Shop yourself slim

Having no food in the house makes it far too easy to fall back on ordering a takeaway or nipping out to buy snacks. But if your fridge and cupboards are well-stocked with these nutritious essentials, you’ll have all the basic ingredients for many of the delicious recipes in this magazine.

1. OLIVE OIL Be generous with it in cooking and salads.

2. VEGETABLES Stock up on spinach, broccoli, kale, carrots, peppers, aubergine, tomatoes, cucumber and courgettes.

TIP: Pre-cut carrots, celery or cucumber to snack on and keep them in the fridge.

3. FRUIT A brilliant alternative to cakes and biscuits if you feel like something sweet. Stick to low-sugar fruits such as berries, apples and pears and limit to two portions a day. Eat after a meal as the fruit sugar will stop your fat burning.

4. FULL-FAT DAIRY PRODUCTS Healthy natural fats will keep you full for longer, so buy full-fat live Greek yoghurt, cheese and butter.

5. NUTS AND SEEDS Choose unsalted and unsweetened almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, chia and sesame. Nuts are a great

source of fibre to feed your microbiome and an excellent source of natural fat. But no more than a handful.

TIP: Roast nuts and seeds and store them in a jar.

6. WHOLEGRAINS Try to cut out bread and pasta (you can have the occasional seeded wholegrain or dark rye) but stock up on brown and wild rice, quinoa or pearl barley to use instead.

7. EGGS A great source of protein that keep you feeling fuller for longer.

8. OILY FISH Aim to eat oily fish 2-3 times a week such as smoked salmon, tuna and mackerel.

9. BEANS AND LENTILS Dried, tinned or pre-cooked, these are a great source of protein and fibre.

TIP: Sneak an extra handful of beans or lentils into stews, salads and bakes.

10. FIZZY WATER AND HERBAL TEAS Soda water can ease hunger without adding calories. Include a piece of lemon for flavour.