Eating when you’re training hard doesn’t have to mean forgoing tasty food. This meal plan is big on flavour while also containing the nutrients you need to support your efforts in the gym to lose body fat and build muscle. It comes from the people behind the New Body Plan, and they’ve also shared a gym training plan that’ll help you lose weight in two weeks. To get the most out of the plan, just follow the four simple bits of advice below.
1. Stick to the plan All you need to do is make and eat the meals outlined in the plan.
2. Make simple swaps The closer you can follow your meal plan, the better your chances of making a change, but if you can’t make a particular meal then you can substitute in another meal from the same time of day from the same week.
3. Don’t panic If you miss a meal (or multiple meals), don’t panic! Just pick yourself up, dust the biscuit crumbs off your shirt and carry on with the plan.
4. Plan ahead To make following the meal plan as easy as possible, do one big shop before you start so you have everything you need. To help make this easier, we’ve compiled a shopping list for this meal plan below.
Also think about investing in some airtight food storage containers so that you can make your lunches the night before or in the morning and take them to work with you.
Meal Plan
Monday
| Breakfast | ½ an avocado mashed on 1 slice of wholemeal bread with 2 scrambled eggs and a handful of cherry tomatoes. |
| Snack | 30g whey protein powder shake made with 250ml semi-skimmed milk. 1 banana. |
| Lunch | Chicken and avocado sandwich on wholemeal bread. 3 salt and vinegar rice cakes. |
| Snack | 25g brazil nuts. |
| Dinner | Turkey casserole. Heat a little rapeseed oil in a pan and brown some diced turkey breast. Cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add chopped carrots, onions and celery to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Return the turkey to the pan, add 250ml of vegetable stock, salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with 200g lightly buttered new potatoes. |
| Snack | 100g low-fat Greek yogurt with 50g frozen berries. |
Calories 2,007 Protein 153g Carbs 180g Fat 75g
Tuesday
| Breakfast | Ham omelette made with 3 eggs and 50g honey roast ham. 1 slice of lightly buttered wholemeal toast. |
| Snack | 1 apple and 20g peanut butter. |
| Lunch | BLT sandwich. Grill 3 rashers of lean smoked bacon and place them between 2 slices of wholemeal bread with sliced tomato, lettuce and low-fat mayonnaise. 1 orange. |
| Snack | 50g beef jerky. |
| Dinner | Sirloin steak with a small portion of oven chips, steamed green beans and grilled tomato. Quick tip Cook an extra portion of steak at dinner for lunch the next day. |
| Snack | 150g low-fat Greek yogurt and 100g frozen berries. |
Calories 2,011 Protein 134g Carbs 182g Fat 83g
Wednesday
| Breakfast | 3 scrambled eggs on one slice of lightly buttered wholemeal toast with a handful of cherry tomatoes. |
| Snack | 30g whey protein powder shake made with 250ml semi-skimmed milk. 1 banana. |
| Lunch | Steak salad. Mix 1 sirloin steak, cut into strips, ½ a sliced avocado, sliced raw courgette, cold green beans and rocket in a bowl. Then mix 2tbsp of rapeseed oil, 1tsp of dijon mustard and grated parmesan in a bowl, spoon it over the salad and mix it all together. |
| Snack | 50g beef jerky. 3 salt and vinegar rice cakes. |
| Dinner | Grilled salmon and vegetables. Slice some pepper and courgette and halve some cherry tomatoes and place them in a bowl. Add 1tbsp of rapeseed oil, a splash of soy sauce, ½tsp of ground ginger and salt and pepper. Mix together, then spread over a salmon fillet on a baking tray. Grill for 10-12 minutes, then serve with 50g brown rice. |
| Snack | 100g low-fat Greek yogurt with a frozen banana. |
Calories 2,000 Protein 161g Carbs 159g Fat 80g
Thursday
| Breakfast | 200g low-fat Greek yogurt with 1 apple, sliced, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Small handful of brazil nuts. |
| Snack | 30g whey protein powder blended with 250ml semi-skimmed milk and 50g frozen berries. |
| Lunch | Tuna mayonnaise sandwich. Mix 1 can of tuna with 2tbsp of low-fat mayonnaise and serve with 2 slices of wholemeal bread. 3 salt and vinegar rice cakes. |
| Snack | Small bag of popcorn. |
| Dinner | Paprika grilled chicken and vegetables. Chop some pepper and onion and place them in a bowl. Add 1tbsp rapeseed oil, 1tsp smoked paprika, salt and pepper, mix together then pour the mix over a sliced chicken breast on a baking tray. Meanwhile, lightly steam some broccoli ,then set aside. Grill the chicken and veg for 5-7 minutes, then add the broccoli and grill for a further 5-7 minutes. Serve with 200g lightly buttered new potatoes. |
| Snack | 100g low-fat Greek yogurt with 50g frozen berries. |
