meal plan

Day 1

1. Morning: Apple muesli

   100ml glass of fruit juice, 1 pot of low fat yoghurt

   60g of porridge oats, dry weight, 1 apple, 125ml of semi-skimmed milk, 4 dried apricots, 30g of mixed nuts

   Mix the porridge oats, grated apple, dried apricots and milk together in a bowl. If possible, leave in the fridge overnight although this is not necessary if you don't have time.

2. Afternoon: Chickpea salad with mozzarella

   90g of mozzarella cheese, 1 pitta bread, 1 kiwi fruit

   120g of chickpeas, canned and drained, 1 clove of garlic, ½ tsp fresh chilli, 1 ½ tsp of olive oil, 1 tbs of lemon juice, 1 pinch of mixed herbs, 1 handful of watercress or rocket, 90g of baby spinach leaves, 2 chopped tomatoes

   Rinse the chickpeas and place in a large bowl with the crushed garlic, finely chopped chilli, olive oil, lemon juice and dried herbs. Set aside for about an hour.

   When ready to serve, stir the remaining ingredients into the chickpeas and serve immediately.

3. Evening: Sweet & sour chicken

   90g of brown rice, uncooked weight, 90g of broccoli

   1 large chicken fillet (around 150g or 6oz), 1 tbs of soy or tamari sauce, ½ tbs of rice vinegar, 1 tsp of tomato puree, ½ tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of cornflour, 1 clove of garlic, 1 piece of fresh ginger (1cm or 0.5 inch), 2 slices of pineapple

   Cut the chicken into slices and place in a bowl. Pour over the light soy sauce, toss together and set aside to marinade.

   Meantime, make the sauce by mixing together the vinegar, tomato puree and sugar and set aside.

   Mix the cornflour into the chicken and soy sauce.

   Heat half of the oil in a non-stick pan and brown the chicken all over. Set aside on a plate.

   Heat the remaining oil and cook the crushed garlic and grated ginger for 30 seconds. Add a little water, bring to the boil and return the chicken to the pan.

   Stir in the sauce mixture and pineapple, cut into chunks, and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

4. Snack: Fruit salad with mint

   150g of mango slices, 150g of pineapple, 30g of dried blueberries, 1 tbs of chopped fresh mint

   Chop the mango and pineapple into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl, along with the blueberries and top with freshly chopped mint.

Day 2

1. Morning: Cereal with toast & fruit

   90g of wholegrain breakfast cereal, 150ml serving of semi-skimmed milk, 2 slices of wholegrain bread, 1 tsp of reduced fat margarine (40% fat), 2 tsp of honey, 1 apple

2. Afternoon: Greek salad pitta

   2 pitta breads, 60g of feta cheese, 60g of pepper, 60g of red onion, 1 svg of mixed salad leaves, 5 black olives, pitted, 1 tomato, 3 tsp of low fat salad dressing

3. Evening: Beef casserole with potatoes

   1 tsp of olive oil, 120g of lean stewing steak, ½ onion, 1 clove of garlic, 60g of carrot, 60g of celery, 2 tsp of plain flour, 2 tsp of tomato puree, 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce, 1/3 pint of vegetable stock, 1 pinch of oregano, 1 large potato, 90g of mushrooms

   Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Cut the stewing steak into bite-sized pieces and brown on all sides, keeping the heat high. Once browned, set aside on a plate and add the finely sliced onions, crushed garlic, diced carrot and celery to the pan. Cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Sprinkle over the flour and stir in well, before returning the meat, with any juices, to the pan. Add the tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, stock, herbs and potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks. Turn the heat low to gently simmer for 30 minutes. After this time, add the mushrooms to the casserole and simmer gently for a further 10 minutes.

4. Snack: Banana with sunflower seeds

   1 banana, 3 tsp of sunflower seeds

Day 3

1. Morning: Porridge with stewed apple

   1 banana, 1 pot of low fat yoghurt, 100ml glass of fruit juice

   60g of porridge oats, dry weight

   Weigh out the porridge oats and pour them into a cup or similar to measure their volume. Place the oats in a saucepan or medium-large microwaveable bowl. Add three times the volume of water to oats and then either bring to the boil and simmer for three minutes or microwave on 'high' for three minutes.

   1 apple, 1 tsp of sugar

   Slice the apple and place it in either a small saucepan or microwaveable bowl. Add a splash of water and then either simmer for 3 or 4 minutes or microwave on 'high' for 2 or 3 minutes, until the apple is softened. Stir in the sugar and add a pinch of cinnamon or cloves if you wish.

2. Afternoon: Cheese & tomato on toast with juice

   4 slices of wholegrain bread, 4 slices of low fat cheddar (20g each), 2 tomatoes, 2 tsp of reduced fat margarine (40% fat), 150ml glass of fruit juice

3. Evening: Chicken & spinach balti

   90g of broccoli, 75g of brown rice, uncooked weight

   1 tsp of olive oil, 1 large chicken fillet (around 150g or 6oz), ½ onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 pinch of ground ginger, 1 pinch of turmeric, 1 pinch of cumin, 1 pinch of garam masala, 1 pinch of ground cardamom, 90g of baby spinach leaves

   Heat half of the oil in a non-stick pan and brown the chicken pieces all over. Set aside on a plate.

   Heat the remaining oil and gently cook the sliced onions and crushed garlic until soft. Add all of the remaining ingredients, including the chicken, along with a little water, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. At this stage, the sauce can be liquidised using a hand-help immersion blender or in a food processor or it can be served chunky.

   Add the spinach to the pan, bring back to a boil and simmer for a couple of minutes, until the spinach is wilted.

4. Snack: Poached fruit salad

   1 apricot, 1 plum, 4 dried apricots, 2 dried figs, 1 pinch of cinnamon

   Place the dried fruit and cinnamon in a small sauce and add enough water to half cover. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the fruit is slightly softened. Chop the fresh fruit into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan. Simmer for a further 5 minutes and either serve warm or at room temperature.

Day 4

1. Morning: Fruit smoothie with egg on toast

   2 eggs, 2 slices of wholegrain bread, 2 tsp of reduced fat margarine (40% fat), 1 pot of low fat yoghurt, 90g of grapes

   1 glass of fruit juice (100ml), 1 banana, 90g of strawberries

   In a blender, combine fruit juice of your choice, banana and strawberries. Whizz until smooth and frothy.

2. Afternoon: Pesto and chicken pitta pocket

   120g of mango slices

   2 pitta breads, 120g of Tesco Healthy Living chicken slices, 2 tbs (15ml) of Tesco low fat natural yoghurt, 2 tsps of pesto, 4 olives, ½ pepper, 1 tomato

   Mix the yoghurt and pesto together and then mix in the chicken to coat.

   Grill or toast the pitta breads and fill with the chicken and remaining ingredients.

   This recipe is modified from The Tesco Gi Guide.

3. Evening: Baked fish in tomato & courgette sauce with pasta

   75g of pasta, uncooked weight, 1 garlic bread slice

   1 tsp of olive oil, 60g of onion, chopped, 1 courgette, 1 small tin of chopped tomatoes (200g), 1 pinch of dried basil, 1 pinch of oregano, 1 fillet of white fish (around 150g or 6oz)

   Preheat oven to 220 degrees.

   Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and cook the onion until softened. Add the diced courgette and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and the herbs and mix well. Pour into an oven-proof casserole dish and place the fish fillets on top of the sauce. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.

4. Snack: Bowl of wholegrain cereal with milk

   45g of wholegrain breakfast cereal, 150ml of semi-skimmed milk

Day 5

1. Morning: Fruit & yoghurt with granola

   3 tsp of honey, 1 banana

   90g of strawberries, 1 pot of low fat yoghurt, 60g of cluster cereal (granola), 3 tbs of raisins

   Blend the strawberries and yoghurt together in a blender and top with granola and raisins.

2. Afternoon: Chicken salad sandwich

   120g of roast chicken, 2 tomatoes, 1 serving of mixed salad leaves, 1 level tbs of reduced fat mayonnaise, 2 wholegrain rolls, 1 banana

3. Evening: Kidney bean salad with ciabatta

   1 ciabatta roll, 60g of grapes

   ¼ red onion, 2 tomatoes, 1 serving of mixed salad leaves, 90g of baby spinach leaves, 180g of kidney beans, canned and drained, 5 olives, ½ clove of garlic, 2 tsp of olive oil, 2 tsp of balsamic vinegar

   Thinly slice the onion and, if preferred, rinse under cold water to take the raw edge off the flavour. Quarter the tomato and place in a bowl along with the onions, salad leaves, spinach, kidney beans and olives.

