Tip 35 g oats, 4 g chia seeds and 170 g skyr into a leakproof box.
Pour over 60 g semi-skimmed milk and stir until no dry oats remain — it should look wetter than you want it; the oats drink the rest overnight.
Seal and refrigerate at least 6 hours. Make Monday's and Tuesday's jars on Sunday, and Wednesday's through Friday's on Wednesday evening — three days is as long as you want to hold them.
In the morning, top with 90 g strawberries and 12 g pistachios. Do not add the topping the night before or it bleeds into the oats.
Quinoa, chickpea and roast cauliflower box with tahini
Each
36 g quinoa (dry weight)
½ tin of chickpeas, drained52 g
½ cauliflower80 g
½ red pepper60 g
½ raw beetroot40 g
¼ cucumber50 g
¼ bag of baby spinach30 g
1½ tsp tahini8 g
½ lemon, juiced12 g
1¼ tsp olive oil6 g
½ handful of flat-leaf parsley6 g
2 tsp pumpkin seeds6 g
100 g skyr
Method
Rinse 36 g quinoa per portion well, then cook 12-15 minutes in plenty of unsalted water until the germ ring shows. Drain and spread on a tray to cool fast — cooked grains want to be in the fridge inside an hour.
Heat the oven to 200C fan. Break the cauliflower into small florets, toss with half the oil and black pepper, and roast 25 minutes until the edges catch.
Toss the drained chickpeas and sliced pepper with the rest of the oil and roast alongside the cauliflower for the last 15 minutes.
Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice and 2-3 tsp cold water into a pourable dressing.
Layer the box: quinoa first, then the roast veg and chickpeas, grated raw beetroot, cucumber and spinach on top. Dressing in a separate small pot.
Dress at the desk with pumpkin seeds and torn parsley scattered over — not in the morning, or the quinoa goes claggy.
Make this in two goes: Monday's and Wednesday's boxes on Sunday, Friday's on Wednesday evening. Cooked quinoa should not sit in the fridge from Sunday to Friday.
Chickpea, sweet potato and spinach curry with brown rice
Each
½ tin of chickpeas, drained38 g
½ medium sweet potato72 g
½ tin of chopped tomatoes150 g
½ onion60 g
¼ bag of baby spinach60 g
2 cm piece of fresh ginger10 g
3 cloves garlic9 g
2 tsp ground cumin4.2 g
1½ tsp smoked paprika3.5 g
1 tsp olive oil5 g
65 g cooked brown rice
1 handful of coriander6 g
½ lemon, juiced8 g
½ block of Tofoo140 g
Method
Soften the diced onion in the oil for 8 minutes over medium heat.
Add the grated ginger, garlic, cumin and paprika, fry 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the diced sweet potato, tinned tomatoes, drained chickpeas and 150 ml water per two portions. Simmer 20-25 minutes until the sweet potato is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Stir in the spinach until wilted, then the lemon juice — the acid does the seasoning work salt would otherwise do.
Cube half a block of Tofoo per portion — one block does both of you — and stir it in for the last 5 minutes for extra protein.
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.
Tip 35 g oats, 4 g chia seeds and 170 g skyr into a leakproof box.
Pour over 60 g semi-skimmed milk and stir until no dry oats remain — it should look wetter than you want it; the oats drink the rest overnight.
Seal and refrigerate at least 6 hours. Make Monday's and Tuesday's jars on Sunday, and Wednesday's through Friday's on Wednesday evening — three days is as long as you want to hold them.
Add the 80 g frozen mango chunks to the jar the night before — they thaw soft and sweeten the oats without any added sugar.
In the morning, top with 80 g mango and 12 g hemp seeds. Do not add the topping the night before or it bleeds into the oats.
Prick the sweet potatoes and bake whole at 200C fan for 45-50 minutes until they give all over when squeezed. Cool completely before boxing.
For the chilli: soften the diced onion and pepper in the oil for 8 minutes, add the crushed garlic, cumin and smoked paprika, fry 1 minute.
Add the tinned tomatoes and drained black beans with a splash of water. Simmer 20 minutes until thick enough to sit on a spoon. Black pepper and a squeeze of lemon — no salt.
Tofoo Naked comes pressed, so no pressing needed: 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 through the chilli at the end.
Box the potato and chilli separately. At school: microwave 3-4 minutes, split the potato, spoon the chilli over, top with skyr and sliced spring onion.
