Cabbage or kale?
Green cabbage provides folate, plus almost half the vitamin C and all the vitamin K needed each day in an 80g serving. But kale packs in even higher levels of these nutrients, together with almost three-quarters of daily vitamin A requirements. Kale also provides more than 200 times the lutein and zeaxanthin of green cabbage – good news for eye health as research suggests these antioxidants protect against age-related macular degeneration, a condition that can impair vision.
Verdict: Both are good for fibre and adding to 5-a-day, but kale provides more vitamins and minerals, making it the top choice.
Cows’ milk or soya milk?
Cows’ milk provides bone-friendly protein, calcium and phosphorus, fatigue-busting vitamins B2 and B12, and brain-friendly iodine for cognitive functions like memory. Soya milk contains fewer of these but is often fortified with calcium and vitamins B2 and B12 to match levels in cows’ milk. There are also health benefits. For example, research shows 25g soya protein daily can help reduce cholesterol – a 200ml glass of soya milk provides about a fifth of this. Some studies also suggest naturally occurring isoflavones in soya may ease menopausal hot flushes and support bone health after the menopause. Soya milk also has a lower carbon footprint, making it better for the planet.
Verdict: Both are nutritious with different health benefits, so enjoy them equally. Choose reduced-fat cows’ milk and opt for unsweetened, fortified soya milk.
Kidney beans or butter beans?
Both are low in fat but rich in fibre and protein – two components that help keep us full. They also offer an environmentally-friendly alternative to meat thanks to their lower carbon footprint. But when it comes to vitamins and minerals, kidney beans shine with a quarter more iron, double the phosphorus and almost five times the calcium of butter beans.
Verdict: Both are nutritious but with more calcium and iron, kidney beans have the edge, particularly for vegan diets. Choose tinned varieties without added sugar or salt.
Sweet potatoes or regular potatoes?
Potatoes are rich in starchy carbs and contain far fewer natural sugars than sweet potatoes – a 200g serving of boiled potatoes has 2g sugar compared with 19g sugar in boiled sweet potatoes. Nevertheless, sweet potatoes are slightly lower in calories and richer in most nutrients, including fibre, vitamin C and beta-carotene, which the body converts into immune-friendly vitamin A – a 200g serving provides all our daily vitamin A needs, while regular potatoes contain none.
Verdict: Sweet potatoes provide more nutrients, but regular potatoes make it easier to stick to health limits of less than 90g of total sugar daily. The solution? Enjoy both but cook them with their skins to boost fibre.
Greek yogurt or natural yogurt?
Both have similar amounts of protein and are free from added sugar, but traditional Greek yogurt is much higher in calories, fat and saturates – per 100g, Greek has 130kcal, 10g fat and 7g saturates while natural has 79kcal, 3g fat and 2g saturates. While Greek yogurt contains almost four times more vitamin A than natural yogurt, it falls short on most other nutrients with around a third less potassium, calcium and iodine – all nutrients many people lack.
Verdict: Thanks to less saturated fat and more vitamins and minerals, natural yogurt is the better option. Or try low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt for less saturated fat.
Red lentils or green lentils?
Though both types have similar protein, green lentils are richer than red lentils in most other nutrients. They contain a third more iron and potassium, and twice as much fibre, but the standout is selenium, needed for immune function and male fertility (it’s used to make sperm) – great news for the 32 percent of men and 57 percent of women at risk of deficiency due to very low intakes. An 80g serving of cooked green lentils delivers almost three quarters of daily selenium needs compared with just four percent from red lentils.
Verdict: Green lentils have the nutritional edge. Choose tinned or pouches without added salt for convenience.
Cod or haddock?
Both are low in fat but filled with protein, potassium, phosphorus, selenium and vitamins B3 and B12. They’re especially rich in iodine – a 140g grilled portion of either fish fulfils the full daily requirement. That’s good news as iodine is vital for the brain, with studies showing low intakes can affect cognitive function – yet nine percent of men and 18 percent of women have very low intakes.