Calories 1,859 Protein 150g Carbs 182g Fat 59g
Friday
| Breakfast | 2 scrambled eggs on 1 slice of lightly buttered wholemeal toast with a handful of cherry tomatoes. |
| Snack | 30g whey protein powder shake made with 250ml semi-skimmed milk. 1 banana. |
| Lunch | Chicken and avocado sandwich on wholemeal bread. 3 salt and vinegar rice cakes. |
| Snack | 1 apple, sliced, with 20g peanut butter. |
| Dinner | Chiselled chilli (jump to recipe). Cook an extra portion of chilli at dinner for lunch the next day. |
| Snack | 2 large squares of 70% cocoa dark chocolate. |
Calories 2,006 Protein 140g Carbs 184g Fat 63g
Saturday
| Breakfast | Angry eggs and avocado (jump to recipe). ½ a grapefruit. |
| Snack | 100g low-fat Greek yogurt with 50g frozen berries. |
| Lunch | Chilli beef pasta. Use the leftover chilli beef mix from the previous day and serve with 50g pasta and grated parmesan. |
| Snack | 30g whey protein powder blended with 250ml semi-skimmed milk and 30g oats. |
| Dinner | Spanish-style rice (jump to recipe). |
| Snack | 100g low-fat Greek yogurt with a frozen banana. |
Calories 1,974 Protein 115g Carbs 212g Fat 74g
Sunday
| Breakfast | Punchy protein pancakes (jump to recipe). |
| Snack | Super smoothie: blend 100g frozen berries, 1 banana and a large handful of spinach. 1 carrot. Small handful of brazil nuts. |
| Lunch | Roast chicken, 200g roast potatoes, carrots, green beans, broccoli and gravy. |
| Snack | 1 apple, sliced, with 20g peanut butter. |
| Dinner | Chicken stir-fry. Chop some onion, pepper and broccoli and stir-fry it in a wok. Add ½tsp of ginger and 1tsp soy sauce. Add leftover cooked chicken from the roast and serve with 50g brown rice. |
| Snack | 100g low-fat Greek yogurt with a frozen banana. |
Calories 2,041 Protein 130g Carbs 242g Fat 59g
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Chiselled Chilli
Prep time 10min Cook time 60min
There are few dishes that are more satisfying than a good chilli. And when you make it yourself, it’s surprisingly healthy, thanks to the protein hit from the lean beef mince and the metabolism-boosting benefits of chilli. Chuck in a few veggies and you’re in nutrition and taste heaven. We’ve gone for a medium-hot chilli, with just half a teaspoonful of chilli powder per serving but if you want to ramp that up, be our guest.
Ingredients (serves one)
- 150g lean beef mince
- ½ can chopped tomato
- ½ can kidney beans
- 1tbsp tomato purée
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 sticks of celery, diced
- 1 garlic clove
- ½tsp chilli powder
- 150ml beef stock
- 1tbsp rapeseed oil
- 50g brown rice
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Brown the beef mince in rapeseed oil, then drain off most but not all of the fat. Remove the mince from the pan and set it aside
- Cook the diced onion in the remaining liquid from the mince for a few minutes, then add the diced carrot, celery, garlic and chilli powder and cook for a few more minutes
- Return the mince to the pan, add the chopped tomato, kidney beans, tomato puree and stock and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve with 50g brown rice.
Calories 641 Protein 51g Carbs 76g Fat 14g
Angry Eggs And Avocado
Prep time 5min Cook time 5min
This is a quick and tasty breakfast that takes the hassle out of poaching eggs. Many people steer clear of poached eggs because they are useless at making them but one simple trick means you can make perfect ones every time. We call this “angry eggs” because we’ve been inspired by the Italian word arrabbiata (literal translation, “angry”), which is associated with chilli-powered dishes. Our recipe contains spices to give the dish a kick and add an extra fat-burning factor. Enjoy!
Ingredients (serves one)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ avocado
- 1 slice wholemeal bread
- Squeeze of lime juice
- Chilli flakes
- Salt and pepper
- Handful of cherry tomatoes
- Handful of spinach
Method
- Toast one slice of bread.
- Scoop out half an avocado and mash it in a bowl. Add a generous squeeze of lime juice and give it a final mix. Spread the avocado mix on the toast.
- Bring a pan of water (about 4-5cm deep) to the boil.
- Break an egg into a ramekin. When the water is gently bubbling, slide the egg into the pan. Doing it this way, as opposed to cracking it straight in, helps to keep the egg together rather than spreading and giving you a rubbery white and an uncooked yolk.
- Repeat the process with the other egg so that both eggs are poaching in the pan simultaneously. When the eggs are done, take them out of the pan and place them on a square of kitchen roll to absorb excess moisture.
- Place the eggs on top of the avocado toast, season with chilli flakes, salt and pepper and serve with the tomatoes and spinach.
Calories 405 Protein 20g Carbs 22g Fat 27g
Spanish-Style Rice
Prep time 5min Cook time 40min
This sumptuous one-pot classic is one of our favourites. One of the secrets is that chorizo basically makes everything taste amazing. It is, of course, very calorie-dense, so you only use a relatively small amount, but that’s OK because it’s designed to give flavour – and you get an extra hit of protein and useful nutrients from the king prawns.
Ingredients (serves one)
- 100g king prawns
- 50g chorizo, sliced
- ½ onion, diced
- ½ red pepper, sliced
- 100g cherry tomatoes, diced
- 100g peas
- 1tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- ½tsp paprika
- 150ml vegetable stock
- 50g brown rice
- 100g broccoli florets
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Dice half an onion and gently fry it in a pan with a little rapeseed oil for a few minutes.
- Add the sliced chorizo and cook until some of the oil from the chorizo seeps out of the meat.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, red pepper, garlic, paprika and vegetable stock and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the mixture is simmering in the pan, start cooking the rice.
- Add the prawns and peas and cook for a further eight to ten minutes.
- Add the cooked brown rice to the mix, stir it all together, season with salt and pepper and serve with some steamed broccoli.
Calories 603 Protein 43g Carbs 61g Fat 20g
Punchy Protein Pancakes
Prep time 5min Cook time 5min
Pancakes feel like a really indulgent meal but this protein-packed version of a classic treat will help you to shrink rather than expand your waistline. Even better, it’s so simple to make. You just chuck the ingredients in a blender to make the mix, then fry them in a pan. The key to keeping things healthy is to load them up with Greek yogurt and fruit and keep the maple syrup tucked away in the cupboard. You can use any flavour of whey protein you like.
Ingredients (serves one)
- 15g whey protein powder
- 1 banana, sliced
- 2 eggs
- 100g low-fat Greek yogurt
- 50g blueberries
- 5g butter
- Cinnamon
Method
- Add the whey protein power, banana and eggs to a blender and blend the mixture until it is smooth.
- Melt the butter in a pan, then pour in the pancake mix so that if forms 10cm-wide discs.
- Cook the pancakes for 90 seconds, then turn and cook for a further 60 seconds.
- Serve with the yogurt and blueberries, and sprinkle some cinnamon over the top.
Calories 405 Protein 20g Carbs 22g Fat 27g
Shopping List
To make this as easy for you to follow as possible, we’ve compiled everything in the meal plan above into this shopping list. We’ve included quantities, although it’s unlikely your preferred supermarket will sell each item in the exact quantity you need, so expect to have some left over for the following weeks.
If you plan on doing one big shop, keep an eye on “use by” dates and freeze the meat that will be used towards the end of the seven days as soon as you get home – just make sure you defrost it thoroughly before using it. Otherwise, it may be worth doing a second, smaller shop midweek to pick up fresh ingredients.
Meat, Fish And Dairy
- Beef jerky (100g)
- Chicken breast (2)
- Chicken, whole (1)
- Chorizo (50g)
- Eggs (14)
- Honey-roast ham (50g)
- King prawns (100g)
- Lean, smoked bacon (3 rashers)
- Lean beef mince (300g)
- Low-fat Greek yogurt (950g)
- Parmesan
- Semi-skimmed milk (1.25 litres)
- Salmon fillet (1)
- Sirloin steak (2)
- Tuna (1 can)
- Turkey breast (1 serving)
- Whey protein powder (165g)
Carbs
- Brown rice (200g)
- Oats (30g)
- Oven chips
- Pasta (50g)
- Salt and vinegar rice cakes (12)
- Wholemeal bread (800g sliced loaf)
Fruit And Veg
- Apples (4)
- Avocados (3)
- Bananas (7, freeze 2)
- Blueberries (50g)
- Broccoli (3 heads)
- Carrots (4)
- Celery (3 sticks)
- Cherry tomatoes (2 packs)
- Chopped tomatoes (1 can)
- Courgette (2)
- Frozen berries (400g)
- Garlic (2 cloves)
- Grapefruit (1/2)
- Green beans (1 bag)
- Kidney beans (1 can)
- Lettuce (1)
- Lime (1)
- New potatoes (400g)
- Onions (4)
- Peas (100g)
- Peppers (4)
- Potatoes (200g)
- Red onion (1)
- Rocket (1 bag)
- Spinach (1 bag)
- Tomatoes (2)
- Tomato purée
Sundries
- Beef stock (300ml)
- Brazil nuts (50g)
- Chilli flakes
- Chilli powder (1tsp)
- Cinnamon
- Chocolate, 70% cocoa dark
- Dijon mustard (1tsp)
- Gravy
- Ground ginger (½tsp)
- Low-fat mayonnaise (2tbsp)
- Paprika
- Peanut butter (60g)
- Pepper
- Popcorn (1 small bag)
- Rapeseed oil
- Salt
- Soy sauce
- Unsalted butter
- Vegetable stock
