Rinse 35 g puy lentils per portion, cover with plenty of unsalted water, bring to the boil and simmer 20-25 minutes until tender but not collapsing. Drain and spread on a tray to cool fast.
Heat the oven to 200C fan. Cut the courgette, pepper, aubergine and onion into 2 cm pieces, toss with the olive oil and a good grind of black pepper — no salt — and roast 25-30 minutes, turning once.
Boil the edamame 4 minutes, drain, cool under the cold tap.
Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice and 2-3 tsp cold water until it loosens into a pourable dressing. It will seize before it loosens; keep going.
Stir 90 g of cooked brown rice per portion through the lentils. It bulks the box out without the fibre another spoon of pulses would bring.
Layer into the box: lentils and roast veg at the bottom, then edamame, halved tomatoes, sliced cucumber, spinach on top. Keep the dressing in a separate small pot.
Dress and add the pumpkin seeds and torn parsley at the desk, not in the morning.
Soften the diced onion and carrot in the oil for 10 minutes over a medium heat — this is the flavour base, so give it the full time.
Add the grated ginger, garlic, cumin and paprika and fry 1 minute.
Add the rinsed red lentils, the tinned tomatoes and 500 ml water per two portions. Bring to the boil, then simmer 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not catch, until the lentils have collapsed completely.
Stir in the spinach until it wilts, then the lemon juice — the acid at the end is what makes an unsalted dhal taste finished.
Cube half a block of Tofoo per portion and stir it in for the last 5 minutes. It disappears into the dhal and is what carries this meal to Nikki's protein target without another ladle of lentils.
Serve on brown rice with coriander. Makes double: half tonight, half into boxes for Monday.
Two eggs beaten with black pepper, no milk. Cook them low and slow in the oil, pulling the pan off the heat while they still look underdone — they set on the way to the plate.
Grate the cheddar in at the very end so it melts rather than cooks.
On a toasted slice of sourdough with the spring onion over the top.
This is Ian's meal only. Nikki's egg allergy means the pan, spatula and board want washing before they touch her food, and the same goes for the cheddar knife if it has been near the eggs.
Blend the semi-skimmed milk, banana, peanut butter and honey with a handful of ice.
If the day has run short on protein, 20 g of whey puts about 16 g back. Most days the plan does not need it.
A Plenny shake swaps in here — check the pouch's own figures rather than these; they differ between Plenny versions and are not in the database behind this plan.
A double shot with 175 ml steamed whole milk — the taste Ian actually wants, and at this size it fits the plan without pushing the saturated fat anywhere awkward.
Two slices of the sourdough, toasted, peanut butter on while it is still hot. White sourdough rather than wholemeal here is deliberate — it is where a chunk of Ian's fibre came off.
One bottle a day, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do almost nothing taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on; one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
Same base as Monday: 35 g oats, 4 g chia, 170 g skyr, 60 g milk, stirred and refrigerated overnight.
In the morning slice half a banana over the top and add 12 g peanut butter, loosened with a teaspoon of hot water so it ripples through rather than sitting in a lump.
Bake the potatoes whole at 200C fan for about an hour until the skin crackles when squeezed. Cool completely before boxing — a warm potato sweats and goes soggy.
For the chilli: soften the diced onion and pepper in the olive oil for 8 minutes, add the crushed garlic, cumin and smoked paprika and fry 1 minute until it smells toasty.
Add the tinned tomatoes and drained black beans, plus a splash of water. Simmer 20 minutes until thick enough to sit on a spoon. Season with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon — no salt; the smoked paprika does that job.
Tofoo Naked is sold pressed, so it goes straight from the pack: cube half a block per portion and crisp it in a dry non-stick pan or the air fryer at 200C for 12 minutes. Stir it through the chilli at the end so it stays in pieces.
Box the potato and the chilli separately. At school: microwave 3-4 minutes, split the potato, spoon the chilli over, top with the skyr and sliced spring onion.
Baked salmon with crushed potatoes, tenderstem and peas
Each
1 salmon fillet110 g
170 g potatoes, skin on
½ head of broccoli100 g
80 g frozen peas
1½ tsp olive oil7 g
½ lemon, juiced10 g
½ handful of flat-leaf parsley6 g
2 cloves garlic6 g
Method
Boil the potatoes whole in their skins, 20-25 minutes until a knife slides in. Drain, return to the dry pan, and crush each one roughly with the back of a fork — you want craggy edges, not mash.
