Sugar Free food rules – Beginners guide

• The Low-Carb Healthy-Fat diet (LCHF) is designed to keep carbohydrate intake low, depending on how active you are and how quickly you want to lose weight. If getting slimmer is your first concern, use weight-loss mode (below) as your model, switching to health mode when your aim has been achieved.

• Weight loss mode (total 50g carbs): three meals a day and up to two snacks (if you’re hungry). Each meal should contain protein (¼ of the plate) and non-starchy salad and vegetables (½ plate). The remaining ¼ should be healthy fats. In addition, eat berries (80g a day).

• Health mode (total 120g carbs): three meals a day and up to two snacks if you’re hungry. Each meal should contain protein (¼ of the plate), non-starchy salad and vegetables (¼ plate) and starchy vegetables, pulses or low-carb grains (¼ plate) with the remaining ¼ as healthy fats. In addition, enjoy berries (80g a day), a glass of wine or vodka (with slimline mixer) plus two squares of dark chocolate a day.

Each meal should contain

•  Protein: Meat, poultry, fish: 100-150g (palm-sized portion) per meal, but relish the chicken skin and savour the fat on a juicy steak.

• Eggs: enjoy!

• VEGETABLES: As much as you like and as wide a variety as possible.

•  Fats: A large handful of nuts (not peanuts) or 2-3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp butter, coconut oil or nut butter, ½ an avocado, 3 tbsp full-fat yoghurt, 3 tbsp cream or coconut cream, 30-50g cheese (hard or soft).

• Drinks: Water (6-8 glasses per day), tea and coffee (ideally with milk or cream but no sugar).

•  Fruit: Berries 80g a day.

•  Carbohydrates: Avoid in weight-loss phase but if you are active, enjoy one tennis ball-sized portion (when cooked) per day of ‘dense’ vegetables such as beetroot, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, sweetcorn, peas, beans and pulses (lentils, beans and chickpeas) or ‘pseudo grains’ such as quinoa and buckwheat.

LUNCH BOXES MADE EASY

For lunches at home or at work, forget sandwiches and think ‘roll-ups’ — you really don’t need bread.

Simply take any no-sugar sandwich filling (egg mayonnaise, tuna and sweetcorn, chicken tikka strips, grated cheese, grilled halloumi), add your favourite salad and bind it all with home-made mayonnaise (see above) or cream cheese. Wrap up in sheets of smoked salmon, slices of ham, salami (for mini bites) or lettuce leaves.

If you have mayonnaise to hand, add it to mashed-up hard-boiled eggs, avocados, salmon or tuna. Just keep packs of cooked meat in the fridge with an iceberg or baby gem lettuce, plus a batch of mayonnaise, and you’re good to go.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas.