Vegetarian For Weight Loss
80 quick and delicious recipes, a guide to meal planning
that works- including 5 ready to roll meal plans
By Claire Ruiz BSc MSc,
Hauke Fox & Dave Bell
3
Contents
4
Introduction
09
1. Nutrition 101 For Vegetarians
10
2. Health Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet
16
3. Essential information on Losing Weight
17
4. Putting the Info into Practice- Create Your Own Meal Plan!
24
5. Recipes
27
Recipes (0-350 kcal)
28
Easy and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (80 kcal)
29
Mango Lassi (140 kcal)
31
Lean Kohlrabi Carrot Soup (310 kcal)
33
Banana Egg Pancakes (230 kcal)
35
Baked Eggs in Spinach and Tomato (240 kcal)
37
Breakfast Egg Muffins (260 kcal for 3 Muffins)
39
Crispy Veggie Pizza (290 kcal)
41
Quinoa Porridge with Blueberries (300 kcal)
43
Spicy Fresh Kiwi Banana Smoothie (300 kcal)
45
Red Lentil Soup (300 kcal)
47
Tangy Veggie Wrap (300 kcal)
49
Pear Walnut with a Must Taste Orange Mustard Dressing (300 kcal)
51
The Perfect Omelette (300 kcal)
53
Meatless Chili Con Carne (300 kcal)
55
Great British Eggy Bread (320 kcal)
57
Greek Pitas (340 kcal)
59
Recipes (350- 500 kcal)
61
Kat’s Overnight Oats in a Jar (350 kcal)
63
The Amazing Chickpea Spinach Salad (350 kcal)
65
Avocado Chickpea Salad (350 kcal)
67
High Protein White Bean Salad (360 kcal)
69
5
Italian Style Zucchini Noodles
les (360 kcal)
71
Red Onion Soup (600 kcal)
131
Black Bean and Corn Salad (370 kcal)
73
Easy Pasta Salad with an Exquisite Peanut Butter Dressing (660 kcal)
133
Blueberry Banana Protein Smoothie (270 kcal)
75
Baked Sweet Potatoes with a Five Star Feta Salad (670 kcal)
135
Satisfying Spinach Tomato Quesadillas (370 kcal)
77
Arugula Lentil Salad from Heaven (680 kcal)
k
137
Refreshing Avocado Tomato Salad (370 kcal)
79
Easy Creamy Veggie Stir-Fry (700 kcal)
139
Tomato Mozzarella Bread (370 kcal)
81
Creamy Broccoli Pasta (700 kcal)
141
Easy Veggie Quesadillas with a Melted Cheese Combo (380 kcal)
83
Avocado Spinach Fitness Smoothie (390 kcal)
85
Dips- Great company for many dishes!
143
Awesome Avocado Sandwich with Brie (400 kcal)
87
Simple Sexy Salsa (100 kcal)
145
Spicy Black Bean Soup (400 kcal)
89
Yogurt Arugula Dip (180 kcal)
147
Low Carb Cream Cheese Pancakes (400 kcal)
91
High Protein Black Bean Lime Dip (400 kcal)
149
Spicy Corn Chowder (410 kcal)
93
Persian Yogurt Mint Dip (420 kcal)
151
Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich (440 kcal)
95
Easy Mexican Guacamole (450 kcal)
153
Melted Feta Veggie Bake (450 kcal)
97
High Protein White Bean Dip (480 kcal)
155
3 Ingredient Cottage Cheese Pancakes (450 kcal)
99
Spicy Hummus Dip (550 kcal)
157
Creamy Asparagus Risotto (460 kcal)
101
Delicious Fake Lo Mein (470 kcal)
103
6. Meal Prepping Tips and Tricks
161
Turkish Lentil Salad (490 kcal)
105
Overnight Oats in a Jar (approx. 350 kcal per jar)
163
Salads in a Jar (approx. 400-600 kcal per jar)
164
Recipes (500- 750 kcal)
107
Buddha Bowls (approx. 600 kcal per bowl)
167
African Peanut Soup (500 kcal)
109
Steamed Vegetables and Greens
175
Asian Tofu Pineapple Salad (510 kcal)
111
Roasted Chickpeas
180
Easy Curried Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup (540 kcal)
113
Roasted Vegetables (apron. 600 kcal per serving)
187
Farmers Potato Hash (540 kcal)
115
High Protein Lentil Bean Salad (550 kcal)
117
Snacks
197
Fiery Dragon Noodles (550 kcal)
119
7. Five Ready to Roll Meal Plans
199
High Protein Kidney Bean Salad (550 kcal)
121
8. Track your Progress and Join the Veggie Weight Loss Group!
233
Easy Tomato Spinach Pasta (580 kcal)
123
9. Further Info and Contact
235
Quick and Easy Green Thai Curry (590 kcal)
125
Appendix - Calculating your Daily Calorie Intake
e
237
Quick and Creamy Avocado Pasta (600 kcal)
127
Disclaimer
249
Noodles with an Exquisite Hazelnut-Carrot Sauce (600 kcal)
129
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INTRODUCTION
Thanks for purchasing Vegetarian For Weight Loss! We hope you are as
excited about reading this book as we are about creating it for you.
The mission of this book: Let’s make vegetarian meal planning work for you!
This not only means effortlessly cutting out meat, but also thriving on a
vegetarian diet: lose weight in a healthy fashion.
We’ve teamed up with Claire Garcia Ruiz BSc MSc, nutritionist & health coach
who specialises in weight loss. After graduating (in marketing) Claire entered
the corporate world and with no time or interest in cooking she became a selfconfessed convenience food junkie, basically grabbing the easiest or nearest
food to her… and quickly paid the price!
After bouts of illness, fatigue, weight gain and a ‘broken’ body, Claire realised
something had to change. Heading back to university kick-started a lifelong
passion in good nutrition and she followed up her earlier studies with a Degree
in Nutrition, a Master’s in Weight Management and a Certification in Health
Coaching. Since then, in addition to supporting clients through her private
practice she has taught, lectured and written about a variety of nutrition
topics. The main focus of her work is in the field of weight management.
We’re proud to say she has taken on the responsibility of the theoretical parts
within this book using her exemplary knowledge and passion for food and
nutrition.
Hurry The Food Up, better known as Hauke, Kat and Dave, are a trio of food
lovers, who, with reckless abandon, create new and exciting meat-free recipes
(as well as taking on age-old classics of course).
Although we stay away from convenience food whenever possible, we
understand full well the restrictions of time and even ingredients and try
to make our food as easy, nutritious, quick and tasty as possible! We’ll be
supplying the cool tips, tricks and recipe ideas we’ve learnt through our blog,
www.hurrythefoodup.com, making sure all of Claire’s ideas are easy (and even
fun!) to implement.
Dave Bell, Kat
& Hauke Fox
Claire Garcia
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Sounds like a good combo, right?
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1. Nutrition 101 For Vegetarians
Let’s talk about protein
It would be really easy to think that being a vegetarian is an automatic pass to
We need protein in our diet for growth, repair and normal function of the body. If
better health and a slimmer waistline… and it should be! Unfortunately that’s
you start digging into science a bit more, you will find proteins are responsible
not always the case.
for all sorts of amazing processes including carrying vital substances around
the body. For example, you may have heard of haemoglobin but not know
Don’t worry though, we are here to guide you through some of the potential
that it is a metallo-protein that carries oxygen in the blood. Hormones like
pitfalls and to arm you with exciting, tasty recipes that will set you on the road
insulin (which regulates blood sugar in the body) are also proteins – pretty
to feeling vibrant, energetic and to be a healthy weight.
awesome stuff.
Let’s start with a quick crash course in nutrition:
The good news is meeting protein requirements shouldn’t present any issues
Nutritionally speaking, what we consume has two core functions:
for vegetarians. Still, there are a few factors worth mentioning here.
Firstly, it must give us energy for movement and body functions and nutrition
Historically vegetarians were told to “combine” different sources of proteins
for growth and repair.
at meal times to ensure the full range of amino acids were being met. Protein
Secondly it should protect us from and minimise the risk of disease
is an umbrella term used to cover all the different amino acids. Meats contain a
development.
full complement of all the amino acids but most plants sources do not (quinoa
is a notable exception to this general rule).
We know that food actually represents so much more than that. Food can
bring us together socially and be a source of joy, it can also be a source of
Amino acids fall into three categories; “essential” meaning that as humans
comfort and reassurance.
we cannot make them ourselves; “non-essential” meaning that we can use
nitrogen and carbon to make these proteins and “conditionally essential”
So we’ve established that our bodies need “nutrients” for energy, growth,
meaning that under certain conditions our body’s needs may outstrip its
repair and function but as humans we eat FOODS, not nutrients. It’s a subtle
ability to make them.
but important difference.
The historical advice to “combine” protein was based on two factors.
When was the last time you looked in the fridge and thought “I’d really love some
beta carotene right now, mixed with some zinc and a side of polyunsaturated
Firstly, that plant sources of protein do not contain the complete range of
fat?” What’s my point? Well, we will talk about a few key nutrients that need
amino acids.
some extra attention but apart from that we will be talking about food, meal
Secondly, there was a belief that the body can’t store any amino acids for
planning and great recipes.
future use.
Which nutrients might need more attention?
If you are eating a variety of foods in appropriate quantities, it’s unlikely that
you are missing out on any key nutrients as a result of being a vegetarian.
That said, there are some important points to mention in relation to:
Protein
We now know that the body has some ability to access amino acids from an
“amino acid pool”. This is made up of amino acids from dietary sources, from
our own tissues and from protein turnover in the body. What this means in
real terms is that vegetarians should aim to be eating a variety of sources
of protein but that they don’t necessarily need to combine them in the same
Omega 3 fats
meal. While we are on the subject of protein, if you eat eggs and dairy
Iron
products then these are sources of complete sources of protein in your day.
Vitamin B12
Harvard Health Publications - Becoming a Vegetarian. Retrieved from www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php
The Vegetarian Resource Group. Protein in the Vegan Diet. Retrieved from: www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php
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When we talk about incomplete proteins, two of the amino acids of particular
Omega 3 fats have different actions to Omega 6. They don’t have any marked
concern are lysine and methionine. Wheat and rice proteins are comparatively
effect on cholesterol levels but they do have important anti-inflammatory
low in lysine but better sources of methionine BUT beans and peas are
and anti-thrombotic effects (reducing the risk of blood clotting).
relatively high in lysine yet lower in methionine. On this basis we used to
anti-inflammatory processes may be particularly important if you have an
recommend that vegetarians mix these sources at meal times. It’s still good
inflammatory condition such as arthritis or eczema.
Their
practice to mix these but you don’t have to. Following the mantra of a “grain,
a green and a bean” will certainly stand you in good stead.
Omega 3 fats are also important for brain function and a healthy nervous
system. If you grew up being told that “eating fish will make you smarter” this
Key message: A varied vegetarian diet can provide all the protein you need.
is where that saying comes from.
Include a wide variety of protein containing foods:
Knowing that oily fish is a great source of Omega 3 doesn’t really help you out
Nuts, peas, beans (including peanuts)
as a vegetarian. But don’t worry, there are lots of good sources of Omega 3
Dairy products (cheese has similar protein to meat/fish by weight)
within the plant kingdom too.
Eggs (considered a complete protein)
Tofu and meat substitutes (myco-protein)*
Key message: Ratios matter. You may need to be mindful of Omega 6 intake
Rice, grains, pasta, quinoa and breads
and increase Omega 3 to get the balance right.
*Myco-protein contains all of the essential amino acids and is therefore considered to be a
Include a wide variety of Omega 3 containing foods:
“complete” protein. It also has the advantage of potentially making it easier to transition from a
meat based diet to a vegetarian one since it can be used as a direct meat substitute.
Flax seeds
Chia seeds
Eggs are often fortified with Omega 3. This is achieved by giving hens diets
that are rich in Omega 3.
Let’s talk about fat, and in particular, omega 3 fatty
acids
Omega 3 fatty acids belong to the polyunsaturated fats family of which we
Let’s talk about vitamin B12
mainly talk about Omega 3 and Omega 6. Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats both
Important functions of vitamin B12 include the production of our red blood
play important functional roles in the body but there’s a good reason why we
cells, maintaining a healthy nervous system and assisting with the release of
talk more about Omega 3 than we do about Omega 6. This is due to the fact
energy from food.
that the typical Western diet is too high in Omega 6 relative to Omega 3.
Most foods in the animal kingdom contain vitamin B12. The good news for
It’s not entirely clear what the optimum ratio is, but we definitely need to
vegetarians (as opposed to vegans) is that dairy products and eggs are
be focusing on increasing our intakes of Omega 3 and being mindful of not
sources of B12.
over consuming Omega 6. Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats compete for the same
enzymes to break them down so it’s important to get the balance right.
Also, many foods are fortified with B12. Examples of these include breakfast
cereals, yeast extracts and non-dairy alternatives such as soy, almond and rice
Omega 6 fats have a cholesterol lowering effect but consuming more is not
milks. Do be careful to check the labels though as not all products in these
better because they lower both HDL (“good cholesterol”) and LDL cholesterol
categories are necessarily fortified with B12.
(“bad” cholesterol”).
Saunders, A., Davis, B. C. & Garg. M.L. (2012). Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vegetarian diets. Medical
Journal of Australia, 1 (suppl. 2), 22-26. doi: 10.5694/mjao11.11507
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Key message: Vegans need to keep an eye on vitamin B12 and even consider
Key message: Vegetarians need to eat plenty of iron rich foods and should
taking a vitamin B12 supplement. If you eat eggs and dairy on a regular basis
include a vitamin C source with these foods to promote iron absorption.
you should be meeting your B12 requirements.
Good sources of iron in a vegetarian diet include:
Good sources of vitamin B12 in a vegetarian diet include:
Chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans and other pulses
Eggs
Tofu
Dairy products -cheese and milk are natural sources
Sprouted beans and seeds
Yeast extract - a fortified source
Breakfast cereals and bread
Fortified cereals, soya milks, and soya yogurts
Green leafy vegetables like kale and cabbage, and also broccoli
Nuts, such as almonds and cashews
Let’s talk about iron
Dried apricots, dates and raisins
Iron is needed to carry oxygen around the body in the blood and muscle
Date syrup and molasses
tissues. Iron is also needed to help chemical reactions take place in the body.
Included in this are reactions involved in the cellular production of energy.
So it’s easy to see why you would feel pretty rubbish if you were not getting
enough of this very important mineral in your diet.
Here’s a fact that a lot of people in the general population don’t know: in
Western societies we get more of our iron from cereal products than we do
from meat products. This is due to the fortification of cereals with iron. So
a vegetarian diet doesn’t need to cause any problems when it comes to iron
intake. HOWEVER, poorly managed vegetarian diets can put you at risk of
iron deficiency.
The issue with iron in vegetarian foods versus meats/meat products is due to
the relative ease with which we can absorb the iron in the food.
Iron from meat (haem iron) is much more readily absorbed than iron from
vegetarian sources (non-haem iron).
Sources of iron in a vegetarian diet
include fortified cereals and breads, green leafy vegetables, nuts, dried fruits,
tofu, lentils, beans and pulses. Naturally occurring compounds in these foods
such as phytates reduce iron absorption. Tannins in tea have a similar effect
(so drinking black tea at meal times isn’t a great idea).
You can increase the amount of iron that is absorbed from food by also having
a source of vitamin C with your meal. We typically think of fruit when we think
of vitamin C, but we also get vitamin C from vegetables. Green vegetables
such as broccoli, kale and cabbage all have vitamin C but remember that
vitamin C gets lost relative to the method of cooking (we’ll talk more about
that later).
The American Dietetic Association. (2009). Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets. doi:
10.1016/j.jada.2009.05.027
U.S. Dietary Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved from: www.vegsoc.org/iron
14
 The Vegetarian Society. Health & Nutritional Fact Sheets: Iron. Retrieved from:
ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
15
2. Health Benefits of a Vegetarian
Diet
3. Essential Information on Losing
Weight
A vegetarian diet can meet nutritional requirements throughout all the stages
Modern life can get hectic and it can be tempting to grab and go on the run
of life. A vegetarian diet can have higher levels of antioxidants, fibre, folate
and to keep cooking the same 5-8 dishes over and over. We believe in finding
and phytochemicals. A vegetarian diet can have lower levels of saturated fat
shortcuts to great nutrition and making life as easy as possible.
and a better balance of dietary fats in general.
Even with shortcuts and quick recipes, it can take time to adapt to new habits
Vegetarians as a population have a lower rate of the common conditions list
and to get used to having certain ingredients in the house as staple items.
below. A poorly managed vegetarian diet that is high in processed foods,
added sugars or is lacking in key nutrients will not confer the same benefits:
Don’t worry. It’s better to start making some changes than making none at all.
Use the information in this book to suit your lifestyle and your needs. It’s not
Obesity
a race and there’s no prize for the person who gets there first (except perhaps
Heart disease
the great feeling that comes with eating healthy, tasty and nutritious food on
Lower rates of hypertension
a regular basis).
Lower LDL cholesterol
High blood pressure
What does a “healthy” diet look like?
Type II diabetes
Guidelines on what constitutes a healthy diet are in essence the same for
Overall lower rates of cancer
vegetarians as they are for non-vegetarians. It looks something like the image
below (see image 1. The Vegetarian Eatwell Plate).
Is a vegetarian diet automatically a healthier way
of eating?
There are some very important points
to note about the Eatwell Plate. The
Unfortunately, not necessarily. It’s possible to be a vegetarian and to have
Eatwell plate is from the UK. It goes by
just as many imbalances in your diet as someone who is not a vegetarian.
different names in different countries.
Examples of how this might happen include:
Sometimes, it’s a pyramid or another
shape - but the underlying principles
Using a lot of oil in cooking
are the same.
High sugar contents of foods or adding sugar
Canned beans with added salt
It’s a pictorial representation of your
High calorie sauces/toppings/dressings
food intake throughout the day but,
Salted or sugared nuts and seeds
even though it’s a picture of a plate,
Over reliance on cheese or other dairy products
it doesn’t actually show what any
Cakes, confectionery, chocolate, biscuits, crisps
particular meal should look like - which
Sodas, juices and alcohol
can be a little confusing. What it does
Large portion sizes
show is the overall balance of foods
Snacking habits
from the five different food groups.
The Eatwell Plate is a great starting
Even if all the food you are eating is technically healthy, you could still be
eating too much relative to your needs.
 Katz. D.L. & Meller, S. (2014). Can we say what diet is best for health? Annual Reviews of Public Health, 35, 83-103. doi:
10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032013-182351
Boeing, H., Bechthold, A., Bub, A., Ellinger, S., Haller, D., Kroke, A., …Watzl, B. (2012). Critical review: vegetables and fruit
in the prevention of chronic diseases. European Journal of Nutrition, 51 (6), 638-663. doi:10.1007/s00394-012-0380-y
Image 1: The Vegetarian Eatwell Plate
point to reflect on the overall balance
of your diet. Most of us eat too much
17
of the purple section (high fat/sugar) (even the “health conscious” people) so
Eating for weight loss
it’s a great reminder to make some changes to readdress the balance.
As a rough rule of thumb, for weight loss we aim for 1500 kcal per day for
women and 1800 kcal per day for men. Your starting weight and activity levels
Some key messages to take from the Eatwell Plate is that about...
will dictate how much weight you lose each week at these calorie intakes but
we don’t recommend falling below 1500 kcal as you may start to compromise
...one third of the volume of our food intake should come from fruits and
your nutritional intake.
vegetables,
If you belong to the readers who want to know a very close approximation
...another third should come from carbohydrates and starchy foods (breads,
of your individual daily calorie intake (Basal Metabolic Rate or in short BMR),
rice, potato, pasta etc)
we have laid out the maths in the Appendix. If you are not interested in the
science behind it (totally understandable, we’re not offended), then feel free
...and the remainder from protein and dairy sources.
to calculate your individual daily calorie intake using a free online calculator
such as the one on the Diabetes UK website or the one found on GLOBALRPh.
There is also a small allocation for foods that are high in fat and/or sugar. In
the meal planning section later on you’ll get to see a practical application of
Alternatively, you can skip calculating your daily calorie intake altogether
Eatwell Plate advice.
without a worry, because it really is just a rough guideline.
