Here are some ideas that you can use today to make your current menu healthier:
Basics
Use fresh ingredients.
Increase variety and choice, offer healthy dishes alongside indulgent options.
Try to encourage portion control in a subtle way (e.g. smaller plates).
Use different colors, shapes and textures to add excitement to your dishes.
Offer colorful starters such as salads and soups.
Fats/Oils
Replace products high in saturated fat such as butter and palm oil with foods containing unsaturated fat like olive oil, liquid margarines and (low-fat) mayonnaise.
For cooking use heat stable refined vegetable oils like canola, soy, and some margarines and when possible use a spray to apply rather than straight from the bottle.
Use lean meat such as roast beef, pork tenderloin, lamb fillet, skinless chicken or turkey breast.
Use lean and fatty fish (a good source of fat). Use shellfish, white fish such as cod and pollock and fatty fish such as salmon.
Try to use nuts, seeds and pulses as an alternate protein source. They are source of good fats and a cost effective alternative.
Use low fat or skimmed alternatives of dairy products (low-fat yogurt or low-fat creams, cottage cheese, ricotta, etc.).
When stir frying use a tiny amount of vegetable or sunflower oil, then add water to steam cook.
Sugar/Fiber
Increase the fiber content with brown rice, wholegrain pasta, whole wheat or grain bread.
Add vegetables to your main dishes such as stir fries, casseroles and stews.
Offer more fruit based desserts like fruit salads or yogurts with fruit.
Offer a choice of potatoes not just French Fries.
Be careful with adding sugar, syrup and honey to dishes, use 100% fruit juices or fruit purées instead.
Salt
Limit the addition of salt during cooking, and use herbs and spices such as basil or rosemary with a robust flavor.
You can also add lemon juice or a little vinegar to finish seasoning a dish and a good pinch of black pepper instead of further salt.
Be careful with products that are often high in salt such as soy sauce, olives, capers, pickles, cheese, bacon, yeast extract, processed meats, smoked meat and fish.