Need help with my diet

Theres nothing wrong with snacking but stick to a midmorning and midafternoong HEALTHY snacks of about 50kcals to 100kals each - thngs like a bit of fruit or a few nuts, seeds, sugar snap peas, sliced carott & Peppers etc or a sports bar of some type

Other alternitves for breakfast are poached edd on wholemeal toast (I do my eggs in Microwave) with a natural yogurt with fruit/nuts added and a glass of OJ

Id say avoid the sugary Carials and stick to thisgs like porige & screaded wheat - you can make these more interesting and/or sweeter by adding things like

* Banana
* Dried Mixed Fruit
* Nuts
* Honey
* Cinimon

There are many ways to split your diet, it is all about finding what is right for you - but a good breakfast is very Important

But on a whole i'd advice a 4 meal per day (pls a couple of snacks) as a good starting point - some people even split it down further to a 6-meal per day plan

eating small meals more frequently is a good aproach to maintaining energy and not fealing hungry

also when prepareing a meal, activley think about portion control - most people get this all wrong

for example when looking at a plate for a main meal (lunch or dinner etc) divide the plate in 4

* 2 quaters should be Veg
* 1 quater your carbs (rice, pasta, patato etc)
* 1 quater should be your protien (preferaby from a lean sauce)

...finishing off a small bowl of Shredded Wheat and an apple - very interesting tips there WildWill.

Concerned about eating sports bars / protein bars though. Have been recommended to do so, rather than a more traditional chocolate bar or pastry. However reading about fat contents etc, some of the protein bars seem to have a concerning level of fat / calories. As result tend to steer away from them. Any recommendations there?

you're best sticking to fruit.

there's some real sh*t in some of those bars.

Yes, Sam, in your case I'd recommend eating more of 'em. You NEED fat and calories and should not be "concerned" about them.

That's what concerns me Toria. Would they be any better / worse though than a pastry/choccie bar.
Its my usual post long run treat on a Sunday - protein bar, pot of coffee and Sunday papers. I used to have a cheap pastry or two from Sainsburys (cinnamon whirl or similar), or a big flapjack, or even King sized Mars Bar.
Perhaps a tuna sandwich and fruit would be better?

Sam - why don't you make your own flapjacks? They're just oats, butter, golden syrum, dried fruit - bung them in the oven for about 20 mins and they should last for the best part of a week. They should be ok - at least you know what's in them.