The second very important point about the plate is the relatively small
Before you rush off to our appendix or one of the calculators either way
representation of foods high in fat and/or sugar. If you were to map out your
please know that your gut feeling is much more important than those calorie
own intake, how big would this section actually be?
numbers.
How do I use this advice to help me lose weight?
If you feel constantly hungry on our recommended daily calorie intake (1500
When I think about my weight loss clients (regardless of whether they are
kcal; 1800 kcal), please make your portions a little bigger. Changing eating
meat eaters or non meat eaters) they fall into two broad categories.
habits and losing weight surely can be uncomfortable at times, but it should
never feel like suffering!
“Healthy diet with sugar/fat on top” are people who eat healthy foods in the
correct proportions but eat too much high fat/high sugar foods in ADDITION
Focus on good quality food, vegetables and some amount of physical activity.
to their otherwise healthy diet.
Your body will have no other way than dropping pounds and moving towards
your ideal weight. Slow and steady wins the race. A too radical diet regimen
“Getting the balance wrong” are people who eat too much high fat/high
will more likely make your circulation crash. And that’s usually when the yo-yo
sugar at the EXPENSE of other food groups (very often at the expense of
effect kicks in bringing you back to your old weight.
fruit/vegetable intake).
A special note about weight loss and that skinny friend that we all love to
There are other factors outside of calorie intake that can affect people but
hate….
that’s beyond the scope of this ebook. Reflect on your own diet and see
where their might be some imbalances. Apply some logic when you do this.
If you’ve tried to lose weight in the past or are trying to lose weight now you
Information is pretty cheap these days and most of my clients don’t need me
may feel frustrated and unsure about how to move forward. It doesn’t help
to tell them which foods are high in calories - it’s certainly not apples and kale.
when you have a skinny friend who seems to be able to eat whatever she (or
Very large servings of carbohydrates, too much fat and too much sugar are
he) likes.
generally where most people come unstuck. I feel there’s no need to mention
alcohol - if you are committed to a healthier waistline it’s best to shelve alcohol
I want to introduce you to an interesting example about how the numbers
until you reach your target weight (or at the very least make it a less than
work and why you are not in fact going crazy - your skinny friend actually can
weekly part of your diet).
eat more than you and not gain weight.
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In summary, while Beth is trying to lose weight she needs to be eating at least
Here is why:
500 kcal less than her skinny friend to stimulate weight loss. BUT, the good
news is that once Beth gets to her target weight she can increase her calories
Imagine two 35 year old women, both average height, let’s say 5’ 6’’ (168 cm)
back up to Jane’s level.
and one woman (we’ll call her Jane) is 132 lbs (approximately 60 kg). Her Body
Mass Index is a healthy 21 kg/m2.
The aim of the above example isn’t to get you feeling depressed, it’s to
empower you with the knowledge you need to succeed.
Her friend (same height) is 188 lbs (a little over 85 kg) giving her a BMI of 30
kg/m2 which is right at the top of the overweight range and heading into the
Will I need to calorie count?
obese category. Let’s call the second lady Beth.
We don’t personally believe in long term calorie counting but we do believe
that it’s important to have an understanding of the calories in the foods and
Now, here is where it gets interesting. Assuming that they lead similar lives in
drinks that you consume.
terms of their energy expenditure (regardless of whether that’s working out,
walking a dog, having a job that keeps them moving or running around after a
Energy dense items have a lot of calories relative to their physical mass/
toddler - or indeed all of the above) this is how their calorie requirements look:
volume. This is down to the higher calories per gram for fat and alcohol
and can also be due to the relative amount of water in a product. It’s really
Jane is happy at her current weight and is not trying to lose or gain weight.
important to become “calorie aware” so that you don’t mistake eating a small
Assuming no underlying medical issues her daily calorie requirement when
volume of food for eating a small number of calories.
she is moderately active is approximately 2000 kcal.
Beth is fed up at her current weight, she has clothes that she loves but can’t
wear and is determined not to go out and buy a new wardrobe. She can’t
figure out why it is that Jane seems to be able to eat more than her. Beth has
decided that she wants to lose a steady 2 lbs (almost 1 kg) per week.
Not all calories are equal. Quality counts.
Since we’ve talked a bit about calories, it’s important to get back to talking
about food. Yes calories matter and yes if you want to lose weight, it’s
important to know what a 300 kcal versus a 600 kcal breakfast looks like but
it’s also really important not to get hung up on calories.
To do this, her daily calorie intake for that week would need to be in the region
of 1300 kcal. So that’s lower than the minimum calorie benchmark of 1500
kcal. So she could eat 1500 kcal per day but then she would have settle for a
little less than 2 lbs per week weight loss or increase her physical activity to
make up the difference. To keep to her target, she would need to stay down
Let’s take some time to mention some very important reasons why you should
understand calories and then agree to not think about them too much (a
bit like air or gravity). When you eat healthy, nutritious foods, in balanced
proportions you can expect some really great benefits that go beyond weight
loss. If you are a geek like me you might just find yourself getting a little bit
at 1300 kcal.
excited about what good quality food can do for you:
You can see why Beth would be feeling frustrated and disheartened - what
she hasn’t realised, is that there is a world of difference between weight
Get enough fibre to keep your gut healthy and help keep you feeling fuller for
longer
maintenance and weight loss.
What can make matters worse is that when Beth was in her mid 20s and not
Have sustainable energy (so you don’t get those 10am and 2pm dips)
her mid 30s her daily calorie allowance for weight losses of 2 lbs per week
was 1625 kcal per week (a regime that would be much easier to follow).
Get the micronutrients that your body needs to work at a cellular level. That’s
all the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that support just about every
This is why people find it much more difficult to lose weight as they get older.
The strategies that used to work don’t work anymore because they don’t have
process in your body whether that’s protecting you from free radical damage
or converting the amino acid tryptophan to the feel good neurotransmitter
serotonin (there’s so much going on every day that we never think about but
the same body as before.
that requires good nutrition)
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Have good hunger and appetite control
Fruits and vegetables supply a vast array of phytonutrients. We need to eat a
rainbow of colours to ensure that we get the benefits of these amazing plant
Get adequate protein for repair, growth and normal hormone function
nutrients. The exciting thing about the world of phytochemicals is that we
have only discovered the tip of the iceberg in terms of our understanding of
Get healthy fats for a healthy mind and nervous system. Healthy fats can also
these incredible compounds.
help with appetite control
Examples of phytonutrients in plant foods include the carotenoids, flavonoids,
Poor quality food just isn’t going to perform as well in the above areas.
phytoestrogens, glucosinolates and sulfides to name a few. These compounds
have a wide variety of important properties including being anti-carcinogenic,
Let’s imagine a lunchtime scenario: You go to buy lunch and come away with
anti-microbial, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic.
a sugary drink, a cheese sandwich (on white bread), a pack of crisps (potato
chips) and a bar of chocolate. This is a vegetarian meal and it’s not a huge
In practice you don’t need to know the names of the phytonutrients or the
volume of food.
fantastic functional roles that they play. It’s just important to know that you
should aim to regularly eat plant foods that are orange, red, green, yellow,
Imagine, if instead you had selected a cheese salad (with dressing but no
purple, white and blue in colour.
mayonnaise or coleslaw), a bottle of water, and an apple. We don’t need to
calculate the calories for you to see the difference between these two meals.
You instinctively know that the second is better for you and is more likely
to support your health and move you towards being a healthy weight. The
only thing you need to know about calories in this instance is that too much
dressing or lots of mayonnaise/coleslaw in a salad option could easily trip you
up when you are trying to lose weight.
It’s far better to make quality choices and just cast your eye over the calories
so that you don’t make any inadvertent mistakes. Even if you kept the cheese
sandwich and just swapped out the drink and the crisps, it’s easy to see that
Cooking/preparation methods as well…
As a general rule of thumb, fruits and vegetables retain more nutrients if they
are eaten raw or very lightly cooked. There are some exceptions to this but for
the most part it’s good to get some raw foods into your day (this obviously
applies only to those foods that can safely be eaten without cooking them).
If you don’t like raw vegetables, steaming vegetables helps to retain more
nutrients than boiling (ever noticed that the water is coloured - that’s nutrients
going down the plughole).
you are moving towards better health and promoting a healthy weight at the
From a weight loss perspective, using oils and fats in cooking adds to the
same time.
overall calorie profile of a meal. The same is true for salads and oil/mayonnaise
based dressings. It’s not about using no oil at all (fats are not the enemy), but
Variety counts too…
it is about using appropriate amounts to support your weight loss goals.
It’s really great that foods fall into generic categories. So , we can group all the
grains and other sources of starch together and group all the protein sources
together to get an overall picture of how to build a healthy balanced diet.
BUT, there are variations in the nutritional profiles of each of the foods within
the group. Let’s look at a few examples to highlight the point:
Oats are a great source of fibre. They help to lower cholesterol and release
energy in a sustained way which helps with blood sugar regulation and
appetite control.
Quinoa is also a great source of fibre but has the added benefit of being a
complete source of protein. That doesn’t mean you should always choose
quinoa over oats but that you should mix and match your foods.
22
 Leitzmann, C. (2014). Vegetarian nutrition: past, present, future. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. doi:10.3945/
ajcn.113.071365
23
4. Putting the Info into Practice Create Your Own Meal Plan!
To support you on the road to weight loss, we will use calories as a starting
1800 KCAL DAY (MEN)
BREAKFAST
400 KCAL
SNACK*
200 KCAL
LUNCH
500 KCAL
SNACK*
100 KCAL
DINNER
600 KCAL
TOTAL
1800 KCAL
point for creating a meal plan. This will enable you to mix and match and swap
things out with the confidence that you will still be on track.
We do realise that it may seem contradictory to talk about calories and then
say, “don’t get hung up on calories” and then give a meal plan that is based
*Total snack allowance is 300.
The total can be used as snacks,
occasional alcohol intake or
could be allocated into other
around calories. But, there’s method to our madness.
meal times (breakfast/lunch/
dinner).
Think of it like learning how to drive. When you first start you need to know
where everything is, what everything does, what the rules of the road are etc.
But once you’ve learnt how to drive you can do it on autopilot without having
to overthink everything.
So, that’s all we are doing. We are giving you the details and mechanics so
Step 2: Create your meal plan
you can understand why our meal plans look the way they do so that you can
Probably the easiest way to create your meal plan is just by printing out a
learn how to successfully lose weight without having to think about it.
template and filling in the recipes by hand. Everything else is overly fancy in
What does that mean in practice? First we’ll show you how to set up your own
our eyes.
meal plan within minutes. It’ll help you lose weight and you’ll be sure to have
quick, easy and delicious meals on your plate!
Feel free to use our template over here. You can also copy the file to your
computer, if you like.
Step 1: Know your calories
Below are the calories you’re “allowed” to take in per day when you’re
Before you pick your recipes, here are a few things to keep in mind:
following the plans. You can shuffle them around, but usually this is the way
most people eat. Breakfast, a snack around 11am, a relatively light lunch,
Making more than 5-8 completely new recipes per week will probably seem a
another snack around 4pm and a filling dinner.
bit daunting if you’re not totally confident in the kitchen.
Try keeping breakfast simple and similar for a couple of days.
1500 KCAL DAY (WOMEN)
Try making double batches of meals to eat the same dish for lunch or dinner
BREAKFAST
300 KCAL
SNACK*
100 KCAL
LUNCH
400 KCAL
the next day. It’ll save a lot of time.
*Total snack allowance is 200.
This could be one snack of
Do you have your own recipes you’d like to include? On myfitnesspal.com you
50 plus one of 150. Or just
can roughly calculate their calories to get an idea if they fit your new plan.
one snack of 200. Also, these
SNACK*
100 KCAL
could be allocated into other
meal times (breakfast/lunch/
DINNER
600 KCAL
TOTAL
1500 KCAL
24
dinner)
or
as
occasional
Alright, you know what you’re doing, now you just need the recipes! You’ll find
ours in chapter 5!
alcohol.
25
5. RECIPES
0 - 350
Calorie Recipes
Th e re c i p e s a re l i s t e d a c c o rd i n g t o
t h e i r c a l o r i e s p e r s e r v i n g . T h i s way
yo u c a n e a s i l y f i t t h e m i n t o t h e r i g h t
s p o t o f yo u r m e a l p l a n .
VEGETARIAN
High in iron, vitamin C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 80 kcal, 2g fat,
lunch, dinner
13.5g carbs, 4.5g protein
Prep 4 mins Cook 25 mins
Serves 4
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Dice the onion and cook it on a medium heat in a
big saucepan in olive oil for 5 minutes. Crush the
garlic and add it to the onions and cook for 30
seconds.
¾ liter/3 cups vegetable
stock
1 red onion
2 tins diced tomatoes (or 1
Then add the tomatoes (fresh and/or tinned) and
the stock and let it simmer.
After 20 minutes wash and cut the basil and add it
to the soup.
tin and 200g fresh tomatoes)
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup basil leaves (good
handful)
1 tbl spoon of tomato paste
If you used fresh tomatoes and don’t want the skin,
pluck them out and remove it from the softened
tomatoes. Otherwise leave it in there!
Add the tomato paste, honey and Greek yogurt and
blend it smoothly using a hand blender/liquidizer.
2 tsp spoon honey/agave
syrup
100 gr. Greek no fat yogurt
Salt
Optional
Sambal Oelek or a spicy
Add salt to taste and extra basil leaves as garnish.
If you like yours with an extra punch then add some
sambal oelek or a spicy sauce of your choice!
Bon Appetite!
29
sauce of your choice as
garnish
0-350 Cal
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (80 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in calcium, vitamin A & C
Nutrition per serving: 140 kcal, 0.5g fat,
Recommended for:
breakfast, snack
27.5g carbs, 6.5g protein
Prep 5 mins Cook 0 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Peel, halve and remove the stones from the
mango (how to cut a mango ← this lady explains it
pretty well).
1 ripe mango (a soft, ready
mango is absolutely essential
here)
Chuck into a blender with the other ingredients.
Blend.
300ml or 1 ¼ cup whole
milk yogurt (use non or lowfat if you wanna knock off a few
Cool in fridge.
extra calories)
Vegans can of course use
Enjoy.
their favourite non-dairy
yogurt, such as a soya
600ml or 2 ½ cup water
Optional
1 tablespoon brown sugar
(add if the mango is not sweet
enough)
Cardamom Powder
31
0-350 Cal
Mango lassi (140 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin A&C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 310 kcal, 9g fat, 41g
lunch, dinner
carbs, 20.5g protein
Prep 8 mins Cook 22 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Dice up the onion, throw it in a pot with the butter
or oil.
3 carrots
1 kohlrabi
Let it simmer on a very low heat while you’re
taking care of the other veggies. Peel the carrots
and kohlrabi (unless they’re bio - you can eat the
outside of the carrots and kohlrabi if you want).
Dice and throw them all into the pot with some
more butter. Add the stock and cook on a medium
heat for about 15 mins. Turn the heat down and
add the cream cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
1 medium onion
100g low fat cream cheese
500ml/2 cups vegetable
stock
Knob of butter/tbsp oil
A small handful of chopped
parsley (as always, dried will do
the trick too!)
Couple of dashes salt and
Cook for a final 5 minutes on a low heat to get the
cheese mixed in.
pepper
Now it’s showtime: Use a hand blender to process
the soup (this doesn’t have to be done perfectly,
uneven lumps will give the soup a nice texture).
Sprinkle a couple more parsley leaves on top.
Optional
Serve and mix in some grated ginger for extra
freshness.
Enjoy!
33
1 cm of gingerBaking paper
or muffin cups
0-350 Cal
Lean Kohlrabi Carrot Soup (310 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in vitamin B12, protein and iron
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 240 kcal, 9g fat,
breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack
27.5g carbs, 12g protein
Prep 3 mins Cook 7 mins
Serves 1
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Mash up bananas with a fork in a large bowl.
Whisk eggs with a fork and add to banana paste
Fry in a pan with a little heated oil or butter
1 banana
2 eggs
Optional
1 tbsp of coconut powder
Done!
A small handful of
hazelnuts, almonds or
Here are some ideas for extra ingredients to pimp
these pancakes up. Check them out in optional
ingredients!
walnuts
1 tbsp of peanut butter
1 tbsp of protein powder
1 tbsp of raisins
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of vanilla extract
A few thin slices of apple or
pears
Pumpkin puree (organic)
Topping ideas
Cherries, strawberries
Yogurt
Lemon juice
35
0-350 Cal
Banana Egg Pancakes (230 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in iron, protein, vitamin B12, A&C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 240 kcal, 14g fat,
15g carbs, 15g protein
breakfast, lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins Cook 20 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Dice the onion
and chop the tomatoes (or open tin).
50g spinach or mixed
leaves
Mix the onion and tomatoes with the spinach. Add
everything else and stir up, leaving only the eggs
aside.
½ tin chopped tomatoes or
4 real chopped tomatoes
1 small onion
50g cheese (cheddar works
Place mix into two small ovenproof bowls (or one
large) and make a well in the centre of each. Crack
the eggs (separately of course!) and pour into the
wells
well, but your favourite will no
doubt work too)
1 tbsp olive oil
Balsamic vinegar/sauce (if
Place in oven and cook for 20 minutes at 200°C.
Keep an eye on the egg - when it looks cooked
then remove the dishes from the oven, there’s no
need to cook any longer. In my oven it takes around
22 mins, in Howie’s, 18
you have it)
½ cup chopped basil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
pinch of salt and pepper
2 eggs
Add another dash of salt and pepper to the top.
Enjoy (serve with nice, crusty bread if you fancy)
Optional
Crusty bread
37
0-350 Cal
Baked Eggs in Spinach and Tomato (240 kcaL)
High in protein, iron, vitamin B12, A&C
VEGETARIAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per 3 muffins: 260 kcal,
breakfast, snack
14g fat, 16g carbs, 20g protein
Prep 5 mins. Cook 18 mins
Makes 6 muffins
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 390°F.
(To go 12 muffin full throttle, just
double the batch)
Wash and dice the pepper, onions and tomatoes
and put them in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs
and salt and mix well. Pro tip - crack the eggs
separately before adding. That way if you get a
dodgy one, it won’t ruin the whole meal.
Optionally add some hot sauce, curry powder...
whatever you like. Hot sauce is great!
1 bell pepper (your favourite
colour)
3 spring onions
4 little cherry tomatoes/
one normal tomato
6 Eggs
1 tsp salt
Grease the muffin tin with oil and kitchen paper/
baking brush and pour the egg mixture evenly into
the muffin slots. (If you think they might still stick
to the tin use some muffin cups or cut out some
baking paper and to use as cups - definitely saves
time on doing the washing up ;)
12 slot muffin tin
Optional - these all go great.
Add whatever you fancy!
2 slices cheese, around 50g
(eg. cheddar)
If you’re so inclined then layering some cheese
over the top of each muffin before they go into the
oven is a delicious addition! You can also mix in the
cheese to the batter.
handful of spinach
Pop the tray into the oven for 18 minutes or until
the tops are firm to the touch.
Baking paper or muffin
Bon appetit!!
39
2-3 splashes of hot sauce
or curry powder
2 tsp of sambal oelek
cups
0-350 Cal
BREAKFAST EGG MUFFINS
(250 kcal for
3 muffins)
VEGETARIAN
High in vitamin C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 260 kcal,
lunch, dinner
14g fat, 16g carbs, 20g protein
Prep 10 mins Cook 12 mins
Makes 4 pizzas
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Spread the salsa/puree over each tortilla.
4 tortillas (whole wheat ideally)
1 jar salsa/make your own/
Lob on the basil.
tomato puree
Slice the cheese into thin layers and add to tortillas
Chop the veg into small pieces then place evenly
on tortillas.
Cook in the oven for 10-15 mins at 180°C - don’t let
the tortillas burn!
1 ball (ca. 220g) mozzarella
cheese/ or 100g feta/
whatever you fancy
Handful olives
1 white or red onion
One jalapeño/pepperonis
Munch
(not the meaty kind ofc!)
