Sample Meal Pattern for Your Mental Health

Sample meal pattern

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit / fruit juice .
Cereal e.g. wholegrain or bran cereal / porridge, with semi-skimmed milk or 1–2 slices wholemeal bread / 
toast with scraping of monounsaturated spread / butter, and kippers / egg / grilled bacon / baked beans 

Tea / coffee / herbal tea / water 
Mid morning Tea / coffee / herbal tea / water 

Fruit / nuts


Lunch 1–2 slices wholemeal or pitta bread sandwich with scraping of monounsaturated spread / butter and filling of fish / meat / egg / cheese / humus / meat substitute / nut butter, with salad

 Or jacket potato with baked beans / tuna and corn / 
chilli con carne / prawn filling, and salad

Or soup e.g. pea and ham / farmhouse broth, and bread

 Or salad with meat / fish / egg / cheese, and bread

 Or cooked meal – see below 
Fruit / yoghurt 
Tea / coffee / herbal tea / water


Mid afternoon Tea / coffee / herbal tea / water 
Fruit / fruit and nuts / mixed seeds


Dinner 2tblsp Basmati or brown rice / wholemeal chapattis / wholemeal pasta / new potatoes / sweet potato / yam / couscous and 100–120g meat / fish / eggs or bean / lentil dish e.g. chilli con carne / rice and peas / dhal / stir-fried prawns and vegetables and 2 portions of green and root vegetables / large mixed salad 

Fresh / tinned fruit / baked fruit and low fat crème fraiche / yoghurt 

Tea / coffee / herbal tea / water


Supper Small bowl of cereal, as breakfast, or toast and yeast extract / nut butter / cheese

10 Influencers on Your Mental Health

Mental health conditions may be influenced by dietary factors.

One of the most obvious, yet under-recognised factors in the development of major trends in mental health is the role of nutrition. The body of evidence linking diet and mental health is growing at a rapid pace. As well as its impact on short and long-term mental health, the evidence indicates that food plays an important contributing role in the development, management and prevention of specific mental health problems such as depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease.