THE British Nutrition Foundation has put out a handy guide for how much of each food group you should be eating. Prudence Wade finds out more.

Even if you’re not the kind of person who resolved to overhaul their diet in the new year, January is still a good opportunity to think about how healthy your lifestyle is.

With this in mind, it’s the perfect time for experts to remind us how we should best portion our food - which is exactly what the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) has done with its new guide called Find Your Balance.

Fruit and veg

For fruit and veg, you should be aiming for five or more - and there’s really no need to worry too much about size, because the BNF says “you can have bigger portions of fruit and vegetables, as they’re mostly low in calories, provided there’s no fat or sugar added”.

Yes, this means juice counts - but only one portion a day, and just a small glass of 150ml.

Starchy carbohydrates

It’s recommended to eat around three to four portions of starchy carbs a day.

The BNF has introduced a visual system where you can use your hands to get a good idea of how much you should be eating.

For lighter meals and breakfasts one portion of breakfast cereals or muesli tends to be about three handfuls, and porridge one and a half. Things like bread are already ready portioned, and two slices of medium-sized wholegrain will do the trick.

For main meals it recommends around two handfuls of things like dried pasta, rice and cous cous - for cooked versions, it’s the amount of two hands cupped together.

Go for wholemeal versions where possible, and keep the skins on potatoes for that extra boost of fibre.

Protein

The NHS still recommends just two to three portions a day.

Chicken breasts should measure half the size of your hand (which means different-sized people should eat different-sized portions), and fish fillets can be between half the size of a hand and a whole hand. If you want vegetarian versions, go for around six tablespoons of lentils, beans and pulses, or two eggs.

Dairy

The recommendation for dairy is also two to three portions a day. Half a glass of milk on cereal, a whole glass if you’re drinking it, and four tablespoons of plain, low-fat yogurt are ideal.

It’s easier to measure cheese, but a whole lot less fun when you see what the recommendations are. After a Christmas spent indulging in boards full of Camembert and Gouda, it might be time to start reconsidering how much you’re eating. For hard styles (like Cheddar) and anything like Stilton or Brie, you should only be eating around the size of two thumbs, and for soft cheese, it’s three teaspoons.