   Prepare the dressing by shaking or mixing together the crushed garlic, oil and vinegar in a screw-top jar or bowl. Pour over the salad and toss gently to combine.

   This salad can be prepared in advance and taken as a packed lunch. If doing this, add the dressing just before serving.

4. Snack: Rainbow fruit salad

   150g of melon, 90g of strawberries, 1 peach or nectarine, 90g of blueberries, 1 banana

   Prepare all the fruit and mix together well. Either serve immediately or refrigerate until serving. If preparing in advice, do not add the banana (if included in your ingredients list) until ready to serve.

Day 6

1. Morning: Cereal with fruit and

   30g of wholegrain breakfast cereal, 125ml of semi-skimmed milk, 1 pot of low fat yoghurt, ½ grapefruit, 30g of grapes, 2 slices wholegrain bread, 2 tsp of reduced fat margarine (40% fat)

2. Afternoon: Cheese, tomato & onion on naan bread

   1 naan bread (150g or 6ozs), 1 tbs of tomato puree, 2 tomatoes, 2 spring onions, 60g of low fat grated cheddar cheese

   Grill the naan bread on one side under a pre-heated grill. Remove and spread the other side with tomato puree and then top with diced tomato and onion. Cover with grated cheese and grill until the cheese melts and is golden.

3. Evening: Wine-poached fish with potato salad

   90g of broccoli

   4 tbs of white wine, 1 bay leaf, 1 tbs of fresh parsley, chopped, 2 fillets of white fish (around 150g or 6oz each)

   Using a pan wide enough to take the fish fillet, mix the wine with the same volume of water, add the herbs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the fish and simmer gently for around 4 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.

   6 small new potatoes, 2 tsp of olive oil, 1 pinch of chilli powder, 15g of anchovy, tinned and drained, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tsp of capers

   Boil the potatoes until tender, around 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and crush lightly with a fork. Stir in the olive oil, chilli powder, chopped anchovies, crushed garlic and chopped capers. Mix well before serving, either warm or at room temperature.

4. Snack: Yoghurt drink with fruit

   2 peaches or nectarines, 90g of mango slices

   200ml of low fat yoghurt

   Pour the yoghurt into a bowl and stir briskly with a spoon until smooth.

   Add the same volume of water and stir again until blended.

   If preferred, refrigerate before serving.

Day 7

1. Morning: Scrambled Egg on Toast

   2 ½ servings of fruit, 3 slices of wholegrain bread, 1 ½ tsp of reduced fat olive margarine, 2 eggs, 200ml of semi-skimmed milk

2. Afternoon: Warm lentil salad with goats' cheese toast

   180g of Tesco green lentils, canned and drained, 1 tsp of olive oil, 1 rasher of lean bacon, ½ onion, ¾ pack of Tesco three bean salad, 1 tomato, 1 slice of ciabatta (50g or 2 oz), 1 clove of garlic, 30g of goats' cheese

   Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove to a plate, keeping the oil in the pan.

   Add the onions to the pan and cook gently until lightly browned and almost tender.

   Add the lentils and continue to cook for 10 minutes, then drain and stir in the bacon, bean salad and tomatoes, if given in your ingredients list.

   Cut the garlic in half and rub over the ciabatta bread. Finely chop the garlic and add to the lentils. Season with black pepper and herbs of your choice.

   Grill the bread on one side, then turn and top with the sliced cheese. Season with pepper then grill until the cheese is lightly browned.

   Serve the lentils warm in bowls, topped with a cheese toast and garnished with herbs if you wish.

   This recipe is modified from The GI Guide by Rick Gallop and Hamish Renton.

3. Evening: Sesame-topped salmon with Asian noodles

   150g of salmon, 1 tsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of sesame seeds, 3 tsp of soy or tamari sauce, 1 tsp of honey, 75g of egg noodles (uncooked weight), 4 asparagus spears, 1 tsp of lime juice

   Preheat the grill.

   Sprinkle the salmon with sesame seeds and cook under the grill for 10 minutes.

   Meanwhile, make a dressing by mixing the oil, soy sauce, honey and lime juice, adding any other herbs of your choice, such as chilli or fresh coriander.

   Cook the noodles and asparagus tips for 3 minutes in boiling water. Drain.

   Toss with the dressing and serve with the salmon fillets.

   This recipe is modified from The GI Guide by Rick Gallop and Hamish Renton.

4. Snack: Fruit snack

   1 apple, 1 banana