4 small tomatoes
Half a bell pepper (your fave
colour)
½ cup basil (dried is fine but
you won’t need half a cup)
Optional
1 chilli pepper
½ tin sweetcorn
It’s your pizza, add your
favourite toppings :)
41
0-350 Cal
Crispy Veggie Pizza (290 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in protein and iron
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 300 kcal, 8g fat,
48g carbs, 12g protein
breakfast
Prep 20 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Quinoa is cooked with 2 parts liquid to one part quinoa.
So, get a pot, add half a cup of quinoa, half a cup of
water and half a cup of soy milk. Bring to a boil and
then turn down to a low heat. You don’t need a lid.
Now add the spices: cardamom, anise, cinnamon and a
pinch of salt. Cut the almonds and apricots into slices
and throw them into the pot as well. Hold back a few of
each for garnish.
Let everything simmer for about 20 minutes until the
quinoa is soft and the liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile,
grab a pan and throw in the blueberries. If you use fresh
ones, mash them a little with a fork. Let them simmer
until they resemble marmalade. That’ll take about 5
minutes.
Once the quinoa is done, fish out the anise star and
cardamom pods. We probably don’t need to tell you,
but poking fingers into hot porridge isn’t necessarily the
greatest of ideas - use a fork or something ;) Alrighty,
now it’s time to make like the Avengers and assemble:
grab a bowl and add the quinoa. Pour a little more
soy milk over your concoction. Now add the blueberry
sauce. Sprinkle a few more almond and apricot slices
and perhaps a couple of coconut flakes to finish it off.
Enjoy!
43
Half a cup quinoa (about
90g)
1/2 cup water
1 cup soy milk
1 anise star (known as aniseed
to some!)
3 cardamom pods
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp almonds, chopped
into pieces
2 tbsp dried apricots
8-10 tbsp blueberries
Optional
Coconut flakes for
garnishcups
0-350 Cal
Quinoa Porridge with Blueberries (300 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in fiber, protein, calcium and vitamin C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 300 kcal, 3g fat, 59g
breakfast, light dinner
carbs, 11g protein
Prep 3 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Skin the kiwis - chop of the top and bottom, stand
and slice off the edges (not your fingers)
3 kiwi fruits
2 bananas
Peel bananas (a monkey can do it, so can you)
200ml or ¾ cup milk, soy
milk, oat milk, rice milk
Chop or grate ginger
200ml or ¾ cup low fat
yogurt
Throw fruits, oats and ginger into a blender with
the milk and yoghurt
4 tbsp/40gr porridge oats
1cm diced/grated ginger
Blend
Drink!
Optional
Honey to taste
45
0-350 Cal
Spicy Fresh Kiwi Banana Smoothie (300 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein, fiber, iron and vitamin A
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 300 kcal, 2g fat, 50.5g
carbs, 20g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins Cook 20 mins
Serves 2 (large)
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Get a pot, add some oil.
2 Carrots
1 Onion
Cut carrots and the onion.
1250ml Vegetable Broth
1 cup of Natural Yogurt
Add them with the lentils into the pot.
200g (7 oz) Red Lentils
Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes on low heat.
Stir a little until lentils are covered with oil. (They
open their pores which then tastes better.)
Add vegetable broth and yogurt.
Let the soup simmer approx. 20 minutes on low
heat
Season with salt and pepper.
Add few dashes of lemon juice.
Blend it, if you have one. Ready.
47
Few dashes of lemon juice
(optional)
One clove/dash dried garlic
0-350 Cal
Red Lentil Soup (300 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein, vitamin B12, A&C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 300 kcal, 8.5g fat, 40.5g
carbs, 15.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 3 mins Cook 25 mins
Serves 2 (large)
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Roast the sunflower seeds in a pan without any oil/
fat until golden brown.
3 tbsps sunflower seeds
2 small carrots
Peel and grate the carrots. Wash and dice the bell
pepper (get rid of the seeds and white bits).
Peel the onion and cut in thin rings.
Small red onion/ half a
large red onion
Quarter bell pepper (your
favourite colour)
Wash and drain the spinach.
Small handful of spinach
Wash the bean sprouts with cold water and shake
or pat dry dry.
leaves (or similar)
Appr 2 cm ginger
100 gr cottage cheese
For the dressing:
Peel the ginger and grate it into a bowl. Add the
cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon zest and dijon
mustard and mix it well.
50 Greek yogurt/sour
cream
Zest of half a lemon
2 tbsps dijon mustard/
Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the wraps,
stopping about 1cm from the edge. Lay out the
spinach leaves on top. Put the carrots, pepper,
onions and bean sprouts in a wide line down the
middle and sprinkle the roasted sunflower seeds
on top. Season with a dash of salt and pepper and
fold the wraps a little on both sides, then at the
bottom and roll it as tightly as possible (without
squishing the insides out!).
wasabi paste
Cut the wraps into halves and serve. Enjoy!
too...
49
2 tortilla wraps
Salt and pepper
Optional
Add 2 big spoons of bean
sprouts - if you like them,
they’re really healthy! And
they add a lovely crunch
0-350 Cal
Tangy Veggie Wrap (300 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in vitamin C and omega 3
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 300 kcal, 14g fat,
47g carbs, 4.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 15 mins
Serves 2 (also works as
salad in a jar)
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Crush the walnuts.
½ cup shelled walnuts
Dice the pear and dried fruits into small cubes. Think
roughly the size of a quartered date. If you’re using
raisins, you can probably leave those as they are ;).
1 pear
½ cup dried dates/
cranberries/raisins
4 cups rocket (arugula, rucola)
Add them and the washed rocket and/or lamb’s lettuce
to the bowl too. Do make sure you wash the salad first,
rocket often comes with a load of grit!
or lamb’s lettuce (corn salad)
Juice of half an orange/1/8
cup orange juice
Mix the orange juice, balsamic cream, mustard and olive
oil together. Chuck in a dash or two of salt and pepper.
Stir into the salad. Serve. Done!
1 tbsp balsamic cream or
vinegar
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional
Serve with toasted
wholemeal bread or
baguette
51
0-350 Cal
Pear Walnut Salad (300 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein and vitamin B12
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 300 kcal, 27g fat,
1g carbs, 16.5g protein
breakfast, lunch
Prep 2 mins Cook 5 mins
Serves 1
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Heat the oil in a pan (non stick if possible) on a
medium heat.
1 tbsp oil
3 eggs
Crack the eggs into a bowl and mix well. Pour the
egg mix into the pan.
Salt and pepper
Optional
Using a spatula, ruffle the omelette so it doesn’t
stick.
Let it cook for about 3 minutes.
Here’s the important part: when the egg mixture
looks nearly cooked (but there’s still just a tiny bit
of runny egg left) drop on the cheese.
Fold one half of the omelette on top of the other.
Slide it on to a plate - the heat from closing the
omelette will finish cooking the inside.
Season with salt and pepper (be sure to do this
after cooking - the flavour comes out so much
more!).
Enjoy your perfect omelette.
53
Grated cheese
0-350 Cal
The Perfect Omelette (300 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in protein, fiber and vitamin C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 300 kcal, 13g fat, 38g
carbs, 10g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins Cook 20 min
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Dice the onion, garlic, pepper, chilli and dried tomatoes
into small pieces.
Throw all these ingredients into a pan with oil and fry
them for 3 minutes on a low heat.
Add the stock, beans, sweetcorn and tomatoes and
stir well. Add the tomato purée and season with salt,
pepper, cumin and oregano. Mix the lentils in too and
let it all simmer on medium heat for 20 mins, stirring
occasionally.
Season with salt and pepper and serve with toasted
bread on the side and a dollop of (vegan) sour cream
and guacamole if desired.
Ingredients
1 onion
1 green bell pepper
1-2 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
1 red chilli/jalapeño
5-6 sundried tomatoes
(drained)
½ cup of veg stock
1 can kidney beans (rinsed
and drained)
1 small can of sweetcorn
(drained)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can of lentils (15oz/425g)
(pre-cooked, or cook first)
1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano (fresh, frozen,
dry all work - use more if fresh)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional
1-2 tbsp of maple syrup for
a little sweetness in the chili
Serve with whole grain
bread, tortillas, or brown
rice.
Garnish with slices of
avocado
55
0-350 Cal
Meatless Chili Con Carne (300 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein, iron and vitamin B12
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 320 kcal, 14g fat,
28g carbs, 20g protein
breakfast
Prep 5 mins Cook 15 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Chop the spring onions and cut the chives.
Crack the eggs (individually of course, you never
know when you might get a bad one) and mix with
chives and spring onions.
2 spring onions
Good handful of chives
3 eggs
4 large slices bread
1/4 cup milk
Add the milk, salt, pepper and curry powder and
stir well.
Transfer to a wide bowl.
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp curry powder
Optional
Soak each piece of bread in the mixture for a few
seconds (making sure the chives and spring onions
attach themselves to the bread).
Fry for a minute or two on each side until nice and
crispy.
Optional for Marmite lovers: smear marmite on
bread before soaking in egg for that extra marmitey
and British taste.
Optional for Marmite haters: don’t.
57
Marmite
0-350 Cal
Great British Eggy Bread (320 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in iron
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 340 kcal, 13g fat,
46g carbs, 14g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins
Makes 4 Pitas
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Chop the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, cheese and
throw into bowl.
half a red onion
1 small cucumber
Good handful of cherry
Add the spinach.
tomatoes
Squeeze the lemon into a bowl.
100g soft cheese, eg. feta
4 pitas
Add the olive oil and vinegar.
Handful of spinach
Hummus to spread
Add the oregano, pepper and salt.
For the dressing
Mix well and pour over salad.
Pinch of oregano
Toast the pitas, spread the hummus inside, and fill.
Pinch of salt
2-3 red pepper flakes
Enjoy!
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Half a lemon
59
0-350 Cal
GREEK PITAS (340 kcaL)
5. RECIPES
350- 500
Calorie Recipes
Th e re c i p e s a re l i s t e d a c c o rd i n g t o
t h e i r c a l o r i e s p e r s e r v i n g . T h i s way
yo u c a n e a s i l y f i t t h e m i n t o t h e r i g h t
s p o t o f yo u r m e a l p l a n .
VEGAN
High in protein, fiber and omega 3
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 350 kcal, 12g fat,
54g carbs, 11g protein
breakfast
Prep 5 mins
Serves 1
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Put the oats, chia seeds yogurt and the almond milk
into a jar. Stir until everything is mixed together nicely.
Pro tip: If you have a big enough jar you can also just
close it and shake. Boom!
One clean jar with lid
½ cup rolled oats (about half
the jar)
2 tsp chia seeds
Then off it goes into the fridge for the night (or for at
least six hours).
The next morning add a little more almond milk to
loosen up the mix.
2-3 tbsp soy yogurt (vanilla is
delicious)
1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp chopped almonds
Next, just mix in the raspberries, syrup and chopped
almonds and voilá - breakfast is ready!
½ cup of fresh or frozen
raspberries
Bón appetité
Optional
You can use any milk
you like - soy, or rice, for
example, or whatever you
have to hand
Feel free to swap out the
berries for a banana, or any
other fruit you fancy really!
63
350-500 Cal
Kat’s Overnight Oats in a Jar (350 kcaL)
High in protein, fiber, iron, calcium and vitamin A
VEGETARIAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 350 kcal, 20g fat, 30g
carbs, 11g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 7 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Chop the cheese and add with the spinach and
chickpeas to a large bowl.
Half a can of chickpeas,
rinsed (put the leftover
Mix the honey, oil, lemon juice and raisins in a small
bowl.
chickpeas without the liquid into
a ziplock and refrigerate/freeze
them for another next dish)
Add the cumin, salt and pepper to the dressing bowl
and mix well.
Drizzle devilishly delicious dressing over the salad.
handful of spinach (about
50g should do it)
50g soft cheese (like feta)
1 tbsp white vinegar or
lemon juice
Enjoy
1 tsp honey
3 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of cumin
Pinch of salt
Couple of chili flakes (or
dried cayenne pepper will do the
trick nicely)
Small handful of raisins
65
350-500 Cal
The Amazing Chickpea Spinach Salad (350 kcaL)
High in protein, fiber, iron and vitamin C
VEGETARIAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 350 kcal, 23g fat, 27g
carbs, 9.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Rinse and drain chickpeas.
Half a can of chickpeas
(put the leftover chickpeas
Cut and dice up the avocado.
without the liquid into a ziplock
Chop the cilantro/coriander (also the stems, if you like).
and refrigerate/freeze them for
another next dish)
Dice up half an onion.
1 small avocado
Throw everything into a bowl, add the feta cheese and
lime juice.
A small handful of cilantro/
coriander
Half of a small red onion or
one spring onion
Season with salt and pepper.
A small handful of feta
Lunch is ready!
cheese (about 1/4 cup)
Juice of half a lime (make tea
with the other half, if you fancy)
Salt and black pepper, to
taste
Optional
Goes well with rice, nachos
or as a pita stuffing
67
350-500 Cal
Avocado Chickpea Salad (350 kcaL)
High in protein, fiber, iron, vitamin A & C
VEGAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 360 kcal, 21.5g fat, 37.5g
carbs, 11g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 8 mins
Serves 1
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Wash beans and let water drain.
Half a can of white beans
(put the leftover chickpeas
Dice onion into small pieces.
without the liquid into a ziplock
Wash bell pepper, cut into small pieces as well.
and refrigerate/freeze them for
another next dish)
Add parsley and cilantro, not too much of both.
Half a red onion
4 dried tomatoes
Cut the dried tomatoes in small stripes.
Half a red pepper
Throw everything into a big bowl, add the olive oil,
lemon juice and finish it off with some salt and pepper.
Fresh Parsley
Fresh Cilantro/Coriander
Salt
Pepper
A few splashes of lemon
juice (about half a tbsp)
1-2 tbsp of olive oil
69
350-500 Cal
High Protein White Bean Salad (360 kcaL)
High in protein, calcium, omega 3, vitamin A & C
VEGETARIAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 360 kcal, 30g fat, 15g
carbs, 16g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 15 mins
Serves 1
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Use a spiral maker to get those lovely zucchini noodles
aka zoodles. If you don’t have that magical thingy, you
can also simply dice up the zucchini.
1 medium sized zucchini
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp of pesto
Off it goes into the pan with a little bit of olive oil. Set
it on medium heat.
Dash salt and pepper
A good handful of cherry
tomatoes
Cut the cherry tomatoes in halves and add them to the
pan. Also add a nice handful of walnuts.
Give it a nice toss. After around 7-8 minutes add the
pesto and give it another toss.
To finish off the zoodles garnish with basil leaves (and
feta cheese, if you have it around)
Ready. Enjoy!
71
A handful of walnuts
Optional
1/4 cup of feta cheese
350-500 Cal
Italian Style Zucchini Noodles (360 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in fiber, protein and vitamin C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 370 kcal, 12.5g fat, 55.5g
carbs, 11.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins
Serves 3 (also works as
salad in a jar)
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Add boiling water to the couscous (in a large, (and
suitable!) bowl) and crumble in a stock cube/tsp
powder. Don’t put too much water in - the ideal water
level should be just enough to cover the couscous. You
can always add more as needed - it’s much harder to
take away excess water again. If you’re not using the
‘just add water’ kind then follow the regular instructions.
Or even if you are, just make the damn couscous!
1 tin black beans, rinsed
(kidney beans also work well!)
1 tin corn, rinsed
1 red onion
2 spring onions
1/3 cup/80g couscous (get
the ‘just add water’ variety for
quickest results. If you have it/like it
Chop the spring and red onions into thin half slices.
then quinoa can also be used here)
1 cube/tsp veggie stock
Chop the garlic (if you’re having it).
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of a small lemon or
Drain and rinse the beans and corn.
lime
After 5 about five minutes the couscous should be
ready, so throw in the chopped onions, beans and corn.
Add the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, paprika powder,
chilli flakes and give it all good mix.
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika powder
2 tsp chilli flakes (less can be
more, so scale down if you don’t
want it with much of a kick)
Ready!
1 clove chopped garlic (a
tsp of dried is fine too, but you can
omit altogether if garlic breath isn’t
at the top of your list)
73
350-500 Cal
Black Bean and Corn Salad (370 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein, fiber and vitamin B12
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 270 kcal, 6.5g fat, 40.5g
breakfast, light dinner
carbs, 12.5g protein
Prep 5 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Add all the ingredients to a blender, and grate in the
lemon zest.
1 cup fresh or frozen
blueberries
2 ripe bananas (make sure
Blend.
they’re soft and sweet! Keep
some in the freezer, if you like
Done!
your smoothies cool)
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup cottage cheese
2 tbsp chia seeds
Zest of one lemon
75
350-500 Cal
Blueberry Banana Protein Smoothie (370 kcaL)
High in protein, calcium, vitamin B12 and C
VEGETARIAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 370 kcal, 19g fat, 26g
carbs, 23g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins Cook 10 min
Makes 2 Quesadillas
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Grab a tortilla and spread a layer of pesto over half of it.
1 tomato
1 1/2 cups spinach
Add a light layer of cheese.
1 tbsp green pesto
Add the tomato slices, spinach, and top it with another
layer of cheese.
50g cheddar
100g mozzarella, whole
milk cheese
Fold the second half of the tortilla on top and place in
a pan.
Heat for about 4 minutes. If you want. Place a pot on
top of the quesadilla so that it flattens nicely.
Flip and heat for another 4 minutes until the cheese
has melted.
Munch.
77
2 whole grain tortillas
350-500 Cal
Satisfying Spinach Tomato Quesadillas (370 kcaL)
High in fiber, omega 3, vitamin A & C
VEGAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 370 kcal, 30g fat, 27g
carbs, 6g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins
Serves 2 (also works as
salad in a jar)
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Put the sunflower seeds in a saucepan over a low heat.
They only need 3 or 4 mins, don’t forget about them!
While they’re toasting grab the rocket, give it a quick
rinse and pat or drain dry.
4 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 big handfuls rocket/
rucola/arugula (it has many
names!) (100-150g). You could
Slice the avocado(s) open, remove the stone, and
scoop out the flesh. Cut it into little chunks, roughly
2cm each. Drip the lemon juice and a bit of salt and
pepper onto the chunks.
also use any leafy greens
that you prefer, or need
using up.
1 large/2 small avocados
8 cherry tomatoes
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
Juice of half a lemon (juice
The seeds should be done by now, time to serve.
from a ‘plastic’ lemon is fine too
of course)
Layer the rocket into a wide bowl, followed by the
tomatoes and avocadoes. Sprinkle the seeds over the
bowls next. Add a little more salt and pepper, drizzle
the oil then balsamic cream/vinegar over the top and…..
you’re done!
Enjoy your delicious vegan salad :)
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Balsamic cream or balsamic
vinegar
Optional
Optional
Serve with a slice or two of whole grain toast if that’s
what you fancy.
79
Wholegrain toast
350-500 Cal
Refreshing Avocado Tomato Salad (370 kcaL)
High in fiber, omega 3, vitamin A & C
VEGETARIAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 370 kcal, 19g fat, 27.5g
carbs, 22.7 protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins Cook 7 min
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Preheat oven then slice the tomatoes and cheese.
Spread a little olive oil on the bread.
1 large tomato or a good
handful of cherry tomatoes.
Layer the mozzarella and then the tomatoes on the
bread.
Howie prefers the former,
Dave and Kat the latter.
Choose your side!
Chop and add basil, salt and pepper.
1 ball/125g low fat
Bung in oven for 5 mins or so, or until golden brown
with melted cheese.
mozzarella cheese
Handful of basil leaves
Dash of olive oil
Put the vinegar on last for the fullest flavour.
Eat!
Dash or 2 of balsamic
vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Skip the bread if you like - the cheese and tomatoes
are still fantastic on their own and you’ll knock a load
of extra calories off!
1 clove garlic
2-3 big slices of rustic or
whole grain bread
81
350-500 Cal
Tomato Mozzarella Bread (370 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein, calcium, vitamin B12, A & C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 380 kcal, 20g fat, 32g
carbs, 18.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 15 mins Cook 15 min
Serves 2 (4 quesadillas)
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Wash the tomatoes and pepper, peel the onions and
cut them all into thin slices - the cheese too.
4 small sweet tomatoes
1 onion
Wash the spinach and let it drain in a sieve.
