I want to lose weight and be healthier. A dietitian said to eat protein at breakfast and bulk up dinners with vegetables.

• A 48-year-old woman submitted an average day of eating to be reviewed for Insider's Nutrition Clinic.

• A dietitian said to eat more protein at breakfast and bulk up meals with vegetables.

• If you'd like to have your diet reviewed by an expert, fill out this form.

Sandra, 48, submitted her eating routine to Insider's Nutrition Clinic, where qualified dietitians and registered nutritionists offer advice on readers' eating habits.

She told Business Insider her goals are to lose weight and improve her health. She has celiac disease, which means she can't eat gluten, and said she is "fairly sedentary during winter," but goes on "regular walks in other seasons."

Sandra shared how her diet is different during the working week compared to weekends.

Registered dietitian Sophie Medlin told BI that, while she can't properly assess and give advice to Sandra without a full consultation, it looks like she's doing great overall.

Eat protein at breakfast to make weight loss easier

On a weekday morning, Sandra said she eats oatmeal with grated carrot and zucchini. At the weekend, she might eat gluten-free wholegrain toast with peanut butter and jam.

"If Sandra wants to reduce her weight, she might benefit from focusing on having a more protein-heavy breakfast and reducing her carbohydrates slightly," Medlin said. "A good balance would be to try yogurt with fruit and nuts and a handful of gluten-free granola, or a vegetable omelet."

Carbs aren't inherently fattening and they provide essential energy, but cutting down quantities and bulking up meals with low-calorie, high-volume fruit and vegetables, and lean protein, can aid satiety when trying to stick to a calorie deficit.

Eating protein at every meal can help you feel more full when in a calorie deficit to lose weight, and it also helps you hold on to muscle.

Processed foods are OK in moderation

For lunch in the week, Sandra typically eats chicken, bean, vegetable, and greens soup with a slice of homemade gluten-free wholegrain seeded bread with grass-fed butter.

At weekends, she usually grabs some form of takeout while running errands, she said.

Medlin said it's fine to include processed foods in your diet occasionally, so having a couple of these at weekends is nothing to be worried about.

The soup and bread is a nourishing choice. "There are lots of plants in her diet and she is having plenty of lean protein," Medlin said.

Fill up on vegetables at dinner

Monday to Friday, Sandra might have a dinner of baked fish or boneless skinless chicken, with steamed vegetables or salad, and brown rice or baked potato.

At the weekend, she eats gluten-free pasta, pizza, fish and chips, tacos, or nachos, she said.

"Although we don't have any information on portion sizes with the rice or potato in the evening, reducing the portion of these slightly and replacing with extra vegetables or salad may help," Medlin said.

Eat dairy for calcium

During the week, Sandra's snacks include fat-free yogurt, fresh fruit, pickles, olives, and small cubes of sharp cheddar cheese. At the weekend, she's most likely to snack on chips, she said.

Medlin said it's great that Sandra is eating yogurt and cheese.

"It is really important that people with coeliac disease have adequate calcium in their diet as osteoporosis is more common," she said. "Ensuring you have cheese and yogurt each day is a good idea."

Iron deficiency anemia is also more common in people with coeliac disease, Medlin said, so she suggests Sandra include red meat in her diet once or twice a week to boost her iron levels.

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