Countdown to Christmas with the 4-week diet that lets you drink wine, eat mince pies and still fit into your perfect party dress
The Christmas party season is upon us and despite that slight panic about looking - and feeling - like a sparkler at parties, it's tempting to put your diet on hold. Who can lose weight in the run up to Christmas? You can, that's who!
Getting healthy and losing weight doesn't have to mean a dramatic overhaul of your life, spending hour upon hour on the exercise bike, or turning down one party invite after another. You can lose weight and still have fun with this four-week plan.
Making small changes gradually makes healthy eating a part of your life. And the good news is that making small and easy changes is a whole lot better for you in the long run than going on a mad diet of only apples that leaves you falling-down hungry and desperate for a korma.
So here's the deal. Over the next four weeks, we're going to help you get healthy. But don't panic, we're not going to make you eat mung beans and drink nettle tea all day. This is about getting smart with what you already eat. You can still have mince pies and wine and chocolate - just slightly healthier versions balanced with other goodies.
- Most portion sizes are given but some are a little bit vague - a handful here and a portion there. These are mostly used for fruit and veg where portion size isn't really too important. A fruit portion would be a medium-sized piece of fruit such as an apple, pear or orange, a small banana, two small fruit such as plums or mandarins, a big slice of melon, half a mango, a teacup full of berries, cherries or grapes, or a small tin of fruit such as Fruitini. You should add enough vegetables to fill you up - half a pepper plus half an onion plus five florets of broccoli, and so on. Veggies are filling, have next to no calories and are good for you - eat lots of them!
- It's fine to have tea and coffee (with skimmed milk and sweeteners if you like) on this plan but stop at four or five per day. Limit diet fizzy drinks to an absolute max of two cans or 500ml per day and try to cut these out completely if you can.
- With water, on the other hand, more is better - drink one to two litres per day, every day.
- Salads and green veggies are free - the more the merrier!
How to make smart choices when...
Eating out
It is very important to make smart choices when you're eating out. Restaurant portions are often huge and the dishes are often unhealthy so it's up to you to make the choices that will keep you on the straight and narrow!
- Portion size. Just because you're in a restaurant doesn't mean you have to eat everything on the menu or everything you're given. Remember the portion sizes on your plan and eat just until you're satisfied. Order a starter and then share a main course, or have two starter dishes if the restaurant serves giant portions.
- Healthy choices. You know that a side salad (with dressing on the side) is a healthier choice than a plate of chips so be strong and make that choice! Go for lean protein (chicken or fish over lamb, for example), healthy cooking methods (grilled instead of fried, stir-fried instead of deep-fried) and beware of ingredients with incredible calories - creamy sauces like korma or carbonara can happily be replaced with Tandoori dishes and tomato-based sauces.
- Don't go out hungry. Have a snack (for example, fruit or yoghurt) before going out so you're not starving and tempted to order one of everything.
Getting a takeaway
The same rules apply here as for eating out - every decision counts. Swapping pepperoni for chicken and extra chilli isn't going to ruin your day but it could save you hundreds of calories. Remember portion size and choose wisely.
Going for a drink
Alcohol is a double-whammy when it comes to diet. Not only does it provide zillions of calories, but it can also give you the munchies! When you're trying to lose weight, it only makes sense to cut back a bit but that doesn't have to mean total abstinence. If you're going for a drink - which, let's face it, you probably will over the holiday season - here's the damage:
Spirits: 55 cals
125ml glass of wine: 80-120 cals
Measure of Bailey's: 140 cals
Alcopops: 200-250 (Bacardi Breezer Lite: 100cals)
Pint of beer: 125-250
Remember, women should drink no more than two to three units per day; men no more than three to four units per day.
Getting a ready meal
Again, the rules above apply. The beauty of getting a ready meal from the supermarket is that you can read the labels and make an informed choice. Your best bet is to go for a meal with less than 400 calories per serving but compare different meals to get the best deal for calories, fat and sodium - the lower the better, really. Portion sizes can also be big, especially if you get the bagged meal-for-one or meal-for-two but that's what freezers are for - store anything more than a portion in a Tupperware in the freezer or fridge for the next night.
So, pick out your Christmas party dress and throw away those big pants! It's time to get gorgeous!
