To be confused about "healthy eating"

[Van34]

It's not that I don't understand what foods are and aren't healthy (or so i thought). But I have no idea how to eat healthily. Bear with me.
I used to have a jacket and tuna (with a dash of mayo) but then I was told that it was as unhealthy as sandwiches. So then I tried salads but remain hungry no matter how much I had. Went onto soup but was then told that they are also unhealthy and ultra processed. What should I have?
I understand moderation but portion sizes are minute. One portion of cereal is enough for a toddler. That's not going to fill me up until lunchtime. Is a slice of toast healthy? It used to be a staple breakfast when I was growing up. Or should we be having something else (not a tiny portion if cereal)
We eat home cooked food everyday, no ready meals. But are they healthy? Chilli, steak and chips, chicken in pittas, fajitas, mince and dumplings. All staples from childhood and all filling. But are they healthy? I know what's in them so they should be...
It's a minefield. No red meat. No wine. Low sugar. Low salt. Low carb. High fibre. Low fat. No fat. High protein. Low cal. But so many of these diet foods are processed....
I am so confused about it all.

Surely only if a person is diabetic they can't have a baked potato?

There is no such thing as a healthy food, only a healthy diet.

Quite - you already had two faddy eaters before this sensible poster.

Theres nothing wrong with tuna and a jacket - just add salad.

The only things we know for sure are lots of vegetables and fruit are good, and a modern Western diet - ie with lots of very processed food is bad.

This does NOT mean you cannot eat any processed food, just not too much.

Eat a balanced diet with protein, fibre, wholemeal carbs, fruit and veg and some fats.

Keep that up 80% of the time and then have what you want for the rest.

@TotalOverhaul tbh it was probably yhe industrial quantity of chocolate! My lovely consultant read me the riot act when I asked if I could start eating it again! But I don't eat biscuits, shop bought cakes, pies and pastries now, or cheese and dairy products. Little changes I don't miss that make a huge difference.

I’m old enough to remember when people talked about protein in the same panicky way that they now talk about carbohydrates. It’s irrational and not based on sensible science.

A carbohydrate isn’t inherently unhealthy because it’s a carbohydrate. If you consume many more calories than you expend you will inevitably put on weight but that applies to any food group.

It’s true that if your diet consists largely of highly processed carbohydrates you are not getting sufficient balance. But that’s not because there’s something inherently unhealthy about carbs.

Any invocation to avoid a whole food group is not sensible.

@TotalOverhaul you query wasn't addressed to me, but if you're interested - in my case, cheese was the big surprise. I thought dairy products were good for women

So did I!

@TotalOverhaul sadly, cheese is a big No for me now, due to high blood pressure

I had no idea