Planning your day

Think about the activities you have planned each day so you can tailor your meals around timings and not run out of energy later in the day.

Always start your day with a breakfast that can act as a fuel for your energy levels: cereals with fruit (try to use semi-skimmed milk) or wholegrain toast with marmite or peanut butter (remember it's not always necessary to have butter or spread as well as your toast topping).

Soups or sandwiches are great at lunchtime to refuel and get your body back in balance for the afternoon. But if you know you're going to struggle for time to prepare a healthy evening meal later, consider having your cooked meal at lunchtime and a soup or sandwich for tea instead.

By properly planning your mealtimes, you will naturally start shopping better as you get used to the heightened awareness of what you actually intend to eat and not adding quick fix foods to the trolley.