Here are 20 quick nutrition tips to give you some food for thought...

1)    Start the day with an egg. Eggs are a great source of protein and low in calories. Having an egg for breakfast with a slice of whole-wheat toast will keep you feeling full longer and studies have shown having eggs for breakfast makes you eat far fewer calories throughout the rest of the day.

2)    Switch to drinking green tea. Green tea is a good source of helpful chemicals known as polyphenols. Diets rich in polyphenols can help to reduce your risk for heart disease. Green tea is also a source of fluids. Taking in at 2 litres of fluid each day will keep you well hydrated and can help to promote weight loss by making you feel fuller longer.  Clinical studies suggest that drinking green tea (which is less processed than other teas and has the highest concentration of helpful chemicals known as polyphenols) can help raise your metabolism and burn fat.

3)    Never, ever, skip breakfast. When you wake up in the morning your body will have used every last bit of fuel you gave it the night before. If you don’t eat a good breakfast before you leave the house, you’ll end up grabbing whatever you can when the hunger pangs strike.

4)    Try a wrap instead of a sandwich. Let’s face it – sandwiches can get dull!  Flatbreads such as tortillas are much lower in calories than more bulky bread products, a tasty alternative to bread.  Be sure to make it a whole-wheat tortilla or wrap and you are creating a much healthier meal.

5)    Trade in white flour for whole-wheat. White bread and pasta has been processed to the point where it isn’t actually any good for you, and can even make you store fat, so instead go for whole-wheat pasta varieties and breads containing real whole grains. These foods are rich in dietary fibre and can make it much easier for you to lose weight. You’ll feel full longer, and be surprised by how quickly you get used to the difference in taste. Fibre rich foods can also help to reduce your risk for diabetes and heart disease.  

6)    Stop drinking soda. Cans of pop are empty calories, which do your body no good whatsoever. There are 39g of sugar in one can of cola which might give you a temporary energy boost but will send you crashing soon after. Switch to water instead and you’ll see a noticeable difference in your weight-loss efforts.

7)    Don’t confuse thirst with hunger. Feeling hungry and thirsty can often feel the same, so try drinking a glass of water then waiting ten minutes before going for a healthy snack.

8)    Eat more veggies than fruit. Although eating fruit is great and essential for a healthy diet, vegetables are better bets for trying to lose weight.

9)    Don’t finish off everything on your plate. Forget what your mom told you about starving kids in foreign countries and stop leaving your plate clean. Research shows that even when we’ve eaten enough, we’ll finish whatever is in front of us. Try leaving behind a little bit of each meal and you’ll shave off extra calories that your body really didn’t need.

10)    Watch your alcohol calorie consumption. Next time you fancy a beer or a cocktail, opt for a white wine spritzer instead. It only has around 80 calories  - around half of that of a regular beer.  

11)    Spice up your meals. Research shows that eating capsaicin (the chemical that gives hot peppers their heat) has an effect of curbing your appetite and boosting your metabolism. Herbs and spices add taste to foods without unwanted salt or fat.  So, throw a few chilies in to your cooking, or a splash of hot sauce to add more zing to your diet.

12)    Eat more protein. Studies have shown that when people eat more protein they lose more body fat, so be sure to include plenty of lean meats, fish, eggs and beans as part of your balanced in your healthy eating plan.

13)    Ditch processed cheese. High in fats and chemicals, processed cheeses really just aren’t good for you. Instead, buy good quality blocks of cheese and slice off small portions yourself.

14)    Eat monosaturated fats. Including good fats in your diet will actually help you lose weight and lower your cholesterol levels, so be sure to include olive oil, avocado and small portions of nuts in your diet.

15)    Don’t skip meals. When you skip a meal, your body naturally starts protecting itself in case you are entering a period of famine. You’ll store more energy as fat, be more hungry as your body tells you to seek out food and ultimately more liable to make poor food choices.

16)    Out of sight, out of mind. If you are going to have treats in the house stash them at the back of the cupboard instead of in plain sight. Make sure that healthy alternatives are the first thing you see when you open your cupboards or fridge and you’ll be less tempted to cheat on your healthy eating plan.

17)    No more eating at night. By eating regular meals throughout the day you’ll keep your hunger under control and not be starving once night falls (and therefore tempted to binge after dark). Eating last thing at night just gives you calories that you aren’t going to burn while you are laying in bed at night, so quit the habit!

18)     Eat before heading out to dinner. Starving yourself in advance of a big meal out is actually counterproductive as you’ll be tempted to eat more than usual once you finally sit down to eat. Eating a piece of fruit or having a few whole grain crackers and a glass of milk before you leave the house will act as a bit of an appetite suppressant and help you make better choices when you are out.

19)    Avoid places that tempt you. If heading to the coffee shop with a friend results in you drinking a large triple caramel latte and eating some kind of pastry, suggest somewhere else to meet. Make it easier to make good choices by keeping the bad ones out of sight.

20)    Remember, moderation is key.  Following a healthy diet doesn't mean giving up all the foods you love, it only means having a smaller amount less often. It's not just what you eat, but how often and how much, that really makes the difference.

21)    Read the packaging. Before you start in on that bag of potato chips or whatever, check the back of the package to see what the recommended serving size is and try to stick to it. By seeing how much bang you actually get for your calorific buck (are fourteen chips really worth 160 calories?) it might make you rethink your food choices.