A celebrity nutritionist who has helped footballers, Olympians and reality TV stars transform their diets has shared her secret formula for the perfect plate of food.
Harley Street nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert encourages slimmers looking to lose weight in the New Year to ditch fad diets and instead focus on eating the right foods.
In her new book Re-Nourish, which was published on Thursday, she says the perfect healthy meal is made up of four components.
Rhiannon Lambert’s perfect plate of food consists of: one portion of protein (eg salmon, left); one handful of carbohydrate (eg a sweet potato, top); two handfuls of non-starchy vegetables (eg peppers, tomatoes, onions and courgettes, main); and one thumb of healthy fats (eg olive oil and seeds, scattered)
And if you stick to the rules, it will help you beat the cravings and keep you healthy all year round.
The former professional soprano – whose clients include snooker player Ronnie Sullivan, Paralympian gold medalist Will Bayley and Made In Chelsea’s Tiffany Watson – calls her formula ‘the balanced plate,’ and it doesn’t require counting calories.
Rhiannon’s perfect plate consists of one portion of protein, one handful of carbohydrates, two handfuls of non-starchy vegetables and one thumb-sized portion of healthy fats.
She says the best way to get the right portion size is to use your hand, measuring out protein using your palm, carbohydrates and vegetables using your whole hand, and healthy fats using your thumb.
Protein might be a portion of chicken, eggs, or fish, while her ideal carbohydrates are oats, rice, starchy vegetables or fruit.
She says it’s important to have two portions of vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and peppers, as well as some healthy fats, such as olive oil, butter, coconut oil or a nut butter.
Rhiannon says you should have two handfuls of non-starchy vegetables with every meal. The healthiest options include carrots, tomatoes, spinach (top hand), broccoli, peppers and mangetout (bottom hand)
Rhiannon says the best way to measure out protein is with your palm. Protein portions can include salmon, chicken or edamame beans for vegetarians and vegans (left). Meanwhile she says a plate should include a thumb-sized portion of healthy fats (right), which could include (top down) a nut butter, coconut oil, butter, or olive oil
Measure out carbohydrates such as oats (top) and rice (bottom) with your hand for the perfect portion
Rhiannon, who has had footballer Cesc Fabregas and MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace as clients, told FEMAIL: ‘I refer to the balanced plate every single day.
‘Life is too short to be counting calories but we do need to be aware of how to eat healthily – for life not just for weight loss.
‘My balanced plate, which is based on the Mediterranean diet and the use of fat-soluble vitamins, will help you achieve optimum nutrition, be free from cravings and will satisfy your body’s every need without using numbers to guide you.’
Rhiannon’s new book Re-Nourish is out now
Rhiannon acknowledges that it’s not always possible to create the perfect balanced plate every day, but says you can adapt your meals to your schedule.
She said: ‘On some days there may not be an abundance of green vegetables for lunch – that’s okay, just try and use the next mealtime as an opportunity to add some more.
‘On some days of the week you may not be particularly active and may not need a large carbohydrate portion, so it’s absolutely fine to lower it.
‘Take into account your daily energy requirements and, in doing so, you’ll start listening to your body.
‘I tend to find a really simple and easy way of gauging the size of your plate can be to make use of your hands.
‘This cannot be 100 per cent accurate but in social situations it is a great reminder, ascertaining whether or not we are fuelling our bodies with too little, too much or just the right amount of nutrition.’
Re-Nourish: A Simple Way To Eat Well is out now, published by Yellow Kite, for £18.99 RRP.