That is the advice being offered by Professor Martin Wiseman, medical and scientific advisor for the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).
He said: "People can reduce their cancer risk by ... [eating] plenty of wholegrains and vegetables and fruit, and modest amounts of meat and dairy, without too much alcohol, salt or processed meat."
Professor Wiseman said that anyone wanting to avoid cancer should exercise regularly and aim to maintain a healthy weight.
A plant-based diet may be the best approach to adopt, he suggested.
The WCRF recently issued a warning that an estimated 2.8 million cases of cancer every year are related to poor diet, inactivity and being overweight.
According to the organisation, the number of people with lifestyle-related cancer is expected to rise considerably over the following decade.
