MEDITERRANEAN COOKING TIPS

● Make the most of ZeroPoint fruit and veg on all the diet plans to build exotic salads reminiscent of holidays in the sun. Adding a few slices of grilled halloumi will transport you to the taverna in no time (40g of halloumi is 5 SmartPoints, or 3 SmartPoints with light halloumi).

● Whip up a tangy tzatziki with 0% fat natural Greek yoghurt, mint, cucumber and garlic (zero points on the blue and purple plan), or houmous (4 SmartPoints per tablespoon) with crudités (zero points on the purple, green and blue plans).

● Olive oil is a big part of delicious Mediterranean cuisine and you can enjoy the flavour without using too many SmartPoints if you cook with a light olive oil spray (0 SmartPoints per spray).

● Mediterranean dishes often include pulses – chickpeas, lentils or beans – which are a great source of gut-friendly soluble fibre. Adding chickpeas or butter beans to a salad transforms it into a nourishing main course (pulses carry zero points on the blue and purple plans).

● There’s no reason why you can’t enjoy a bowl of classic Italian pasta or a proper Spanish paella. Wholewheat pasta and brown rice are zero points on the purple plan.

● Why not experiment with one of the many newer forms of pasta made from lentil or bean flour to boost your fibre intake? Lentil pasta is 2 SmartPoints per 60g portion on the green and blue plans, versus 6 SmartPoints for standard white pasta.

● If you’re invited for dinner, aim to arrive with spare SmartPoints in the bank so you can enjoy what’s on offer without going over ‘budget’… but avoid arriving hungry if you want to stay on plan.