Toss the crushed potatoes with half the olive oil and the crushed garlic, spread on a tray and roast at 210C fan for 20 minutes until the edges catch.
Put the salmon on the same tray for the last 12 minutes, skin down, brushed with the rest of the oil and plenty of black pepper. It is done when the thickest part flakes under gentle pressure.
Steam the tenderstem 4 minutes and the peas 2 minutes in the same basket.
Finish with the lemon juice and chopped parsley over everything.
Two eggs beaten with black pepper, no milk. Cook them low and slow in the oil, pulling the pan off the heat while they still look underdone — they set on the way to the plate.
Grate the cheddar in at the very end so it melts rather than cooks.
On a toasted slice of sourdough with the spring onion over the top.
This is Ian's meal only. Nikki's egg allergy means the pan, spatula and board want washing before they touch her food, and the same goes for the cheddar knife if it has been near the eggs.
Blend the semi-skimmed milk, banana, peanut butter and honey with a handful of ice.
If the day has run short on protein, 20 g of whey puts about 16 g back. Most days the plan does not need it.
A Plenny shake swaps in here — check the pouch's own figures rather than these; they differ between Plenny versions and are not in the database behind this plan.
A double shot with 175 ml steamed whole milk — the taste Ian actually wants, and at this size it fits the plan without pushing the saturated fat anywhere awkward.
Two slices of the sourdough, toasted, peanut butter on while it is still hot. White sourdough rather than wholemeal here is deliberate — it is where a chunk of Ian's fibre came off.
One bottle a day, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do almost nothing taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on; one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
Rinse 35 g puy lentils per portion, cover with plenty of unsalted water, bring to the boil and simmer 20-25 minutes until tender but not collapsing. Drain and spread on a tray to cool fast.
Heat the oven to 200C fan. Cut the courgette, pepper, aubergine and onion into 2 cm pieces, toss with the olive oil and a good grind of black pepper — no salt — and roast 25-30 minutes, turning once.
Boil the edamame 4 minutes, drain, cool under the cold tap.
Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice and 2-3 tsp cold water until it loosens into a pourable dressing. It will seize before it loosens; keep going.
Stir 90 g of cooked brown rice per portion through the lentils. It bulks the box out without the fibre another spoon of pulses would bring.
Layer into the box: lentils and roast veg at the bottom, then edamame, halved tomatoes, sliced cucumber, spinach on top. Keep the dressing in a separate small pot.
Dress and add the pumpkin seeds and torn parsley at the desk, not in the morning.
Brown the mince hard in the olive oil in a wide pan — leave it alone for 3 minutes at a time so it colours rather than steams. Break it up and tip it into a bowl.
In the same pan soften the diced onion and pepper for 8 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and smoked paprika, fry 1 minute.
Return the mince, add the tinned tomatoes, the drained kidney beans and 100 ml water. Simmer 30 minutes uncovered, stirring now and then, until it is glossy and no longer watery.
Stir the spinach through in the last minute — it wilts in seconds.
Cook the brown rice: 36 g dry per person, which triples to the 110 g cooked this counts, 25 minutes in unsalted boiling water, drained. Serve with the chilli and torn coriander.
Black pepper, a squeeze of lime and a spoon of the skyr from the fridge do more for this than salt would.
Two eggs beaten with black pepper, no milk. Cook them low and slow in the oil, pulling the pan off the heat while they still look underdone — they set on the way to the plate.
Grate the cheddar in at the very end so it melts rather than cooks.
On a toasted slice of sourdough with the spring onion over the top.
This is Ian's meal only. Nikki's egg allergy means the pan, spatula and board want washing before they touch her food, and the same goes for the cheddar knife if it has been near the eggs.
Blend the semi-skimmed milk, banana, peanut butter and honey with a handful of ice.
If the day has run short on protein, 20 g of whey puts about 16 g back. Most days the plan does not need it.
A Plenny shake swaps in here — check the pouch's own figures rather than these; they differ between Plenny versions and are not in the database behind this plan.
A double shot with 175 ml steamed whole milk — the taste Ian actually wants, and at this size it fits the plan without pushing the saturated fat anywhere awkward.
Two slices of the sourdough, toasted, peanut butter on while it is still hot. White sourdough rather than wholemeal here is deliberate — it is where a chunk of Ian's fibre came off.
One bottle a day, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do almost nothing taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on; one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
Bake the potatoes whole at 200C fan for about an hour until the skin crackles when squeezed. Cool completely before boxing — a warm potato sweats and goes soggy.
