• Choose one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner and one treat/snack each day but vary your choices to make sure you get all the nutrients you need to stay healthy.

• The menus are devised for one person. For two servings, double the quantities recommended, although men may need bigger servings of starchy foods to help provide them with the extra energy they need.

• All tablespoon and teaspoon measurements should be level where 1tbsp = 15ml and 1tsp = 5ml.

• You don’t have to eat all of the food recommended for each meal in one sitting. For example, you could save a piece of fruit or a pot of yogurt for later in the day.

• As well as your meals and snacks, have 300ml of skimmed milk every day to drink on its own, use in tea, coffee or cappuccinos or to make into fruit smoothies or milkshakes using some of the fruit and yogurt in the daily menu plans.

• Fill up on veggies – you can eat most in unlimited amounts except for higher-calorie potatoes, parsnips, peas, sweetcorn, baked beans and other pulses.

• Eat five different fruit and veg each day to boost your intake of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

• Drink plenty of water – have at least eight glasses a day.

Breakfasts

Branflakes with banana
5tbsp branflakes with 1 small banana and skimmed milk.

Toast and jam
2 slices wholegrain toast with 2tsp each of low-fat spread and jam. Plus 1 satsuma.

Cereal with fruit
2 wheat biscuits with skimmed milk, 1 orange and 1 kiwi fruit.

Boiled egg and toast
1 boiled egg with 1 slice wholegrain toast topped with 1tsp low-fat spread. Plus 1 bowl of fruit salad.

Banana porridge
1 individual pack of instant oat cereal made according to the pack instructions topped with 1 small sliced banana.

Scrambled egg on toast
1 slice wholegrain toast topped with 2 eggs scrambled with 1 chopped tomato.

Fruit salad with yogurt and oats
Bowl of fruit salad with ½ small pot low-fat natural yogurt and 2tbsp oats.

Bagel with chocolate spread
1 toasted wholegrain bagel with 1tsp chocolate spread.

Lunches

Jacket potato with tzatziki and salad
1 medium-sized jacket potato with ½ small tub tzatzki and salad with fat-free dressing.

Prawn cocktail salad
Large mixed salad topped with 100g pack of prawns and 2tbsp reduced-fat thousand island dressing. Serve with 1 wholemeal pitta bread.

Vegetable soup with a cheese and tomato roll
½ carton fresh vegetable soup with 1 small wholegrain roll filled with 1tbsp low-fat soft cheese and tomato. Plus 1 apple.

Brie, cranberry and watercress baguette
10cm piece of granary baguette filled with 30g brie, 2tsp cranberry sauce and watercress.

Ham, cheese and salad wraps
2 small flour tortillas filled with 2 slices lean ham, 2tbsp low-fat soft cheese and salad.

Tuna and sweetcorn salad
Large mixed salad topped with 1 small can tuna in water, 1tbsp sweetcorn and fat-free dressing. Serve with 1 wholemeal pitta.

Hummus and pitta
½ small tub reduced-fat hummus with 1 wholemeal pitta and vegetable crudités.

Chicken, pasta and blue cheese salad
Salad made from 1 grilled skinless chicken breast, 6tbsp cooked wholewheat pasta, salad veg and 1tbsp reduced-fat blue cheese salad dressing.

Shop-bought lunch
300-calorie wholemeal sandwich, salad, roll or wrap with 1 apple.

Sushi and fruit salad
1 small pack of sushi and 1 tub fresh fruit salad.

Dinners

Homemade burger with oven chips
Mix 100g extra-lean minced beef with a little finely chopped onion, 1tbsp salsa and fresh coriander. Shape into a burger and chill. Grill and serve with a 135g oven-baked chips, 2tbsp salsa and salad with fat-free dressing.

Posh fish and oven chips
Grill a 100g salmon steak until cooked through. While it’s cooking, mix 2tbsp reduced-fat crème fresh with freshly chopped dill and a little wholegrain mustard and lemon juice. Serve the salmon with the sauce, 135g oven-baked chips and 2tbsp garden peas.

Sausage, beans and oven chips
2 grilled low-fat sausages with 135g oven-baked chips and 3tbsp baked beans.

Tuna steak with oven chips
1 grilled or griddled tuna steak with 135g oven-baked chips and steamed veggies. Plus 1 bowl fruit salad and 1 scoop reduced-fat ice cream.

Pesto-topped chicken with oven chips and salad
Make a few diagonal slashes in the top of 1 skinless chicken breast and spread over 2tsp pesto. Grill until cooked through and serve with 135g oven-baked chips and salad with fat-free dressing.

Beef stew and mash
Place 150g lean stewing steak, 1 small sliced onion, 1 chopped stick of celery, 1 sliced carrot, 1tbsp tomato purée, a splash of red wine, a bay leaf and black pepper in a small casserole dish with enough beef stock to cover all the ingredients. Cover and cook in the oven for 2-3 hours. Serve with 6tbsp mashed potato.

Roast dinner with roast potatoes
3 slices lean roast lamb, beef or pork with 135g roast potatoes, steamed veg and fat-free gravy. Plus 1 bowl fruit salad with 1 scoop reduced-fat ice cream.

Homemade veggie pizza
Top a 22cm thin-crust pizza base with 5tbsp drained chopped tomatoes with herbs. Add sliced red onion, mushrooms and peppers. Sprinkle over mixed herbs and season with black pepper. Top with ½ small ball reduced-fat mozzarella cheese and bake until cooked through. Serve with salad and fat-free dressing.

Roasted veg and pasta bake
Roast a selection of sliced Mediterranean veg such as red onion, courgette, aubergine and cherry tomatoes in 2tsp olive oil with fresh basil leaves and a splash of balsamic vinegar. When the veg are soft and brown, mix them with 6tbsp cooked wholewheat pasta and place in a small ovenproof dish. Top with ½ small ball reduced-fat mozzarella cheese and bake until the top is browned. Serve with salad and fat-free dressing.

Weekend takeaway (skip the treat/snack on days when you have a takeaway)
Indian: ½ carton of a tomato-based chicken curry (eg chicken jalfrezi or chicken rogan josh) with ½ carton of boiled rice and 1 poppadom with tomato and onion relish.
OR
Chinese: 1 carton beef or chicken in black bean sauce with ½ carton of boiled rice and 2 prawn crackers.

N.B. Try using McCain Rustic Oven Chips in these menu suggestions or you can swap the portions of oven-baked chips for a medium sized jacket potato.

Treats/Snacks

Chocolate biscuits
5 chocolate fingers OR 2 chocolate digestives OR 3 jaffa cakes.

Alcohol
1 small (150ml) glass of wine or 2 single (25ml) measures of gin or vodka with a diet mixer eg slimline tonic, diet cola and 2 breadsticks.

Hummus and crudités
5tbsp reduced-fat hummus with vegetable crudités.

Crisps
1 small (28g) packet of crisps OR a 100-calorie packet of savoury snacks and 1 apple.

Cheese and biscuits
2 oatcakes with 2tbsp low-fat soft cheese and cherry tomatoes.

Chips and salsa
100g oven-baked chips with 3tbsp salsa.

Toast and marmalade with hot chocolate
1 slice wholegrain toast with 1tsp each of low-fat spread and marmalade plus 1 mug instant low-fat hot chocolate drink.

Breadsticks and tzatziki
¼ small tub tzatzki with 4 breadsticks.

Cream cheese and salad pitta
1 wholemeal pitta filled with 1tbsp low-fat soft cheese and salad.

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Photography: Photolibrary.com, Alamy