You can have the same breakfast every day, although to get a good variety of nutrients, and avoid boredom, mix and match a few of the ideas.

At lunchtime you can make sandwiches (using multigrain or sourdough bread), salads and soups to take with you to work. Dinners have been dreamt up to keep your taste buds happy while taking care of your waistline.

If you want to swap some of the lunches and dinners around, or repeat some of your favourite dinners and leave a few out, then feel free. The key is that this plan fits in with your lifestyle because we want you to lose pounds, not your joie de vivre.

In addition to the breakfast, lunch and dinner suggestions, try to have half a pint of skimmed milk a day (or light soya milk fortified with calcium. You can have this in teas and coffees, as a cappuccino, or trade in half of your milk for a yoghurt if you prefer. Each day try to choose options that include a couple of servings of fruit and at least three good portions of vegetables, to make up your five a day.

BREAKFAST CHOOSE ANY ONE OF THESE

Fruit, yoghurt and toasted seeds
Cut up three of your favourite fruits and mix with three tablespoons of plain yoghurt. Sprinkle with some toasted seeds or nuts.

Scrambled eggs
Scramble two eggs with a dash of skimmed milk and seasoning. Serve with a slice of granary toast and a grilled tomato.

Cereal with fruit
Mix together 40g of bran flakes or All Bran with a chopped apple and a sliced banana. Serve with cold, 1 per cent fat or semi-skimmed milk.

Muesli with fresh berries
Tuck in to a 50g bowl of sugar-free muesli served with your favourite fresh berries or mixed with some grated apple. It is tasty with apple juice or stick with milk, if you prefer.

Cappuccino and fruit
Buy a takeaway grande skinny cappuccino (or make your own milky coffee at home with about 250ml of skimmed milk) and have with two pieces of fruit, including a banana.

Bacon sandwich
Enjoy a bacon sandwich using two lean grilled rashers of back bacon with granary bread or toast, with tomato ketchup or reduced-fat butter. Have with a few grilled tomatoes and a small glass of orange juice.

Toast, chocolate and strawberries
Toast two pieces of sourdough or granary bread and spread lightly with chocolate spread (Green & Blacks is good) then top with slices of strawberries.

Grapefruit and cereal
Have a juicy pink grapefruit (peel like an orange and eat in segments or slice in half and eat with a spoon). Follow this with a bowl of Fruit and Fibre-style cereal with cold milk.

Poached eggs on toast
Grill two big mushrooms and a tomato sliced in half. Serve with two poached eggs and slice of sourdough or rye toast.

French toast with fromage frais
Make French toast by whisking an egg with a pinch of cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg. Dip in two slices of granary bread (left out overnight) and fry in a non-stick pan brushed with a little oil for 2-3 minutes each side. Serve with a blob of fromage frais and some slices of peach or pear.

Grilled bananas
Place a peeled banana on a piece of foil, sprinkle with a little vanilla essence, a tablespoon of orange juice and a teaspoon of brown sugar (and some freshly crushed cardamom seeds, if you fancy). Grill for five minutes and serve with a blob of Greek yoghurt or fromage frais.

Fruit compote
Have three tablespoons of dried fruit compote. To make, gently simmer 300g of mixed dried fruit with 200ml of water, some orange zest and juice and a little honey. Top with Greek yoghurt, preferably a lower-fat version.

Porridge and berries
Make up a quick bowl of porridge in the microwave or on the hob with 40g of oats and 200ml of skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. Serve with some mixed berries and a swirl of honey for a spring-like feel to this traditionally winter-ish dish.

Toast and peanut butter
Toast two slices of granary or sourdough bread and spread with crunchy peanut butter. Look for brands that do not add sugar but are just peanuts and some extra salt. Serve with a glass of fruit juice.

LUNCH CHOOSE ANY ONE OF THESE

Ham sandwich
Make a ham and tomato sandwich with two slices of ham, with mustard to pep it up. Use multigrain or sourdough bread to keep you feeling full for longer.

Baked potato with tuna and sweetcorn
Have a baked potato with tuna and sweetcorn (try to avoid butter). If you are making it at home, remove centre of potato and mash with lemon juice to make potato more moist.

Sushi
You could have a supermarket tray of sushi, containing nine pieces. Avoid those that have added bits of food fried in batter. Eat the ginger, it will give your metabolism a boost, but go steady on soya sauce, which is very salty.

Chicken roll
Choose a normal-size roll rather than a huge bap and fill with lean, roast chicken and salad of your choice. You can spread the cut surface of the roll with extra-light mayonnaise.

Hoummos and pitta bread
Have a small wholemeal pitta served with half a tub of reduced-fat hoummos along with some vegetable crudités.

Soup and a roll
Buy a hearty filling soup such as lentil or a mixed-bean soup from a sandwich shop and eat with a wholemeal roll.

Roast turkey salad
Have a salad made up for you in your local salad bar. Opt for your favourite salad ingredients such as lettuce, cucumber, beetroot, corn, mushrooms and so on and have a topping of roast turkey. Stick to balsamic vinegar instead of oily dressing.

Prawn salad
Have a prawn salad that you can whip up quickly at home, again using balsamic vinegar.

