Eating for life

Ideal one day meal plan
What would the ideal day's eating plan look like? Of course, life isn't always ideal so don't beat yourself up if you can't resist the odd double-strength espresso or a couple of biscuits, but if life was ideal, this is what it might look like:

Breakfast: Always eat a good breakfast, and use it as an opportunity to get your first portion of fruit and veg in. You have been fasting overnight and your body and brain is craving fuel to work efficiently, and you can't function on thin air alone. A shot of caffeine only raises adrenaline and a bowl of sugary cereal is equivalent to rocket fuel.

Ideal breakfast: Bowl of porridge made with skimmed milk or soya milk. Serve with chopped banana and raisins and flaked almonds. A cup of red-bush (Rooibosch) tea.

Lunch: Eat lunch at a set time daily to keep blood sugar levels even. This is another opportunity for your 5-a-day for all those brilliant antioxidants, and by choosing a vegetarian option (even if you are a meat eater) you increase the amount of fibre in your diet.

Ideal lunch: A cup of spinach (or other vegetable) soup. Wholemeal pitta pocket stuffed with hummus, grilled vegetables and rocket. An organic low-sugar or plain yoghurt and a small bunch of grapes for dessert. A mint tea to help digestion.

Snack: To keep you going in the mid-afternoon choose a protein based snack. This will help to keep you alert.

Ideal snack: A handful or two of mixed seeds and nuts (for example: walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds), dried apricots. A cup of Barlecup (coffee substitute).

Evening meal: Now is your opportunity to relax for the evening. If you prefer a larger lunch and a smaller evening meal you could swap them round. By choosing oily fish a couple of times a week you get all the omega-3s you need for optimal health.

Ideal evening meal: Start with a small mixed salad with walnut oil dressing (rich in essential fatty acids). Grilled salmon steak, with baked potato, and green beans tossed in lightly pan-fried garlic and ginger, drizzled with sesame oil. Baked apple stuffed with dates and served with Greek yoghurt for dessert.

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