For the chilli: soften the diced onion and pepper in the olive oil for 8 minutes, add the crushed garlic, cumin and smoked paprika and fry 1 minute until it smells toasty.
Add the tinned tomatoes and drained black beans, plus a splash of water. Simmer 20 minutes until thick enough to sit on a spoon. Season with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon — no salt; the smoked paprika does that job.
Tofoo Naked is sold pressed, so it goes straight from the pack: cube half a block per portion and crisp it in a dry non-stick pan or the air fryer at 200C for 12 minutes. Stir it through the chilli at the end so it stays in pieces.
Box the potato and the chilli separately. At school: microwave 3-4 minutes, split the potato, spoon the chilli over, top with the skyr and sliced spring onion.
Crispy tofu and vegetable stir-fry with brown rice
Each
½ block of Tofoo140 g
28 g frozen edamame beans
½ head of broccoli80 g
½ red pepper60 g
½ carrot50 g
½ punnet of chestnut mushrooms80 g
1 spring onion20 g
1½ cm piece of fresh ginger8 g
3 cloves garlic9 g
1 tsp reduced-salt tamari5 g
1 tsp olive oil5 g
100 g cooked brown rice
2 tsp sesame seeds6 g
Method
Cut the Tofoo into 2 cm cubes — half a block each, one block for the two of you, and no pressing because it is sold pressed — and roast at 200C fan (or air fry) for 20 minutes until the edges are firm and golden. Doing this in the oven rather than the wok is what stops it disintegrating later.
Get the wok properly hot. Add the oil, then the hardest vegetables first: carrot and broccoli stems, 2 minutes.
Add pepper, mushrooms and broccoli florets, 3 minutes, tossing rather than stirring.
Add the grated ginger and garlic, 30 seconds — no longer or the garlic turns bitter.
Add the edamame, the roast tofu and the 5 g of tamari with a splash of water. Toss 1 minute; the tamari is the only added sodium in this dish, so measure it rather than pouring.
Off the heat, add the sliced spring onions and sesame seeds. Serve on brown rice.
Two eggs beaten with black pepper, no milk. Cook them low and slow in the oil, pulling the pan off the heat while they still look underdone — they set on the way to the plate.
Grate the cheddar in at the very end so it melts rather than cooks.
On a toasted slice of sourdough with the spring onion over the top.
This is Ian's meal only. Nikki's egg allergy means the pan, spatula and board want washing before they touch her food, and the same goes for the cheddar knife if it has been near the eggs.
Blend the semi-skimmed milk, banana, peanut butter and honey with a handful of ice.
If the day has run short on protein, 20 g of whey puts about 16 g back. Most days the plan does not need it.
A Plenny shake swaps in here — check the pouch's own figures rather than these; they differ between Plenny versions and are not in the database behind this plan.
A double shot with 175 ml steamed whole milk — the taste Ian actually wants, and at this size it fits the plan without pushing the saturated fat anywhere awkward.
Two slices of the sourdough, toasted, peanut butter on while it is still hot. White sourdough rather than wholemeal here is deliberate — it is where a chunk of Ian's fibre came off.
One bottle a day, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do almost nothing taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on; one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
Rinse 35 g puy lentils per portion, cover with plenty of unsalted water, bring to the boil and simmer 20-25 minutes until tender but not collapsing. Drain and spread on a tray to cool fast.
Heat the oven to 200C fan. Cut the courgette, pepper, aubergine and onion into 2 cm pieces, toss with the olive oil and a good grind of black pepper — no salt — and roast 25-30 minutes, turning once.
Boil the edamame 4 minutes, drain, cool under the cold tap.
Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice and 2-3 tsp cold water until it loosens into a pourable dressing. It will seize before it loosens; keep going.
Stir 90 g of cooked brown rice per portion through the lentils. It bulks the box out without the fibre another spoon of pulses would bring.
Layer into the box: lentils and roast veg at the bottom, then edamame, halved tomatoes, sliced cucumber, spinach on top. Keep the dressing in a separate small pot.
Dress and add the pumpkin seeds and torn parsley at the desk, not in the morning.
Cut the sweet potato, carrot and parsnip into similar-sized batons, toss with two thirds of the oil and black pepper, and roast at 200C fan for 30 minutes.
Rub the pork loin with the rest of the oil and plenty of pepper. Add it to the tray for the last 18-20 minutes — pull it at 63C in the centre and let it rest 5 minutes; it carries on cooking.
Grate the apple into a small pan with a splash of water and the lemon juice, cook 5 minutes to a rough sauce. No sugar needed if the apple is a Bramley or a sharp eater.
Massage the kale with a few drops of oil, then steam or stir-fry it 3 minutes with the crushed garlic.
Slice the pork across the grain and serve with the roots, kale and apple sauce.
Two eggs beaten with black pepper, no milk. Cook them low and slow in the oil, pulling the pan off the heat while they still look underdone — they set on the way to the plate.
Grate the cheddar in at the very end so it melts rather than cooks.
On a toasted slice of sourdough with the spring onion over the top.
This is Ian's meal only. Nikki's egg allergy means the pan, spatula and board want washing before they touch her food, and the same goes for the cheddar knife if it has been near the eggs.
Blend the semi-skimmed milk, banana, peanut butter and honey with a handful of ice.
If the day has run short on protein, 20 g of whey puts about 16 g back. Most days the plan does not need it.
A Plenny shake swaps in here — check the pouch's own figures rather than these; they differ between Plenny versions and are not in the database behind this plan.
A double shot with 175 ml steamed whole milk — the taste Ian actually wants, and at this size it fits the plan without pushing the saturated fat anywhere awkward.
Two slices of the sourdough, toasted, peanut butter on while it is still hot. White sourdough rather than wholemeal here is deliberate — it is where a chunk of Ian's fibre came off.
One bottle a day, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do almost nothing taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on; one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
Blitz the oats to a rough flour in the processor, then add the banana, milk and baking powder and blend to a thick, pourable batter. No egg — the banana and baking powder do the lifting.
Rest the batter 5 minutes while a non-stick pan heats to medium. Too hot and they burn before the middle sets.
Cook in 3-4 pancakes per portion, 2-3 minutes until bubbles hold their shape on the surface, then 1-2 minutes on the other side.
Stack with the yogurt, blueberries, peanut butter and maple syrup. Eat about 90 minutes before rolling out.
Two eggs beaten with black pepper, no milk. Cook them low and slow in the oil, pulling the pan off the heat while they still look underdone — they set on the way to the plate.
Grate the cheddar in at the very end so it melts rather than cooks.
On a toasted slice of sourdough with the spring onion over the top.
This is Ian's meal only. Nikki's egg allergy means the pan, spatula and board want washing before they touch her food, and the same goes for the cheddar knife if it has been near the eggs.
Blend the semi-skimmed milk, banana, peanut butter and honey with a handful of ice.
If the day has run short on protein, 20 g of whey puts about 16 g back. Most days the plan does not need it.
A Plenny shake swaps in here — check the pouch's own figures rather than these; they differ between Plenny versions and are not in the database behind this plan.
A double shot with 175 ml steamed whole milk — the taste Ian actually wants, and at this size it fits the plan without pushing the saturated fat anywhere awkward.
Two slices of the sourdough, toasted, peanut butter on while it is still hot. White sourdough rather than wholemeal here is deliberate — it is where a chunk of Ian's fibre came off.
One bottle a day, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do almost nothing taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on; one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
Heat the oven to 200C fan. Toss the chickpeas, halved tomatoes, sliced pepper, courgette and onion with the oil, crushed garlic, smoked paprika and black pepper. Roast 25 minutes.
Add 150 g of potato per portion, cut into 2 cm cubes, to the tray at the start — they roast in the same time as the chickpeas.
The chickpeas want to crisp slightly at the edges — if the tray looks wet at 25 minutes, give it another 5.
Push the vegetables aside, lay the cod loins in the gaps, spoon a little of the tray oil over them, and return for 10-12 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes.
Lemon juice and parsley over the whole tray as it comes out.
Two eggs beaten with black pepper, no milk. Cook them low and slow in the oil, pulling the pan off the heat while they still look underdone — they set on the way to the plate.
Grate the cheddar in at the very end so it melts rather than cooks.
On a toasted slice of sourdough with the spring onion over the top.
This is Ian's meal only. Nikki's egg allergy means the pan, spatula and board want washing before they touch her food, and the same goes for the cheddar knife if it has been near the eggs.
Blend the semi-skimmed milk, banana, peanut butter and honey with a handful of ice.
If the day has run short on protein, 20 g of whey puts about 16 g back. Most days the plan does not need it.
A Plenny shake swaps in here — check the pouch's own figures rather than these; they differ between Plenny versions and are not in the database behind this plan.
