The picture on the left represents what your plate should look like to help you maintain your weight.

The picture on the right represents what your plate should look like to help you lose weight.

Starchy foods

Make sure that starchy foods are included at each meal, for example bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, cous cous and noodles.

Ask your dietitian about portion sizes for these.

Vegetables, salad and fruit

Aim for at least five portions a day, such as fresh, dried, frozen or tinned in water or juice.

Ask your dietitian for a list of fruit and vegetable portions.

Protein foods

Aim for two portions a day. One portion is:

• one to two eggs
• three to four ounces (75 to 100g) of cooked lean meat
• four to five ounces (100 to 125g) of cooked poultry or fish, Quorn, tofu or soy
• one ounces (25g) of hard cheese
• four ounces (100g) of cottage cheese
• one ounces (25g) of nuts
• four tablespoons of cooked pulses.

Aim to have two portions of fish per week, one oily fish – mackerel, sardines or pilchards – and one white fish – sea bream, pollock, coley or lemon sole – per week.