The Little Black Dress Diet
Week 1
Day 1
Breakfast
Two slices of mixed grain seedy bread, toasted, with reduced fat olive spread and a teaspoon or two of high fruit jam.
Snack
Carton of fruit juice and an apple.
Lunch
Ready-to-go soup - any vegetable or lentil/bean soup is fine as long as it isn't creamy. We like Celeriac mash, Chilli beef, Malaysian chicken, Sausage hotpot and sweet pepper from Pret a Manger but your local should have other good options too.
Snack
Low fat probiotic yoghurt
Dinner
Spicy veggie chilli:
Put four level tablespoons of brown rice on to boil - this will take about 40 minutes to cook while you make the chilli.
Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add a small chopped onion and two cloves of garlic and allow to soften. Add a sliced courgette, a handful of mushrooms and a small pepper, cut into chunks. Drain a tin of chickpeas, rinse well and add to the pan, along with a stock cube, a small tin of tomatoes and spices - a good pinch each of chilli powder, cumin, coriander and turmeric, more if you fancy. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Serve half of the stew with half of the rice.
Store the rest in an airtight container and pop it in the freezer as soon as it's cold. This will save you cooking on a busy night. (Be sure that when you reheat frozen and defrosted food, and especially rice, that is it piping hot.)
Day 2
Breakfast
Pop a small banana, a big handful of strawberries, a pot of low-fat natural yoghurt and the same volume of skimmed milk in a blender. Whizz until smooth and frothy.
Two toasted crumpets with reduced fat olive spread
Snack
Bag of mini-pretzels (Count on Us at Marks & Spencer are good).
Lunch
Spread a flour tortilla with a tablespoon tomato salsa (from a jar), and fill with a cooked chicken fillet (you can get these ready-cooked in any supermarket), two tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese and lots of crisp salad.
Fruit portion.
(Keep two of the tortillas in a Tupperware container or sealed bag. Wrap the rest, in twos, in cling film and pop in the freezer for another day).
Dinner
Ready meal - look for any meal with less than 400 calories, and add salad or green veggies. Glass of wine.
Day 3
Breakfast
Two slices of mixed grain seedy bread, toasted, with two tablespoons of cottage cheese and a teaspoon jam if you fancy.
Glass of fruit juice.
Lunch
Mix a tin of tuna (in brine or springwater, drained) with a tablespoon of low-fat mayo. Add onion, peppers or celery if you fancy. Use half of this mixture to fill a wholemeal pitta and top with lots of mixed salad leaves.
Fruit portion.
Afternoon snack
Mince pie.
Dinner
Pesto pasta:
Boil 40g dried pasta as directed, omitting any added oil or salt. While this is cooking, microwave two balls of frozen spinach for two to three minutes and squeeze out excess water with a fork. Heat a small tin of cannellini beans for around two mins in the microwave. Stir the drained beans and spinach into the pasta along with a dessertspoonful of pesto or stir-in pasta sauce. Any Sacla sauce is good. Top with a tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese.
Glass of wine.
Day 4
Breakfast
Skinny latte with yoghurt and granola combo - we like the Honey and Granola Pret Pot from Prêt a Manger.
Lunch
Ready-to-go sandwich or roll - look for anything with less than 400 cals.
Fruit portion.
Dinner
Steak fajita:
Season a small steak with Cajun or taco seasoning. Cook under a preheated grill or on a griddle pan until cooked to your liking. Heat two flour tortillas in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Fill the tortilla with steak slices, tomato salsa, two tablespoons guacamole (from the chiller cabinet in the supermarket) and salad.
Snack
Low-fat yoghurt and fruit portion.
Day 5
Breakfast
Bowl of Special K with skimmed milk and strawberries.
Lunch
Have the rest of tuna mayo from day three between two slices of seedy bread with salad
Fruit portion.
Snack
Vegetable crisps such as Parsnip Crisps from Prêt a Manger or Exotic Vegetable Crisps from Sainsbury's.
Dinner
Friday night takeaway. Read the rules!
Day 6
Breakfast
Two toasted crumpets with a small tin of baked beans
Lunch
Tin of soup. Go for a vegetable or lentil/bean soup
Snack
Portion of fruit and small fromage frais
Dinner
Favourite restaurant for dinner. Read the rules!
Day 7
Brunch
Fruit salad or juice (even a Virgin Bloody Mary would be fine), eggs or fish or other smart choice (read the rules).