½ bell pepper (your fave
colour)
Grab a tortilla and spread a layer of pesto over half of
it. A tablespoon works well.
Add a light layer of cheese on top and a quarter of the
tomato, pepper and onion, followed by a few spinach
leaves.
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
(60g)
4 tbsp red pesto or tomato
paste
1 cup cheddar (100g)
2 cups mozzarella (low fat)
Top it with another layer of cheese.
(240g)
4 Whole grain tortillas
Then fold the other half of the tortilla on top and place
in a large frying pan (nonstick).
Optional
Heat for 2-3 minutes. Flip and heat for another 2-3
minutes until the cheese has melted - a good indicator
is a little running out the side.
Pro Tip: place a heavy pot on top of the quesadilla so
that it flattens nicely and cooks more evenly - this will
also stop the insides escaping!
83
Sliced chillies for a kick!
350-500 Cal
Veggie Quesadillas with a Melted Cheese (380 kcaL)
High in protein, calcium, vitamin B12, A & C
VEGETARIAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: High in fiber, iron,
vitamin A and omega 3
breakfast
Prep 6 mins
Serves 2 (4 quesadillas)
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Throw everything into a blender and blend for 60
seconds.
A good handful of kale or
spinach
1 tbsp of fresh parsley or
Done.
other herbs
Half an avocado
1 tsp of real cacao powder
(not the Nesquik rubbish)
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
1/3 tsp of sea salt
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp of walnuts or
almonds
1 tsp of dark chocolate nibs
2 tsp of coconut flakes
100 - 200ml of water
Half a teaspoon of honey
100ml of milk or soy milk
85
350-500 Cal
Avocado Spinach Fitness Smoothie (390 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein, fiber and calcium
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 400 kcal, 25g fat, 33g
breakfast, lunch, dinner
carbs, 16g protein
Prep 5 mins
Serves 1
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
If you prefer your bread toasted, toast it.
2 slices of whole grain
While that’s happening, cut the avocado flesh into
slices (check this video if you’re not sure how to do it)
bread
3-4 slices of Brie cheese
(about 40g)
Slice up the tomato and brie too.
Half a small avocado
(about 60g, use the other half
Now just assemble... aaaaand you’re done!
for a guacamole or smoothie the
next day)
A couple of cranberries
(about 10g)
Half a small tomato
(the other half could also be used
in guacamole the next day)
A small handful of rocket
(about 10g)
Half a tbsp of balsamic
vinegar
87
350-500 Cal
Avocado Sandwich with Brie (400 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in protein, fiber, vitamin A & C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 400 kcal, 18.5g fat,
41.5g carbs, 17g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 20 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Get a pot and add one tbsp of olive oil.
1 tbsp olive oil
Finely dice up half an onion and grate the garlic. Throw
both in the pot and let it simmer on a low heat.
Half an onion
2 cloves of garlic
One small bell pepper
In the meantime cut the bell pepper into small pieces
and them to the pot.
1 can of black beans, rinsed
and drained
250ml of vegetable broth
Rinse and drain the can of black beans.
A small bunch of cilantro/
Squash a few of them with a fork or your hands to give
the soup a creamy touch, then throw them into the pot.
Use a bit of love. Add 250 ml of vegetable broth to the
mix.
Cut the cilantro with the stems and add it to the soup.
Pimp it up with cumin, red pepper flakes and the
balsamic vinegar. Let the soup simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the avocado and heat up the tortilla.
If you want to be naughty finish off the soup with a
slice of cheddar.
Taste test - adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Soups on! Garnish the bowl with cilantro, avocado and
you’re ready to roll.
89
coriander with stems, if you
want (1/5 cup)
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
A few red pepper flakes (be
careful!!)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Half an avocado for garnish
Optional
A slice of cheddar
350-500 Cal
Spicy Black Bean Soup (400 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein and vitamin B12
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 400 kcal, 35g fat, 3g
carbs, 17g protein
breakfast, dinner
Prep 2 mins Cook 8 mins
Serves 1
Makes 1-2 pancakes
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Add some butter to a pan and stick it on medium heat.
Throw the cream cheese and eggs into a bowl and mix
with a fork until creamy. If you’re planning to, now is
the time to add some extras. But be careful! The batter
is quite runny, so I wouldn’t add things like nuts.
2 eggs
75g cream cheese (2.5 oz)
Optional
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tbsp of protein powder
Alternatively you can use a blender, but remember to
let the batter sit for a minute or two! It’ll cook better
then.
1 tbsp of small coconut
flakes
Vanilla extract
Of it goes into the pan. I usually make just one big
pancake, but two medium sized ones would also work
perfectly fine.
Enjoy!
91
1 tsp of honey
350-500 Cal
Low Carb Cream Cheese Pancakes (400 kcaL)
High in protein, calcum, vitamin B12, A & C
(410 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 400 kcal, 35g fat, 3g
carbs, 17g protein
lunch, dinner
Ready 30 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Heat milk and veggie broth together in a separate pot
on a low heat; make sure it doesn’t boil otherwise the
fat will separate itself from the milk.
1 cup of milk (250ml)
1 cup of veggie broth
(250ml)
Dice up the onion, get a pot and let it simmer in the
butter. Then add about a tablespoon of all purpose flour.
Stir well. The flour is important to give the chowder its
consistency.
Dice up the bell pepper and add it to the pot. Throw in
the corn too. Cut the jalapeño into small pieces and off
into the pot with it.
A large knob of butter
Half an onion, diced
1 tbsp of all purpose flour
1 can of corn (10 oz or 435g),
rinsed and drained
Half a red bell pepper (or
your favourite flavour of course!)
1 jalapeño, seeded for
Now add the milk and broth mix to the pot and throw
in the cumin and curry powder. Stir everything well and
let it simmer for about 5 minutes on a low heat.
less heat if desired, finely
chopped
1 tsp cumin
Cut up the shallots and add them for garnish.
2 tsp curry powder
Half a cup cheddar cheese
That’s it, enjoy your corn chowder!
(around 50g)
2 shallots/spring onions
93
350-500 Cal
Spicy Corn Chowder
VEGAN
High in protein, fiber and iron
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 440 kcal, 20g fat, 56g
breakfast, lunch, dinner
carbs, 14.5g protein
Prep 8 mins
Serves 1
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Are you really looking for directions? Or just being
lazy? It’s a sandwich dude.
1 banana
2 slices of bread
A bit of peanut butter
But fine:
Smear the peanut butter on both slices of bread
Cut the banana into about 8mm thick slices and spread
them over just ONE slice of bread.
Sprinkle cinnamon over them.
Place both slices on top of each other.
Add oil to the pan and fry both sides for 2-3 minutes
until nice and brown and yummy and tasty and boom!
Back to bed.
95
A bit of cinnamon
Olive oil or coconut oil for
the pan
350-500 Cal
Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich (440 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein, calcium, iron, vitamin B12, A&C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 450 kcal, 34.5g fat, 36.5g
carbs, 15.5g protein
breakfast, lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins Cook 20 min
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Cut the cheese into two equal, thin pieces and lay in
baking tray.
150g feta cheese or
equivalent
2 tbsp olive oil
Layer half the herbs over the cheese.
2 tbsp basil
Chop all veg (and garlic) into small pieces and chuck
in a bowl.
2 tbsp parsley or your
favourite herbs
1 clove garlic
1 red or white onion
Add the oil and herbs and mix well.
1 spring onion
Place the veg mixture on and all around the cheese.
1 bell pepper (your fave
colour)
Bake for 20 mins or until veg becomes soft.
Good handful of sweet
tomatoes
Done!
Handful pickled chilies
Handful olives
Optional
1 chilli pepper
Handful mushrooms
You can throw on pretty
much whatever veg you
fancy/need to use up
A box of frozen mixed
herbs is always handy to
have lying around
97
350-500 Cal
Melted Feta Veggie Bake (450 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein, iron and vitamin B12
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 450 kcal, 18g fat, 33g
carbs, 37.5g protein
breakfast, dinner
Prep 4 mins Cook 8 min
Serves 1
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Get a bowl or use the blender.
Half a cup of cottage
cheese
Throw in all the ingredients and whisk/mix until smooth
Fry in a pan with a little oil or butter on medium heat.
Half a cup of oatmeal
3 eggs
Here are some ideas
Simple as!
on how to pimp these
pancakes up! (All optional of
course)
Batter ideas
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of vanilla extract
A few thin slices of apple or
pear
Topping ideas
Cherries, strawberries
Yogurt
99
350-500 Cal
3 Ingredient Cottage Cheese Pancakes (450 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein and iron
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 460 kcal, 10g fat, 73g
carbs, 19g protein
breakfast, dinner
Ready 25 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Chop the asparagus into small pieces. Finely dice an
onion.Let the butter/oil melt in the pan and add the
onion and cook until it’s translucent.
Ingredients
1/2 cup of risotto rice (about
150g, Carnaroli gives the best
results but Arborio is easier to find)
A handful of asparagus
(about 150g)
Add the rice and toast for a minute or two. Then add
500ml of the stock and stir.
Leave on a low simmer for 15 minutes (better stay
nearby so you can give it an occasional stir).
Add in the asparagus and peas, stir and leave for 5
more minutes.
You probably need to add some more liquid (it will
depend on the heat applied). Now, check the rice. It
may need a few more minutes to finish cooking.
Once the rice is soft it’s time to give it the finishing touch
- if needed add a little water (add in small amounts, you
don’t wanna overdo it!) and a little grated cheese to get
the creaminess right.
Remember: it needs to flow like lava
101
A knob of butter or about 2
tbsp of olive oil
1 small onion
1 cup of peas (about 100g,
canned or frozen are fine)
700ml vegetable stock
Half a cup of grated hard
cheese (about 20g - and make
sure it’s with vegetarian rennet of
course!)
Optional - if you have them to
hand, great. Throw them in!
A few mint leaves
Basil - fresh, dried or frozen
all work!
Parsley - again any form
will do.
This is called cheat’s risotto
because you don’t stand
over it adding a ladle of
stock at a time – it’s very
important to use a wide
pan so that the rice will be
evenly distributed and cook
equally.
350-500 Cal
Creamy Asparagus Risotto (460 kcaL)
High in protein, fiber, iron, vitamin A & C
(470 kcaL)
VEGAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 470 kcal, 9.5g fat, 78.5g
carbs, 15g protein
lunch, dinner
Ready 20 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Cook the pasta according to package instructions;
drain well.
150g - 200g whole wheat
pasta
Get a large pan or wok, and heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over
medium high heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, bell pepper
and carrot. Stir frequently until tender (3-4 minutes).
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cloves garlic, minced
A handful of mushrooms,
sliced (1 cup)
Then hit it with the 3 tbsp of white wine. Afterwards
add the peas and leafy greens. Let it simmer and take
care of the sauce.
Half a red bell pepper (1 cup)
1 carrot, sliced
3 tbsp white wine
Get a bowl, add 3 tbsp of soy sauce, 2 tsp of honey, 1 cm
of minced ginger and 2 tsp of sriracha. Whisk together
and set aside.
When ready, stir it in the pasta and soy sauce mixture.
Toss to combine.
A handful of peas (1 cup)
A handful of leafy greens
like spinach (2 cups)
3-4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoon honey (or agave
nectar to make it vegan)
Taste test and see, if it needs more soy sauce!
1 cm ginger (or 1 tsp ginger
powder)
Ready to serve, enjoy!
2 tsp Sriracha or similar hot
sauce
103
350-500 Cal
Delicious Fake Lo Mein
High in protein, fiber, iron, vitamin A & C
(490 kcaL)
VEGAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 490 kcal, 29g fat, 45g
carbs, 14.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 7 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Dice up the onion and cut the bell pepper into small
pieces. Add both to a salad bowl.
400g canned Lentils, rinsed
and drained
Rip up the parsley and add it to the bowl as well.
1 red onion
A bunch of parsley
Now in with the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, honey salt
and pepper and stir it all nicely.
Have the salad with a slice of (whole grain) bread.
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp mustard
2 tsp honey
2 bell pepper, green and
Enjoy!
red
Salt and pepper
105
350-500 Cal
Turkish Lentil Salad
5. RECIPES
500- 750
Calorie Recipes
Th e re c i p e s a re l i s t e d a c c o rd i n g t o
t h e i r c a l o r i e s p e r s e r v i n g . T h i s way
yo u c a n e a s i l y f i t t h e m i n t o t h e r i g h t
s p o t o f yo u r m e a l p l a n .
(500 kcaL)
High in protein, iron and vitamin A
VEGAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 500 kcal, 15g fat, 76g
carbs, 15g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins Cook 20 min
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Prepare the brown rice.
150g brown rice (1 cup)
Bring 700ml of vegetable broth to the boil.
700ml vegetable broth
(3 cups)
Cut the onion, carrot and courgette and add them to
the broth.
½ red onion
1 small carrot or ½ of a big
one
Add the garlic and ginger to the broth as well.
½ of a small courgette or
of a big one
Add the peanuts.
A small handful of peanuts
Add the tomato paste and peanut butter to the mixture.
3 tbsp tomato paste
3-4 tbsp peanut butter
Add the soy sauce last but check it’s not already too
salty.
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp soy sauce
A few dashes hot sauce
Let it simmer nicely until the rice is ready.
Optional
Serve in a bowl, eat.
0.5cm of ginger (½ tbsp of
Yum.
powdered ginger)
109
500-750 Cal
African Peanut Soup
VEGAN
High in protein, calcium, iron and vitamin C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 490 kcal, 32g fat, 33.5g
carbs, 28.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins Cook 15 min
Serves 3-4
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Cut the tofu into small cubes (about one square
centimeter). In a pan heat up some oil at a medium
heat and in the tofu goes. Fry for about 15 minutes until
golden brown. Multitasking challenge: make sure you
stir every now and then (and add some salt) while you
prep the rest of the salad. You can do it, bring it on!
400g firm tofu (one block)
1 cup bean sprouts
½ bunch of radishes
Half a small cucumber
A handful of spinach
A small tin of pineapple (8
Next up: wash your veggies!
Slice the radishes.
oz/ 225g) or ¼ of a ripe one
Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half, remove the seeds
with a small spoon and cube what’s left.
For the dressing
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
Cut the pineapple into small chunks as well.
Throw everything into a bowl along with the spinach
and bean sprouts.
1 tsp sambal oelek (or
sriracha/equivalent)
Juice of half a lime or
Now to the dressing: combine olive oil, honey, sambal
oelek (or sriracha, or your favourite spicy sauce), lime
juice, salt and pepper and toss it into the salad. Get
the tofu cubes and place them in a separate bowl.
Add them to each salad serving. (If you throw them
right into the salad they’ll get mushy quickly). Also for
garnish, cut the chili and the peanuts. Sprinkle them
over the salad when serving.
Enjoy!
111
lemon
Half a chili pepper (jalapeño)
A small handful of peanuts
Salt and pepper
500-750 Cal
Asian Tofu Pineapple Salad (510 kcaL)
(540 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in protein, fiber, iron, vitamin A & C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 540 kcal, 33g fat, 52g
carbs, 15g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins Cook 20 min
Serves 4
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Peel and dice the pumpkin, carrots, onions and garlic
and fry them in oil for one minute in a large sauce pan.
Add the curry powder and fry for another minute. Tip
in the lentils, vegetable stock and coconut and give it a
good stir. Bring it to boil, then turn the heat down and
simmer for 15-18 mins until everything is tender.
Use a hand blender and blend it until smooth then
season with salt and pepper. Serve with some bread on
the side (well if you want to. We won’t force you!)
500 gr butternut squash/
pumpkin (you could even buy
pre cut and packaged squash or
pumpkin to save time!)
3 carrots
1 onion (red or white)
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil for frying
1-2 tbsp yellow curry
powder
And if you have them, add some roasted pumpkin
seeds and drizzle a little pumpkin oil on the top for a
much more intense pumpkin taste.
100 gr red lentils
700ml vegetable stock
One can (ca. 400ml) coconut
milk
3cm/40 gr ginger
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional
Naan bread or toasted
bread to serve
one small fresh chilli or
powder to taste
roasted pumpkin seeds/oil
to serve
And lemon after serving!
113
500-750 Cal
Curried Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup
VEGETARIAN
High in protein, calcium, iron and vitamin B12
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 540 kcal, 34g fat, 34g
carbs, 24g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins Cook 25 min
Serves 1
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Cut the potatoes into thin slices.
150g-200g potatoes
Cook the sliced potatoes in a wide frying in oil on a
medium heat for 15 minutes. Use a lid as this cooks
them a bit quicker. Don’t stir the potatoes too often or
they won’t crisp up - but don’t let them burn either!
Dice the onion while you’re waiting.
Crack the eggs into a cup and give a quick whisk with
a fork.
(that’s roughly 2 small-medium
potatoes)
1 tbsp oil
1 small onion
2 large eggs
2 tbsp rosemary (fresh or
dried)
2 tbsp basil (yep, fresh or
dried. Feel free to use your
favourite herbs of course!)
When the 15 minutes are up, chuck in the onion.
After another 5 minutes or so and as the potatoes and
onions are looking cooked, throw in the eggs, cheese,
herbs, salt and pepper.
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional
30g your favourite cheese
(I use cheddar)
Cook for another 2 mins or until the egg is done.
Add a splash of vinegar if that’s your thing.
Done!
115
Vinegar
500-750 Cal
Farmers Potato Hash (540 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in protein, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin A&C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 550 kcal, 1.5g fat, 100g
carbs, 40g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins Cook 20 min
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Prepare the red lentils according to package instructions
(add to 1 part red lentils 3 parts of water with a little
salt into a pot. Bring it to a boil and then let the lentils
simmer for about 12-15 minutes depending on how soft
you like them. Season with a little more salt, when the
lentils are cooked)
150g red lentils (about 1.3
cups)
1 can of kidney beans,
drained and rinsed
1 bell pepper
3-4 shallots
Meanwhile cut the shallots and bell pepper. Also grate
the clove of garlic.
2 cloves of garlic
Tomato Sauce, Sriracha or
Get a big bowl and throw in all the ingredients, including
the red lentils.
our awesome salsa. (Add as
much as you like. We’d go for
400g of our own salsa. Make sure
to taste test!)
Finally add the tomato sauce, do a taste test and if
necessary, season one last time with salt and pepper.
Salt and pepper
Ready
117
500-750 Cal
High Protein Lentil Bean Salad (550 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein, fiber, iron, vitamin B12, A & C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 320 kcal, 6.5g fat,105g
carbs, 26g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins Cook 20 min
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Put the noodles into boiling water to cook. If they’re
quick cooking noodles (less than 8 mins) then wait until
after you’ve prepped the veg (that’s the next step).
250g noodles (wide are
best in this dish, but pasta or
spaghetti can be used too!)
Grate, julienne or spiralize the carrots and dice the
ginger, garlic, spring onions and chili and fry everything
together with oil (peanut oil is a great choice for Asian
style cooking, but we often just grab olive if it’s to hand
anyway) in a large pan for three or four minutes. Don’t
add the garlic or ginger until halfway through.
1 carrot
1 thumb ginger
1 clove of garlic
3 spring onions
1 chili
1 large dollop favourite
spicy sauce (I use a really spicy
Use a spatula to stir and stop the ingredients sticking.
Add the spicy and soy sauces and stir in. Crack the
eggs into a small bowl or cup and give a quick whisk
with a fork.
sweet chilli, but this is where you
control the heat of the meal so
take the level you’re comfortable
with)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 free-range eggs
Parsley (a handful of chopped
Pour the egg mix into the pan and stir it well in. Use
the spatula move the egg around quickly so it cooks
in a scrambled style. That should take no more than 2
minutes and when the egg is cooked take the pan off
the heat. Throw in the parsley and salt.
The pasta should be ready by now, so drain and rinse
and add it to the pan. Mix everything up well so the
noodles are coated in your delicious spicy sauce.
You’re now ready to serve!
119
fresh leaves, or a teaspoon of
dried will do it)
Salt
Optional
Throw in some sesame
seeds for a nutrient kick.
Add a couple of
tablespoons of water to the
sauce and mix it up to give
it a more ‘creamy’ effect.
