More and more people are ditching the traditional three-meals-a-day for grazing or snacking behaviour. This is one of the best ways of keeping you feeling energetic. The danger, however, is that you don't keep an eye on what you're consuming over the course of the whole day, so can easily eat either too much or too little. Read on for great ideas to keep you eating little and often while remaining healthy and nourished.

This plan is based on having five or six small meals a day depending on how much weight you need to lose. If you have one to three stones to lose choose the 1,300-calorie diet plan for a period of four to six weeks. If you have more than three stones to lose, choose the 1,550-calorie diet plan for a period of four to six weeks. This diet plan is designed to be flexible, so you can pick and choose which meal/snack you fancy. Examples of meals and snacks and their calories are given below, including lots of recipe ideas so you can cook fresh food for yourself. Expect to lose around two to three pounds a week.

Before you undertake a diet plan you should always seek help from a health professional. Some eating regimes may not be suitable for people with medical conditions.

How the plan works

Amount of calories	Calorie breakdown
1,300:	Breakfast: 150 calories
	Lunch: 300 calories
	Dinner: 400 calories
	Snacks: 1 x 200 calories;1 x 250 calories

1,550:	Breakfast: 150 calories
	Lunch: 300 calories
	Dinner: 400 calories
	Snacks: 1 x 200 calories; 2 x 250 calories

The principle behind having small frequent meals is to maintain a steady supply of sugar/glucose in the body, thus preventing the large falls and rises of blood sugar associated with the traditional three large meals a day. The regulation of blood sugar is controlled within our body by the hormone insulin and a sudden large rise in blood sugar promotes its production. Insulin is associated with the storage of fat.

The diet plan

Allowances per day

Half pint semi-skimmed milk for tea and coffee (115cals, 4g fat)

Unlimited fruit and vegetables as snacks or accompaniments to meals

2-3 litres of mineral or tap water

Allowances per week

2 small glasses of wine (93cals, 0g fat)

48g chocolate bar (milk chocolate: 250cals,15g fat; plain chocolate:

245cals, 13g fat)

2 packets of low fat crisps (30g pack: 137cals, 6g fat)

Breakfast/150-cal snacks
200-cal snacks
250-cal snacks
Lunch/300-cal snacks
Dinner/400-cal snacks

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5-meals-a-day diet plan