How to eat like an expert
Discover how nutritionists manage their diet by eating the right foods in the right portions at the right time.
Take up juggling
Increase your intake of vitamins, minerals, immune-boosting phytochemicals and age—defying antioxidants whilst significantly decreasing calories by 'ratio juggling'. Simply switch from making carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, cereals, rice or potatoes the biggest ratio of food on your plate to fruit or vegetables instead. This way, you'll keep blood sugars stable, hunger and food cravings at bay and, because we naturally prefer to eat carbs with fats (think bread without the marg, baked potatoes without the butter and crackers without the cheese), you'll automatically cut back on your fat intake too.
How?
Swap your usual bowl of cereal for a bowl of chopped fruit with a spoon or two of cereal added.
Swap your midday ham salad sandwich for a large ham salad.
Swap a lunch time jacket potato for a bowl of vegetable soup.
Swap your shepherd's pie made from mince and potatoes with a few carrots on the side for one made from a filling of lean mince, carrots, peas, finely chopped onions and celery with a sweet potato and leek topping. Then fill up the rest of the plate with broccoli or spring cabbage lightly sautéed in a little garlic and olive oil.
Swap the usual plate of spaghetti with two or three spoons of bolognese sauce on top for a plate of bolognese sauce made largely from tomatoes, peppers, carrots, peas and sweetcorn with a little extra lean meat added and one or two spoons of spaghetti added in.
Go low GI
Why?
Low GI carbs release their sugars at a much slower pace into the blood stream, helping to keep energy levels high, cravings for fatty/sugary foods at bay and insulin production to a minimum - and because insulin helps the body to store fat, the less insulin you have the slimmer you're likely to be and the lower your risk of developing diabetes and heart disease will become.
How?
Swap baguettes (GI 95) for wheat tortillas (GI 30).
Swap rice cakes (GI 74) and bagels (GI 72) for a slice of whole meal rye bread (GI 58) or whole meal stone-ground, heavy grain breads (GI 47).
Swap jacket potatoes (GI 101) for sweet potatoes (GI 46).
Swap white rice (GI 87) for barley (25).
Swap mashed potatoes (GI 101) for puy lentils (GI 26).
Go high 'SI'
'SI' stands for satiety index, a measure created by researchers at Sydney University. Foods that have a high 'SI' rating keep us feeling fuller for longer and include oats, apples, whole-wheat pasta, oranges, popcorn, beans, grapes and wholemeal bread. However, the most satiating nutrient of all is protein, so adding high quality, lean meat, fish, chicken, nuts and seeds to your food is a great way to control appetite which will naturally help to reduce your calorie intake.
How?
Try smoked kippers or smoked salmon with scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Snack on a small handful of nuts and seeds, grapes, oranges, apples, low fat hummus and popcorn.
Swap your usual lunchtime pasta salad for a mixed bean salad or a tuna nicoise instead.
Swap your cheese sandwich for an open topped ham, chicken or beef one instead.
Swap your usual bowl of evening pasta for a chargrilled tuna or sirloin steak on a bed of lightly steamed pak choi or shredded spring cabbage sautéed in garlic and a little olive oil.
Swap your usual mashed potato for lentils instead.
Add strips of lean beef to your stir-fry, beans to your casseroles and pulses to your curry and soups.
Re-fuel — don't drool!
If you were to drive from London to Edinburgh with only a little petrol you wouldn't expect your car to keep going on the 'promise' you'd fill it up when you get there -so why is it that that's exactly what we expect our bodies to do when we race through the day on an empty stomach drooling over all the fatty, sugary foods as we go? Instead, switch to eating the majority of your calories during the day when you need them most and watch the pounds drop off.
How?
Make breakfast the largest meal of the day followed by a medium-sized lunch and a far smaller evening meal (try using a side plate in the evenings rather than a dinner plate).
Always have a healthy, low GI snack such as a small handful of nuts, seeds or dried fruit, a low fat yogurt, some fruit or a wholegrain cracker topped with cottage cheese and grapes mid morning and mid afternoon.
Swap calorie-packed evening desserts for a low-fat yogurt or fresh fruit.
Don't have foods in the house that you know will tempt you into nibbling in the evenings.
Brush your teeth straight after dinner. You'll be amazed how effective that can be at stopping you from heading back into the kitchen!
