Tuesday, 11 December 2007

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Natasha Hamilton: What I ate today

The former Atomic Kitten, 25, admits to skipping breakfast and guzzling tea

Natasha's food diary.


BREAKFAST

'I had a cup of tea and skipped breakfast. It's naughty, I know, but my youngest child was ill and I had to sort out his prescription, so I didn't have much time.'

13 calories.

LUNCH

'I met a few friends for lunch and started with a glass of champagne, which went straight to my head. I had a smoked salmon, mozzarella and tomato salad, followed by a roasted pepper quiche with green salad and new potatoes, with berries and cream for dessert.'

1,005 calories.

SNACKS

'I didn't snack today and I rarely do. But I love my tea and usually have three cups a day, with a splash of milk and no sugar.' 26 calories.

DINNER

'Today I went out for dinner, too. I had grilled king prawns followed by teriyaki rump steak with bok choi and potatoes. Then I had a chocolate fondant with coconut ice cream. Plus a glass of red wine.' 1,030 calories.

Total calories 2,034.


The expert's verdict

Nutritionist Carina Norris says: 'Without breakfast, Natasha probably felt tired and fuzzy-headed and her metabolism would've slowed right down. Instead she should've had a quick bowl of high-fibre, low-sugar cereal such as Weetabix, with semi-skimmed milk.'

219 calories.

Carina says: 'Starting a meal with alcohol isn't great because it makes you hungrier and ruins your good intentions. However, Natasha chose pretty well. Salmon is very good for the heart and peppers are full of vitamins. I'd suggest ditching the champagne and the mozzarella (which is packed with fat) and having fromage frais with the berries instead of cream.'

600 calories.

Carina says: 'Tea's rich in polyphenols, which reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Natasha could speed up her metabolism by having a couple of snacks – such as a small handful of almonds and an apple – before and after lunch.'

100 calories.

Carina says: 'Prawns are a great low-fat source of protein. Steak's also full of protein, as well as iron, but is high in fat. Sorbet with fruit would've aided digestion better than the choc pud. Although Natasha's calorie intake was fine, she should spread it through the day to maintain her metabolism.'

650 calories.

Total calories 1,519.

Natasha is fronting a campaign for game site PopCap.com that provides stress busting games. To test your stress visit popcapstresstest.com