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• Your weekly plan
• Snack attack
• Fast food
• Dieting dos
• Dieting don'ts

Your weekly plan

Sam Montel, our online nutritionist says: 'Pick and choose from any of the meals below to make up different weekly menus and ensure you keep your growing body in good shape - inside and out.'

Monday

You could start the week with a glass of orange juice and a large bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk and one tablespoon of raisins for a tasty breakfast. Mid-morning snack

• Pot of low-fat rice pudding
• Drink of squash

• Jacket potato with a teaspoon of margarine or butter and baked beans
• Carton of apple juice
• One handful of grapes

• Two slices of malt loaf with margarine/butter

• Pork or chicken stir-fried with broccoli and peppers, with boiled rice or noodles
• Pot of fruit yoghurt or fromage frais

Tuesday

Kick off your Tuesday with a glass of orange juice then have a soft-boiled egg and two slices of wholemeal toast with margarine or butter. Mid-morning snack

• One banana
• Drink of water or squash

• Tuna, sweetcorn and pasta salad
• Bottle of water or carton of orange juice
• Two plums

• Bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk

• Spaghetti Bolognese with a mixed green salad
• Pot of jelly (sugar free)

Wednesday

For your midweek breakfast opt for a glass of pineapple juice before tucking into a large bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk and a sliced banana. Mid-morning snack

• One apple and a drink of water or squash

• Two slices of cold pizza with mixed salad
• Bottle of water or carton of apple juice
• Bowl of strawberries

• Pot of yoghurt, glass of fruit juice or squash

• Salmon fishcakes with carrots, peas and boiled new potatoes
• Pot of low-fat chocolate mousse

Thursday

For today's breakfast toast a bagel with peanut butter or a low-sugar fruit spread, and wash it down with a glass of pineapple or apple juice. Mid-morning snack

• One pear
• Drink of water or squash

• Wholemeal pitta bread stuffed with roast chicken and coleslaw
• Bottle of water or carton of orange juice
• One handful of grapes

• Oatcakes, houmous, raw carrots, cherry tomatoes, strips of red pepper
• Flavoured yoghurt drink

• Veggie burger with jacket potato, ratatouille and a tablespoon of grated cheese
• Sliced banana with one scoop of ice cream

Friday

Have a fruity Friday by eating an apple for breakfast with a glass of pineapple or orange juice, followed by a bowl of muesli with semi-skimmed milk. Mid-morning snack

• One banana
• Yoghurt drink

• Boiled egg and cress sandwich on wholemeal bread
• Bottle of water or carton of pineapple juice
• Small box of raisins

• Slice of banana or carrot cake
• Glass of chocolate-flavoured milk

• Pasta with turkey, peas and sweetcorn
• Pot of fruit yoghurt or fromage frais

Saturday

The weekend starts here, so rustle up two eggs (boiled, scrambled or poached), two slices of wholemeal or granary toast with spread of your choice and have a glass of orange juice. Mid-morning snack

• Two plain biscuits

• Chicken tikka and salad wrap
• Bottle of water or carton of apple juice
• Two plums

• Chocolate and banana smoothie (place one sliced banana, two teaspoons of drinking chocolate, 150ml of semi-skimmed milk and 150ml of yoghurt in a blender, and purée until smooth)

• Homemade beefburger (made with lean beef), oven chips, peas and a corn on the cob
• Fresh fruit salad including a satsuma, an apple, a handful of grapes and a pear

Sunday

Enjoy a leisurely Sunday breakfast by tucking into a grilled bacon and tomato sandwich with granary or wholemeal toast and a banana smoothie (place one sliced banana, 150ml of semi-skimmed milk and 150ml of yoghurt in a blender, and purée until smooth). Mid-morning snack

• One apple
• Drink of water or squash

• Soup (vegetable/lentil/tomato or carrot) and a wholemeal roll
• Bottle of water or carton of orange juice
• One pot of yoghurt and a handful of grapes

• Slice of carrot cake
• Glass of flavoured milk

• Roast chicken, boiled new potatoes, gravy and vegetables of your choice
• Apple crumble and custard (made with semi-skimmed milk)

Snack attack

If you feel peckish, don't dip into the cookie jar - get a load of these...

• Handful of dried fruit and nuts
• Fresh fruit salad
• Pot of rice pudding
• Bowl of wholegrain cereal with semi-skimmed milk
• Cereal bar
• Houmous with raw vegetable sticks and pretzels
• Scoop of frozen yoghurt

Fast food

Fast food is fine to have as a treat once in a while. Especially when you choose the healthier options...

Indian

• Avoid korma and massala, pilau rice, naan bread
• Go for tandoori chicken, plain rice, chapatti

Burgers

• Avoid cheese, mayonnaise, chips
• Go for grilled burgers made from lean meat or fish or veggie burgers. Ask for extra salad

Chinese

• Avoid battered or deep-fried options and egg-fried rice
• Go for chicken chop suey, szechuan prawns, steamed fish

Pizza

• Don't ask for extra cheese!
• Go for toppings like vegetables, ham, fish and prawns

Dieting dos

Sam says...

• Eat breakfast every day! Skipping it won't help you lose weight. It'll just have you reaching for snacks later.
• Drink water, juice, milk or smoothies instead of fizzy drinks. The normal kind are packed with sugar, and the diet kind have no nutritional benefits.
• Drink 8 glasses of water a day - it's calorie free! The symptoms of dehydration can also be mistaken for hunger pangs.
• Eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Even a glass of fruit juice counts!
• The odd treat's fine, just don't base your diet solely around chips!

Dieting don'ts

Sam says...

• Don't diet! Instead, aim to get active and eat sensibly. This means eating enough starchy foods (bread, pasta), lots of fruit and veg and moderate amounts of meat, fish and dairy.
• Avoid any eating plan that restricts your intake of dairy products. Growing bones need calcium!
• Your body needs certain types of fats to look and feel healthy. But limit the saturated kind (found in foods like butter, hard cheese, fatty cuts of meat, pastry, biscuits and cakes) to an occasional treat.
• Crash diets don't work in the long term and the weight will pile back on. The best way to achieve lasting results is to adapt your lifestyle gradually.

Ages and stages

• Pregnancy
• Babies
• Children
• Teens
• Women
• Older people
• Men's health

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• More questions on Starchy foods

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