Snack
Low-fat yoghurt and portion of fruit.
Dinner
Pork stir-fry:
Heat a teaspoon olive oil in a large non-stick pan or wok. Trim the fat off a pork chop and cut into strips. Cook quickly in the oil, keeping the heat high. Add 1/2 a sliced onion, a crushed clove of garlic and a centimetre of grated fresh ginger if you have it, 1/2 a sliced pepper, some mushrooms and a handful of mangetout or sugar snap peas. Turn the heat down slightly and cook for a few minutes. Add a couple of tablespoon teriyaki sauce (or other stir-fry sauce) and then tip in an individual pack of straight-to-wok noodles. Combine to heat through and then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds.
Week 2
Day 1
Breakfast
Pour a small glass of orange juice, a splash of apple juice and a handful of strawberries into a blender. Whizz until smooth.
Snack
Skinny latte and flapjack bar such as the Prêt's Power Bar.
Lunch
Mash a hard-boiled egg with 1/2 tablespoon reduced fat mayo and a sliced spring onion. Use to make a sandwich with two slices wholemeal bread and salad. Orange.
Dinner
Vegetable Satay:
Heat a teaspoon olive oil in a saucepan and gently cook a sliced onion. Add a cereal bowlful of mixed vegetables, such as sliced courgette, peppers, aubergine and mushrooms. Cover with a lid and cook gently for a further five minutes. Add a crushed clove of garlic and a sliced chilli. Mix enough water into a dessertspoon of crunchy peanut butter to form a paste and stir this in to the vegetables. Add two tablespoons canned and drained chickpeas and simmer for five to ten minutes. Serve with a grilled mini-naan bread.
Day 2
Breakfast
Mix together a tablespoon porridge oats, three tablespoons raisins and a grated apple, keeping the skin on. Pour over 100ml skimmed milk and keep in the fridge overnight (this step isn't necessary if you don't have time). Serve with a pot of low-fat yoghurt.
Lunch
Ready-to-go soup - any vegetable or lentil/bean soup is fine as long as it isn't creamy. We like Celeriac mash, Chilli beef, Malaysian chicken, Sausage hotpot and sweet pepper from Prêt a Manger but your local deli should have other good options too
Snack
Two crackers or crispbread with two tablespoons reduced-fat hummus.
Dinner
Honey mustard pork with sweet potato:
Mix together a heaped teaspoon each of honey and wholegrain mustard, along with a teaspoon soy sauce. Use to marinade a pork chop (around 150g in weight) for 20 minutes to half an hour. Grill the chop for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until thoroughly cooked. Meantime, cut a medium-large sweet potato into one-centimetre thick slices, brush with a little olive oil and grill for five to seven minutes, turning once. Mix a teaspoon wholegrain mustard into two tablespoons natural yoghurt and serve the pork and grilled sweet potato slices with lots of crisp salad.
Day 3
Breakfast
Bowl of Special K with skimmed milk and strawberries.
Lunch
Fill a large wholemeal pitta pocket with two tablespoons reduced-fat hummus, a tablespoon Greek or natural yoghurt, five olives (in brine), cherry tomatoes and salad. Carton of fruit juice.
Snack
Portion of fruit.
Dinner
Ready meal with extra salad or vegetables.
Lower fat chocolate mousse.
Day 4
Breakfast
In a blender, mix together a medium-sized banana, a pot of low-fat yoghurt, the same volume of skimmed milk and either a few drops of vanilla essence or a pinch of cinnamon. Whizz until smooth.
Snack
Kellogg's Nutrigrain or Cereal Bar.
Lunch
Ready-made sandwich - go for a healthy supermarket range or Shapers from Boots, for example and remember to read the labels to compare calories, fat and sodium
Fruit portion.
Dinner
Frittata:
Boil three new potatoes. Once cooked, slice into one-centimetre slices. Heat one teaspoon oil in a small, non-stick frying pan and gently cook half a finely sliced onion. Add the potato slices. In a small bowl, gently beat two medium-sized eggs with a tablespoon water. Add to the pan and cook over a gentle heat until set. Serve with lots of sliced tomatoes, wafer-thin ham or turkey and spring onions.
Day 5
Breakfast
Chop an apple, a small banana, a kiwi fruit and four dried apricots. Mix all the fruit together and top with a pot of low-fat yoghurt.
