ENJOY HEALTHY SERVINGS OF FOODS

For women wanting to lose weight this is the recommended guide of healthy foods you should eat (around 1,600 calories a day is the guideline).

● WHOLEGRAIN FOODS – 6 servings a day. A serving is 1 slice of wholegrain bread, half a medium pitta, 30g dry wholegrain cereal, 25g rolled oats, 30g (uncooked weight) brown rice, or 25g (uncooked weight) wholewheat pasta.

● VEGETABLES – 3-4 servings a day. A serving is 80g cooked or raw veg or 120g leafy greens.

● FRUIT – 4 servings per day. A serving is 80g fruit.

● DAIRY – 2-3 servings a day. A serving is 200ml semi-skimmed milk, 4tbsp low-fat yoghurt, or 45g Cheddar cheese.

● LEAN PROTEINS – 3-6 servings a day. A serving is 1 egg, 25g (cooked weight) lean meat or fish, or 125g (cooked weight) beans or pulses.

● FATS AND OILS – 2 servings a day. A serving is 1tsp reducedfat olive oil spread, 1tbsp low-fat mayo, or 1tbsp salad dressing.

● NUTS AND SEEDS – 3 servings per week. A serving is 50g nuts, 2tbsp nut butter, or 2tbsp seeds.

● SUGARS – Up to 3 servings a week. A serving is 1tsp sugar or jam, 1 glass of lemonade, 125g ice cream, 2 plain or 1 fancy biscuit, a slice of plain cake, or half a slice of fancier cake.

An example of how you might want to spread out your food servings:

● Breakfast: 2 x wholegrain foods, 1 x fruit, 1 x dairy

● Lunch: 2 x wholegrain foods, 1 x fruit, 2 x veggies, 2 x lean proteins

● Dinner: 2 x wholegrain foods, 2 x veggies, 2 x lean proteins

● Desserts: 2 x dairy, 1 x fruit

● Snacks: 1 x fruit, nuts on some days, up to 3 sweet foods a week