Plan 2026-W38 · Monday 14 – Sunday 20 September 2026
A week of food for Nikki and Ian
Seven days, built around one breakfast with five toppings, two rotating packed lunches and five dinners across seven nights. One batch session, on Sunday evening, and everything it makes is listed once, in the prep section — the days just say which box to open. Every figure below is computed from USDA FoodData Central against the weighed quantities in each recipe — nothing here is estimated by eye.
Against the targets
Weekly average
kcal
Protein
Fibre
Sodium
Potassium
Sat fat
Nikki
17071550–1760
112 g≥ 100 g
37 g30–45 g
735 mgas low as practical
4773 mg≥ 3,000 mg
9 g—
Ian, core meals
24822300–2600
161 g≥ 140 g
45 g30–55 g
1039 mg—
6569 mg—
15 g—
Ian, with top-ups
2840
179 g
47 gceiling 55 g
1302 mg
7292 mg
21 g
On fibre. Nikki averages 37 g a day and Ian 47 g once the top-ups are counted, against a floor of 30 g. The soft ceilings are 45 g for Nikki and 55 g for Ian. There is no official upper limit for fibre, and for Nikki the soluble kind in oats and pulses helps bring LDL down, so more is no problem. They are only there to stop one day jumping far above the rest — a sudden jump is what causes bloating while the gut catches up. Saturday's ride breakfast is kept low in fibre on purpose.
On potassium. Nikki averages 4,773 mg against a 3,000 mg target. That is the point — potassium is one of the better-evidenced dietary levers on blood pressure, and there is no upper limit for it from food with normal kidney function. One exception, worth settling before Monday: for anyone on an ACE inhibitor (ramipril, lisinopril), an ARB (losartan, candesartan) or a potassium-sparing diuretic (spironolactone, amiloride), or with any reduced kidney function, this much potassium is a conversation with a GP first. Those drugs retain potassium by design.
On eggs. Eggs appear in exactly one place — Ian's optional scrambled eggs, cooked and eaten alone. Nothing Nikki eats shares a pan, board or utensil with them without a wash in between.
What changed this week. Anything cooked in bulk is written once, in the Sunday prep section, with the whole batch's ingredients; the days just say which box to open and what goes beside it. Amounts are written as things you can count — 2 courgettes, a tin of chickpeas, drained — and a plan that opens a tin or a pack without finishing it no longer passes the checks. Ian now eats exactly Nikki's plate, with his extra food listed beside it instead of a bigger share of everything.
For Nikki. No cinnamon anywhere, including the blends that hide it — anything spiced is built from single spices now. No quinoa. And her school lunch is one box and at most one pot beside it, with nothing to put together at her desk: the soba boxes are dressed on Sunday, and the cottage pie goes into the microwave exactly as packed.
The freezer run. One shop, on Sunday. The sea bass, the salmon and the steaks go straight into the freezer when you get home, and so do Thursday's goulash and the Thursday and Friday cottage pies once they are boxed. Each one comes down to the fridge the night before it is eaten.
Sunday prep · 13 September · the only batch session of the week
Everything that is cooked in bulk is here, once, with the whole batch's ingredients. The days below only say which box to open and what goes beside it.
Running order
Straight in from the shop: the sea bass, salmon fillets and steaks go in the freezer. Everything else is for tonight or the fridge.
Goulash first. It needs you for fifteen minutes and then an hour and a half on its own, which is the window for everything else.
While it simmers: lentils on for the pie, potatoes and sweet potatoes on for its mash, and the oven heating to 200C for the tofu.
Soba next, while the tofu roasts. The pies get assembled once the mash is ready, and the oat jars are a two-minute job at the end.
Box everything up and let it cool with the lids off before it goes in the fridge or freezer. Five minutes of cooling on the side is what makes a Thursday box safe.
Breakfast
Dry overnight-oat jars
makes 10 jars · eaten Monday to Friday
The whole batch
400 g rolled porridge oats
5 tbsp chia seeds60 g
Method
Line up ten jars, five each. Weigh 40 g of oats into each and add 1½ tsp chia seeds.
That is all that happens on Sunday. Nothing wet goes in until the night before, which is why Friday's jar is as good as Monday's.
Box it up. Lid them and put them in the cupboard; dry, they keep all week.
One portion181kcal6 gprotein6 gfibre3 mgsodium169 mgpotassium
Lunch
Sesame soba noodle boxes with tofu, edamame and crunchy veg
makes 4 boxes · eaten Monday and Wednesday
The whole batch
a 200 g pack of soba noodles200 g
1 block of Tofoo280 g
240 g frozen edamame beans
2 carrots160 g
¼ red cabbage200 g
1 red pepper160 g
4 spring onions60 g
2 handfuls of coriander16 g
2 tbsp sesame seeds18 g
2 tbsp tahini30 g
2 tsp reduced-salt tamari10.6 g
2 limes, juiced60 g
2 tsp runny honey14 g
3 cm piece of fresh ginger15 g
1 clove garlic3 g
1 tsp olive oil4.5 g
Method
Oven to 200C fan. Cut the Tofoo into small cubes, toss in the teaspoon of oil and roast on a lined tray for 20 minutes, turning once, until the edges are golden. It is already pressed, so it goes straight on.
Boil the soba for 4–5 minutes (check the pack), drain, then rinse hard under the cold tap, lifting the noodles with your fingers until the starch is gone and they stop feeling sticky. That rinse is what stops them welding into a block by Wednesday.
Boil the edamame for 3 minutes, drain and cool them under the tap too.
Dressing: whisk the tahini, tamari, lime juice, honey, grated ginger and crushed garlic with 2–3 tbsp cold water until it pours like single cream.
Shred the red cabbage finely, cut the carrots and pepper into matchsticks, slice the spring onions and chop the coriander.
Toss the noodles in three-quarters of the dressing, then everything else through them with the rest. Scatter over the sesame seeds.
Box it up. Four boxes, all in the fridge: Monday and Wednesday, one each. It is dressed already, so nothing needs adding at school.
One portion497kcal31 gprotein11 gfibre224 mgsodium1063 mgpotassium
Lunch
Lentil and mushroom cottage pie with a sweet potato top
makes 6 boxes · eaten Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
The whole batch
180 g dried green lentils
2 punnets of chestnut mushrooms500 g
1 onion150 g
3 carrots240 g
3 cloves garlic9 g
1 tin of chopped tomatoes400 g
2 tsp dried thyme2 g
1 tsp smoked paprika2.3 g
1 tsp reduced-salt tamari5.3 g
2 tbsp olive oil27 g
4 baking potatoes1000 g
3 medium sweet potatoes600 g
150 ml semi-skimmed milk154.5 g
2 tbsp chopped chives6 g
Method
Rinse the lentils and simmer them in plenty of unsalted water for 20–25 minutes until just tender. Drain.
Meanwhile peel and chunk the potatoes and sweet potatoes and boil them together for 15 minutes until soft. Drain well, let them steam dry for a minute, then mash with the milk, the other tablespoon of oil and the chives.
Soften the diced onion and carrots in a tablespoon of the oil for 10 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook hard until their liquid has gone, then the garlic, thyme and paprika for a minute more.
Add the tinned tomatoes, the tamari and a mug of water, then the lentils. Simmer 10 minutes until it is thick enough to sit on a spoon.
Divide the filling between six microwave-safe boxes and spread the mash over the top. Leave them to cool with the lids off before they go anywhere.
Box it up. Six boxes. Tuesday's two go in the fridge; Thursday's and Friday's four go straight in the freezer and move down to the fridge the night before.
One portion418kcal17 gprotein14 gfibre184 mgsodium1836 mgpotassium
Dinner
Beef and red pepper goulash
makes 4 portions · eaten Tuesday and Thursday
The whole batch
a 500 g pack of lean diced beef500 g
2 onions300 g
2 red peppers320 g
3 cloves garlic9 g
1 tin of chopped tomatoes400 g
1 tbsp smoked paprika6.9 g
1 tsp caraway seeds2.1 g
1 tbsp cider vinegar15 g
2 tbsp olive oil27 g
2 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley20 g
Method
Brown the beef hard in the oil in a heavy casserole, in two batches so it colours rather than stews. Lift it out.
In the same pan soften the sliced onions and peppers for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, the paprika and the caraway seeds and fry for a minute — paprika burns quickly, so keep it moving.
Return the beef with the tinned tomatoes, the cider vinegar and enough water to just cover. Lid on, and either 1½ hours on the lowest hob heat or 150C in the oven, until the beef gives when pressed with a spoon.
Cool it quickly — lid off, pan in a sink of cold water — before it is boxed. Keep the parsley back for serving.
Box it up. Four portions. Tuesday's two go in the fridge; Thursday's two go in the freezer and come down on Wednesday night.
One portion299kcal30 gprotein6 gfibre121 mgsodium1014 mgpotassium
Ian1 portion, with 1 banana and 1 tbsp peanut butter
Each
1 prepared oat jarmade Sunday
150 g skyr
60 ml semi-skimmed milk61.8 g
½ punnet of blackberries75 g
12 g hazelnuts
Method
The night before, tip 150 g skyr and 60 ml milk onto a jar and stir until no dry oats remain. It should look wetter than you want — the oats drink the rest overnight. Lid on, into the fridge.
In the morning, half a punnet of blackberries and the hazelnuts, roughly chopped, over the top. Blackberries are at their best in September and bleed into the oats if they go on the night before.
Honey stirred through the skyr and the pistachios on top, in one pot, the night before. The pistachios soften a little overnight; if that bothers you, put them in the lid.
Roast tempeh and butternut squash with peanut–lime sauce and pak choi
the rest is kept for Wednesday
Nikki1 portion, with 100 g cooked white rice
Ian1 portion, with 200 g cooked white rice
Makes 4 portions
2 blocks of tempeh400 g
1 butternut squash800 g
2 red onions300 g
4 heads of pak choi500 g
1½ tbsp olive oil20.2 g
2 tsp reduced-salt tamari10.6 g
2 tsp maple syrup13.4 g
3 tbsp peanut butter47.7 g
2 limes, juiced60 g
3 cm piece of fresh ginger15 g
2 cloves garlic6 g
1 tbsp sesame seeds9 g
1½ handfuls of coriander12 g
½ tsp chilli flakes0.9 g
Method
Cook 120 g dry white basmati rice — about 300 g once cooked: 100 g for Nikki, 200 g for Ian.
Oven to 200C fan. Peel and deseed the squash and cut it into 2 cm chunks; cut the red onions into wedges. Toss both in a tablespoon of the oil on a big tray and roast for 15 minutes.
Cut the tempeh into thin slices. Mix a teaspoon of the tamari with the maple syrup and the rest of the oil, toss the tempeh in it and add it to the tray. Roast another 20 minutes, turning once, until the tempeh is crisp at the edges.
Sauce: whisk the peanut butter with the lime juice, the other teaspoon of tamari, the grated ginger, one crushed garlic clove and the chilli flakes, loosening it with hot water until it pours.
Halve two heads of pak choi and fry them cut-side down with the other garlic clove for 3 minutes, then a splash of water and a lid for 1 minute more.
Plate the tray over the rice with the pak choi, spoon over the sauce, and scatter over the sesame seeds and coriander.
Blend the milk, a scoop of whey, the peanut butter, the honey and the hemp seeds. Thirty seconds.
Part of Ian's plan every day, not one of the optional top-ups. It brings about 35 grams of protein and almost no fibre, which is exactly the gap between Nikki's plate and what Ian needs.
One bottle a day for Nikki, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do very little taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on, and one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
Ian1 portion, with 1 banana and 1 tbsp peanut butter
Each
1 prepared oat jarmade Sunday
150 g skyr
60 ml semi-skimmed milk61.8 g
½ punnet of raspberries75 g
12 g almonds
Method
The night before, tip 150 g skyr and 60 ml milk onto a jar and stir until no dry oats remain. It should look wetter than you want — the oats drink the rest overnight. Lid on, into the fridge.
In the morning, half a punnet of raspberries and the almonds, roughly chopped, over the top.
The night before, stir the cocoa and honey into the skyr until it is smooth and tastes like mousse, and lid it. One pot and a satsuma in the bag — chocolate and orange, and nothing to do at school.
Blend the milk, a scoop of whey, the peanut butter, the honey and the hemp seeds. Thirty seconds.
Part of Ian's plan every day, not one of the optional top-ups. It brings about 35 grams of protein and almost no fibre, which is exactly the gap between Nikki's plate and what Ian needs.
One bottle a day for Nikki, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do very little taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on, and one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
Ian1 portion, with 1 banana and 1 tbsp peanut butter
Each
1 prepared oat jarmade Sunday
150 g skyr
60 ml semi-skimmed milk61.8 g
½ punnet of blueberries75 g
12 g walnuts
Method
The night before, tip 150 g skyr and 60 ml milk onto a jar and stir until no dry oats remain. It should look wetter than you want — the oats drink the rest overnight. Lid on, into the fridge.
In the morning, half a punnet of blueberries and the walnuts over the top. The last of the fresh berries — Sunday's punnets have three days in them.
Blend the milk, a scoop of whey, the peanut butter, the honey and the hemp seeds. Thirty seconds.
Part of Ian's plan every day, not one of the optional top-ups. It brings about 35 grams of protein and almost no fibre, which is exactly the gap between Nikki's plate and what Ian needs.
One bottle a day for Nikki, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do very little taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on, and one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
Overnight oats with a fresh plum and pumpkin seeds
Nikki1 portion
Ian1 portion, with 1 banana and 1 tbsp peanut butter
Each
1 prepared oat jarmade Sunday
150 g skyr
60 ml semi-skimmed milk61.8 g
1 plum65 g
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds9 g
Method
The night before, tip 150 g skyr and 60 ml milk onto a jar and stir until no dry oats remain. It should look wetter than you want — the oats drink the rest overnight. Lid on, into the fridge.
In the morning, stone and slice a plum over the top and scatter the pumpkin seeds. Plums bought firm on Sunday are ripe by Thursday.
Blend the milk, a scoop of whey, the peanut butter, the honey and the hemp seeds. Thirty seconds.
Part of Ian's plan every day, not one of the optional top-ups. It brings about 35 grams of protein and almost no fibre, which is exactly the gap between Nikki's plate and what Ian needs.
One bottle a day for Nikki, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do very little taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on, and one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
Ian1 portion, with 1 banana and 1 tbsp peanut butter
Each
1 prepared oat jarmade Sunday
150 g skyr
60 ml semi-skimmed milk61.8 g
4 dried apricots32 g
12 g unsalted pistachios
Method
The night before, tip 150 g skyr and 60 ml milk onto a jar and stir until no dry oats remain. It should look wetter than you want — the oats drink the rest overnight. Lid on, into the fridge.
Chop the apricots and stir them in the night before with the skyr — they plump up overnight. Pistachios over the top in the morning. Nothing fresh is needed by Friday.
Sea bass with roast fennel, cherry tomatoes, salsa verde and couscous
cooked for the two of you
Nikki1 portion, with 60 g couscous
Ian1 portion, with 120 g couscous
For the two of you
2 sea bass fillets190 g
1 fennel bulb250 g
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes250 g
½ red onion75 g
1½ tbsp olive oil20.2 g
1 lemon, juiced45 g
2 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley20 g
1 handful of basil leaves6 g
1 handful of mint leaves6 g
1 clove garlic3 g
Method
Soak 180 g couscous in just-boiled water: 60 g for Nikki, 120 g for Ian.
The sea bass comes out of the freezer on Thursday night and thaws in the fridge.
Oven to 200C fan. Slice the fennel and the red onion into thin wedges and roast them with half a tablespoon of the oil for 20 minutes, adding the cherry tomatoes for the last 10 so they just burst.
Salsa verde: chop the parsley, basil and mint finely with the garlic, then stir in the lemon juice and the remaining tablespoon of oil.
Lay the sea bass skin-side up on top of the vegetables and roast for 8–10 minutes, until it flakes.
Couscous on the plate, the vegetables and fish on top, the salsa verde spooned over. There is no salt in any of this; the lemon and the herbs are the seasoning.
Blend the milk, a scoop of whey, the peanut butter, the honey and the hemp seeds. Thirty seconds.
Part of Ian's plan every day, not one of the optional top-ups. It brings about 35 grams of protein and almost no fibre, which is exactly the gap between Nikki's plate and what Ian needs.
One bottle a day for Nikki, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do very little taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on, and one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
Toasted sourdough with whipped honey ricotta and banana
Nikki1 portion
Ian2 portions
Each
2 slices of sourdough80 g
50 g ricotta
100 g skyr
1½ tsp runny honey10.5 g
1 banana120 g
Method
Beat the ricotta and the skyr together with half the honey until smooth and whipped-looking — a fork and thirty seconds is enough.
Toast the sourdough, spread it thickly with the ricotta, slice the banana over and trickle over the rest of the honey.
This is the ride breakfast: plenty of carbohydrate, and white bread rather than anything wholegrain, so it is gentle on a gut about to spend three hours on a bike.
Sirloin steak with potato wedges, chimichurri and a tomato salad
cooked for the two of you
Nikki1 portion, with 1 baking potato
Ian1 portion, with 2 baking potatoes
For the two of you
2 lean sirloin steaks340 g
2 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley20 g
1 tsp dried oregano1 g
2 cloves garlic6 g
½ red chilli7.5 g
1 tbsp cider vinegar15 g
2 tbsp olive oil27 g
4 tomatoes340 g
½ red onion75 g
Method
The steaks come out of the freezer on Friday night and thaw in the fridge; take them out of the fridge half an hour before cooking.
Oven to 220C fan. Cut the potatoes into wedges, skin on, toss with a tablespoon of the oil and pepper, and roast for 35 minutes, turning once.
Chimichurri: chop the parsley, garlic and chilli very finely and stir in the oregano, the vinegar and the other tablespoon of oil. It is better for sitting while the wedges cook.
Slice the tomatoes and the half red onion very thinly for the salad.
Sear the steaks in a very hot dry pan, 2–3 minutes a side for medium, and rest them for 5 minutes before slicing. The chimichurri goes on the steak, not the salad.
Blend the milk, a scoop of whey, the peanut butter, the honey and the hemp seeds. Thirty seconds.
Part of Ian's plan every day, not one of the optional top-ups. It brings about 35 grams of protein and almost no fibre, which is exactly the gap between Nikki's plate and what Ian needs.
One bottle a day for Nikki, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do very little taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on, and one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
Smoky homemade beans and mushrooms on sourdough with spinach
cooked for the two of you
Nikki1 portion
Ian1 portion, with 1 slice of sourdough
For the two of you
1 tin of cannellini beans, drained240 g
1 tin of chopped tomatoes400 g
1 punnet of chestnut mushrooms250 g
½ bag of baby spinach120 g
1 clove garlic3 g
1 tsp smoked paprika2.3 g
1 tsp maple syrup6.7 g
1 tsp cider vinegar5 g
2 tsp olive oil9 g
2 slices of sourdough80 g
Method
Warm a teaspoon of the oil with the crushed garlic and the smoked paprika for 30 seconds, then add the tinned tomatoes, the drained beans, the maple syrup and the vinegar. Simmer 10 minutes until it is thick and glossy.
Meanwhile fry the sliced mushrooms hard in the other teaspoon of oil until golden, then wilt the spinach in the same pan.
Toast the sourdough and pile the beans, mushrooms and spinach on top. The vinegar and paprika are doing what salt does in a tin of beans.
The prawns can go into the pan from frozen, but they are better thawed in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes first.
Cook the orzo in plenty of unsalted water for 8 minutes, adding the peas for the last 2. Keep a mugful of the water back when you drain it.
Meanwhile soften the diced courgette in the oil for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and chilli flakes and the prawns, and cook for 2–3 minutes until they turn pink and curl.
Tip in the orzo, peas and spinach with a splash of the pasta water and stir until the spinach wilts and it turns glossy. Finish with the lemon juice and the torn basil.
A quick one on purpose: Sunday is the prep evening for the week after.
Blend the milk, a scoop of whey, the peanut butter, the honey and the hemp seeds. Thirty seconds.
Part of Ian's plan every day, not one of the optional top-ups. It brings about 35 grams of protein and almost no fibre, which is exactly the gap between Nikki's plate and what Ian needs.
One bottle a day for Nikki, with or just after a meal — sterols work by competing with cholesterol for absorption, so they do very little taken on an empty stomach.
2 g of plant sterols a day is the dose the LDL evidence is built on, and one mini drink is that dose. A second bottle adds very little.
Ian's three meals, the extras beside them and the afternoon shake are the plan, and they are what every figure on this page is checked against. Everything below is on top of that and none of it is compulsory — training is down at the moment, so some days will want the lot and some days none of it. Each one is priced so you can add what you fancy and still know where the day landed. The rate against each is what the shopping list assumes.
Top-upIan only
Latte
suggested 5 × a week
Per portion
175 ml whole milk180.2 g
Method
A double shot with steamed whole milk. At this size it fits without pushing the saturated fat anywhere awkward.
One portion110kcal6 gprotein0 gfibre78 mgsodium238 mgpotassium
Top-upIan only
Evening milk shake
suggested 3 × a week
Per portion
400 ml semi-skimmed milk412 g
1 banana120 g
1 tbsp peanut butter15.9 g
1½ tsp runny honey10.5 g
Method
Blend the milk, one whole banana, the peanut butter and the honey with a handful of ice.
A whole banana rather than half of one: this is an optional drink, and half a banana left on the side is exactly what the plan is trying to avoid.
If the day has run short on protein, a scoop of whey puts about 20 g back.
