Public Health England (PHE) has released new calorie guidelines for adults in a bid to help the nation better keep track of the food we eat and reduce rates of obesity.
As part of its One You campaign, PHE recommends adults aim for a 400-600-600 diet, meaning we consume no more than 400 calories for breakfast and 600 calories for lunch and dinner. The remaining recommended daily calorie intake (2,000 for women and 2,500 for men) can be taken up by snacks.
Major high street brands have partnered with PHE on the campaign and will be signposting to meals that meet the 400-600-600 tip in stores. HuffPost UK asked PHE to share some of these meal plans with us, plus spoke to registered nutrition consultant Charlotte Stirling-Reed for advice on what meals can be created at home under the guidelines.
“The point of the campaign is to make people roughly aware of how many calories they are eating. This meal plan is an estimate but will vary depending on brands and portion sizes,” she told HuffPost UK. “It’s a good idea to check portion size recommendations on packets as well as have a glance over the nutritional information on the back of pack to give you an idea of the nutrient content and calorie content of your meals.”
400 Calorie Breakfasts
Starbucks:
- Classic oatmeal, vanilla latte (short/small with sugar free syrup)
Greggs:
- Original porridge, flat white coffee
McDonalds:
- Egg and cheese McMuffin, fruit bag, white coffee
Subway:
- 6″ bacon, egg (omelette) and cheese sub on Italian white bread, regular white coffee with semi-skimmed milk
If you’re eating breakfast at home, Stirling-Reed recommends a bowl of no added sugar, high-fibre breakfast cereal with semi skimmed milk and a handful of berries, or a Spanish omelette with plenty of veggies and sprinkling of cheddar.
600 Calorie Lunches
Starbucks:
- Buttermilk chicken and mango salad, iced latte
- Egg sandwich, Cappuccino (short)
Greggs:
- Spicy calzone bake, cream of tomato soup, raspberry lemonade
- Mexican chicken wrap, strawberry and granola yoghurt, cloudy lemonade
McDonalds:
- Chicken Legend with hot and spicy mayo, carrot bag, medium Coke Zero
- The Garlic Mayo Chicken One (in a grilled wrap), fruit bag, medium Sprite Zero
Subway:
- 6″ steak and cheese sub on Italian white bread, Walkers baked cheese and onion crips, Pepsi Max (16oz)
- 6″ turkey breast and ham salad on 9-grain bread, Walkers baked cheese and onion crips, bottle of water (500ml)
Boots:
- Delicious duck and hoisin sauce wrap, Delicious falafel with yogurt and mint dip, Coke Zero Sugar (500ml)
- Delicious Louisiana-style cajun fritter sandwich, Nutritious avocado humous and veggies, Plenish Water+ (blueberry pear flavour)
- Delicious egg and avocado sandwich, Walkers baked cheese and onion crips, Vit Hit Apple + Elderflower (500ml)
For a balanced lunch that’s homemade, Stirling-Reed recommends a wholemeal salmon salad sandwich with a pot of yogurt and a piece of fruit and some water, or vegetable and chicken soup with wholemeal bread and a piece of fruit.
PHE’s campaign also recommends adults consume no more than 600 calories for dinner. As part of the initiative, PHE has challenged the food industry to reduce calories in products consumed by families by 20% by 2024.
Although PHE is yet to release example dinner plans that stick to the rule, Stirling-Reed says a homemade vegetable curry with yogurt and brown rice or spaghetti bolognese with beef, beans, a side salad and a sprinkling of parmesan, can both be made for under 600 calories.