Big day beckons

The British Heart Foundation 3 Piers Walk is just three weeks away - so if you haven't already registered, now's the time to send off for your registration pack for the September 12 event, by telephoning John Carr on 01253 771496.

You can help raise money to fight heart disease by getting yourself sponsored for the Citizen-backed 4.5 mile walk, taking in Blackpool Prom and all three piers.

As well as raising money, this is a great chance to get out and enjoy the bracing Blackpool air. Last week we printed ways of making sure your walk is as comfortable as possible. This week, we've some ideas for an energy packed heart healthy packed lunch.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) recommends including starchy foods, such as bread, cereals or potatoes, plus fruit and vegetables, and no more than one fatty/sugary item.

Include plenty to drink too, because fluids are important for a balanced diet. Bottled water, weak fruit squash or fruit juices are all good choices.

In a nutshell, for a healthy lunch include:

the most straightforward ingredient - bread! Enjoy it wholemeal, granary or white as a crusty roll, bap, bagel or pitta bread. Crackers and bread sticks are also healthy alternatives, and cold cooked rice, pasta and potatoes are also good starchy alternatives to bread;

two portions of fruit or veg - ditch the boring old lettuce and try something different. A combination of savoury and sweet works well, such as carrot sticks, cucumber slices or baby tomatoes with a banana, satsumas, portion of raisins, grapes or dried apricots. Tinned or potted fruit in fruit juice - try peaches, mandarins or oranges - lend a picnic air to any packed lunch, just don't forget a spoon;

meat, fish or veggie alternatives - try fillings, spreads or dips mixed with pasta, rice, potatoes and veg as an alternative to butties. If you do prefer bread, team it with cold cooked lean ham, pork or beef, veggie sausages, low fat hummus, eggs (nice with yoghurt or low-fat mayo), nut butter, meatballs (if less than 5g total fat per 100g). Chicken or turkey without the skin, tuna, sardines, mackerel, fish paste, low fat liver pate - all good teamed with bread, pasta or potatoes;

milk and dairy foods can be squeezed in with the main course (but choose low-fat cheese), as a dessert (yoghurt or fromage frais), or a refreshing milkshake (home-made with skimmed milk and banana);

apart from a tiny amount of fat spread on bread, keep fatty and sugary foods to a minimum, though a treat such as a bag of crisps or a cake shouldn't cause too many problems. Cake with fruit in is better as it's likely to contain less refined sugar - so it's thumbs up for the home-made apple cake!

For more information on healthy food, log on to www.bhf.org.uk/publications and order a copy of BHF's Food Should Be Fun... and Healthy booklet. And for more details about the BHF walk, telephone John Carr on 01253 771496.