Bake Tuesday's and Thursday's potatoes together on Sunday; the chilli keeps the full four days, the potatoes are better baked fresh on Tuesday evening if you have ten minutes.
Cook 60 g quinoa per portion 12-15 minutes in unsalted water until the germ ring shows. Drain well.
Put the salmon on a lined tray, skin down, brushed with half the oil and plenty of black pepper. Bake at 200C fan for 12-14 minutes until it flakes under gentle pressure.
Trim the asparagus and roast or griddle 6-8 minutes for the last part of the salmon's cooking time, with the rest of the oil.
Fork the lemon juice, sliced spring onion and diced cucumber through the warm quinoa.
Plate the lemon quinoa, asparagus and salmon together, parsley scattered over.
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.
Quinoa, chickpea and roast cauliflower box with tahini
Each
36 g quinoa (dry weight)
½ tin of chickpeas, drained52 g
½ cauliflower80 g
½ red pepper60 g
½ raw beetroot40 g
¼ cucumber50 g
¼ bag of baby spinach30 g
1½ tsp tahini8 g
½ lemon, juiced12 g
1¼ tsp olive oil6 g
½ handful of flat-leaf parsley6 g
2 tsp pumpkin seeds6 g
100 g skyr
Method
Rinse 36 g quinoa per portion well, then cook 12-15 minutes in plenty of unsalted water until the germ ring shows. Drain and spread on a tray to cool fast — cooked grains want to be in the fridge inside an hour.
Heat the oven to 200C fan. Break the cauliflower into small florets, toss with half the oil and black pepper, and roast 25 minutes until the edges catch.
Toss the drained chickpeas and sliced pepper with the rest of the oil and roast alongside the cauliflower for the last 15 minutes.
Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice and 2-3 tsp cold water into a pourable dressing.
Layer the box: quinoa first, then the roast veg and chickpeas, grated raw beetroot, cucumber and spinach on top. Dressing in a separate small pot.
Dress at the desk with pumpkin seeds and torn parsley scattered over — not in the morning, or the quinoa goes claggy.
Make this in two goes: Monday's and Wednesday's boxes on Sunday, Friday's on Wednesday evening. Cooked quinoa should not sit in the fridge from Sunday to Friday.
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.
Prick the sweet potatoes and bake whole at 200C fan for 45-50 minutes until they give all over when squeezed. Cool completely before boxing.
For the chilli: soften the diced onion and pepper in the oil for 8 minutes, add the crushed garlic, cumin and smoked paprika, fry 1 minute.
Add the tinned tomatoes and drained black beans with a splash of water. Simmer 20 minutes until thick enough to sit on a spoon. Black pepper and a squeeze of lemon — no salt.
Tofoo Naked comes pressed, so no pressing needed: 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 through the chilli at the end.
Box the potato and chilli separately. At school: microwave 3-4 minutes, split the potato, spoon the chilli over, top with skyr and sliced spring onion.
Bake Tuesday's and Thursday's potatoes together on Sunday; the chilli keeps the full four days, the potatoes are better baked fresh on Tuesday evening if you have ten minutes.
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.
Quinoa, chickpea and roast cauliflower box with tahini
Each
36 g quinoa (dry weight)
½ tin of chickpeas, drained52 g
½ cauliflower80 g
½ red pepper60 g
½ raw beetroot40 g
¼ cucumber50 g
¼ bag of baby spinach30 g
1½ tsp tahini8 g
½ lemon, juiced12 g
1¼ tsp olive oil6 g
½ handful of flat-leaf parsley6 g
2 tsp pumpkin seeds6 g
100 g skyr
Method
Rinse 36 g quinoa per portion well, then cook 12-15 minutes in plenty of unsalted water until the germ ring shows. Drain and spread on a tray to cool fast — cooked grains want to be in the fridge inside an hour.
Heat the oven to 200C fan. Break the cauliflower into small florets, toss with half the oil and black pepper, and roast 25 minutes until the edges catch.
Toss the drained chickpeas and sliced pepper with the rest of the oil and roast alongside the cauliflower for the last 15 minutes.
Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice and 2-3 tsp cold water into a pourable dressing.
Layer the box: quinoa first, then the roast veg and chickpeas, grated raw beetroot, cucumber and spinach on top. Dressing in a separate small pot.
Dress at the desk with pumpkin seeds and torn parsley scattered over — not in the morning, or the quinoa goes claggy.
Make this in two goes: Monday's and Wednesday's boxes on Sunday, Friday's on Wednesday evening. Cooked quinoa should not sit in the fridge from Sunday to Friday.
Pork loin with cauliflower mash, brussels sprouts and apple
Nikki1 portion
Ian1.2 portions
Each
1 pork loin steak165 g
½ cauliflower220 g
100 g brussels sprouts
½ apple75 g
2 tsp olive oil9 g
2 cloves garlic6 g
½ lemon, juiced6 g
Method
Break the cauliflower into florets and boil or steam 12-15 minutes until very soft. Drain well, then blitz with half the oil, black pepper and the crushed garlic until smooth — a stick blender in the pan works well.
Rub the pork loin with the rest of the oil and plenty of pepper. Pan-fry or roast at 200C fan until it hits 63C in the centre, then rest 5 minutes.
Halve the brussels sprouts and roast or pan-fry 10-12 minutes until well caught at the edges.
Grate the apple into a small pan with a splash of water and the lemon juice, cook 5 minutes to a rough sauce.
Slice the pork across the grain and serve over the cauliflower mash with the sprouts 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.
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, mango and sliced strawberries, peanut butter and maple syrup on top. Eat about 90 minutes before rolling out.
Heat the oven to 200C fan. Toss the butter beans, halved tomatoes, courgette, aubergine 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.
If the tray still looks wet at 25 minutes, give it another 5 so the beans catch a little at the edges.
Push the vegetables aside, lay the cod loins in the gaps, spoon a little of the tray oil over, and return for 10-12 minutes until the fish 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.
Cook the quinoa 12-15 minutes in unsalted water until the germ ring shows, drain and cool completely — a warm grain wilts the herbs.
Finely dice the tomato and cucumber, grate the raw beetroot, and chop the parsley properly fine — this is a herb salad with grains in it, not the other way round.
Toss everything with the drained chickpeas, sliced spring onion, lemon juice and oil. No salt; the lemon carries it.
Scatter the sunflower seeds over just before eating.
Cube the Tofoo — half a block each, so one block between you — and roast at 200C fan (or air fry) 18-20 minutes until golden and firm. It is sold pressed, so it needs no pressing.
Get the pasta on in a big pan of unsalted water.
Soften the sliced garlic in the oil over low heat for 2 minutes — it should sizzle gently, never brown.
Add the sliced courgette and asparagus, raise the heat and cook 5-6 minutes until just tender. Add the peas for the last 2 minutes.
Drain the pasta, keeping a mugful of the water. Toss the pasta through the vegetables with a splash of that water, then fold in the roast tofu.
Off the heat: lemon juice and a lot of torn basil.
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 2 cauliflowers
the week uses 6½ bananas
the week uses 8½ tomatoes
the week uses 3½ medium sweet potatoes
the week uses 4 red peppers
the week uses 1¾ cucumbers
the week uses 3½ onions
the week uses 3 apples
the week uses 32 strawberries
the week uses 3 raw beetroot
the week uses 2 courgettes
the week uses 1½ bunches of asparagus
the week uses 1¼ bags of baby spinach
the week uses 3 carrots
the week uses 16 spring onions
juiced — about 45 ml a lemon · the week uses 5 lemons, juiced
the week uses ½ head of broccoli
the week uses 1 orange
the week uses 43 cloves
the week uses 11 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley
the week uses ½ bag of kale
the week uses ½ punnet of raspberries
the week uses ½ pear
the week uses 7½ cm piece
the week uses 16 g
the week uses 1½ handfuls of coriander
Chilled
the week uses 3.8 kg
about 2 pints per litre
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 1½ bags of frozen raw king prawns
the week uses 3 pork loin steaks
the week uses 3 cod loins
the week uses ½ pack of 5% beef mince
the week uses 2 salmon fillets
Freezer
Cupboard
the week uses 29 slices of sourdough
no added salt · the week uses 1.0 kg
no added salt; 240 g drained per tin · the week uses 530 g
dry weight — it roughly triples when cooked
the week uses about 22½ tbsp
no added salt; 240 g drained per tin · the week uses 220 g
the week uses 6 medjool dates
no added salt; 240 g drained per tin · the week uses 130 g
the week uses about 5½ tbsp
the week uses about 3 tbsp
the week uses about 2½ tbsp
the week uses about 4 tbsp
the week uses about 2½ tbsp
the week uses 2 tsp
the week uses 1 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 (892 mg), butter beans, no-added-salt tin, drained (374 mg), cottage cheese (370 mg) and reduced-salt tamari (280 mg) — the rest is spread thinly across everything else.