500-750 Cal
Fiery Dragon Noodles (550 kcaL)
High in protein, fiber, calcium, iron and vitamin B12
VEGETARIAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 550 kcal, 26g fat, 61g
carbs, 24g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 7 mins
Serves 2 (also works as
salad in a jar)
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Well, the ingredients say everything you need to know
already, but let’s elaborate just in case:
1 can of kidney beans or
black beans, drained and
rinsed
Rinse the corn and the kidney beans.
1 can of corn (or about 1.5 cups
Dice up the cucumber and chop the cilantro or parsley.
Then also chop the green onion. So far so easy.
Get a big bowl and throw in everything you rinsed and
chopped and give it a good mix.
fresh/frozen corn)
Half a cucumber, finely
diced
¾ cup (100g) of crumbled
feta
Now get a small bowl and add all the ingredients for
the dressing. Stir, then taste to make sure it’s fine.
1 cup (50g) chopped of
cilantro or parsley
0.5 cups chopped celery or
When approved mix in the dressing to the salad.
green onions (about one green
onion)
And there you have it, your salad is ready!
For the dressing
Juice of half a lime
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic
1-2 tsp of ground cumin
0.5 tsp of oregano
A pinch of salt and pepper
to taste
121
500-750 Cal
High Protein Kidney Bean Salad (550 kcaL)
High in protein, iron, calcium, vitamin A & C
VEGETARIAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 580 kcal, 14g fat, 89g
carbs, 27g protein
lunch, dinner
Ready 30 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Boil the pasta.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
Get a pot, add a tablespoon of olive oil.
2 cloves garlic
Then dice the onion and crush or grate the garlic and
off into the pot to simmer it goes.
4 small tomatoes (or 1 can of
diced tomatoes)
2 tbsp tomato paste
The next step is to add a can of diced tomatoes. If you
don’t trust cans you can use 4 fresh tomatoes, BUT the
sauce will get a little runny. Only if you let it stand for a
day will you get this creamy texture we’re looking for.
Add the oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and
some freshly cracked pepper.
3-4 tbsp greek yogurt (or
cream cheese if you want to be
naughty)
Bag fresh spinach (200g)
50g or ¼ cup grated cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
Add the tomato paste and the greek yogurt to the pot.
Stir until both are dissolved into the sauce.
Pinch red pepper flakes
(optional)
Pepper to taste
Now add the grated cheese to the pot.
½ tsp salt
200g penne pasta
Add the fresh spinach.
Add the pasta.
Stir.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
Dinner is ready!
123
500-750 Cal
Easy Tomato Spinach Pasta (580 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in fiber and iron
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 590 kcal, 40.5g fat, 51g
carbs, 12.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins Cook 20 min
Serves 4
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Peel and dice the onion and ginger and fry them in 2
tbsp oil in a frying pan on medium heat for a couple of
minutes.
2 tbsp of good quality oil
(eg. olive oil)
1 large onion
Add the frozen vegetables and give them a few minutes
to cook.
3 cm ginger
2-3 handfuls frozen
vegetable (carrot, cauliflower,
In the meantime wash the snow peas and cut them and
the baby corn into small chunks and add them to the
other vegetables in the pan.
broccoli)
1 handful snow peas/snap
peas
Then add the vegetable stock and coconut milk and let
it all simmer for 10-15 minutes
8 baby corns
200 ml vegetable stock
400 ml coconut milk
Add the curry paste, maple syrup and salt to taste and
let it cook for another 5 minutes.
1 tbsp of maple syrup
1 tbsp green curry paste
(vegan is very easy to find)
Finally add the nuts in the last minutes of cooking so
they are still crunchy.
Salt to taste
1 handful peanuts or
Best served with a small portion of basmati rice or naan
bread but you can also serve it with noodles or just on
its own. You should prepare the side dish as everything
is simmering - you’ll save time that way.
cashews
Optional
Juice of half a lime (gives the
curry a little “fresh/summer” kick)
Guten Appetit :)
125
500-750 Cal
Quick and Easy Green Thai Curry (590 kcaL)
High in protein, fiber, iron and vitamin C
VEGAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 600 kcal, 30g fat, 70g
carbs, 17g protein
lunch, dinner
Ready 15 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Bring water to boil and chuck in pasta.
150g whole grain pasta
Use pasta cooking time to prepare the avocado sauce:
Mash the avocado flesh with a fork in a bowl until its
creamy (if you have a food processor, use that).
a good handful of cherry
tomatoes
¼ cup basil leaves (dry basil
will do)
Add olive oil, lemon juice and soy sauce to the mashed
avocado.
Cut the basil leaves and add them to the bowl.
1 large avocado or 2 small
ones
2-3 tbsp of lemon juice
1-2 tbsp of soy sauce
Grate the garlic and ginger and add them too.
Remember, ginger is optional. Unless you’re born that
way.
If the mix is too thick then add one or two tablespoons
of water.
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 garlic clove
maybe add a few tbsps of
water, if too thick
Optional
Drain the pasta and place it back in the pot. Add the
avocado sauce and stir nicely.
Halve the cherry tomatoes and throw in with pasta.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you have them to hand.
Boom! Ready :)
127
sesame seeds
0.5cm of ginger
500-750 Cal
Quick and Creamy Avocado Pasta (600 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein, fiber, vitamin A & C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 600 kcal, 48.5g fat, 33g
carbs, 19g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins Cook 20 min
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Use a spiral maker to make the zoodles or if you don’t
have one just simply dice up the zucchini. Peel and
grate the carrots (if you buy organic carrots then you
don’t really need to peel), dice the onion.
Put the zoodles in a big frying pan with oil and cook
them on medium heat.
Crush the hazelnuts (or just buy crushed hazelnuts to
save time!) in a different frying pan and toast them first
(without oil) until just browned. They smell awesome so
don’t be tempted to let them burn while you’re inhaling
the delicious aroma ;)
Add the oil, onion and carrot mix to the hazelnuts and
fry gently on a medium heat until soft but not browned.
Turn the heat off and mix in the tomato purée and créme
fraiche and stir ‘til everything is mixed well (make sure
it doesn’t boil or burn!). Season to taste with salt and
pepper.
And last but not least add the sauce to the zoodles and
mix in.
If you want you can garnish it with a sprig of fresh basil.
Mmmmhhh yummy!
Note: you can use a simple grater or just dice the
zucchini in case you don’t have a spiralizer at hand.
129
For the Zoodles:
One large Zucchini
2 tbsp olive oil, for frying
Ingredients
60g/a big handful hazelnuts
(buying already chopped is
easiest)
2 tbsp olive oil, for frying
1 onion
3 carrots
1 tbsp tomato purée (or paste,
depending where you live. The
thick stuff!)
200 ml créme fraiche (a light
version also works well )
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste
Optional
Use Greek yoghurt (again a
light version works) instead of
the créme fraiche to make it
healthier, or make it vegan
with your favourite non-dairy
cream. Our nutritional info is
from a version made with 2%
Greek yogurt.
A sprig of basil to garnish.
A couple of dashes of lemon
juice or balsamic vinegar
if you like a little sourness.
Always taste test your food :)
500-750 Cal
Noodles with an Exquisite Hazelnut-Carrot Sauce (600 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in vitamin C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 600 kcal, 53g fat, 27g
carbs, 12g protein
lunch, dinner
Ready 20 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Make 600ml of vegetable broth.
2 red onions
Dice up or cut the onions into thin rings and throw
them in a pot. Add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and
let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
2-3 cloves of garlic
600 ml vegetable broth
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
5 tbsp olive oil
Cut or grate the garlic into small pieces and add it to
the pot.
When the onions are transparent add the lemon juice
and vegetable broth.
2 slices whole wheat bread
50g walnuts
2 tsp Classic Basil Pesto
a pinch of pepper
a pinch of salt
Add some dried herbs if you have them and let it all
simmer for about 10 minutes.
In the meanwhile cut the bread into cubes. Then add
them to a pan with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Also add the walnuts to the pan. Fry for about 3 minutes
until the bread cubes are nicely toasted.
Add the soup into a bowl and add the croutons, walnuts
and a teaspoon of basil pesto
Quick and easy comfort soup - ready!
131
Optional
Dried herbs such as
oregano or parsley
500-750 Cal
Red Onion Soup (600 kcaL)
High in protein, fiber, iron, vitamin A & C
VEGAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 660kcal, 17.5g fat, 104g
carbs, 26g protein
lunch, dinner
Ready 15 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Cook spaghetti.
Small Salad Mix, eg.: Carrot,
red cabbage, iceberg
When done, mix with the salad.
200g pasta (ideally whole
Put all the ingredients for the dressing in one bowl, stir
until creamy. Add a little water.
Top the dressing with the noodle salad mix. Add
peanuts.
grain for high fiber)
Peanuts
Dressing
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
Add lime and coriander.
2 tbsp white vinegar
Done
2 big tbsp peanut butter
1 small tbsp garlic (or one
fresh garlic clove)
1 small tbsp ginger (or fresh)
A little bit of water
Optional
Coriander
Lime
133
500-750 Cal
Pasta Salad with Peanut Butter Dressing (670 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in fiber, calcium, vitamin B12 & C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 670 kcal, 27g fat, 97g
carbs, 14g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 15 mins Cook 50 min
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Wash the potatoes and rub a coat of olive oil and salt
on the skin.
2 mid sized sweet potatoes
(300-400gr each)
Next, put them on a baking tray and layer of foil. Off
they go in the oven. Depending on the size of the
potato they’ll be ready somewhere between 45 and 60
mins. You can tell when the skin becomes loose (just
prod them). If the potatoes are massive then slice them
length-ways before cooking to save time.
100 gr. feta or similar
cheese
1 handful olives
1 small red onion/ 3 spring
onions
10-12 cherry tomatoes
This way of cooking the potatoes is our favourite
overall, but if time is of the essence then we’ve listed a
couple of alternatives in the blog post.
1 clove of garlic (peeled and
diced)
Handful fresh (chopped) or 1
tbsp dried basil
While they’re cooking, cut or crumble the feta/cheese,
cut olives,cherry tomatoes, basil, peel and dice the
onion and the garlic and mix it all up in a salad bowl.
Put the basil, cumin, cayenne pepper, fresh ground
pepper, olive oil and lemon in a cup and stir well. Add
the contents of the cup to the salad bowl and stir well.
When the potatoes are ready (cut them open if they’re
not already) pop them on a plate and layer the salad
mix on top.
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of ½ lemon
Optional
Creme fraiche/Greek
yoghurt
Finally, add an optional dollop of creme fraiche or
Greek yogurt.
Enjoy!
135
A third of a cucumber for
extra crunch
500-750 Cal
Baked Sweet Potatoes with a Five Star Feta Salad (670 kcaL)
High in fiber, calcium, vitamin B12 & C
VEGAN
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 600 kcal, 41g fat, 62g
carbs, 23.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 12 mins
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Roast the cashews on a low heat for about three
minutes in a pan to maximize aroma. Then throw them
into the salad bowl.
100g cashew nuts (about 1
cup)
1 onion
3 tbsp olive oil
Dice the onion into fine pieces.
1 chilli/jalapeño
Add some of the oil to the pan and fry the onion for
about 3 minutes on a low heat.
5-6 Dried Tomatoes
3 slices whole wheat bread
1 big can of Lentils (15oz or
Cut the chilli/jalapeño and dried tomatoes.
400g) (pre-cooked, or cook first)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the bread into big croutons.
Add the rest of the oil to the pan and fry the chopped
up bread until crunchy. Season with salt and pepper.
Optional
Raisins, honey/agave
nectar, lemon juice or
Wash the arugula and add it to the bowl.
vinegar
Put the lentils in too, and mix them all around. Season
with salt and pepper and serve with the croutons.
137
500-750 Cal
ARUGULA LENTIL SALAD FROM HEAVEN (680 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in protein, fiber, iron, vitamin A & C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 700 kcal, 27g fat, 100g
carbs, 17.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins Cook 15 min
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ok, let’s stir fry this mother.
Get all ingredients ready and in one place. Stir frying
doesn’t take long and you won’t want to be searching
for an ingredient. Thaw the frozen veggies (with a
microwave or by taking them out of the freezer early
enough). Otherwise they’ll burn on high heat!
Chopping time: Chop the snow peas, baby corn and
onion. Dice the garlic and ginger.
For the sauce: Grab a large bowl and chuck in the
peanut butter, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, water,
syrup. Mix well with a spoon ‘til it’s a nice and creamy
sauce. Optionally, throw in the lemon grass.
Cook the noodles so you have them at hand when the
stir-fry comes together. When ready, drain and rinse
under cold water (they’ll stick together less).
Now you’re ready to wok and roll (or pan and roll): in
a wok or large pan heat the oil until it starts smoking.
Add the garlic, ginger, onion, sugar snaps and baby
corn. Around 40 seconds later add the thawed veggies.
(If you just use fresh veg, throw in everything at once).
Stir it well for about 4-5 minutes. Reduce the heat a
little and add the sauce and noodles. It’ll quickly begin
to boil.
Make sure it’s all nice and creamy. Add a little more
water, if not!
Ingredients
2 tbsp crunchy peanut
butter
2 tbsp soy sauce (light or
dark are both great)
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
¼ cup water
1 tbsp maple syrup
For the stir-fry
2 tbsp oil (ideally peanut oil.
Sunflower oil will do too.)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and
diced
1 thumb sized piece of
ginger, peeled and grated
1 peeled and diced onion
2-3 cups of a variety of
fresh or frozen vegetables
(broccoli, carrots, cauliflower,
etc.)
1 big handful of snow peas/
sugar snaps
6-8 baby corn
125 gr noodles (we love glass
noodles as they’re really quick to
cook and taste great!)
Add some peanuts. Let it simmer for another 3-5
minutes.Fish out the lemon grass before serving (it’s
only for the flavour, not for eating!!)
Done!
139
A handful of peanuts
Optional
1 stick lemongrass
500-750 Cal
Easy Creamy Veggie Stir-Fry (700 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein, fiber, vitamin A & C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 700 kcal, 35g fat, 79g
carbs, 23g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins Cook 15 min
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Bring water to a boil and cook the pasta according to
the package instructions.
200g pasta (e.g. tagliatelle)
2 tbsp olive oil
(If you use frozen broccoli, throw it in a pan right away
with 3 tbsp of olive oil and cover with a lid - the broccoli
thaws more quickly).
400g of broccoli (frozen is
fine too)
1 onion
2 small cloves of garlic or a
Wash and cut the fresh broccoli into small florets. Next,
peel and dice the onion; same with the clove of garlic.
Heat up the olive oil in a pan, then add the broccoli,
onion and garlic. On medium heat let everything
simmer for 5 minutes.
big one
100ml vegetable broth
100g of cream cheese
1 tsp honey
A few splashes of lemon
Now it’s time to add the cream cheese.
Salt and pepper to taste
Now slowly pour in the vegetable broth. NOTE: If you
think the mixture is getting watery, stop pouring!
Chili flakes
Optional
Once ready, drain the pasta in a sieve. Now add them
to the broccoli cream mix. Cook on medium heat for
another 5 minutes
Add salt, pepper and a few chili flakes to taste. To give
it another kick, give a few splashes of lemon juice and
a tsp of honey to the mix.
Serve! :-)
141
Some pitted black olives
A few sprinkles of feta
cheese
Pan-fried sunflower seeds
500-750 Cal
Creamy Broccoli Pasta (700 kcaL)
5. RECIPES
DIPS
G re a t c o m p a n y f o r m a n y d i s h e s !
Simple Sexy Salsa (100 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in iron, vitamin A & C
4g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Dice the onion and garlic.
1 small onion
Deseed the chilli if you don’t want it toooooo hot and
chop it too.
1 clove garlic
1 chilli
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Throw all ingredients, including the salt and pepper,
into a large mixing bowl.
½ cup basil (dried will do the
trick too)
½ cup parsley (yep, you
Give it a good stir.
guessed it, dried is fine. You can
buy dried parsley with crushed
garlic already in it, and this works
great too)
Ready.
2 dashes salt and pepper
145
DIPS
Recommended for:
Nutrition per bowl: 100 kcal, 1g fat, 23g carbs,
Yogurt Arugula Dip (180 kcaL)
High in protein, calcium and vitamin B12
VEGETARIAN
14.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Ready 5 mins
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Wash and chop the arugula. Then combine all
ingredients.
1 cup of plain yogurt
A handful of arugula
A drizzle of lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Enjoy!
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147
DIPS
Recommended for:
Nutrition per bowl: 180 kcal, 3g fat, 19g carbs,
High Protein Black Bean Lime Dip (400 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in protein, fiber, iron and vitamin C
carbs, 15g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins Cook 5 mins
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Grate or chop the garlic and ginger. Then fry both in oil
on a medium heat and in a large saucepan for a minute
or two. Don’t let it burn!
2 garlic cloves
2 cm fresh ginger
1 tin black/kidney beans
Drain and rinse the beans, then add them to the pan.
(15.5 oz / 435g)
1 tbsp olive oil
Fry for a couple more minutes, adding a couple of
tablespoons of water as you go.
Finally, remove from the heat, add the salt, pepper and
lime juice.
Use a potato masher or even fork to mash it all up into
a smooth paste.
Add it to bread, potatoes a salad or just munch it down
as a real high protein snack!
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Juice of half a lime (maybe a
little more)
DIPS
Recommended for:
Nutrition per bowl: 400 kcal, 15g fat, 56g
Persian Yogurt Mint Dip (420 kcaL)
VEGETARIAN
High in protein and calcium
carbs, 27g protein
lunch, dinner
Ready 5 mins
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Grate the cucumber. Then squeeze the grated cucumber
to get rid of the excess liquid. You can do it in a towel
or just with your hands.
Half a cucumber
4 tbsp chopped mint
Half a handful of raisins
Now mix all the ingredients together. Add some garnish
and serve! You’ll love this dip, I promise!
About 1.5 cups of greek
yogurt (250g)
Salt and pepper to taste
For garnish
A drizzle of olive oil
Chopped mint
Chopped walnuts
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DIPS
Recommended for:
Nutrition per bowl: 420 kcal, 19.5g fat, 39g
Easy Mexican Guacamole (450 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in fiber and vitamin C
carbs, 6g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Cut the avocados and remove stones. Take out the flesh
and put in a food processor. Remember, the healthiest
parts of an avocado are found next to the skin, so really
scrape it out!.
2 small avocados or 1 big
avocado (ripe)
Half a red onion or 2 spring
onions
Peel and chop the onions and throw into the food
processor along with the avocado flesh.
2 small tomatoes or one big
tomato
Half a lemon
Chop the tomatoes and chuck in too.
¼ cup of chopped coriander
Grate the garlic into the mix.
leaves/cilantro (if you
Add the salt, pepper (and coriander if you have it) and
squeeze in the half lemon.
1 chilli
don’t have any, don’t fret - the
guacamole can survive without it)
If you like it with a bit of kick, lob in a chopped chilli
too.
Blend.
Done.
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A couple of pinches of salt
and pepper
1 clove garlic
DIPS
Recommended for:
Nutrition per bowl: 450 kcal, 40g fat, 33g
High Protein White Bean Dip (480 kcaL)
VEGAN
High in protein, fiber and iron
carbs, 15g protein
breakfast, lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins Cook 5 mins
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Drain the beans and rinse them with cold water and
shake the water off in the sieve.
1 tin cannellini beans
2 tbsp capers
Put them into a bowl/dish and mash them roughly with
a fork.
2 tbsp black olives
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
Dice the capers and olives. Combine the olive oil, lemon
zest, lemon juice, and the mustards, salt and pepper in
a bowl. Peel and crush the garlic and add it with the
olives and capers to the bowl.
Finally add the mashed beans and mix well.
If you want the flavours to develop a little stronger
leave the mix for a while.
½ tsp lemon zest
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp whole grain mustard
(this recipe is just as delicious
if you only have one mustard
available, but if you have more
then throw them in! Each will
change the taste in its own
subtle way)
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 garlic cloves
Bon appetit!!
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DIPS
Recommended for:
Nutrition per bowl: 480 kcal, 30g fat, 40g
Spicy Hummus Dip (550 kcaL)
High in protein, fiber, iron and vitamin C
VEGAN
carbs, 16g protein
lunch, dinner
Ready 5 mins
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas. Throw them
together with all the ingredients in a blender or food
processor.
1 can chickpeas (8 oz/260g),
drained
About half a lemon (around
Blend till smooth.
3 tbsp)
2 tbsp of olive oil
Pour in a bowl, garnish a little with a few more drizzles
of olive oil and enjoy.
4 tbsp water (you can use
more to make it smoother)
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional
2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic
Parsley
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DIPS
Recommended for:
Nutrition per bowl: 550 kcal, 31g fat, 49g
6. MEAL
PREPPING
TIPS AND
TRICKS
VEGAN
High in protein and fiber
Recommended for:
Estimated nutrition per serving: 350 kcal, 10g
fat, 60g carbs, 15g protein
breakfast
Prep 5 mins for 3-5 jars
Serves 1
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Throw everything in a jar, screw the lid on top, shake,
and off it goes into the fridge. The next morning add
a dash of milk, a sweetener (if you want) and enjoy :-)
One clean jar with lid
0.6 cup of rolled oats
(about half the jar)
How to make sure your overnight oats in a jar have
approx. 350 kcal?
1/2 cup oats
1 cup low fat milk, almond milk, soy milk, etc.
2 tbsp chopped nuts
1/4 cup fruit or berries
Half a tbsp maple syrup or other sweetener
2 tsp of chia seeds (optional,
but awesome)
1 cup of milk (eg. soy milk,
almond milk)
2 tbsp of nuts and/or
seeds
1 tsp of cinnamon and/or
How to make sure your overnight oats in a jar have
approx. 400 kcal?
Just add more oats to the jar (approx 2/3 cups) and
throw in a few more nuts as well.
other spices
1-2 tsp of your favourite
sweetener
Optional
How far in advance can I make them?
Depending on what ingredients you take the overnight
oats stay fresh for 2-3 days. This means that you can
prepare 2 or even 3 servings at once and have breakfast
ready in no time for several days in a row! Niceeee.
Some slices of fruit (again,
any are possible. Well, maybe
not avocado. Or tomato.)
All sorts of fresh or frozen
berries
How long do the oats have to soak before I can eat
them?
Ideally let them sit for eight hours, but they should be
fine after around four hours.
What kind of glasses/jars are ideal?
Any jar, really. Just use some empty pickles jars to start
off with.
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TIPS AND TRICKS
Overnight Oats in a Jar (approx. 350 kcaL per jar)
VEGAN
High in protein, fiber, iron, vitamin A & C
Recommended for:
Estimated nutrition per serving: 450 kcal, 17g
fat, 55g carbs, 17g protein
lunch (perfect for taking to work)
Prep 5 mins for 3-5 jars
Serves 1
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Get all the ingredients ready, meaning cut, peel, wash
the veggies/fruits. Boil the pasta, quinoa or rice.
(around 24oz/ 700ml)
A few clean jars with lids
Layer 1: your favourite
Prepare the dressing(s)
Once everything is laid out chuck all the ingredients
according to the layers into the jars. Then lid on top
and off they go into the fridge. As easy as that.
dressing
Layer 2: tomatoes,
cucumbers, red onion,
asparagus, celery, peppers,
You’ll be a meal prepping master in no time! :-)
carrots.
Layer 3: mushrooms,
*See dressings in next page.
zucchini, beans, lentils,
peas, corn, broccoli.
Layer 4: boiled eggs and
cheese (feta, gouda, cheddar
etc.)
Layer 5: rice, pasta, quinoa
or couscous.
Layer 6: nuts and greens as
lettuce, spinach or arugula.
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TIPS AND TRICKS
Salads in a Jar (approx. 400-600 kcaL per jar)
DRESSINGS: These are three tasty ones to get you started.
The basic Vinaigrette (enough for 2-3 jars)
3 tbsp of oil, eg. olive oil
1 tbsp of acidic liquid, eg. lemon
Pinch of kosher salt.
A turn of freshly ground black pepper.
Possible add-ons: a tsp of honey, maple syrup, mustard, some herbs like oregano
or basil
Refreshing sweet and sour dressing (enough for 3 jars)
½ lemon
1 tbsp honey
5 tbsps olive oil
Pinch of cumin
Pinch of salt
Couple of chili flakes (or dried cayenne pepper will do the trick nicely)
Maple Mustard Dressing (enough for 3 jars)
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp mustard
2 tsp maple syrup (or honey for non-vegans)
Salt and pepper to taste
Here’s a list of the most common ingredients for a salad in a jar. If you have more
ingredients you’re not sure about, I recommend having a look at , a very helpful
website on shelf life.
Asparagus (fresh or cooked) – lasts for 5 days
Avocado – this is a tricky fruit. One option is to not add it to the salad when
serving. If you add avocado into the jar make sure to coat it with lime beforehand.
Then it lasts for 2 days.
Beans (cooked) – last for 5 days
Bean sprouts – last for 3 days
Feta cheese – last for 7 days
Hard boiled eggs – You can add them to the salad right away. Peeled hard boiled
eggs last for 2 days. A better idea is to add one to the salad just before serving.
Hard boiled eggs with peel last for 1 week in the fridge.
Lettuce (chopped) – lasts for 4 days
Mozzarella cheese – last for 7 days
Mushrooms (fresh, sliced) – last for 5 days
Pasta (cooked) – lasts for 7 days
Peas (cooked) – last for 5 days
Rice (cooked) – lasts for 5 days
Onion (chopped) – lasts for 7 days
Scallions (chopped) – lasts for 7 days
Spinach (fresh)- lasts for 5 days
How long do certain dressings stay fresh in the fridge?
Yogurt dressings – last for 7 days
Vinegar and oil based dressings – last for 5 days
Hummus – lasts for 7 days
How to make sure your salad in a jar has approx. 450 kcal?
A basic vinaigrette
A salad with some tomatoes, bell pepper, radish, celery and greens
¼ cup of legumes like chickpeas or black beans
1/3 cup cooked grains or pasta
Some crumbled feta
Roughly estimated nutrition per serving: 450 kcal, 17g fat, 55g carbs, 17g protein
How to make sure your salad in a jar has approx. 500 kcal?
In comparison to the 450 kcal salad in a jar (above), just take some more grains or
pasta (about half a cup) and be a little more generous with the dressing.
164
With all ingredients in one jar how long does it stay fresh in the fridge?
The salads can stay fresh up to 5 days, even with more delicate ingredients in it. Of
course, take note of the ingredients listed above. If you want to make salads that
last for 5 days don’t add ingredients that won’t last that long.
What’s the best jar size and where can I buy them?
I recommend getting 700ml jars (ca. 20oz/1.5 pint) to make sure you’ll have a
satisfying lunch. Most popular and certainly well suited for Salads in a Jar are classic
“Mason Jars”. You can and in well-stocked home improvement stores. Personally
I use empty pickles jars. Those a big and “for free”. It meant I had to eat many
pickles though, haha. And of course I get minus points in the category of “style”.
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TIPS AND TRICKS
TIPS AND TRICKS
Salads in a Jar (400-600 kcaL approx. per jar)
How long do certain ingredients stay fresh in the fridge?
VEGAN
High in protein, fiber, iron, calcium, vitamin A & C
Recommended for:
Estimated nutrition per serving: 600 kcal, 22g
fat, 90g carbs, 22g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 10 mins Cook 20 min
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
The basic Buddha Bowl consists of a grain, a green and
a bean, and is usually accompanied by a tasty dressing.
It is so-called as it is usually eaten from a bowl with a
wide top - that signifies Buddha’s belly!
Half a cup uncooked
grains: try rice, quinoa,
millet, freekeh, buckwheat,
barley or couscous
Cook the grain.
Prep the greens.
Prep the legumes.
Whip up a nice dressing.
Add everything together to one bowl.
Enjoy while doing the downward dog ;-)
About 3 cups of greens:
some favourites are
spinach, kale, cabbage,
cauliflower, broccoli,
asparagus, mushrooms,
*For the dressing
bell peppers, carrots,
Sambal oelek, sriracha, soy yogurt or a combo of
tomatoes, cucumbers,
vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
zucchini, onions, sprouts,
avocado and spring onion
About 1 tin of legumes (15.5
oz / 435g): For the legumes:
black beans, kidney beans,
white beans, black eyed
peas, chickpeas, red
lentils, brown lentils, peas,
edamame. Also tofu, seitan
or tempeh.
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TIPS AND TRICKS
Buddha Bowls (approx. 600 kcaL per jar)
VEGAN
Not very nutrient dense.
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 200 kcal, 1.5g fat, 41g
carbs, 6g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 2 mins Cook 10 min
Serves 10
DIRECTIONS
To really enjoy your Buddha Bowl you need to learn how
make your grains taste awesome. If they are bland you
won’t enjoy the dish. Here are some examples of our
favourite ways to cook delicious rice:
Ingredients
½ cup basmati rice
1 cup cold water
A pinch of salt
Rinse the rice in a sieve (optional but great if you can!). Add
the rice to a pot. Add water and salt, bring it to a boil. Pop
the lid on top and put it on low heat for 8-10 minutes. Check
back when the time is up, fork through it to make it fluffy.
Optional but even more awesome: leave it for another 10
minutes to let excess moisture evaporate. Make sure you
give the rice some extra flavour with spices and herbs!
Here are three combos you can add to the basic basmati
rice recipe (serving 2):
Version 1: Indian Style
Pick and choose from the spices below; experiment a little
and see some exciting results! Add them to the rice as it’s
cooking.
1 tsp of ground turmeric
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp curry powder
3-4 cloves
2 pierced cardamom pods
Version 2: Cilantro Freshness
You can use any herbs you like but we love this version in
particular.
Follow the basic recipe above but when the rice is cooked
add a tbsp of olive oil, a few splashes of lime, and a handful
of chopped cilantro/coriander. Season with more salt if
needed. Citrusy fresh :)
Version 3: Sweet and Crunchy
When the basic rice is cooked stir in a handful of chopped
walnuts, a handful of raisins or dried cranberries and a dash
or two of balsamic vinegar. Don’t worry if you don’t have all
the ingredients to hand, throw in what you do have!
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TIPS AND TRICKS
Basmati Rice - Three Ways
BUDDHA BOWL
1. Grab a grain and prep it most deliciously
VEGAN
VEGAN
Not very nutrient dense.
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 270 kcal, 9.5g fat, 42g
carbs, 7g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins Cook 25 min
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 300 kcal, 14g fat, 41g
carbs, 4.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 2 mins Cook 20 min
Serves 1
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 tbsp of olive oil
DIRECTIONS
DIRECTIONS
Rinse the rice in a sieve (optional). Add the olive oil to a
pot and put it on medium heat. Next add the rice.
In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, water, honey, and
salt.
Ingredients
½ cup of brown rice
1 cup of vegetable broth
instead of water
Half an onion
1/2 cup water
Let it fry for a 2-3 minutes while stirring every now and
then (if making the Mexican version then add half an
onion, half a bell pepper and the tomato).
Half a red bell pepper
1 tomato
A pinch of salt
Add water (or broth) and salt, bring it to a boil.
Then stick lid on top and put it on a low heat for 20 - 25
minutes.
You can use standard white
rice as well, it cooks a little
quicker too.
1/2 cup of coconut milk
Check back when the time is up, fork through it to
make it fluffy.
Optional
Leave it for another 10 minutes to let excess moisture
evaporate.
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Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in rice. Bring to a boil
over medium heat.
Teaspoon maple syrup
(honey)
Pinch salt
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes
until rice is tender.
Other Flavours
Play around with the spices and liquids, add different
herbs before serving, there is no right or wrong - that’s
half the fun of a Buddha Bowl! Making good rice is a
craft, and you’ll improve with every batch.
Other Grains
Remember we said you can use other ingredients
like couscous or quinoa too? Well, we weren’t joking!
Trying subbing the rice for one of those - you can use
the variations from above too. Also if you’re in a rush
then you can simply cook the grains in stock instead of
water for an instant flavour hit - this is one of the very
fastest ways to make a Buddha Bowl!
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1/2 cup uncooked jasmine
rice
TIPS AND TRICKS
High in fiber and vitamin C
Jasmine Coconut Rice
BUDDHA BOWL
TIPS AND TRICKS
BUDDHA BOWL
Mexican-Inspired Brown Rice
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 120 kcal, 7.5g fat, 12.5g
carbs, 2g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 2 mins Cook 10 min
Serves 2
Now your rice or chosen grain is merrily cooking away, it’s
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
time to get the ‘green’ ready. The green is going to be some
Here we use bell peppers, but you can use whatever
2 bell peppers
you’re in the mood for - or happen to have in the
1 tablespoon olive oil
fridge, begging to be used up!
1 onion
delicious veggies and/or a leafy green that compliments
what you’ve made so far.
The key here is to create something tasty with a few simple
ingredients. Some evergreens are spinach, kale, cabbage,
Cut the peppers in thin strips (“julienne”). Heat the olive
oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat.
cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, bell peppers,
carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, onions, sprouts,
avocado and spring onion. But once again, there are no
right and wrongs with this versatile and beautiful dish we
call a Buddha Bowl.
Add the bell peppers and onion; season with salt and
pepper. If you have one, add a lid on top to keep in the
steam.
It’s not classic sauteing, but it helps to soften the veg
more quickly. Stir occasionally!
Here are some tasty ways to get your greens and veg just
right:
When the bell peppers are soft (after about 10 minutes)
add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Devine!
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Salt and pepper
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
TIPS AND TRICKS
2. Pick a veg and prep it
the awesome way
VEGAN
High in fiber, vitamin A & C
BUDDHA BOWL
TIPS AND TRICKS
BUDDHA BOWL
Sauteed Vegetables
DIRECTIONS
DIRECTIONS
1/4 chopped lettuce (or
Here we use lettuce, carrot and rocket but you can
similar)
use whatever raw veggies you like. There’s no cooking
1 grated carrot
to be done here, just a bit of prepping. To save even
A handful of rocket
more time you can use a bag of mixed salad.
One of the easiest and most nutritious ways to cook veg.
Sounds exactly like it is. Once again, use your favourite
veg, or simply what you have to spare. Here I’m using
a couple of different veg with different steaming times
to give you an idea of how it goes.
Ingredients
Not much to say here - rinse the ingredients, peel and
grate the carrot (unless it’s organic, then you can eat
the skin), chop the lettuce. Done.
Ingredients
Bring about 3 cm of water to boil in a saucepan. Place
the equally chopped broccoli in a steamer bowl (a
metal sieve works fine too!) and place it on top of the
boiling water.
Cover with a lid. Note - the veg should be above the
water, not in it. After about three minutes add the
spinach and let the steam finish its job.
Another three minutes should do it, and you’ll have
some beautifully tender veg ready for your Buddha
Bowl.
The above instructions are just an example - you can
use whatever vegetables you want! Bear in mind that
each veg takes a different length of time - you don’t
want soggy greens! To test a veg to see if it’s cooked,
just poke it with a knife in the thickest area. If the knife
slides in easily, it’s ready!
Steam Time of Vegetables (all trimmed into bite-sized
pieces)
Spinach, Arugula, Peas: 3 mins
Green Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery Zucchini: 5
to 8 mins
Carrots, Potatoes, Squash: 8 to 20 mins
Fennel, Kale, Collards: 10 mins
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175
1.5 cups chopped broccoli
1.5 cups spinach leaves
TIPS AND TRICKS
Steamed Vegetables and Greens
BUDDHA BOWL
TIPS AND TRICKS
BUDDHA BOWL
A Quick and Simple Salad
VEGAN
High in protein, fiber, iron and vitamin C
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 200 kcal, 7.5g fat, 28g
carbs, 7.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins Cook 5 min
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Legumes give our Buddha Bowl a big protein punch.
Think black beans, kidney beans, white beans, black
eyed peas (not the band, obviously), chickpeas, red
lentils, brown lentils, peas, edamame. Also tofu, seitan
or tempeh are great too! Feel free to just use canned
ones for convenience reasons.
2 garlic cloves
2 cm fresh ginger
1 tin black/kidney beans
(15.5 oz / 435g)
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of half a lime (maybe a
‘Raw’ or ‘sauteed’ Legumes usually taste awesome
when just drained and rinsed out of the tin.
You can pimp them a little with lime, salt, pepper, some
olive oil and/or herbs. Then just add them as they are to
your Buddha Bowl. It’s the quickest and simplest way
Alternatively: If you saute veggies then add some
legumes in the last 2-3 minutes of sauteing. Done.
For a Buddha Bowl truly bursting in flavour here are
some extra mouth-watering ideas.
Grate or chop the garlic and ginger. Then fry both in oil
on a medium heat and in a large saucepan for a minute.
Drain and rinse the beans, then add them to the pan.
Fry for a couple more minutes, adding a couple of
tablespoons of water as you go.
Finally, remove from the heat, add the salt, pepper and
lime juice. You can mash the beans a little if you like.
177
little more)
TIPS AND TRICKS
Ginger Spiced Beans
BUDDHA BOWL
3. CHOSEE A LEGUME
VEGAN
VEGAN
High in protein and calcium
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 60 kcal, 2.5g fat, 8.5g
carbs, 2g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins Cook 7 min
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 320 kcal, 28g fat, 3.5g
carbs, 16.5g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 2 mins Cook 15 min
Serves 2
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
200g of green beans (a
DIRECTIONS
DIRECTIONS
Fry the garlic in oil on a medium heat and in a large
saucepan for a minute. Then add the green beans to
the pan.
Slice the tofu into cubes, a little bigger than a regular
die.
good handful), ends trimmed,
chopped into bite-size
pieces
Fry for a couple more minutes, adding soy sauce and
sambal oelek and optional ingredients as you go.
Done.
1 tsp soy sauce
chili flakes)
Optional
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp lemon juice
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400g)
peanut oil
Some salt
Make sure to season them with salt while they’re still
sizzling!
1 tsp sambal oelek (or 2 tsp
1 pack of firm tofu (14oz,
3 tbsp of oil for frying, eg.
Get a pan and fry the cubes in oil on a medium heat for
about 15 minutes until golden brown.
Stir occasionally so they won’t stick to the pan. You
might have to add a little oil every now and then.
2 cloves garlic, finely
chopped
Ingredients
179
TIPS AND TRICKS
High in fiber, iron, vitamin A & C
Crispy Tofu Cubes
BUDDHA BOWL
TIPS AND TRICKS
BUDDHA BOWL
Spicy Green Beans
VEGAN
High in protein and fiber
VEGAN
High in protein and fiber
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 280 kcal, 9g fat, 36g
carbs, 12g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 8 mins Cook 15 min
Recommended for:
Nutrition per serving: 280 kcal, 9g fat, 36g
carbs, 12g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 8 mins Cook 25 min
Serves 2
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 ½ Cups/ 1 standard tin
DIRECTIONS
DIRECTIONS
Place all the ingredients in one large bowl and mix until
chickpeas are all coated.
Much like above, mix all the ingredients together and
coat the chickpeas evenly.
Ingredients
cooked chickpeas
1-2 tbsp olive oil
½ Tsp Salt
1 ½ cups/ 1 standard tin
cooked chickpeas
Place in a baking tray and put in a pre-heated oven for
about 15 minutes at 200°C/400°F.
½ Tsp Paprika
Either place them in a baking tray and roast in the oven
as above, or fry in a pan on a medium heat for about 8
mins for a slightly crispier option.
2 tbsp curry paste think red, green, yellow,
tandoori, tikka - use your
1 Tsp Chili Powder
fave!
⅛ Tsp Turmeric
2 tbsp olive oil
½ Tsp Oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional
A squeeze of lime if you
have it.
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181
TIPS AND TRICKS
Curried Chickpeas
BUDDHA BOWL
TIPS AND TRICKS
BUDDHA BOWL
Roasted Chickpeas
TIPS AND TRICKS
A fancy dressing is not always necessary, especially if you
Vegan Caesar Dressing
already pimped all the other ingredients.
50ml Soy milk
2 tbsp Olive Oil
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp tomato paste
2 tsp vinegar
Salt & Pepper
drop of maple syrup
If you want to keep it simple, just opt for some sambal
oelek, sriracha, soy yogurt or the good old combo of
vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
But at times a dressing with an extra kick can do wonders.
