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Protein is pretty much what you are made of so you need to eat protein foods in order to grow and repair yourself. Protein also controls your metabolism and helps protect against infection.

The best sources of protein come from animals with the humble egg being number one, so add these to your trolley to start with. Second is fish followed by meat and dairy products.

Other sources of protein for a non-meat alternative are nuts, peas, beans and lentils. Nuts can be put in stirfrys, used as garnishes or snacks while the latter can be side dishes or used in soups and casseroles.

Now while it is important for your body to have protein, it is not necessary to eat as many protein foods as foods with vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fibre. This is because if you eat too much protein your body will store it as fat.

Even though it is not good for your body to store a huge amount of excess fat you still need to have fat in your diet to be healthy. You just need to consume it in small amounts and know the difference between good and bad fats.

As well as protein you are also made of fat, you could not function without it. Fats produce hormones, protect and support your organs and the layer under your skin keeps you warm. Like carbohydrates fat is a source of energy and also helps you to absorb vitamins.

Saturated fats are the bad fats, which are found in animal products such as meat and dairy. This is why these foods should be eaten in moderation to prevent heart disease. So when shopping for protein choose lean meats or cut the fat off before you cook it.

Whether or not you buy low fat milk. yoghurt or cheese is totally up to you. Personally, I think if you are eating these foods in moderation they should not contribute to your weight and cholesterol levels, so buy the regular because they taste better. Just remember to buy natural cheese not processed and yoghurt with live bacteria and/or real fruit and not the novelty confectionery yoghurts.

Unsaturated fats on the other hand are good fats because they protect against heart disease, but unlike saturated fats the acids they contain can't be made by the body from excess carbohydrates and proteins, they have to be consumed.

With that in mind healthy unsaturated fat foods to add to your trolley are nuts, seeds and oily fish. Instead of using animal fats to cook food buy cooking oils such as olive and canola.

All right, you have been wandering around the store stuffing your trolley with fresh foods for a while now so by now

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