Seven days, built around one breakfast with five toppings, two rotating packed lunches and a handful of dinners, most of them cooked once and eaten twice. 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
15611450–1660
107 g≥ 100 g
39 g30–45 g
739 mgas low as practical
3970 mg≥ 3,000 mg
9 g—
Ian, core meals
24052300–2600
174 g≥ 140 g
45 g30–55 g
1102 mg—
5581 mg—
15 g—
Ian, with top-ups
2763
192 g
47 gceiling 55 g
1366 mg
6304 mg
22 g
Saturday's lunch and dinner are out, so the averages are over the other 6 days.
On fibre. Nikki averages 39 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 3,970 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. Much less skyr. It had crept into nearly everything, so this week it is in two places: Monday's oats and Friday's chocolate pot. Two of the breakfast jars are soaked in milk alone, bircher-style, two use Greek yogurt, and the protein it used to bring comes from the main meals instead: crumbled tofu in the bean chilli, a bigger piece of meat or fish at dinner, edamame and cottage cheese in the snacks.
Saturday is out. Lunch and dinner on Saturday are not planned, so the day stops after the ride breakfast and a snack. Its totals are shown but not checked against the targets, and the weekly averages are taken over the other six days.
Simple is fine. Last week's fishcakes turned into salmon, mash and peas, and that was the right call. Friday's cod is the same kind of plate on purpose: fish, crushed potatoes, peas and beans, and a spoon of lemon and parsley.
New soba. The noodle boxes are back with a new dressing: white miso, lime and ginger instead of peanut, with pak choi in place of the broccoli and cabbage. The miso brings the saltiness the tamari used to, so there is no tamari in it.
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 chilli 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 prawns and salmon on Saturday night.
Sunday prep · 4 October · 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, salmon and prawns go in the freezer. The chicken goes in the fridge until you start.
Chilli first. Put the brown basmati on, crumble the Tofoo into the pan and fry it until it is dry and golden, then brown the onions properly. Once the sweet potato is simmering you have 25 minutes for everything else.
Oven to 200C fan: Ian's tray of veg and the soba tofu go in together. Both come out after 20 minutes. 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 edamame and pak choi, then the miso dressing and the crunchy veg. Toss it together once the tofu is out.
Box everything up: six chilli 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 chilli 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
Miso–ginger soba noodle boxes with tofu, edamame, pak choi and carrot
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 heads of pak choi250 g
2 carrots160 g
1 red pepper160 g
4 spring onions60 g
2 handfuls of coriander16 g
1 tbsp sesame seeds9 g
1 tbsp white miso paste18 g
2 limes, juiced60 g
2 tsp cider vinegar10 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.
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 they stop feeling sticky.
Boil the edamame for 3 minutes. Slice the pak choi, stalks and leaves separately; drop the stalks in with the edamame for the last 30 seconds and the leaves for the last 10, then drain and cool them all under the tap. Brief and cold keeps the stalks crunchy.
Dressing: whisk the miso, lime juice, vinegar, honey, grated ginger and crushed garlic with 2–3 tbsp warm water until smooth. It should taste punchy on its own: salty from the miso, sharp from the lime.
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. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for a minute and scatter them over.
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 portion440kcal30 gprotein10 gfibre270 mgsodium1051 mgpotassium
Lunch
Smoky black bean, tofu and sweet potato chilli with brown basmati
makes 6 boxes · eaten Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
The whole batch
2 tins of black beans, drained480 g
2 blocks of Tofoo560 g
2 medium sweet potatoes400 g
2 red peppers320 g
2 onions300 g
1 tbsp oil13.5 g
4 cloves garlic12 g
2 tsp ground cumin4.2 g
2 tsp smoked paprika4.6 g
2 tsp dried oregano2 g
1 red chilli15 g
2 tins of chopped tomatoes800 g
1 lime, juiced30 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 to cool quickly.
Crumble both blocks of Tofoo into a wide pan with half the oil and fry over a high heat for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until it is golden and dry and looks like browned mince. Lift it out.
In the rest of the oil, fry the diced onions for 10 minutes until well browned, then the peppers, diced, for 5 more. Add the crushed garlic, the chilli, finely chopped, and the cumin, smoked paprika and oregano for a minute.
Add the sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm dice, both tins of tomatoes and half a tin of water. Simmer, lid on, for 15 minutes until the sweet potato is just tender.
Tip in the drained black beans and the tofu and simmer, lid off, for 10 minutes more until thick. Off the heat, the lime juice and the chopped coriander. Taste it: if it is flat, more lime, not salt.
Divide the rice between six microwave-safe boxes and spoon the chilli alongside. Leave them to cool with the lids off.
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 portion450kcal26 gprotein16 gfibre194 mgsodium1302 mgpotassium
Lunch
Ginger, garlic and lime chicken thighs with rice and roast veg
makes 5 boxes · eaten Monday to Friday
The whole batch
10 chicken thigh fillets1000 g
2 limes, juiced60 g
3 cloves garlic9 g
3 cm piece of fresh ginger15 g
2 tsp runny honey14 g
2 tsp reduced-salt tamari10.6 g
2 tbsp oil27 g
750 g cooked white rice
2 red peppers320 g
1 head of broccoli350 g
1 pack of fine green beans200 g
1 red onion150 g
Method
The chicken is marinated tonight and cooked fresh each lunchtime; only the rice and veg are cooked now.
Marinade: in a bowl, mix the lime juice, the crushed garlic, the grated ginger, the honey, the tamari 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. 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 and red onion into chunks, the broccoli into small florets and the green beans in half, toss them with the other tablespoon of oil and roast for 20 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 portion570kcal48 gprotein6 gfibre337 mgsodium1050 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 blueberries and the pumpkin seeds over the top.
Ginger, garlic and lime 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 honey 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, pour boiling water over the frozen edamame, leave for 3 minutes, drain, and toss with the lime juice and chilli flakes. Into a pot, with a satsuma beside it.
Nikki1 portion, with 100 g cooked brown basmati rice
Ian1 portion, with 200 g cooked brown basmati rice
Makes 4 portions
1 pack of 5% beef mince500 g
2 tsp oil9 g
2 tsp cumin seeds4.2 g
2 onions300 g
4 cloves garlic12 g
4 cm piece of fresh ginger20 g
1 red chilli15 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
300 g frozen peas
1 bag of baby spinach240 g
½ lemon, juiced22.5 g
1 handful of coriander8 g
Method
Cook 100 g dry brown basmati rice — about 300 g once cooked: 100 g for Nikki, 200 g for Ian.
Heat the oil in a wide pan until it shimmers and add the cumin seeds for 30 seconds, until they smell toasty. Add the diced onions and fry for 12–15 minutes until deep golden brown — the same trick that made last week's chana work.
Add the crushed garlic, the grated ginger and the chilli, finely chopped, for 2 minutes, then the ground coriander, turmeric and smoked paprika for 30 seconds.
Turn the heat up, add the beef mince and break it up hard with the spoon until it has lost all its pink and any liquid has cooked off.
Add the tinned tomatoes and half a mug of water and simmer for 15 minutes, lid half on. Add the peas for the last 5 minutes, then stir the spinach in a handful at a time until it wilts.
Off the heat, the lemon juice and the chopped coriander. Taste it; if it is flat, it wants more lemon.
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 Greek yogurt, strawberries and almonds
Each
1 prepared oat jarmade Sunday
150 g 0% Greek yogurt
60 ml semi-skimmed milk61.8 g
6 strawberries72 g
12 g almonds
Method
The night before, tip 150 g Greek yogurt 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, six strawberries, hulled and quartered, and the almonds, roughly chopped, over the top. Greek yogurt is a little richer and less sharp than skyr.
Ginger, garlic and lime 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 honey 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.
Pork, mushroom and red pepper paprikash with wholewheat pasta
the rest is kept for Thursday
Nikki1 portion, with 60 g dry wholewheat pasta
Ian1 portion, with 100 g dry wholewheat pasta
Makes 4 portions
4 pork loin steaks560 g
1 tbsp olive oil13.5 g
2 onions300 g
2 red peppers320 g
1 punnet of chestnut mushrooms250 g
3 cloves garlic9 g
1 tbsp smoked paprika6.9 g
½ tsp caraway seeds1.1 g
1 tin of chopped tomatoes400 g
250 g 0% Greek yogurt
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley10 g
Method
Cut the pork loin steaks into strips about 1 cm thick and brown them hard in a teaspoon of the oil over a high heat, in two batches, for 2 minutes a side. Lift them out.
In the rest of the oil, soften the sliced onions and peppers for 10 minutes, then add the sliced mushrooms and cook until their water has gone.
Add the crushed garlic, the paprika and the caraway seeds for a minute, then the tinned tomatoes and half a mug of water. Simmer for 10 minutes until it thickens. Put the pasta on.
Put the pork back for the last 3 minutes, just to heat through — lean pork tightens up if it boils.
Take the pan off the heat. Ladle Thursday's two portions into a box before the yogurt goes in. Stir half the Greek yogurt into what is left in the pan so it goes a pale brick colour, and scatter half the parsley over. Yogurt that boils splits, which is why it goes in off the heat.
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 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 pistachios over the top. Soaked in milk alone it is looser and sweeter than the yogurt jars, closer to a Swiss bircher. The last of the fresh berries.
Ginger, garlic and lime 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 honey 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.
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, stir 2 tsp peanut butter into 150 ml milk until smooth, tip it 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, slice one banana and split it between both jars.
Ginger, garlic and lime 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 honey 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.
Pork, mushroom and red pepper paprikash with wholewheat pasta
cooked on Tuesday
Nikki1 portion of Tuesday's paprikash, with 60 g dry wholewheat pasta
Ian1 portion of Tuesday's paprikash, with 100 g dry wholewheat pasta
On the day
Reheat the paprikash in a covered pan with a splash of water until it is bubbling all the way through, boil fresh pasta, then off the heat stir in the rest of the yogurt and scatter over the rest of the parsley.
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 Greek yogurt, grated apple and walnuts
Each
1 prepared oat jarmade Sunday
150 g 0% Greek yogurt
60 ml semi-skimmed milk61.8 g
½ apple75 g
12 g walnuts
Method
The night before, tip 150 g Greek yogurt 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 apple, skin and all, and split it between both jars, then the walnuts, crumbled, on top. Grated in the morning it stays white.
Ginger, garlic and lime 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 honey 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.
Lemon and parsley cod with crushed new potatoes, peas and green beans
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
½ lemon, juiced22.5 g
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley10 g
1 clove garlic3 g
160 g frozen peas
1 pack of fine green beans200 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.
Put the potatoes on first; they take 15–18 minutes. Oven to 200C fan.
Sit the cod loins on a lined tray, a teaspoon of the oil over each, and roast for 10–12 minutes until the flesh just flakes.
Boil the green beans for 4 minutes, adding the peas for the last 2.
Chop the parsley with the garlic, then stir in the last teaspoon of oil and the lemon juice. Crush the potatoes roughly with a fork, and spoon the lemon and parsley over the fish and the potatoes. A plain plate, deliberately: half an hour and nothing to think about.
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.
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.
Simmer the oats in the milk, stirring, for 5 minutes until thick. Grate one pear between both bowls and stir half of it through, then the rest on top with the hazelnuts, roughly chopped, and the honey.
Smoky king prawn and butter bean stew with red pepper and wholemeal toast
cooked for the two of you
Nikki1 portion, with 1 slice of wholemeal bread
Ian1 portion, with 2 slices of wholemeal bread
For the two of you
1 bag of frozen raw king prawns300 g
1 tin of butter beans, drained240 g
2 tsp olive oil9 g
1 onion150 g
1 red pepper160 g
2 cloves garlic6 g
2 tsp smoked paprika4.6 g
½ tsp chilli flakes0.9 g
1 tin of chopped tomatoes400 g
½ lemon, juiced22.5 g
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley10 g
Method
The prawns come out of the freezer on Saturday night and thaw in the fridge.
Soften the sliced onion and pepper in the oil for 10 minutes. Add the sliced garlic, the smoked paprika and the chilli flakes for a minute.
Add the tinned tomatoes and the drained butter beans and simmer for 10 minutes, lid off, until it thickens.
Stir in the prawns and cook for 3–4 minutes until they are pink all the way through. Squeeze over the lemon, scatter the chopped parsley, and serve it with toast for mopping up.
Honey and ginger salmon with roast sweet potato and broccoli
cooked for the two of you
Nikki1 portion
Ian1 portion, with 1 medium sweet potato
For the two of you
2 salmon fillets240 g
2 medium sweet potatoes400 g
1 head of broccoli350 g
2 tsp olive oil9 g
1 tsp runny honey7 g
1 tsp reduced-salt tamari5.3 g
2 cm piece of fresh ginger10 g
½ lime, juiced15 g
Method
The salmon comes out of the freezer on Saturday night and thaws in the fridge.
Oven to 200C fan. Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges, skin on, toss in the oil and roast for 30 minutes.
Mix the honey, the tamari, the grated ginger and the lime juice. Sit the salmon on the tray with the wedges for the last 12 minutes, the glaze spooned over, and the broccoli florets in beside them for the last 10.
Thirty-five minutes, mostly oven time, 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 2,763 kcal on the days it is all eaten. Skipping the lot is fine; the core clears the targets on its own.
51 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, salmon and prawns go straight into the freezer when you get home. The beef and pork wait in the fridge for Monday and Tuesday, and the chicken only 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 8 red peppers
the week uses 7 onions
the week uses 4 bananas
the week uses 3 apples
the week uses 2 pears
the week uses 1 bag of baby spinach
juiced — about 30 ml a lime · the week uses 6 limes, juiced
the week uses 1 punnet of blueberries
the week uses 1 punnet of raspberries
the week uses 1 orange
juiced — about 45 ml a lemon · the week uses 1½ lemons, juiced
the week uses 12 cm piece
the week uses 4 spring onions
the week uses 18 cloves
the week uses 5 handfuls of coriander
the week uses 3 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley
Chilled
about 2 pints per litre
the week uses 1.0 kg
the week uses 3 blocks of Tofoo
the week uses 7 Benecol drinks
the week uses 450 g
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 2.0 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 480 g
no added salt; 240 g drained per tin · the week uses 240 g
the week uses 6 slices of sourdough
the week uses about 13½ tbsp
the week uses a 200 g pack of soba noodles
the week uses about 7½ tbsp
the week uses 3 slices of wholemeal bread
the week uses 2 medjool dates
the week uses about 2½ tbsp
the week uses about 1 tbsp
the week uses about 1 tbsp
the week uses 2 tsp
the week uses 2 tsp
the week uses 2 tsp
the week uses 2 tsp
the week uses 2 tsp
the week uses 2 tsp
the week uses ½ tsp
the week uses ¾ 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 cottage cheese (924 mg), semi-skimmed milk (421 mg), sourdough (352 mg) and white miso paste (336 mg) — the rest is spread thinly across everything else.