Here are four that definitely make any buddha bowl fun to
eat. The ingredients are always enough for two servings:
Red Pepper Sauce
Asian Style Peanut Butter Dressing
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup to make it vegan
1 tbsp vinegar or lemon
2-3 tbsp water
A pinch or two of chopped or grated ginger (dried is fine)
1 red bell pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ cup cilantro or parsley (you can use dried or frozen
too of course)
A couple of chilies if you want it spicy!
Spicy-Orange Vinaigrette
a good orange squeeze (about 2 tbsp)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sambal oelek or sriracha
1 tsp rice vinegar
182
Roughly chop the bell pepper (minus the core and
seeds), and add it with the rest of ingredients to a
blender or large bowl and blend! A hand blender works
really well for this. That’s it, sauce ready!
183
BUDDHA BOWL
TIPS AND TRICKS
BUDDHA BOWL
4. Make an awesome
dressing
How long do certain ingredients keep fresh in the fridge?
Cooked quinoa lasts for 6 days
Cooked rice lasts for 5 days
Cooked beans last for 5 days
Cooked lentils last for 5 days
So, cooking up multiple servings of grains or having a half emptied
can of beans is not a problem at all. Just refrigerate them and make
another Buddha Bowl within the next couple of days. Easy.
How to make sure your Buddha Bowl has approx. 600 kcal?
Of course buddha bowls can vary a lot when it comes to calories.
Still, as a rule of thumb you’ll approximately hit 600 kcal if you fill
your cooked grains, greens and beans in the following amount:
About ¾ cup cooked rice
About 1.5 cups salad
About ¾ cup cooked beans
Some dressing
185
TIPS AND TRICKS
If you’re really struggling, then here are a few of our favourites to
help you on your way. And one or two not to try:
Mexican style couscous, 1 yellow bell pepper and 2 spring onions
(chopped, raw), raw kidney beans and splash of sweet and sour
sauce.
Black rice, feta, walnuts and pomgranate on fresh spinach leaves.
Super easy and super tasty (see photo)!
Indian style rice, steamed spinach and curried chickpeas.
Sweet and crunchy couscous with fresh salad, a dash of your
favoured sauce.
Mexican style quinoa, sauteed bell peppers and red pepper sauce,
eaten cold.
Brown rice, spinach and julienned bell peppers, “sauteed” spicy
white beans
BUDDHA BOWL
Our Favourite Buddha
Bowl Combos
VEGAN
Recommended for:
Estimated nutrition per serving: 600 kcal, 32g
lunch, dinner
fat, 65g carbs, 10g protein
Serves 2
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Roasting veggies is awesome. In our opinion it’s an
essential for everybody who likes to eat good food
with little effort. And which of us isn’t a lazy bastard
at times? Once you know the basics you can prep an
excellent meal on a baking tray within minutes.
Veggies of your choice
Seasoning of your choice
Dressing and garnish of
your choice
A dip of your choice
Pre-heat your oven to 200°C (400°F)
Chop vegetables into 1 inch cubes (2.5cm) and place
on a baking sheet.
Coat with a seasoning of your choice.
Baking time is between 20 and 40 minutes (check and
remix at 20 minutes). The veggies will cook quicker or
slower depending on the size that you chop them.
Optional: prepare a dip and some more sides in the
meantime.
When the veggies look crispy and are tender inside get
out the sheet.
Add some dressing or garnish.
Enjoy! :-)
187
TIPS AND TRICKS
One sheet usually is enough for two servings.
ROASTED VEGETABLES
Roasted Vegetables (approx. 600 kcaL per jar)
We recommend a filling component, like potatoes, sweet
potatoes or pumpkins and two lighter types of veggies like
broccoli and green peas. If the veggies have a different
cooking time make sure to add them to the sheet
accordingly.
Mild Curry
1 tbsp Coconut oil
Half a tbsp curry powder
1 tsp of sugar
Great with pumpkins or sweet potatoes.
Here are some ideas
Asparagus, Tomato, Haloumi and some Bread
Potatoes, Carrots and Bell Peppers
Sweet Potato Cubes, Broccoli, Onion, Grean Peas &
Hazelnuts
Cauliflower, Fennel and Butternut Squash
Sweet Herbs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sage
1 tsp rosemary
Great with cauliflower, fennel, pumpkins, potatoes, sweet
potatoes.
Awesome Seasonings
Asian Inspired
The measurements are just approximated and will be
enough for one sheet. Once you get the hang of it you’ll
know how much of it you need for your sheets. Below
each seasoning you find a few produce suggestions. But
of course you can use any dressings for any vegetable you
like.
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sriracha
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
Great with green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots.
Refreshing Classic
Tangy Mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp rosemary
Half a slice lemon
Salt and pepper
Great with potatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, broccoli
and cauliflower.
2 tbsp of melted butter
1 tbsp of mustard (dijon)
Half a lemon
188
189
TIPS AND TRICKS
Pick your favorite Veggies
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Paprika powder/ bell pepper powder
Salt and pepper
Great with potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots.
ROASTED VEGETABLES
TIPS AND TRICKS
ROASTED VEGETABLES
Roasted Vegetables
Spice It Up
Just crumble some feta cheese on top, toss your veggies
with your favourite herbs, add a splash of balsamic vinegar
or add some nuts/seeds.
Here are a couple of ideas
Seeds/nuts: hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds,
pumpkin seeds.
Herbs: basil, oregano, parsley, mint, coriander/cilantro
Cheese: feta, brie, gouda, vegetarian parmesan, goat
cheese.
Liquids: balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, sriracha, sambal
oelek, sweet and sour sauce.
Other: olives, avocado slices, pickled jalapeños, pickled
bell peppers
Whip up a Dip!
To every crunchy dish a dip is not far away. This is no
different with roasted vegetables. They are just much more
enjoyable with a refreshing dip that counterparts the hot
and crispy oven goodness.
191
TIPS AND TRICKS
Now it’s time for all the ingredients that would burn quickly
if you added them to the sheet before roasting.
ROASTED VEGETABLES
Dressings and Garnish
After Roasting
How much oil should I use per sheet?
As you can imagine, this depends on the amount of veggies
you’re about to roast. But as a rule of thumb, you’re safe
with about 2-3 tbsp of oil for a standard sheet of produce.
Make sure everything is nicely coated with oil. If your veg
is bathing in it, you’ve used too much.
How much space do the veggies need?
Second, the roasting time is roughly 5 minutes less in
comparison to fresh vegetables, because they had been
partly cooked (blanched) prior to freezing them.
Third, make sure you give them enough space on the
baking sheet. Roasted vegetables contain more water than
their fresh counterparts, which means you steam them if
you cram them too close together.
On what heat should I roast my
vegetables?
The more space you give your vegetables the better.
As mentioned, water from the produce evaporates. So,
if they’re all crammed onto each other you steam them
rather than roast them.
Give them some heat! It’s important to preheat your oven.
If you don’t do that you’ll get mushy vegetables, which is
the last thing we want. Jam up your oven to 400 to 450°F
(200 – 230°C) and then add your veggies. That way your
vegetables have the chance to caramelize properly and
develop delicious crispiness.
Ideally they would even need a little space between each
other, like half a centimeter (0.2 inches). I personally place
the veggies right next to each other to have more food for
dinner.
You can pretty much roast everything on that heat. I’ve yet
to come across a vegetable where that wasn’t the case.
Be careful with frozen vegetables though!
For how long do vegetables need to
roast?
Can I roast frozen vegetables?
Yes, you can! But watch out for a couple of things:
Check out the list below for a rough overview on how
quickly certain veggies are ready. Still, the smaller you cut
them, the quicker they’ll be done!
First thaw them under warm water and dry the vegetables
as good as possible. By doing that you avoid burning the
192
193
TIPS AND TRICKS
Spicy Hummus Dip
Simple Sexy Salsa
Yogurt Arugula Dip
Persian Yogurt Mint Dip
Now assemble everything on a plate and enjoy!
skin while the veg is still cold inside. It’s not essential to do
it, but improves the result.
ROASTED VEGETABLES
TIPS AND TRICKS
ROASTED VEGETABLES
Some ideas
Recommended for:
Estimated nutrition per serving: 200 kcal, 12.5g
fat, 17g carbs, 6g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 5 mins Cook 10 min
Serves 2
About 20 – 30 minutes
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Fennel
Garlic cloves
Onions
Snap peas
Turnips
DIRECTIONS
Ingredients
Finely chop the onions and garlic, sauté in oil until
translucent.
1 can of tomato puree/
diced tomatoes
Add the tomato puree and heat through (if using dried
basil add approximately 1/3 of a teaspoon at this point).
200g of roasted veg
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
Add 100g of roasted veg and heat through.
30 minutes or longer
Beets
Brussels sprouts
Carrots
Parsnips
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Sweet potatoes
Use a blender to blitz it all together, then add the
remaining veg (heat through) and add the basil (if
using fresh).
Congrats, you now have a really flavourful pasta sauce!
I made a huge batch of roasted vegetables.
What can I do with the leftovers?
Oh wow, you can use roasted veggies in so many ways! Of
course you can just reheat them the next day. But if you’re
unhappy with the loss of crunch, here are some ideas for
your leftover veggies:
194
195
Basil (fresh or dried)
50g feta
1 tbsp olive oil
TIPS AND TRICKS
VEGETARIAN
Nutritional Value depends on the veggies you use
ROASTED VEGETABLES
TIPS AND TRICKS
ROASTED VEGETABLES
Homemade Pasta Sauce
Under 20 minutes
Asparagus
Bell peppers
Green beans
Mushrooms
Summer squash
Tomatoes
Zucchini
Nutritional Value depends on the veggies you use
VEGETARIAN
Recommended for:
Estimated nutrition per serving: 240 kcal, 11g
fat, 34g carbs, 7g protein
lunch, dinner
Prep 8 mins
80g lettuce
4 tablespoons of reheated
roasted veggies
Probably every human loves snacking. Usually we feel like eating
something small around 11 am and and again at around 4 pm. We
added some ideas below for you to use in your meal plans.
Again, we didn’t add the calories to the snacks for you to
meticulously count them, but to give you the possibility to put them
into perspective. Ok, let’s start!
Serves 2
Ingredients
SNAcKS
DIRECTIONS
You can choose your favourite salad dressing but the
flavours in this work really well with pesto. So if you
have some in the cupboard/fridge use that to give the
salad an extra edge.
½ an avocado
10-12 cherry tomatoes
(Of course you can pick your
own ingredients for the salad
too!)
196
Apricots, dried, half a cup - 150 kcal (high in iron)
Apple, medium - 100 kcal
Avocado, medium - 250 kcal
Banana, medium - 100 kcal
Blueberries, 1 cup, 90 kcal
Carrot, medium - 25 kcal
Chocolate Bar (Snickers), 57 g -280 kcal
Clementine , one fruit - 40 kcal
Cottage cheese, half a cup - 110 kcal (high in protein)
Cream cheese, 1 tbsp - 50 kcal (high in protein)
Crispbread, one - 40 kcal
Dark Chocolate, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) - 600 kcal (high in iron)
Egg, hard boiled - 70 kcal (high in protein & vitamin B12)
Grapes, 1 cup - 60 kcal
Honey, 1 tbsp - 60 kcal
Hummus, half a cup - 200 kcal (high in protein & iron)
Jam/Marmalade, 1 tbsp - 50 kcal
Nachos, a good handful - 100 kcal
Nuts, a handful (¼ cup) - 160 kcal (high in protein)
Orange, medium - 60 kcal
Peanut Butter, 1 tbsp - 90 kcal (high in protein)
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich - 400 kcal
Pineapple (1 cup, chunks) - 100 kcal
Rice Crackers, one - 30 kcal
Walnuts, a handful - 250 kcal (high in protein & omega 3)
Wine Gums (Maynards), 50 g - 180 kcal
Yogurt, one cup - 100 kcal (high in protein)
197
TIPS AND TRICKS
TIPS AND TRICKS
ROASTED VEGETABLES
Warm Salad with Roasted Veggies
7. FIVE
READY TO
ROLL MEAL
PLANS
In this book we’ve put together five meal plans to
give you an overall picture of what a healthy balanced
diet during weight loss looks like. If you are in weight
maintenance the foods choices will be the same, you’ll
just have more leeway when it comes to portion sizes/
snacking/use of added fats and calories from drinks.
GENERAL MEAL PLAN
INFORMATION
Calories
Important
As you can imagine, this depends on the amount of veggies
you’re about to roast. But as a rule of thumb, you’re safe
with about 2-3 tbsp of oil for a standard sheet of produce.
Make sure everything is nicely coated with oil. If your veg
is bathing in it, you’ve used too much.
All meal plans are either 1500 kcal/day (women) or 1800
kcal/day (men). If you calculated your individual calorie
intake we recommend modifying the snacks. Alternatively
you can always vary the kcal of a meal by adding or
removing certain ingredients (bread, avocado, etc.) to
adjust to your individual level. But as mentioned before:
don’t overthink things!
The point that we are coming to is use this information in
the best way that serves you. You don’t have to follow the
plan exactly. There may be some foods/recipes that you
don’t like - just swap them out for something similar.
Start
We are big believers in keeping things simple, so if you
find that throwing together a salad is easier than making a
soup - do more of that. If you like being able to make foods
in bulk then salads might not be your favourite option unless they’re salads in a jar of course!
It can take time to get used to shopping differently and
preparing new meals. If you’re time stressed, go easy on
yourself, focus on some of the simple choices first and
work your way up to more adventurous ones.
These are just ideas - your week doesn’t have to look
exactly like this. You may decide that dinner leftovers from
one day will be lunch on another day for example.
Alright, without further ado, it’s time for some meal plan
inspiration!
200
Begin your meal plan whenever you like. Our pre written
ones start on Sundays, but that’s just a suggestion.
Servings
When you’re asked to refrigerate or freeze the leftovers,
then the ingredients for that recipe are enough for two
servings (one to eat straight away, one stored).
Remember, these nutrients are especially important for us
vegetarians:
-Protein (eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes)
-Omega 3 fats (flax seeds, chia seeds, avocados, olive oil)
-Iron (legumes, green leafy veggies, nuts, dried apricots,
dates, raisins)
-Vitamin B12 (dairy, eggs, fortified soy milk)
Beverages
Avoid soft drinks and alcohol. Stick to water (with lemon
or mint), tea and coffee without sweeteners..
201
Meal Plan “The Less Carb Veggie”
Here you‘ll find the printable A4 version (to download click inside the document ‘File’
—> ‘Download as’)
A meal plan moderate in carbs and higher in
healthy fats/proteins making it easier to lose
weight. Many of the carbs are fibre, also beneficial
for weight loss and maintenance.
Note
On some smaller tablets or
reader screens the tables of the
grocery list and meal plan can
The breakfast recipes are interchangeable.
Second servings are stored and eaten on another
day in the week.
look too cluttered. Therefore
we
recommend
viewing
the
printable A4 version, which is
also continuously being updated
Feel free to be lazy and throw out a few recipes for
some you know if you feel there are too many new
recipes for you.
203
(link above).
Grocery List “The Less Carb(1500Veggie”
kcal/day)
Meal Plan “The Less Carb Veggie”
(1500 kcal/day)
Before you leave to shop for groceries cross off the stuff you already have at home.
Produce, Total
Produce, Total
Produce, Total
Apple, 1
Spring Onions, 4
Dijon Mustard, 2 tbsp
Avocado, 2
Sweet Potato, 1 (for roasting)
Honey, 1 tsp
Banana, 2
Chili pepper, fresh, 3
Hot Sauce (eg. Sriracha), 2 tbsp
Bell Pepper (green & red), 5
Zucchini, large, 1
Basil, dry, 2 tbsp
Broccoli, 1 head (for roasting)
Fridge, Freezer, Canned Goods
Cumin, ground, 2 tsp
Cherry Tomatoes, 1 small pack
Black Beans, 1 can
Olive Oil, 17 tbsp
Cilantro/ Coriander, 1 small bunch
Hummus, 1 cup
Peanut Butter, 2 tbps
Brussel Sprouts, 1 bag
Lentils, 1 can
Pepper flakes, 3
Carrots, 6
Pineapple, 2 cans
Tomato Puree, 1 tbsp
Cucumber, 1
(Soy) Milk, 1 carton (400ml)
Vegetable broth, 3 cups
Eggs, 10
Whole Grain Bread, 6 slices
White vinegar, 3 tbsp
Garlic cloves, 6
Tofu, firm, 400g
Cacao Powder, 1 tbsp
Ginger, 1cm
Tortillas, 2
Chocolate Nibs, 1 tbsp
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Green Peas, handful (for roasting)
Natural Yogurts, 2
Coconut Flakes, 4 tbsp
Kohlrabi, 1
Brie Cheese, 1
Cranberries, 3 tbsp
Lemon, 1
Butter, 1 knob
Dark chocolate, quarter of a bar
Lime, 1
Cheddar 100g
Hazelnuts, 3 handful
Onions, 6
Cottage cheese, half a cup
Peanuts, 2 bags
Orange, 2
Cream cheese, 200g (low fat)
Raisins, 1 handful
Parsley, 1 bunch
Creme Fraiche, 1 cup
Walnuts, 2 handful
Pear, 1
Feta cheese, 150g
Rice or Quinoa, 1 cup
Radishes, 1 bunch
Olives, 1 handful
Red Onions, 1
Agave Nectar, 2 tbsp
Rocket, 1 bag
For the Cupboard
Spinach, 1 bag
Balsamic Vinegar, 3 tbsp
204
Thu
Fri
Sat
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Banana Egg Pancakes
with a tsp of honey
(300 kcal)
Tofu Pineapple Salad
(510 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Spicy Black Bean
Soup garnished with a
tortilla
(500 kcal)
Freeze the leftovers
Orange, a good
handful of nuts
(200 kcal)
3 Breakfast Egg
Muffins, 1 natural
yogurt (320 kcal)
Ideally prep the day
before, refrigerate the
leftovers
Tofu Pineapple Salad
(510 kcal)
Leftovers
Zoodles with an
Exquisite Hazelnut
Carrot Sauce
(600 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Apple and banana
(200 kcal)
3 Breakfast Egg
Muffins and a natural
yogurt
(320 kcal)
Leftovers
Zoodles with an
Exquisite HazelnutCarrot Sauce
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
Pear Walnut Salad
with a Mustard
Dressing and a half a
cup of cooked rice/
quinoa
(420 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
2 carrots with a
quarter cup of
hummus (200 kcal)
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
Pear Walnut Salad
with a Mustard
Dressing and a half a
cup of cooked rice or
quinoa (420 kcal)
Leftovers
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Cream cheese toast
topped with veggie or
fruit (200 kcal)
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
Kohlrabi Carrot Soup,
1 slice of bread (350
kcal)
Freeze the leftovers
Half a cup of cottage
cheese with a tsp of
honey
(200 kcal)
Awesome Avocado
Sandwich with Brie
(400 kcal)
Spicy Black Bean
Soup, with a tortilla
(500 kcal)
Leftovers
Melted Feta Veggie
Bake and a slice of
bread (450 kcal)
1 cup of pineapple
cubes sprinkled with
coconut flakes (200
kcal)
Low Carb Cream
Cheese Pancakes
(400 kcal)
Turkish Lentil Salad
and a slice of bread
(540 kcal)
Only prep one serving
and freeze the excess
lentils
Kohlrabi Carrot Soup,
2 slices of bread (350
kcal)
Leftovers
A quarter to a third
of a 100g bar of dark
chocolate
(200 kcal)
205
Snacks
Grocery List “The Less Carb(1800Veggie”
kcal/day)
Meal Plan “The Less Carb Veggie”
(1800 kcal/day)
Before you leave to shop for groceries cross off the stuff you already have at home.
