1. Start with a bowl of low G.I. cereal served with skim or low-fat milk or yoghurt.

2. Try something like All-Bran™, rolled oats (raw or cooked) or Guardian™.

3. If you prefer muesli, keep to a small bowl of low-fat muesli—check that it doesn’t contain added fats.

4. Add a slice of toast made from a low G.I. bread (or 2 slices for a bigger person) with a dollop of jam, sliced banana, honey, Vegemite™, marmalade, or light cream cheese with sliced apple. Keep butter or margarine to a minimum, or use none at all.

5. If you like a hot breakfast, try baked beans, a boiled or poached egg, cooked tomatoes or mushrooms with your toast.

Lunch

1. Try a sandwich or roll, with only a smear of margarine. Choose a bread with lots of whole grains through it (not just sprinkled on top) if you can, for a low G.I. factor. Add plenty of salad fillings.

2. For the filling choose from a thin slice of leg ham, pastrami, lean roast beef or chicken or turkey smallgood, or a slice of low-fat cheese, salmon or tuna (in brine), or an egg. An extra container of salad or vegetable soup will help to fill you up.

3. Finish your lunch with a piece of fruit, or fruit salad with a low-fat yoghurt, or a low-fat flavoured or plain milk.

Dinner

1. The basis of dinner should be high carbohydrate grains and root vegetables.

2. Eat as many vegetables as you can, using a small amount of meat, chicken or fish as an accompaniment rather than the main ingredient.

3. Use lean meat like topside beef, veal, new-fashioned pork, trim lamb, chicken breast, fish fillets, turkey. Red meat is a valuable source of iron—just choose lean types. A piece of meat, chicken or fish that fits in the palm of your hand (no fingers) fulfils the daily protein requirements of an adult.

4. If you prefer not to eat meat, a cup of cooked dried peas, beans, lentils or chick peas can provide protein and iron without any fat. At the same time they supply low G.I. carbohydrate and fibre.

5. Sanitarium products such as Nutmeat™, Casserole Mince™ and tofu are based on high protein legumes like soya beans and peanuts and are good meat alternatives.

6. Boost your fruit intake and get into the habit of finishing your meal with fruit—fresh, stewed or baked—or try a fruit ice, such as Vitari™.

Snacks

1. It is important to include a couple of dairy food serves each day for your calcium needs. If you haven’t used yoghurt or cheese in any meals, you may choose to make a low-fat milkshake. One or two scoops of low-fat ice cream or custard can also contribute to daily calcium intake.

2. If you like grainy breads, an extra slice makes a very good choice for a snack. Other snacks can include toasted English-style muffin halves, a crumpet with a smear of margarine, bagels or fruit loaf.

3. Fruit is always a low kilojoule option for snacks. You should aim to consume at least 3 serves a day. It may be helpful to prepare fruit in advance to make it accessible and easy to eat.

4. Low-fat crackers (like water crackers) are a low kilojoule snack if you want something dry and crunchy, although they may not be as sustaining as a grainy bread. Popcorn (home prepared with a minimum of fat) is another good alternative.

5. Keep vegetables (like celery and carrot sticks, baby tomatoes, florets of blanched cauliflower or broccoli) ready prepared to snack on, too.

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