Lunch
Boil 40g of pasta as directed on the packet, omitting any added oil or salt. Drain, run under the cold tap and set aside to cool. Mix together two tablespoons canned and drained mixed beans, a teaspoon pesto, halved cherry tomatoes and some salad leaves such as rocket.
Snack
Cup-a-soup.
Dinner
Friday night takeaway with glass of wine! (Read the rules!)
Day 6
Breakfast
Top a wholemeal scone with a light spread of reduced fat olive spread and two teaspoons high fruit jam. Small glass of orange juice.
Lunch
Junior Whopper or other better fast food choice - read the nutrition info given in-restaurant. Diet drink or water.
Snack
Portion of fruit.
Dinner
Half pizza - read the labels to find the best choice (ie not pepperoni!), two slices garlic bread and tons of salad. A couple of beers (330ml bottles, not litres) would be fine.
Day 7
Breakfast
Grill two turkey rashers and two tomatoes, halved. Serve with a slice of wholemeal toast and a small glass of orange juice.
Lunch
Toasted bagel with three tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese mixed with sliced celery and a sliced spring onion. Season with black pepper and any fresh herbs of your choice. Serve with a salad.
Snack
Banana.
Dinner
Salmon pasta:
Cook two balls of tagliatelle as directed on the packet, omitting any added oil or salt. Meanwhile, mix together a small tin of salmon, drained, with a tablespoon half-fat creme fraiche, plenty of black pepper and any fresh herbs you have. Once the pasta is cooked, reserve a cup of the cooking water before you drain it. Stir the salmon into the pasta, adding a little of the cooking water if needed to form a sauce. Stir to warm through. Serve with salad or veggies.
Week 3
Day 1
Breakfast
Toasted bagel with two teaspoons high fruit jam and cottage cheese, extra light cream cheese or natural yoghurt.
Snack
Fruit juice or smoothie.
Lunch
Supermarket salad bowl with wholegrain or granary roll.
Dinner
Goulash:
Heat a teaspoon olive oil in a non-stick pan. Brown around 150g steak pieces, turning over to seal on all sides. Once browned, remove from the pan.
Put four level tablespoons brown rice on to boil. This will take about 40 minutes.
Add a small sliced onion to the meat pan, along with two crushed cloves of garlic and allow to soften. Add a teaspoon paprika, a small tin of tomatoes and the meat and stir well. Season with freshly ground black pepper and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary. Cut a pepper into strips, add to the goulash and simmer for a further ten minutes. Serve half the goulash with half the rice (store the rest in a Tupperware container in the freezer or refrigerate until tomorrow night) topped with a tablespoon natural yoghurt if you wish.
Day 2
Breakfast
Bowl of Special K with skimmed milk and a handful of dried fruit.
Lunch
Mix together a teaspoon mustard and a teaspoon reduced fat mayo. Spread on two slices of wholegrain bread and fill with two slices of honey roast ham and a sliced tomato.
Fruit portion.
Snack
Mince pie
Dinner
Ready meal such as M&S Steam Cuisine.
Day 3
Breakfast
Skinny latte with a plain croissant or wholegrain muffin. Read the labels. Muffins can have up to 600 calories so be careful!
Lunch
Mix a small can tuna in brine (drained) with a teaspoon natural yoghurt. Use to fill a wholemeal pitta pocket along with two tablespoons mixed beans, diced cucumber, tomato, spring onion and salad.
Snack
Bag of Rispinos or Snack-a-Jacks.
Dinner
Ravioli with ratatouille:
Boil two handfuls of fresh pasta such as spinach and cheese ravioli in plenty of water as directed on the packet, omitting any added fat or salt. Meanwhile, heat half a can of ratatouille. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, stir in the ratatouille. Top with a tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese.
Day 4
Breakfast
Pot of Greek yoghurt, a cupful of strawberries or raspberries and a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup.
Snack
Raisin and chocolate cereal bar.
Lunch
Mix together 1/2 tablespoon each reduced-fat mayo and tomato ketchup. Stir in around 20 prawns and use to fill a wholegrain pitta pocket with lots of salad.
Portion of fruit.
Dinner
Chicken salsa with potato wedges.
Cut three small potatoes into wedges, coat with two teaspoons olive oil and bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. Meanwhile grill or griddle a chicken fillet for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through. Serve with two tablespoons tomato salsa, two tablespoons sweetcorn and plenty of salad or green vegetables.
Day 5
Breakfast
Two slices of mixed grain seedy bread, toasted, with reduced-fat olive spread and a teaspoon or two of high fruit jam.
Lunch
Supermarket salad bowl with pasta, rice or couscous.
Fruit portion
Snack
Low-fat yoghurt or fromage frais.
Dinner
Bangers and mash with onion gravy:
Heat one teaspoon olive oil in a non-stick pan and add a finely sliced onion. Allow to brown slightly and then cover the pan with a lid and cook to soften completely. Stir in one to two teaspoons plain flour, and gradually add 70ml chicken stock and 70ml red wine. Uncover and allow to simmer. In the meantime, boil two small-medium potatoes and grill two top quality sausages. Once the potatoes are boiled, mash with a splash of milk and a teaspoon grainy mustard. Serve with lots of green vegetables and a glass of red wine. (If you don't want to make your own gravy, just make up granules or buy a jar.)
Day 6
Breakfast
Combine a third of a teacup of porridge oats with a teacup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for two to three minutes, until thickened or pop in the microwave for about the same time. Top with a splash of skimmed milk and a tablespoon of apple sauce.
Lunch
A small tin of baked beans (go for the reduced sugar/salt variety) on two slices wholegrain toast.
Fruit portion.
Snack
Two Ryvita with extra light cream cheese and a sliced tomato or cucumber.
Dinner
Takeaway and a glass of wine. Read the rules!
Day 7
Breakfast
Pour a small glass of orange juice, a splash of apple juice and a handful of raspberries (tinned ones are fine - use about half a tin) into a blender. Whizz until smooth.
Two toasted crumpets with a little reduced-fat olive spread.
Lunch
Couscous salad:
Cover 30g couscous (bulgar wheat would also work) with water or stock and set aside to swell. After ten minutes, drain off any excess water and fork through the couscous to fluff the grains. Mix in two tablespoons cooked chickpeas, 1/2 tablespoon raisins, the zest of half a lemon or a tablespoon lemon juice (or a preserved lemon if you have any), two teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil and a handful of chopped herbs - parsley, mint, coriander, whatever you have. Serve with a salad of rocket and watercress.
Snack
Packet of lower-fat crisps.
Dinner
Aromatic lamb:
Put one and a half tablespoons brown rice on to boil for 35-40 minutes. Mix together three tablespoon natural yoghurt, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 cardamom pods, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and a pinch of cloves. Use this to marinade a lean lamb loin chop for 30 mins. After 25 minutes, cook the lamb either on a griddle pan or under the grill - this will take around 10-12 minutes. Meantime, boil or steam green vegetables and serve with the rice and lamb.
Week 4
Day 1
Breakfast
Bowl of no-added-sugar muesli with skimmed milk.
Glass of fruit juice.
Snack
Skinny latte.
Lunch
Soup or sandwich.
Fruit portion.
Dinner
Sweet and sour chicken:
Cook a chicken fillet under the grill or in the microwave. Heat three tablespoons sweet and sour sauce, add an individual serving of straight-to-wok noodles and then stir in the chopped, cooked chicken fillet. Serve with extra veggies.
Day 2
Breakfast
Small glass of fruit juice, two toasted crumpets with two teaspoons of honey.
Lunch
Spread two slices of granary bread spread with a tablespoon pickle and fill with 40g lower fat cheese such as Edam or Gouda and salad.
Fruit portion.
Snack
Couple of Hob Nobs or Jaffa cakes.
Dinner
Salmon with new potatoes:
Boil four small new potatoes. In the meantime, make the sauce: chop one or two teaspoons of capers, a clove of garlic and a handful of herbs such as parsley or coriander. Stir in to two tablespoons natural yoghurt. Set aside. Place a salmon fillet in a microwaveable dish and sprinkle over a little black pepper. Cover with microwave cling film and microwave on high for two or three minutes. Serve the salmon, new potatoes and yoghurt sauce with steamed green vegetables.
Day 3
Breakfast
Chop an apple, a small banana, a kiwi fruit and five ready-to-eat apricots, top with a pot of natural yoghurt.
Snack
Cereal bar or flapjack slice.
Lunch
Cup-a-soup with wholegrain roll and a triangle of Laughing Cow Lite.