Verdict: Health guidelines recommend two 140g portions of fish a week (one should be oily). Both cod and haddock are nutritious choices but look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) logo on packaging to ensure they’re sustainably sourced.
Olive oil or vegetable oil?
In the UK, bottled vegetable oil is typically rapeseed oil. Compared to olive oil, it’s lower in saturates, higher in polyunsaturates and a tablespoon provides a fifth of daily vitamin E needs. In contrast, olive oil has more monounsaturated fats, with extra-virgin varieties providing health-promoting polyphenols. Replacing saturated fat with mono- or polyunsaturated fats can help to lower blood cholesterol, so both oils are heart-healthy choices.
Verdict: Choose based on taste, budget (olive oil costs more) and use. Rapeseed and regular olive oil suit higher temperature cooking while extra virgin is better for drizzling and dressings. But with 100kcal in a tablespoon, use both in small amounts.
Red peppers or green peppers?
Choosing red over green means doubling quantities of skin-loving vitamin A, muscle-friendly potassium and fatigue-fighting folate. In fact, just half a red pepper provides 30 percent of daily folate needs. Alongside combatting tiredness, folate-rich foods (plus a 400mcg daily supplement of folic acid) are important for women trying for a baby and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy to protect against neural tube defects like spina bifida.
Verdict: Half a pepper – whether red or green – counts towards 5-a-day, but red peppers win for containing more vitamin A, folate and potassium.
Honey or sugar?
Both honey and sugar provide calories – 23kcal and 16kcal per teaspoon respectively – but lack nutrients. Though honey contains a few more minerals, amounts are too small to have a significant impact on overall nutrient intakes. Honey has a lower glycaemic index (GI) than sugar, so may cause a slower rise in blood glucose, but this depends on what it’s eaten with. Claims that honey (including manuka honey) benefit health – for example, improving immunity, aiding digestion or soothing sore throats and coughs – aren’t backed by strong evidence.
Verdict: Honey and sugar are both types of sugars we need to cut down on, so use them sparingly.
Baby corn or sweetcorn kernels?
Baby corn is lower in calories – 80g (around 5-6 pieces) provides 25kcal versus 62kcal in sweetcorn – with fewer carbs and natural sugars. While most other nutrients are similar, baby corn has three times more bone-friendly manganese and over three times the folate with 80g supplying 64 percent of daily folate needs compared with just 18 percent in sweetcorn. However, it’s low in vitamin C, whereas 80g of canned sweetcorn provides almost a quarter of the daily requirement.
Verdict: Baby corn edges ahead for fewer calories and more folate, but both count towards 5-a-day and add fibre and variety.
Strawberries or raspberries?
Both berries add manganese, folate and fibre to diets. The main nutritional difference is in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps wounds to heal, supports immunity and is a key component of collagen, which keeps skin looking smooth, firm and wrinkle-free. An 80g serving of raspberries provides 19 percent of daily vitamin C needs compared with 58 percent for strawberries.
Verdict: Enjoy both – vitamin C is easy to get from a varied diet that includes fruit and veg so there’s no need to rely on just one or two foods.
Halloumi or feta?
These cheeses might both be from the Med but they differ in the nutrients they contain. Halloumi is slightly richer in protein and contains around twice as much calcium and phosphorus as feta – all nutrients that help keep bones strong. Plus, it’s higher in vitamin A and has four times more zinc, both of which support the immune system. But these extra nutrients also come with more calories, fat, saturates and salt – a 50g serving of halloumi has 157kcal, 12g fat, 8g saturates and 1.5g salt versus 125kcal, 10g fat, 7g saturates and 1.3g salt in feta.
Verdict: Both are high in saturated fat and salt, so enjoy them in small amounts.
Butter or spread?
