Special K nutrition advice

Portion sizes affect your calorie intake

People gain weight when they eat more calories than they use, so it's important to get the balance right and manage what you eat and how much.

The choices you make about portion size affect your calorie intake every time you sit down to eat. Cutting down on portion size is a simple way to reduce that intake.

Tips to help you control your calorie intake

• When at home, avoid or minimise second helpings and serve food on individual plates.
• When you're eating out, order two starters or skip a course. Order a small portion whenever you can.
• Put snacks into bowls or on plates rather than eating straight from the packet.
• Avoid standing at the buffet table when at a party. Fill your plate with what you want and then walk away!
• Use weighing scales or a measuring cup to give you an accurate idea of what a portion should be - you can often find portion size guidance on the food label.

Special K recipes for healthy meals:

Spicy beef tacos
Serves 1

2 tsp oil, 1 small onion (finely chopped), 100g extra lean mince beef, ½ red pepper (sliced), 100ml fresh tomato salsa, 2 taco shells, 2 tbsp grated half-fat cheddar. Large green salad to serve

Heat oil in a pan, add onion and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the beef and cook for 5 minutes. Stir salsa. Heat taco shells according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spoon the mince mixture into the taco shells, sprinkle 1 tbsp of grated half-fat cheddar over each taco and serve with a large green salad.


Mushroom stroganoff
Serves 1

1 small red onion (thinly sliced), 60g button mushrooms (roughly chopped), 1 stick celery (roughly chopped), 1 clove garlic (crushed), 2 tsp oil, 100ml vegetable stock or water, ½ tsp of smoked paprika, seasoning to taste, 100ml 2% fat Greek yogurt, boiled rice and broccoli to serve

Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add the onion, mushrooms, celery and garlic and cook over a high heat for 4-5 minutes or until browned. Add stock or water, paprika and seasoning to taste. Bring to the boil and cook for 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat and stir in yogurt. Serve with boiled rice and a large portion of steamed broccoli.