Plan 2026-W40 · Monday 28 September – Sunday 4 October 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
16151450–1660
114 g≥ 100 g
38 g30–45 g
703 mgas low as practical
4180 mg≥ 3,000 mg
8 g—
Ian, core meals
24942300–2600
180 g≥ 140 g
48 g30–55 g
1317 mg—
5749 mg—
15 g—
Ian, with top-ups
2852
198 g
50 gceiling 55 g
1581 mg
6473 mg
22 g
On fibre. Nikki averages 38 g a day and Ian 50 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 4,180 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. The red lentil dal is gone. It was bland, especially next to wholegrain rice, so the Tuesday, Thursday and Friday lunch is now a chana masala: whole chickpeas for bite, whole cumin and mustard seeds popped in the oil, onions browned properly, fresh chilli, and lemon and raw chilli stirred in at the end. It comes with brown basmati, which is nuttier and holds its grain better than ordinary brown rice. The soba boxes are back exactly as last week, because they were a hit.
Ian's chicken is cooked fresh. Chicken thigh cooked on Sunday went chewy when it was reheated, so now the Sunday session only marinates it raw and bags it, two thighs a day. Each lunchtime the day's bag goes in the air fryer for 15 minutes while the rice-and-veg box, which is still made on Sunday, heats in the microwave.
Wholegrain wherever Nikki eats. Brown basmati, wholewheat pasta, wholemeal bread and wholemeal tortillas. The only white rice is in Ian's chicken boxes, and the only white bread is Saturday's ride breakfast, which is kept low in fibre on purpose.
The freezer run. On Sunday night, Wednesday's to Friday's chicken bags go flat in the freezer raw, and Thursday's and Friday's chana boxes and rice boxes go in once they have cooled. Each comes down to the fridge the night before it is eaten. The cod comes down on Thursday night, and the salmon, prawns and 160 g of the mango on Friday night.
Sunday prep · 27 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 cod loins and salmon fillets go in the freezer. The chicken goes in the fridge until you start.
Chana first. The onions want a proper 15 minutes of browning and the sauce simmers for 10 more, which is the window for everything else. Put the brown basmati on at the same time.
While it cooks: the oven to 200C fan, and Ian's tray of veg and the soba tofu go in together. The tofu comes out after 20 minutes and the veg after 25. The white rice goes on too.
Marinate the chicken while the trays roast. It stays raw: five minutes to mix, turn and bag it, then Monday's and Tuesday's bags in the fridge and the other three flat in the freezer. Wash the bowl and your hands before you go back to anything else.
Soba next: noodles, then the broccoli and edamame, then the dressing and the crunchy veg. Toss it together once the tofu is out.
Box everything up: six chana boxes, five rice-and-veg boxes and four soba boxes. The oat jars take two minutes at the end. Let everything cool with the lids off before it goes in the fridge or freezer, and send Thursday's and Friday's chana and rice boxes straight to the freezer.
Breakfast
Dry overnight-oat jars
makes 10 jars · eaten Monday to Friday
The whole batch
400 g dry 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
Peanut–lime soba noodle boxes with tofu, edamame, broccoli 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
160 g frozen edamame beans
½ head of broccoli175 g
2 carrots160 g
1 red pepper160 g
¾ red cabbage600 g
4 spring onions60 g
2 handfuls of coriander16 g
1 tsp sesame seeds3 g
2 tbsp peanut butter31.8 g
2 limes, juiced60 g
2 tsp reduced-salt tamari10.6 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.
Cut the broccoli into small florets and boil them with the edamame for 2 minutes, then drain and cool them under the tap too. Blanched and cold, the broccoli stays bright and crunchy all week.
Dressing: whisk the peanut butter, tamari, lime juice, honey, grated ginger and crushed garlic with 3–4 tbsp warm water until it pours like single cream. Peanut butter thickens as it cools, so err on the thin side.
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 portion500kcal31 gprotein12 gfibre264 mgsodium1341 mgpotassium
Lunch
Chana masala with spinach and brown basmati
makes 6 boxes · eaten Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
The whole batch
3 tins of chickpeas, drained720 g
2 onions300 g
1 tbsp oil13.5 g
2 tsp cumin seeds4.2 g
1 tsp black mustard seeds3.3 g
6 cloves garlic18 g
6 cm piece of fresh ginger30 g
2 red chillies30 g
2 tsp ground coriander3.6 g
½ tsp ground turmeric1.5 g
1 tsp smoked paprika2.3 g
1 tin of chopped tomatoes400 g
2 tomatoes170 g
1 bag of baby spinach240 g
1 lemon, juiced45 g
2 handfuls of coriander16 g
480 g cooked brown basmati rice
Method
Put the brown basmati on first — it takes 25 minutes. Drain it and spread it on a tray so it cools quickly.
Heat the oil in a wide pan until it shimmers, add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds and give them 30–60 seconds, until the mustard seeds start to pop and the cumin smells toasty. This is where most of the flavour comes from, so don't rush it — but pull it off the heat if they start to smoke.
Add the diced onions and fry them for a good 12–15 minutes, stirring now and then, until they are deep golden brown, not just soft. With no salt in the pan, browned onion is what gives the sauce its depth; pale onion is why last week's dal tasted flat.
Add the crushed garlic, the grated ginger and one of the chillies, finely chopped, for 2 minutes. Then the ground coriander, turmeric and smoked paprika for 30 seconds.
Add the tinned tomatoes and the fresh tomatoes, chopped, and cook them down hard for 5–8 minutes until the oil starts to separate at the edges and it looks jammy rather than watery.
Tip in the drained chickpeas with half a mug of water. Squash about a third of them against the side of the pan with the spoon — that thickens the sauce and leaves the rest whole for bite. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir the spinach in a handful at a time until it wilts, then take it off the heat and add the lemon juice, the chopped coriander and the second chilli, sliced thin and raw. The raw chilli and the lemon at the end are the sharp edge; taste it, and if it still seems flat, it wants more lemon, not salt.
Divide the rice between six microwave-safe boxes and spoon the chana alongside. 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 portion382kcal16 gprotein15 gfibre58 mgsodium1017 mgpotassium
Lunch
Lemon and oregano chicken thighs with rice and roast veg
makes 5 boxes · eaten Monday to Friday
The whole batch
10 chicken thigh fillets1000 g
1 lemon, juiced45 g
3 cloves garlic9 g
2 tsp dried oregano2 g
1 tsp smoked paprika2.3 g
2 tbsp olive oil27 g
750 g cooked white rice
2 red peppers320 g
2 courgettes400 g
1 red onion150 g
½ head of broccoli175 g
Method
The chicken is marinated tonight and cooked fresh each lunchtime; only the rice and veg are cooked now. Chicken thigh cooked on Sunday and reheated goes chewy by midweek.
Marinade: in a bowl, mix the lemon juice, the crushed garlic, the oregano, the smoked paprika and a tablespoon of the oil. Turn the chicken thighs through it, then divide them between five freezer bags, two thighs each, with the marinade shared out between them. Monday's and Tuesday's bags go in the fridge; Wednesday's, Thursday's and Friday's go flat in the freezer.
Oven to 200C fan. Cut the peppers, courgettes and red onion into chunks and the broccoli into small florets, toss them with the other tablespoon of oil and roast for 25 minutes, until catching at the edges.
Meanwhile cook the white rice and spread it on a tray so it cools quickly.
Divide the rice and the roast veg between five boxes and leave them to cool with the lids off.
Box it up. Five rice-and-veg boxes, all Ian's. Monday to Wednesday's go in the fridge; Thursday's and Friday's go in the freezer. Each chicken bag and frozen box moves down to the fridge the night before.
One portion547kcal47 gprotein5 gfibre213 mgsodium1082 mgpotassium
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 walnuts, crumbled, over the top. Raspberries are the most fragile fruit in the shop, so they go first.
Lemon and oregano chicken thighs with rice and roast veg
from the Sunday prep
Ian1 bag of chicken and a rice box
On the day
Air fryer to 200C. Lay the two thighs from the day's bag in the basket, smooth side down, and cook for 14–16 minutes, turning halfway, until the juices run clear and there is no pink in the thickest part. The marinade catches at the edges, which is the point.
While they cook, sprinkle a tablespoon of water over the rice box, lid ajar, and microwave for 3 minutes, stir, then 1–2 minutes more until it is piping hot all the way through.
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.
Smoky pork, leek and cannellini bean casserole with kale
the rest is kept for Wednesday
Nikki1 portion
Ian1 portion, with 2 slices of wholemeal bread
Makes 4 portions
3 pork loin steaks420 g
1 tbsp olive oil13.5 g
2 leeks400 g
2 carrots160 g
4 cloves garlic12 g
2 tsp smoked paprika4.6 g
2 tsp dried thyme2 g
1 tin of chopped tomatoes400 g
2 tins of cannellini beans, drained480 g
1 bag of kale200 g
2 tsp cider vinegar10 g
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley10 g
Method
Cut the pork loin steaks into 2–3 cm chunks and brown them hard in half the oil in a casserole, in two batches so they colour rather than stew. Lift them out.
In the rest of the oil, soften the sliced leeks and the diced carrots for 8 minutes. Add the crushed garlic, the smoked paprika and the thyme for a minute.
Put the pork back with the tinned tomatoes, the drained cannellini beans and a mug of water. Lid on and simmer gently for 30 minutes — gently, or lean pork tightens up.
Stir in the kale for the last 5 minutes, then the vinegar, and scatter the chopped parsley over. The vinegar does the job salt would, so don't skip it.
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.
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 almonds, roughly chopped, over the top.
Lemon and oregano chicken thighs with rice and roast veg
from the Sunday prep
Ian1 bag of chicken and a rice box
On the day
Air fryer to 200C. Lay the two thighs from the day's bag in the basket, smooth side down, and cook for 14–16 minutes, turning halfway, until the juices run clear and there is no pink in the thickest part. The marinade catches at the edges, which is the point.
While they cook, sprinkle a tablespoon of water over the rice box, lid ajar, and microwave for 3 minutes, stir, then 1–2 minutes more until it is piping hot all the way through.
Brown the beef mince hard in a teaspoon of the oil in a wide pan, breaking it up, until it has lost its pink and any liquid has gone. Lift it out.
In the rest of the oil, soften the finely diced onion and carrots for 8 minutes, then add the chopped mushrooms and cook until they give up their water and it evaporates.
Add the crushed garlic, the oregano and the thyme for a minute, then the beef, both tins of tomatoes, the vinegar and half a tin of water. Simmer, lid half on, for 25 minutes until thick. Boil the pasta meanwhile.
Tear half the basil over the plates; the rest is for 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.
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 pistachios over the top. The last of the fresh berries — Sunday's punnets have three days in them.
Lemon and oregano chicken thighs with rice and roast veg
from the Sunday prep
Ian1 bag of chicken and a rice box
On the day
Air fryer to 200C. Lay the two thighs from the day's bag in the basket, smooth side down, and cook for 14–16 minutes, turning halfway, until the juices run clear and there is no pink in the thickest part. The marinade catches at the edges, which is the point.
While they cook, sprinkle a tablespoon of water over the rice box, lid ajar, and microwave for 3 minutes, stir, then 1–2 minutes more until it is piping hot all the way through.
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.
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, grate one pear, skin and all, and split it between both jars, then the hazelnuts, roughly chopped, on top. Grated in the morning it stays white; grated the night before it goes brown.
Lemon and oregano chicken thighs with rice and roast veg
from the Sunday prep
Ian1 bag of chicken and a rice box
On the day
Air fryer to 200C. Lay the two thighs from the day's bag in the basket, smooth side down, and cook for 14–16 minutes, turning halfway, until the juices run clear and there is no pink in the thickest part. The marinade catches at the edges, which is the point.
While they cook, sprinkle a tablespoon of water over the rice box, lid ajar, and microwave for 3 minutes, stir, then 1–2 minutes more until it is piping hot all the way through.
Nikki1 portion of Tuesday's ragu, with 70 g dry wholewheat pasta
Ian1 portion of Tuesday's ragu, with 100 g dry wholewheat pasta
On the day
Reheat the ragu in a covered pan with a splash of water until it is bubbling all the way through, boil fresh pasta, and tear over the rest of the basil.
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.
The night before, tip 150 g skyr and 60 ml milk onto a jar, stir until no dry oats remain, then stir in 80 g frozen mango — it thaws into the oats overnight and loosens them. Lid on, into the fridge.
A tablespoon of hemp seeds over the top in the morning.
Lemon and oregano chicken thighs with rice and roast veg
from the Sunday prep
Ian1 bag of chicken and a rice box
On the day
Air fryer to 200C. Lay the two thighs from the day's bag in the basket, smooth side down, and cook for 14–16 minutes, turning halfway, until the juices run clear and there is no pink in the thickest part. The marinade catches at the edges, which is the point.
While they cook, sprinkle a tablespoon of water over the rice box, lid ajar, and microwave for 3 minutes, stir, then 1–2 minutes more until it is piping hot all the way through.
Basque-style cod with new potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and smoked paprika
cooked for the two of you
Nikki1 portion, with 200 g new potatoes
Ian1 portion, with 400 g new potatoes
For the two of you
2 cod loins250 g
2 tsp olive oil9 g
1 onion150 g
2 red peppers320 g
3 cloves garlic9 g
1 tsp smoked paprika2.3 g
½ tsp chilli flakes0.9 g
1 tin of chopped tomatoes400 g
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley10 g
½ lemon, juiced22.5 g
Method
Boil 600 g new potatoes, halved: 200 g for Nikki, 400 g for Ian.
The cod comes out of the freezer on Thursday night and thaws in the fridge.
Soften the sliced onion and peppers in the oil for 10 minutes, until the peppers are silky. Add the garlic, smoked paprika and chilli flakes for a minute.
Add the tinned tomatoes and half a mug of water and simmer for 10 minutes, lid off, until it thickens.
Sit the cod loins in the sauce, lid on, for 8–10 minutes until the fish flakes. Squeeze over the lemon and scatter the chopped parsley.
Crush the potatoes lightly into the sauce on the plate. One pan and a pot, half an hour.
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.
Spiced king prawn wraps with mango salsa and red cabbage slaw
cooked for the two of you
Nikki1 portion, with 2 wholemeal mini tortillas
Ian1 portion, with 6 wholemeal mini tortillas
For the two of you
1 bag of frozen raw king prawns300 g
1 tsp ground cumin2.1 g
1 tsp smoked paprika2.3 g
1 clove garlic3 g
1 tsp oil4.5 g
¼ red cabbage200 g
1 lime, juiced30 g
160 g frozen mango
2 spring onions30 g
½ red chilli7.5 g
1 handful of coriander8 g
100 g skyr
Method
Take the prawns and the mango out of the freezer on Friday night and let them thaw in the fridge.
Slaw: shred the last quarter of the red cabbage finely and toss it with half the lime juice.
Salsa: dice the mango, slice the spring onions and the chilli, and toss them with the chopped coriander and the rest of the lime juice.
Toss the prawns with the cumin, smoked paprika and crushed garlic and fry them in the oil for 2–3 minutes until pink. Warm the tortillas in a dry pan for 20 seconds each.
Slaw, prawns, salsa and a spoon of skyr into each wrap. Ten minutes after you get off the bike.
Salmon fishcakes with peas, green beans and a lemon and chive skyr
cooked for the two of you
Nikki1 portion
Ian1 portion
For the two of you
2 salmon fillets240 g
400 g potatoes, skin on
2 tbsp chopped chives6 g
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley10 g
1 lemon, juiced45 g
20 g dry rolled porridge oats
2 tsp olive oil9 g
100 g frozen peas
1 pack of fine green beans200 g
100 g skyr
Method
The salmon comes out of the freezer on Friday night and thaws in the fridge.
Peel and chunk the potatoes and boil them for 15 minutes until soft. At the same time, poach the salmon in a pan of barely simmering water for 8 minutes. Drain both and let them steam dry for 5 minutes — dry mash is what holds a fishcake together without egg.
Mash the potatoes, then fold in the flaked salmon, the chopped parsley, a tablespoon of the chives, half the lemon juice and plenty of black pepper. Shape into six fishcakes and chill for 15 minutes if you have time.
Blitz the oats briefly or crush them in your hand, press them onto both sides of the fishcakes, brush with the oil and air-fry at 200C for 12–14 minutes (or oven 200C fan, 20 minutes), turning once, until golden.
Boil the green beans for 4 minutes, adding the peas for the last 2. Stir the rest of the chives and lemon into the skyr for the sauce.
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.
