BREAKFASTS

Your day should start of with a carbohydrate rich breakfast. A breakfast of cereal or bread/toast, fruit or fruit juice is great.

Some simple breakfast choices would be:

A medium bowl of high fibre cereal such - including
1. Cornflakes
2. Fruit and Fibre
3. Special K
4. Weetabix
5. Shredded Wheat
6. Muesli can be heavy and high in calories so it is better to mix it with another cereal, such Bran flakes
7. Porridge is great, made with water rather than milk.

Avoid cereals with added sugar or sugar coated varieties.

Have cereal with low fat or skimmed milk - lower in fat than whole milk.

If you have toast or bread make it wholemeal, and spread thinly with low fat spread and your choice of jam or marmalade

Tea or coffee - again with low fat milk and no/little sugar

Go for the freshly squeezed fruit juices rather than those made from concentrate.

Suggested choices

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2 slices of wholemeal toast, spread with low fat spread and jam or low-fat cream cheese and 1 banana or peach

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Fresh fruit salad with low fat yoghurt topped with muesli

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Porridge (3 heaped tbsp. oats) with 1 dsp raisins

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Dried mixed fruit (apricots, prunes) soaked in juice with low fat yoghurt or fromage frais Bowl of Branflakes or Cornflakes topped with ½ banana

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Choice of 2/3 pieces of fruit and a low fat fruit yoghurt

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1 wholemeal muffin or bagel with low fat spread or cream cheese

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1 slice wholemeal toast, 1 scrambled egg, 4 - 5 grilled mushrooms and grilled tomato

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1 boiled or scrambled egg with 2 slices of wholegrain toast

LUNCHES

If you have your main meal in the middle of the day then lunch choices would apply to your evening meal

Sandwiches

Choose wholemeal bread and there is no need for butter as well as a filling - you really won't miss it after a while.

Fill sandwiches with plenty of salad and less of the higher calorie meat or cheese

Experiment with different types of bread/bagels/pittas/crispbreads

Soups are also a useful choice for lunch

If you are cooking rice or pasta in the evening keep some aside as a base for a salad Mix with some pasta/rice with chopped vegetables and a little low fat dressing for a healthy lunch

Jacket potatoes are great but not with cheesy filling s or butter and watch out for coleslaw loaded with mayonnaise

Suggestions
1. Wholegrain sandwich or pitta bread filled with Tuna, salmon (in brine), low calorie coleslaw and salad
2. Ham or chicken - no fat with salad
3. Cottage cheese and sweetcorn or peppers
4. Vegetable pate and salad
5. Low fat soft cheese or Feta cheese and cucumber
6. Humus and grilled vegetables
7. Jacket potato filled with:
   Cottage cheese and peppers and sweetcorn
   Coleslaw (low calorie) and salad
   Baked beans
   Tuna and peppers and a little low fat mayonnaise
   or
8. A bowl soup and a roll or crispbreads (e.g. Ryvita) with low-fat cheese, pate or humus
9. A mixed salad (lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, radishes) with a portion of pasta or rice salad and bread or roll
10. 2-egg omelette with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes or any vegetables and a side salad - no dressing.
11. Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry
12. A small portion of grilled lean chicken or fish with mixed vegetables or salad
13. Finish off with a piece of fruit or low fat yoghurt

EVENING MEALS

The portion size and choice of your evening meal will vary depending on whether you have your main meal at lunchtime or in the evening

Evening meals can also be similar to lunches in the food choices

Basically you should aim for a large portion coming from carbohydrate, at least 2 vegetables and a moderate portion of protein Carbohydrate choices include pasta, rice, potatoes (not chips), Bulgar wheat, couscous, bread, and root vegetables

Any vegetables are great, include plenty of variety, especially red and green ones

Protein sources include, chicken, turkey, all fish/seafood, lean lamb, beef or pork. Vegetable protein sources are low in fat and easy to digest; these include all bean varieties (kidney/Soya/haricot) and pulses (peas/lentils)

Meat should be grilled, steamed or baked but not fried and fat/skin removed. Try to include red meat no more than 3 times per week

Sauces on meals should be tomato rather than cream based especially with Italian food

Stir-fries are a great way of cooking low-fat vegetable and meat/fish dishes