One portion407kcal19 gprotein4 gfibre186 mgsodium1142 mgpotassium
Top-upIan only
Scrambled eggs on sourdough with cheddar
suggested 2 × a week
Per portion
2 medium eggs100 g
20 g mature cheddar
1 slice of sourdough40 g
1 tsp olive oil4.5 g
1 spring onion15 g
Method
Two eggs beaten with black pepper, no milk. Cook them low and slow in the oil and pull 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, spring onion over.
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 knife if it has been near the eggs.
One portion368kcal21 gprotein2 gfibre451 mgsodium225 mgpotassium
Taken at those rates the menu averages 358 kcal and 18 g of protein a day on top of the plan, taking Ian's 2,300–2,600 kcal core up to about 2,840 kcal on the days it is all eaten. Skipping the lot is fine; the core clears the targets on its own.
57 different plants
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. One shop, on Sunday: anything eaten after Wednesday that will not keep — fish, steak — goes straight in the freezer when you get home. Tick as you go — the ticks are remembered on this device until you clear them.
Fruit and veg
the week uses 9 bananas
the week uses ¾ red cabbage
the week uses 3 red peppers
the week uses 3 onions
the week uses 1 cucumber
the week uses 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
the week uses 1 bag of baby spinach
the week uses 1 courgette
the week uses 1 apple
the week uses 1 avocado
the week uses 1 punnet of blackberries
the week uses 1 punnet of blueberries
juiced — about 30 ml a lime · the week uses 5 limes, juiced
the week uses 1 pear
the week uses 1 punnet of raspberries
juiced — about 45 ml a lemon · the week uses 2 lemons, juiced
the week uses 6 spring onions
the week uses 6 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley
the week uses 15 cloves
the week uses 8 cm piece
the week uses 3½ handfuls of coriander
the week uses 12 g
the week uses about 4 tbsp
the week uses ½ red chilli
the week uses 6 g
Chilled
the week uses 4.5 kg
about 2 pints per litre
the week uses 7 Benecol drinks
the week uses 2 blocks of tempeh
the week uses 1 pot of cottage cheese
the week uses 1 block of Tofoo
the week uses 150 g
Fish and meat
the week uses 1 bag of frozen raw king prawns
Freezer
Cupboard
no added salt · the week uses 1.2 kg
dry weight — it roughly two-and-a-half-times when cooked
the week uses 9 slices of sourdough
the week uses about 15½ tbsp
no added salt; 240 g drained per tin · the week uses 240 g
the week uses a 200 g pack of soba noodles
the week uses about 7½ tbsp
the week uses about 3 tbsp
the week uses 2 medjool dates
the week uses about 2 tbsp
the week uses about 2 tbsp
the week uses about 1 tbsp
the week uses about 1½ tbsp
the week uses 2 tsp
the week uses 1 tsp
the week uses 2 tsp
the week uses 1 tsp
the week uses 1 tsp
The top-up shelf · optional
The optional extras, quantified at the rate suggested on the menu and listed apart from the main shop because skipping them should not waste food. Everything here keeps. Where an item is already on the list above, this is the amount to add to it.
about 2 pints per litre
lattes only, 175 ml each
the week uses 3 bananas
Ian only · the week uses 4 medium eggs
the week uses 2 slices of sourdough
the week uses about 3 tbsp
Ian only — a small block is plenty
the week uses about 1½ tbsp
the week uses 2 spring onions
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:
Arla skyr natural 0% fat — product label, Arla Skyr Natural (verify against your pot)
Soba noodles, dry (Clearspring) — Open Food Facts, Clearspring Japanese buckwheat noodles 200 g (5021554987949) for the macros, fibre and salt (0.03 g). Check the pack: many soba brands salt the dough and run near 800 mg sodium per 100 g. Potassium, calcium and iron are FDC 168906 (soba, dry).
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)
Tempeh (Better Nature Original) — Open Food Facts, Better Nature Organic Tempeh Original (0745114633606) for the macros, fibre and salt (0.01 g). The label carries no micronutrients: potassium and iron are FDC 174272 (tempeh) scaled by the protein ratio 22/20.3, and calcium is that entry's figure unscaled.
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.
Unflavoured/vanilla whey concentrate — typical whey concentrate label (verify against your tub)
Sodium figures assume no salt is added at the table or in cooking.
Across the week, Nikki's biggest sources are skyr (1,000 mg), reduced-salt tamari (889 mg), sourdough (528 mg) and cottage cheese (462 mg) — the rest is spread thinly across everything else.