Wholemeal toast with cottage cheese, avocado and cherry tomatoes
Nikki1 portion
Ian1 portion, with 2 slices of wholemeal bread
Each
1 slice of wholemeal bread40 g
½ pot of cottage cheese150 g
½ avocado75 g
½ punnet of cherry tomatoes125 g
¼ tsp chilli flakes0.5 g
Method
Halve one avocado between you and mash each half with a fork. Toast a slice each, spread the avocado on, spoon the cottage cheese over, and top with the cherry tomatoes, halved, and a pinch of chilli flakes and black pepper.
Buy this avocado firm on Sunday and keep it out of the fridge until Friday so it is ripe by the weekend.
Chilli–garlic tofu with peppers, green beans, peanuts and brown basmati
cooked for the two of you
Nikki1 portion, with 100 g cooked brown basmati rice
Ian1 portion, with 300 g cooked brown basmati rice
For the two of you
1 block of Tofoo280 g
2 tsp oil9 g
1 red pepper160 g
1 pack of fine green beans200 g
3 cloves garlic9 g
2 cm piece of fresh ginger10 g
1 red chilli15 g
2 tsp reduced-salt tamari10.6 g
2 tsp cider vinegar10 g
1 tsp runny honey7 g
20 g unsalted roasted peanuts
Method
Cook 130 g dry brown basmati rice — about 400 g once cooked: 100 g for Nikki, 300 g for Ian.
Put the rice on first.
Cut the Tofoo into cubes and fry it in half the oil in a wide pan for 8–10 minutes, turning, until golden on most sides. Lift it out.
In the rest of the oil, stir-fry the green beans, halved, and the sliced pepper for 4 minutes over a high heat, with a splash of water if they catch.
Add the sliced garlic, the grated ginger and the chilli for 30 seconds, then the tofu back in with the tamari, vinegar and honey, and toss for a minute until sticky.
Over the rice, with the peanuts, roughly chopped, on top. Twenty minutes, on the evening of the prep session.
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 meals, the weekday chicken box, the extras beside them and the afternoon shake are the plan, and every figure on this page is checked against them. 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 2,852 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. The cod and salmon go straight into the freezer when you get home; the prawns are frozen already. The chicken only waits in the fridge until it is marinated and bagged that evening. Tick as you go — the ticks are remembered on this device until you clear them.
Fruit and veg
the week uses 6 red peppers
the week uses 5 onions
the week uses 3 courgettes
the week uses 3 bananas
the week uses 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
the week uses 1 bag of baby spinach
juiced — about 45 ml a lemon · the week uses 3½ lemons, juiced
the week uses 1 avocado
the week uses 1 punnet of blackberries
the week uses 1 punnet of blueberries
the week uses 1 pear
the week uses 1 punnet of raspberries
juiced — about 30 ml a lime · the week uses 3 limes, juiced
the week uses 6 spring onions
the week uses 27 cloves
the week uses 11 cm piece
the week uses 3½ red chillies
the week uses 5 handfuls of coriander
the week uses 3 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley
the week uses 12 g
the week uses about 2 tbsp
Chilled
the week uses 4.2 kg
about 2 pints per litre
the week uses 2 blocks of Tofoo
the week uses 7 Benecol drinks
the week uses 1 pot of cottage cheese
Fish and meat
the week uses 1 bag of frozen raw king prawns
Freezer
Cupboard
no added salt · the week uses 2.4 kg
dry weight — it roughly triples when cooked
dry weight — it roughly two-and-a-half-times when cooked
no added salt; 240 g drained per tin · the week uses 720 g
no added salt; 240 g drained per tin · the week uses 720 g
the week uses 8 slices of wholemeal bread
the week uses 6 slices of sourdough
the week uses 8 wholemeal mini tortillas
the week uses a 200 g pack of soba noodles
the week uses about 8 tbsp
the week uses about 9½ tbsp
the week uses 2 medjool dates
the week uses about 1½ tbsp
the week uses about 1½ tbsp
the week uses about 2 tbsp
the week uses 2 tsp
the week uses about 1½ tbsp
the week uses 2 tsp
the week uses about 1½ tbsp
the week uses 2 tsp
the week uses 1 tsp
the week uses 1 tsp
the week uses 1 tsp
the week uses ½ 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
the week uses 4 medium eggs
the week uses 2 slices of sourdough
the week uses about 3 tbsp
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)
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 (1,104 mg), reduced-salt tamari (593 mg), cottage cheese (462 mg) and wholemeal mini tortillas (370 mg) — the rest is spread thinly across everything else.