Fruit portion.
Dinner
Ready meal with extra salad or veggies, glass of wine. Read the rules!
Day 4
Breakfast
Bowl of Special K with skimmed milk and a handful of dried fruit.
Lunch
Mix a tin of tuna (in brine or springwater, drained) with a tablespoon low-fat mayo. Add onion, peppers or celery if you fancy. Use half of this mixture to fill a wholemeal pitta and top with lots of mixed salad leaves
Fruit portion.
Snack
Five dried apricots and a fromage frais.
Dinner
Pork and pineapple kebabs:
Put two tablespoons rice on to boil. This will take only about 15 minutes.
Cut 60g lean pork into small pieces. Make up kebabs using the pork pieces, two slices of pineapple, half a green pepper, four cherry tomatoes and four mushrooms. Brush lightly with rapeseed oil, season and grill, turning to ensure even cooking. Ensure pork is no longer pink.
Serve the kebabs with rice.
Day 5
Breakfast
Cereal bar such as a Nutrigrain bar, carton of fruit juice.
Lunch
Multi-grain roll with 60g reduced-fat pate and sliced tomato.
Low-fat yoghurt.
Snack
Pot of rice pudding or custard with a spoonful of apple sauce.
Dinner
Fish and chips:
Cook a breaded fish fillet as directed on the packet along with 100g (frozen weight) oven chips. Serve with a small tin of mushy peas.
Day 6
Breakfast
Wholegrain bread roll, two grilled turkey rashers, grilled tomato and mushrooms.
Lunch
Cook 40g pasta as directed on the packet, omitting any added fat or salt. Mix with the tuna reserved from day four, along with two tablespoons of chilli beans.
Snack
Kellogg's Nutrigrain or Cereal Bar.
Dinner
Quick beef chilli:
Heat one teaspoon olive oil in a non-stick saucepan and cook a sliced onion until slightly softened. Add a crushed clove of garlic and a diced pepper and cook for another few minutes. Add 80g very lean minced beef, brown and then drain off excess fat. Stir in a small tin of chopped tomatoes, the rest of the tin of chilli beans from lunch time, a teaspoon tomato puree, 1/2 teaspoon chocolate powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs and chilli powder to your taste - start with 1 teaspoon. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Serve with corn taco shells, lots of salad and natural yoghurt.
This recipe is easy to scale up if you have friends coming over for dinner.
Day 7
Brunch
Fruit salad or juice (even a Virgin Bloody Mary would be fine), eggs or fish or other smart choice (read the rules).
Snack
Two celery sticks with two teaspoons peanut butter or reduced-fat hummus.
Dinner
Half pizza - read the labels to find the best choice (ie, not pepperoni!), two slices garlic bread and tons of salad. A couple of beers (330ml bottles, not litres!) would be fine.
Party day!
You might think that if you're heading off to a Christmas party in the evening, it makes sense to basically starve all day so you can splurge that night. Sorry, but that just won't work. Do that and 1) you'll miss out on good nutrition during the day, 2) you'll be so hungry by the evening that you'll lose control at the buffet table and demolish more mini sausage rolls in one sitting than you thought possible, 3) the first glass of wine will go straight to your head and you'll keel over asleep!
So here's plan B. Eat little and often during the day, don't arrive at the party hungry and stagger your drinks. Your day could look some thing like this:
Breakfast
Bowl of Bran Flakes or Fruit n Fibre with skimmed milk and a handful of dried fruit. Glass of fruit juice.
Lunch
Bowl of vegetable soup or broth - avoid creamy soups and look for the lowest sodium or salt content to help avoid fluid retention and bloating.
Wholegrain roll with cottage cheese and tomato.
Snack
Banana with two teaspoons peanut butter.
Snack
Muller rice.
Evening
Drinks alternating with water.
Carefully chosen goodies from the buffet table:
Good
- Dainty sandwiches with salad, chicken or tuna
- Dips and crudites
- Nuts, but watch that portion size!
- Dried or fresh fruit
- Grilled or baked chicken sticks like satay
- Olives
- Parma ham or proscuitto
Not-so-good
- Sausages and sausage rolls
- Vol-au-vents or other pastry nasties
- Dainty sandwiches packed with mayonnaise
- Deep-fried chicken nuggets, breaded mushrooms, onion rings