Tuna tortilla wrap
Buy a packet of tortilla wraps and roll up a wrap filled with a small can of tuna and serve with cherry tomatoes. Use a teaspoon of reduced-fat salad cream or plain yoghurt to moisten.

Gazpacho soup with rye bread
Packed with vitamins and goodness.

Baked potato with baked beans
Have a baked potato topped with baked beans. If you are at home, opt for reduced-sugar and reduced-salt versions of the beans. You may like to add a blob of cottage cheese and a side salad.

Egg salad sandwich
Have an egg salad sandwich (with reduced-fat salad cream spread on the bread), with vegetable crudités to give your lunch some crunch.

Poached eggs on toast with tomatoes
If you have a local café to hand, ask for two poached eggs on toast with grilled tomatoes. It will keep you going all afternoon.

DINNER CHOOSE ANY ONE OF THESE

Roast salmon
Pre-heat oven to 180C and roast a 100g salmon fillet, brushed with olive oil, seasoned and sprinkled with crushed garlic and fresh rosemary, for ten minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and a few tablespoons of cooked long-grain rice mixed with a teaspoon of butter and chopped spring onion.

Parma ham bruschetta with roasted vegetables
Serve roasted peppers, aubergines and courgettes drizzled with balsamic vinegar with a slice of toasted rye bread (brushed with olive oil and rubbed with garlic) and 100g of sliced Parma ham.

Spaghetti bolognaise
Sauté half a finely chopped onion, a small grated carrot and a little crushed garlic. When soft, add 100g of extra-lean beef mince. Brown and add half glass of white wine. Once evaporated add 80g of Italian passata (sieved tomatoes) and a few tablespoons of water. Season, simmer for 20 minutes and serve with cooked spaghetti (70g dry weight) and a green salad.

Chilli king prawns with mange tout
Sauté a small crushed garlic clove with a chopped spring onion, a handful of mange tout and half a deseeded sliced chilli for about two minutes. Add 100g of de-shelled cooked king prawns and half a tablespoon of sweet sherry. Season and stir-fry for two minutes. Mix in cooked long-grain rice (60g dry weight) and serve immediately.

Grilled mackerel with lime
Brush a 100g fillet of mackerel with oil, add a squeeze of lime and season. Grill for three minutes each side, turning once. Serve with a mixed salad and a few tablespoons of cooked new potatoes.

Lemon sole with pak choi
Put 100g of lemon sole fillet in a shallow, lightly buttered, ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander and add sufficient water to just cover the base. Cover and bake at 180C for 12 minutes. Serve with steamed pak choi drizzled with oyster sauce and boiled rice (60g dry weight).

Fillet steak with rocket leaves
Char-grill a fillet steak (about 150g). Just before serving place a good handful of rocket leaves on top of the steak and drizzle with a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve with cooked new potatoes that have been boiled then sliced and put under a medium grill for two minutes a side.

Chicken with lemon and noodles
Heat 70ml of chicken stock in a wok and add 100g of skinless chicken breast cut into thin strips. Gently poach, adding half a teaspoon of green peppercorns, three fresh sage leaves and a teaspoon of lemon zest. After two minutes, remove chicken and reduce stock. Away from the heat stir in a level tablespoon of low-fat yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Return chicken, simmer for four minutes. Serve with boiled noodles (70g dry weight) topped with chopped fresh coriander.

Linguine carbonara
Sauté half a finely sliced red onion and a rasher of back bacon cut into small pieces in a teaspoon of oil until the bacon is cooked but not crispy. Add a little crushed garlic and set aside. Cook 70g of linguine, drain and mix in with the bacon. Over a low heat break an egg into the pasta and stir quickly (whip away from heat if egg begins to scramble). Once egg is thoroughly mixed, season and serve with a tomato and onion salad with balsamic vinegar.

Scallop and prawn salad
Arrange a mixture of mixed salad leaves on a plate, with some cooked asparagus. Take 150g of fresh scallops (no roe) and uncooked prawns. Dip in a mix of a tablespoon of chopped fresh coriander, a teaspoon of five spices and half a crushed garlic clove. Stir-fry for three minutes in a teaspoon of heated sesame with a chopped spring onion. Serve on top of the salad, with cooked noodles (70g dry weight) on the side.

Roast asparagus with poached eggs
Brush six asparagus spears with olive oil, season lightly and roast for six or seven minutes (200C) until they are cooked, but still have a bite. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, top with two poached eggs, and serve with a slice of toasted sourdough bread.

Trout fillets with green beans
Dust 100g of trout fillet with seasoned flour and fry in a teaspoon of oil for two minutes. Put them on a baking tray, with a squeeze of lemon juice, and bake (180C) with two halved tomatoes for ten minutes. Serve with steamed green beans and boiled new potatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Chicken wings with potato and cucumber salad
Season 100g of skinless chicken wings and brush with oil. Roast for 35-45 minutes (180C). Serve with a salad: mix 150g boiled, sliced new potatoes, diced cucumber, a chopped tomato, four chopped black olives and a finely-chopped, deseeded green chilli. Add a teaspoon of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and garnish with torn mint leaves.

Roast dinner
Serve 120g of roast lean meat (lamb, beef, chicken or turkey) with a large serving of steamed vegetables and two small roast potatoes and gravy.