The theory is straightforward. Foods are assessed and categorised into colour groups for easy identification:

Green - very good, eat at least 5 portions a day - (salad, vegetables, fruits)

Amber - good but require caution, especially if you want to lose weight - proteins, carbohydrates, dairy and miscellaneous - (potatoes, rice, fish, chicken, milk etc.)

Red - bad - high in, fat, sugar or alcohol - (butter, crisps alcohol etc.) Generally to be avoided, red foods are restricted for weight control and health reasons.

Foods are divided into realistic portion sizes and given a simple, easy to remember unit value:

1/2 Unit Tile - represents approximately 50 calories

1 Unit Tile - represents approximately between 75 - 125 calories

2 Unit Tile - represents approximately between 175 - 220 calories per portion

All the food portions have been weighed, counted and cooked to create a unit. The unit sizes are approximate and will average out over the week.

To encourage you to eat a healthier diet, vegetables and salad are unlimited in quantity and a choice of 3 fruit units are zero-rated. This will ensure you consume our 5 daily portions.

The bulk of the daily allowance should be made up from the Amber tiles. Red tile portions derive their calories from fat or sugar so they are 'weighted' to carry penalty points, discouraging consumption.

The Traffic Light Diet system has been developed to show you how to apply this theory to both weight loss and understanding the requirements of a healthy, balanced diet.

Quite simply:

•	Check the chart for your daily allowance
•	Select your daily menu from the tiles
•	Use 5 green tiles and restrict the red
•	Place them on the magnet board to keep a record

As long as you adhere to the portion sizes, and count the units consumed, you will benefit, learn how to maintain a healthy diet in the process and if you choose to, lose weight.