A double shot with 175 ml steamed whole milk — the taste Ian actually wants, and at this size it fits the plan without pushing the saturated fat anywhere awkward.
Two slices of the sourdough, toasted, peanut butter on while it is still hot. White sourdough rather than wholemeal here is deliberate — it is where a chunk of Ian's fibre came off.
One bottle a day, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do almost nothing taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on; one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
The target is 30 a week between you. Counting distinct species — herbs, spices, seeds and wholegrains all count, and each one appears in something actually eaten this week.
Quantities are what the week actually uses, summed from every portion of every meal, then converted into what you would put in a trolley. Tick as you go — the ticks are remembered on this device until you clear them.
Fruit and veg
the week uses 15½ tomatoes
the week uses 7 red peppers
the week uses 7½ bananas
the week uses 4 courgettes
the week uses 5 onions
the week uses 3¼ punnets of blueberries
the week uses 1¼ cucumbers
the week uses 1¾ bags of baby spinach
the week uses 2 apples
the week uses 1 aubergine
juiced — about 45 ml a lemon · the week uses 4½ lemons, juiced
the week uses 1½ punnets of raspberries
the week uses 13 spring onions
the week uses 1 medium sweet potato
the week uses ½ punnet of chestnut mushrooms
the week uses 1 avocado
the week uses 46 cloves
the week uses 1 orange
the week uses ½ bag of kale
the week uses ½ little gem lettuce
the week uses 1 raw beetroot
the week uses ½ parsnip
the week uses ½ pear
the week uses 6½ handfuls of flat-leaf parsley
the week uses 7 cm piece
the week uses 3 handfuls of coriander
the week uses 16 g
Chilled
about 2 pints per litre
the week uses 3.4 kg
lattes only, 175 ml each
the week uses 4 blocks of Tofoo
Ian only · the week uses 14 medium eggs
the week uses 7 Benecol drinks
the week uses 210 g
Ian only — a small block is plenty
the week uses ½ pot of cottage cheese
Fish and meat
the week uses 3 cod loins
the week uses 1 bag of frozen raw king prawns
the week uses ½ pack of 5% beef mince
the week uses 2 pork loin steaks
the week uses 2 salmon fillets
Freezer
Cupboard
the week uses 30 slices of sourdough
dry weight — it roughly triples when cooked
no added salt · the week uses 1.0 kg
the week uses about 23 tbsp
no added salt; 240 g drained per tin · the week uses 170 g
the week uses about 6 tbsp
no added salt; 240 g drained per tin · the week uses 120 g
no added salt; 240 g drained per tin · the week uses 120 g
no added salt; 240 g drained per tin · the week uses 110 g
the week uses about 5 tbsp
the week uses about 2½ tbsp
the week uses 2 medjool dates
the week uses about 4½ tbsp
the week uses about 3½ tbsp
the week uses 2 tsp
the week uses 2 tsp
Store cupboard items — oil, spices, pastes and nut butters — are listed as one jar or bottle each. Check what you already have before the shop rather than buying seven of them.
Where the numbers come from
Generic ingredients resolve to a pinned USDA FoodData Central id (SR Legacy and Foundation Foods, downloaded in full rather than queried, so the figures are reproducible offline). Pulses use the no-added-salt or cooked-without-salt entries, which is what a rinsed UK tin actually gives you. A handful of items are not in FoodData Central and carry label-sourced figures instead — worth checking against your own packs:
Baking powder — FDC 172805 equivalent — high sodium, used in grams
Arla skyr natural 0% fat — product label, Arla Skyr Natural (verify against your pot)
White sourdough loaf — typical UK bakery sourdough label — the single biggest sodium item in the plan
Benecol yoghurt drink (67.5 ml bottle) — Open Food Facts, Benecol yoghurt drink — potassium and calcium are not published, so both are counted as zero here (a small under-count)
Tofoo Naked tofu — The Tofoo Co. Naked Tofu pack label (280 g block) for the macros — it is pressed, so nearly twice as dense as the FDC entry. Sodium from the label's 0.06 g salt. The label carries no micronutrients: potassium and iron are FDC 172448 (firm tofu) scaled by the protein ratio 16.5/9.04, and calcium is left at that entry's figure unscaled because Tofoo is nigari-set rather than calcium-set.
Sodium figures assume no salt is added at the table or in cooking.
Across the week, Nikki's biggest sources are skyr (826 mg), baking powder (488 mg), cottage cheese (370 mg) and sourdough (308 mg) — the rest is spread thinly across everything else.