Spreads, including spreadable butters and ‘light’ versions, contain fewer calories, and less fat and saturates than butter. They’re also easier to spread straight from the fridge, making portion control easier. UK spreads don’t contain harmful man-made trans fats, but they are often classed as ultra-processed foods (UPFs) as they can include additives like emulsifiers. These are safe, but high intakes may affect the gut microbiome, though other aspects of diet also influence gut health. Butter, made from just milk and salt, is at least 80 percent fat – two teaspoons provide 12 percent of the daily limit for fat and 26 percent for saturated fat.
Verdict: Spreads are lower-calorie and lower-fat alternatives to butter, but products vary dramatically in the amount they contain, so read labels. Both can fit into a healthy diet but should be used in small amounts.
Long grain or basmati rice?
Long grain rice refers to varieties of rice with long, slender grains – and basmati rice is one of them. As a result, there are few nutritional differences between the two. Both are rich in starchy carbohydrates and add copper and manganese to diets, minerals that act as antioxidants, helping to help protect cells from damage.
Verdict: Choose either but for a nutritional boost, switch for brown versions – they contain more fibre, vitamins and minerals and help to keep us fuller for longer.
Beef or pork?
Lean beef and pork both contain around 125kcal, 22g protein and 4g fat in 100g, and provide many nutrients including potassium, phosphorus and vitamin B6. However, beef contains twice as much zinc and vitamin B12, and almost four times more iron than pork – important for the one in three women in the UK who have very low iron intakes. On the other hand, pork provides double the selenium and 10 times more vitamin B1, which helps the heart to function normally.
Verdict: If you eat meat, enjoy both to benefit from their different nutrients. Choose lean cuts, don’t add extra oil to cooking and limit total cooked red and processed meat to 500g a week to lower the risk of bowel cancer.
Watermelon or cantaloupe melon?
Both are low in calories so great for anyone wanting to manage weight. Cantaloupe stands out with three times more vitamin C and 15 times more beta-carotene than watermelon – nutrients that support healthy skin and immunity. Just one slice provides around half the daily needs for both nutrients. Watermelon, on the other hand, is rich in an antioxidant called lycopene that’s been linked to reducing inflammation and lowering cholesterol.
Verdict: Enjoy both as part of 5-a-day to benefit from the range of different nutrients they provide.
Salmon or trout?
Both provide similar amounts of protein but fat and calories differ – per 100g, farmed salmon has 217kcal and 15g fat, while trout has 127kcal and 5g fat. Salmon contains twice the omega-3 fats, which support heart function and keep blood pressure and triglycerides within normal limits. It’s also richer in DHA, an omega-3 fat vital for brain and eye health. Both are high in vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium for strong bones, but trout has 40 percent more.
Verdict: Eat two portions of fish a week, including one oily fish, like salmon or trout. UK adults typically only manage one portion of oily fish every four weeks. Both salmon and trout are smart nutrient-rich choices for adding to weekly menus. However, the Marine Conservation Society cautions that wild salmon numbers are low and that farming salmon can often give rise to environmental issues. Rainbow trout farmed in freshwater ponds in the UK is a good alternative.
Almonds or peanuts?
Technically a legume, peanuts contain slightly more protein than almonds and are richer in most B vitamins, especially biotin, sometimes called the beauty vitamin because it supports healthy hair and skin. A 30g portion of unsalted peanuts provides 43 percent of daily needs. In contrast, almonds offer significantly more iron, calcium, magnesium and vitamin E – just one handful (30g) delivers 60 percent of the daily vitamin E recommendation. Almonds also stand out for fibre with a handful providing 3.8g, helping to make the 30g daily target seem more achievable. Recent research also suggests almonds act as prebiotics, providing food for beneficial gut bacteria to promote their growth and support a healthy gut microbiome.
Verdict: Both nuts have a place in a healthy diet but almonds edge ahead for providing nutrients like fibre, iron, calcium and magnesium that are often lacking in UK diets.
In a nutshell…
There are a few food choices that can make a difference to your nutritional intake but – as a good rule of thumb – ensuring you’re eating a varied balance is the best way to get all the nutrients you need.
