommendations regarding food choices and activity levels needed to meet an individual's daily needs. The tool also includes advice on how to make simple lifestyle changes.
Nutritionist Resource
A directory for nutrition advice and information, connecting those seeking support with the largest network of nutritionists in the UK.
Nutrition Society
The Nutrition Society's aim is to advance the scientific study of nutrition and its application to the maintenance of human and animal health. The site does not give nutrition information or advice but has links to worldwide sources of information.
Take Life On, One Step at a Time
Find out what healthy eating and physical activity are all about. It is designed to help you attain a healthier diet and a more active lifestyle by providing resources, advice and support on healthy eating and physical activity.
Understanding Food Additives
A website that discusses the uses and regulation of food additives.
Water for Health
The Water for Health initiative was launched to guide and inform health professionals and health authorities, to stimulate interest and research in hydration and to help move water up the public health agenda.
Diet, healthy eating and cancer
Information from Cancer Research UK.
Fibre
Information from Core.
Diet, nutrition and the menopause
Information from Women’s Health Concern.
Food and diet
Information from NHS Choices - the government's patient information portal.
Malnutrition
Information from NHS Choices - the government's patient information portal.
See also the Patient UK obesity page.
Further sources / more detailed information
Some non-UK sites
The following list popular non-UK health information sites with content aimed at the general public. They are mainly from the US. They have not been checked to see if information about the above topic is included but these large sites are comprehensive.
- Non-UK disease / illness sites
- Non-UK self-help / support group sites
More detailed medical information
The following list online sources of more detailed medical information, mainly from the UK. These sites are mainly aimed at health professionals, but are of interest to all. They have not been checked to see if information about the above topic is included, but information about most medical topics can usually be found.
- PatientPlus - hundreds of medical reference articles provided by Patient UK.
- Evidence Based Medicine - such as from Clinical Evidence, The Cochrane Library, etc.
- Database of UK Clinical Guidelines - from NICE, SIGN, etc.
- Medline - abstracts available from thousands of journals.
- Sites listing free online medical textbooks and journals.
- Sites listing free medical images - pictures, atlases, anatomy, skin diseases, etc.