Produce, Total
Produce, Total
Sweet Potato, 1 (for roasting)
Olives, 1 handful
Avocado, 3
Tomato, 1
Peanut Butter, 2 tbsp
Banana, 4
Zucchini, large, 1
Red Pepper Flakes, 3
Bell pepper (red and green), 5
Fridge, Freezer, Canned Goods
Rosemary, 2 tbsp
Broccoli, 1 head (for roasting)
Black Beans, 1 can
Tomato Puree, 1 tbsp
Brussels Sprouts, 1 bag
Hummus, 1 cup
Vegetable Broth, 1 cup
Carrots, 5
Lentils, 1 can
Agave Nectar, 2 tsp
Cherry Tomatoes, 1 pack
Pineapple, 1 can
Cacao Powder, 2 tbsp
Chili Pepper, 3
(Soy) Milk, 1 carton (400ml)
Chocolate Nibs, 1 handful
Cilantro/ Coriander, 1 bunch
Tofu, firm, 400g
Cinnamon Powder, 2 tbsp
Cucumber, 1
Blueberries, frozen, 1 handful
Coconut Flakes, 1 handful
Eggs, 13
Brie Cheese, 1 pack
Crackers, 5
Garlic Cloves, 6
Cheddar, 100g
Cranberries, 1 handful
Grapes, 1 cup
Cream Cheese, 200g (low fat)
Crispbread, 1 slice
Green Peas, handful (for roasting)
Creme Fraiche, 200ml
Dark Chocolate, half a bar
Lime, 2
Feta Cheese, 1 pack
Dried Apricots, 1 handful
Onion, 5
Natural yogurt, 3
Hazelnuts, 2 handful
Orange, 1
For the Cupboard
Peanuts, 1 bag
Parsley, fresh, 2 bunches
Balsamic Vinegar, 7 tbsp
Raisins, 1 handful
Pear, 1
Basil, dried, 4 tbsp
Rice or Quinoa, 2 cups
Potatoes, 200g
Cumin, ground, 2 tsp
Tortillas, 2
Radishes, 1 bunch
Dijon Mustard, 3 tbsp
Walnuts, 2 handful
Honey, 7 tbsp
Rocket, 1 bag
Hot Sauce (like Sriracha), 3 tbsp
Spinach, 1 bag
Nuts Mix, 3 handful
Spring Onions, 4
Olive Oil, 18 tbsp
206
Lunch
Dinner
Sun
Banana Egg Pancakes
with peanut butter,
a tsp of honey, a
handful of blueberries
(400 kcal)
Tofu Pineapple Salad,
yogurt with fruit or
nuts (610 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Spicy Black Bean
Soup garnished with a
tortilla
(500 kcal)
Freeze the leftovers
Apple, a cup of
grapes, a good
handful of nuts
(300 kcal)
Mon
3 Breakfast Egg
Muffins, 1 yogurt with
honey (400 kcal)
Ideally prep the day
before, refrigerate the
leftovers
Tofu Pineapple Salad
(510 kcal)
Leftovers
Zoodles with an
Exquisite Hazelnut
Carrot Sauce
(600 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
2 carrots with a
quarter cup hummus,
apple (300 kcal)
3 Breakfast Egg
Muffins, yogurt with
honey (400 kcal)
Leftovers
Zoodles with an
Exquisite HazelnutCarrot Sauce
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
Pear Walnut Salad
with a Mustard
Dressing and a half a
cup of cooked rice/
quinoa (420 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Cucumber sticks with
half a cup of hummus,
banana, some dried
apricots (400 kcal)
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
Pear Walnut Salad
with a Mustard
Dressing, 1/2 cup of
cooked rice or quinoa,
yogurt with fruit (520
kcal)
Leftovers
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
1 cream cheese toast
topped with veggie or
fruit, handful of nuts
(300 kcal)
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
Farmers Potato Hash
(540 kcal)
Thu
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
A banana, tomato and
feta cheese on crispbread (300 kcal)
Fri
Awesome Avocado
Sandwich with Brie
(400 kcal)
Spicy Black Bean
Soup, with a tortilla
and an apple
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
Melted Feta Veggie
Bake and a slice of
bread (450 kcal)
1 hard boiled egg
with some crackers,
banana (300 kcal)
Low Carb Cream
Cheese Pancakes
(400 kcal)
Turkish Lentil Salad
and a slice of bread
(540 kcal)
Only prep one serving
and freeze the excess
lentils
Buddha Bowl, various
ways
(600 kcal)
The perfect leftovers
dish
Half of a 100g dark
chocolate bar
(300 kcal)
Produce, Total
Apple, 3
Red Onion, 1
Breakfast
Tue
Wed
Whole Grain Bread, 3 slices
Sat
207
Snacks
Meal Plan “Prepster”
Here you‘ll find the printable A4 version (to download click inside the document ‘File’
—> ‘Download as’)
A meal plan for the highly organised. The big
benefit of this plan is that you don’t spend much
time following recipes and cooking.
Note
On some smaller tablets or
reader screens the tables of the
On Sunday you prepare the overnight oats and
salads in a jar for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Then prep again for Thursday and Friday.
grocery list and meal plan can
look too cluttered. Therefore
we
recommend
viewing
the
printable A4 version, which is
All recipes are highly individual, which means that
the grocery list is just a suggestion of ingredients
to buy. If you follow the list you will be sure to have
enough for one week.
209
also continuously being updated
(link above).
Grocery List “Prepster” (1500 kcal/day)
Meal Plan “Prepster” (1500 kcal/day)
Before you leave to shop for groceries cross off the stuff you already have at home.
Produce, Total
Produce, Total
Produce, Total
Apple, 3
Fridge, Freezer, Canned Good
Basil, dried, 1 tbsp
Asparagus (if in season), 1 bunch
Black Beans, 1 can
Cayenne Pepper, 1 tsp
Banana, 6
Chickpeas, 1 can
Chia seeds, 4 tbsp
Bell Pepper, 5
Corn, 1 tin
Chili Flakes, 4
Broccoli, 1 head
Hummus, 1 cup
Chili Powder, 1 tsp
Carrots, 7
Kidney Beans, 1 can
Cinnamon, 6 tsp
Celery, 2 sticks
Lentils, 1 can
Cloves, 8
Cherry Tomatoes, 2 packs
Olives, handful
Coconut Flakes, 1 tbsp
Cucumber, 1
Pineapples, 1 can
Cumin, ground, 2 tsp
Eggs, 5
Soy Milk, 2 cartons (1200ml total)
Curry Powder, 2 tsp
Garlic Cloves, 6
Cream cheese, 100g
Dark Chocolate, half a bar
Ginger, 1 cm
Feta cheese, 200g
Honey, 7 tbsp
Lemon, 4
Frozen Berries, 1 bag
Mixed nuts, 2 packs
Lime, 1
Halloumi, 200g
Mustard, 4 tbsp
Onion, 6
For the Cupboard
Olive Oil, 22 tbsp
Orange, 1
Oats, rolled, 2 packs
Oregano, 1 tsp
Parsley, 2 bunches
Peanut Butter, 1 tbsp
Paprika Powder, 1 tsp
Potatoes, 2kg
Quinoa, 1 pack
Rosemary, 1 tbsp
Red onion, 2
Rice, 2 packs
Turmeric, ground, 2 tsp
Spinach, 1 bag
Whole Grain Bread, 6 slices
White Wine Vinegar, 3 tbsp
Sweet Potatoes, 2
Balsamic Vinegar, 3 tbsp
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
210
Fri
Sat
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Banana Egg Pancakes
with a tsp of honey
(250 kcal)
Turkish Lentil Salad
(490 kcal)
Use leftovers for meal
prepping
Baked Sweet Potatoes
with a Five Star Feta
Salad (670 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Orange, a good
handful of nuts
(200 kcal)
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(350 kcal)
Salad in a Jar, various
ways
(450 kcal)
Baked Sweet Potatoes
with a Five Star Feta
Salad (670 kcal)
Leftovers
Apple and banana
(200 kcal)
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(350 kcal)
Salad in a Jar, various
ways
(450 kcal)
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
2 carrots with a
quarter cup of
hummus (200 kcal)
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(350 kcal)
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
Buddha Bowl, various
ways
(600 kcal)
Cream cheese toast
topped with veggie or
fruit (200 kcal)
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(350 kcal)
Salad in a Jar, various
ways
(450 kcal)
Buddha Bowl, various
ways
(600 kcal)
1 cup of pineapple
cubes sprinkled with
coconut flakes (200
kcal)
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(350 kcal)
Salad in a Jar, various
ways
(450 kcal)
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Half a cup of cottage
cheese with a tsp of
honey (200 kcal)
The Perfect Omelette
(300 kcal)
Peanut Butter Banana
Sandwich (440 kcal)
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
A quarter to a third
of a 100g bar of dark
chocolate (200 kcal)
211
Snacks
Grocery List “Prepster” (1800 kcal/day)
Meal Plan “Prepster” (1800 kcal/day)
Before you leave to shop for groceries cross off the stuff you already have at home.
Produce, Total
Produce, Total
Produce, Total
Apple, 3
Fridge, Freezer, Canned Goods
Whole Grain Pasta, 200g
Asparagus (if in season), 1 bunch
Black Beans, 1 can
Balsamic Vinegar, 3 tbsp
Banana, 5
Chickpeas, 1 can
Basil, dried, 1 tbsp
Bell Pepper, 5
Corn, 1 tin
Cayenne Pepper, 1 tsp
Broccoli, 1 head
Hummus, 1 cup
Chia seeds, 4 tbsp
Carrots, 7
Kidney Beans, 1 can
Chili Flakes, 4
Celery, 2 sticks
Lentils, 1 can
Chili Powder, 1 tsp
Cherry Tomatoes, 2 packs
Olives, handful
Cinnamon, 6 tsp
Cucumber, 1
(Soy) Milk, 2 cartons (1200ml total)
Cloves, 8
Eggs, 7
Cottage cheese, 200g
Cumin, ground, 2 tsp
Garlic Cloves, 7
Cream Cheese, 100g
Curry Powder, 2 tsp
Ginger, 1 cm
Feta cheese, 200g
Dark Chocolate, 1 bar
Ginger, 1 cm
Frozen Berries, 1 bag
Honey, 7 tbsp
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Grapes, 1 cup
Halloumi, 200g
Hot Sauce, 2 tsp
Lemon, 4
Peas, frozen, 1 cup
Mixed nuts, 2 packs
Lime, 1
For the Cupboard
Mustard, 4 tbsp
Fri
Mushrooms, 1 handful
Crackers, 1 handful
Olive Oil, 22 tbsp
Onion, 6
Crispbread, 1 slice
Oregano, 1 tsp
Parsley, 2 bunches
Oats, rolled, 2 packs
Paprika Powder, 1 tsp
Potatoes, 2kg
Peanut Butter, 1 tbsp
Rosemary, 1 tbsp
Red onion, 2
Quinoa, 1 pack
Soy Sauce, 3 tbsp
Spinach, 1 bag
Rice, 2 packs
Tumeric, ground, 2 tsp
Sweet Potatoes, 2
Whole Grain Bread, 5 slices
White Wine Vinegar, 6 tbsp
212
Sat
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
3 Ingredient Cottage
Cheese Pancakes
(450 kcal)
Turkish Lentil Salad
(490 kcal)
Use leftovers for meal
prepping
Baked Sweet Potatoes
with a Five Star Feta
Salad (670 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Apple, a cup of
grapes, a good
handful of nuts
(300 kcal)
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(400 kcal)
Salad in a Jar, various
ways
(450 kcal)
Baked Sweet Potatoes
with a Five Star Feta
Salad (670 kcal)
Leftovers
2 carrots with a
quarter cup hummus,
apple (300 kcal)
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(400 kcal)
Salad in a Jar, various
ways
(450 kcal)
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Banana, tomato
and feta cheese on
crispbread (300 kcal)
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(400 kcal)
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
Buddha Bowl, various
ways
(600 kcal)
Cream cheese toast
topped with veggie or
fruit, handful of nuts
(300 kcal
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(400 kcal)
Salad in a Jar, various
ways
(450 kcal)
Buddha Bowl, various
ways
(600 kcal)
1 hard boiled egg with
some crackers, banana (300 kcal)
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(400 kcal)
Salad in a Jar, various
ways
(450 kcal)
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Whole wheat toast
with peanut butter
and fruit (300 kcal)
3 Ingredient Cottage
Cheese Pancakes
(450 kcal)
Delicious Fake Lo
Mein (470 kcal)
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
Half of a 100g dark
chocolate bar (300
kcal)
213
Snacks
Meal Plan “Easing In”
Here you‘ll find the printable A4 version (to download click inside the document ‘File’
—> ‘Download as’)
Cutting out foods we love to eat can be very hard,
especially when it comes to snacks. In this meal
plan we allow some space for your favourite
chocolate bar or wine gums. Also, during the
week you can keep going out for lunch or dinner
with your colleagues.
Note
On some smaller tablets or
reader screens the tables of the
grocery list and meal plan can
look too cluttered. Therefore
we
We made sure that breakfast and dinner are lighter
so you can enjoy lunch without feeling bad. Still,
you should try to make light and healthy choices
when eating out.
Once you feel comfortable with this meal plan you
can move on to a more “difficult” one.
215
recommend
viewing
the
printable A4 version, which is
also continuously being updated
(link above).
Grocery List ““Easing In” (1800 kcal/day)
Meal Plan “Easing In” (1800 kcal/day)
Before you leave to shop for groceries cross off the stuff you already have at home.
Produce, Total
Produce, Total
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Farmer’s Potato Hash
(540 kcal)
African Peanut Soup
(500 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Chocolate Bar, 60g
(280 kcal)
Sun
Awesome Avocado
Sandwich with Brie
(use spinach instead
of rocket)
(400 kcal
Out for Lunch!
(650 kcal)
Mon
Awesome Avocado
Sandwich with Brie
(use spinach instead
of rocket)
(400 kcal
African Peanut Soup
(500 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Eg. an apple, a banana
and a good handful of
nuts (300 kcal)
Tue
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(400 kcal)
Out for Lunch!
(650 kcal)
Italian Style Zucchini
Noodles (360 kcal)
3 carrots with a half
cup of hummus (300
kcal)
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(400 kcal)
Out for Lunch!
(650 kcal)
Spicy Black Bean
Soup with a slice of
bread (450 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
1 cup of applesauce
with a handful of nuts
(300 kcal))
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
Out for Lunch!
(650 kcal)
Spicy Black Bean
Soup with a slice of
bread (450 kcal)
Leftovers
1 handful of Wine Gum
and a handful of nuts
(300 kcal
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
Out for Lunch!
(650 kcal)
Creamy Asparagus
Risotto with a light
salad (550 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
A cup of cottage
cheese with a tsp of
honey (300 kcal)
Peanut Butter Banana
Sandwich (440 kcal)
Creamy Asparagus
Risotto with a light
salad (550 kcal)
Leftovers
Farmers Potato Hash
(540 kcal)
Half of a 100g dark
chocolate bar
(300 kcal)
Produce, Total
Apple, 1
(Soy) Milk, 1 carton (400ml)
Chia Seeds, 2 tsp
Asparagus, 1 bunch (or 1 zucchini)
Berries, frozen, 1 bag
Chili Flakes, 3
Avocado, 3
Brie Cheese, 1 pack
Chocolate Nibs, 1 tbsp
Banana, 2
Cottage Cheese, 100g
Cinnamon Powder, 1 tsp
Basil Leaves, 1 cup
Hard cheese, grated, 100g
Coconut Flakes, 1 tbsp
Bell Pepper, 1
Peas, frozen, 1 cup
Cranberries, 1 handful
Carrot, 4
Soy Yogurt, 1 cup
Cumin, grated, 1 tsp
Cherry Tomatoes, 1 small pack
Applesauce, 1 cup
Dark Chocolate, half a bar
Cilantro/ Coriander, 1 bunch
Brown Rice, 1 cup
Honey, 2 tbsp
Eggs, 4
Chocolate Bar (eg. Snickers), 1
Hot Sauce, 2 tsp
Garlic Cloves, 3
Oats, rolled, half a pack
Maple Syrup, 1 tbsp
Ginger, 1 cm
Peanut Butter, 3 tbsp
Nut Mix, 3 handful
Onion, 4
Risotto Rice, 1 cup
Olive Oil, 6 tbsp
Potatoes, 400g
Tortillas, 2
Peanuts, 1 handful
Red Onion, 1
Whole Grain Bread, 6 slices
Pesto, 1 tbsp
Spinach, 1 bag
Wine Gum, 1 small pack (50g)
Rosemary, 1 tbsp
Tomato, 1
For the Cupboard
Soy Sauce, 2 tbsp
Zucchini, 2
Almonds, 1 handful
Tomato Paste, 3 tbsp
Wed
Thu
Fridge, Freezer, Canned Goods
Balsamic vinegar, 3 tbsp
Vegetable Broth, 5 cups
Black Beans, 1 can
Basil, 1 tbsp
Walnuts, 2 handful
Hummus, 1 cup
Cacao Powder, 1 tsp
218
Fri
Sat
219
Snacks
Grocery List ““Easing In” (1500 kcal/day)
Meal Plan “Easing In” (1500 kcal/day)
Before you leave to shop for groceries cross off the stuff you already have at home.
Produce, Total
Banana, 4
Produce, Total
Pineapple, 1 can
Breakfast
Produce, Total
Chili Flakes, 3
Bell Pepper, 1
Cottage Cheese, 200g
Coconut Flakes, 1 tbsp
Carrots, 5
Feta Cheese, 200g
Cumin, 1 tsp
Cherry Tomatoes, 1 pack
Milk, 1 carton (400ml)
Honey, 2 tbsp
Chili, 1
Raspberries, frozen, 1 pack
Maple Syrup, 1 tbsp
Cucumber, 1
Sour Cream, 100g
Mustard, 2 tbsp
Eggs, 4
Soy Yogurt, 3 cups
Nut Mix, 1 handful
Garlic Clove, 1
Yogurt, 1 cup
Olive Oil, 8 tbsp
Ginger, 3 cm
Applesauce, 1 cup
Oregano, 1 tsp
Grapes, 1 cup
Chocolate Bar (eg. Snickers), 1
Pesto, 1 tbsp
Kiwi, 3
Fruit and Nut Bar, 1
Raisins, 1 handful
Lemon, 3
Oats, rolled, 1 pack
Rosemary, 1 tbsp
Onion, 1
Peanut Butter, 1 tbsp
Soy Sauce, 2 tbsp
Parsley, 1 bunch
Pitas, 4
Sunflower Seeds, 3 tbsp
Potatoes, 200g
Spaghetti, 250g
Sweet Chili Sauce, 1 tbsp
Red Onion, 2
Tortilla Wraps, 2
Walnuts, 1 handful
Spinach, 1 bag
Whole Grain Bread, 5 slices
Spring Onion, 3
Wine Gum, 1 small pack (50g)
Zucchini, medium, 1
For the Cupboard
Fridge, Freezer, Canned Goods
Almonds, 1 handful
Chickpeas, 1 can
Balsamic Vinegar, 1 tbsp
Hummus, 1 cup
Basil, 2 tbsp
216
Snacks
The Amazing
Chickpea Spinach
Salad and a slice of
bread (400 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Fiery Dragon Noodles
(550 kcal)
Chocolate Bar, 60g
(280 kcal)
Kat’s Overnight Oats
in a Jar (350 kcal)
Out for Lunch!
(650 kcal)
The Amazing
Chickpea Spinach
Salad (350 kcal)
Leftovers
Half a cup of cottage
cheese with a tsp of
honey (200 kcal)
Tue
Kat’s Overnight Oats
in a Jar (350 kcal)
Out for Lunch!
(650 kcal)
Italian Style Zucchini
Noodles (360 kcal)
2 carrots with a
quarter cup of
hummus (200 kcal)
Wed
Kat’s Overnight Oats
in a Jar (350 kcal)
Out for Lunch!
(650 kcal)
Greek Pitas (340 kcal)
Refrigerate the pita
salad for leftovers
1 handful of Wine Gum
(180 kcal)
Spicy Kiwi Banana
Smoothie (300 kcal)
Out for Lunch!
(650 kcal)
Greek Pitas (340 kcal)
Refrigerate the pita
salad for leftovers
1 cup of pineapple
cubes sprinkled with
coconut flakes (200
kcal)
Fri
Spicy Kiwi Banana
Smoothie (300 kcal)
Out for Lunch!
(650 kcal)
Tangy Veggie Wrap
(300 kcal)
A fruit and nut bar
and a and a couple of
grapes (200 kcal)
Sat
Peanut Butter Banana
Sandwich (440 kcal)
Tangy Veggie Wrap
and a banana (390
kcal)
Farmers Potato Hash
(540 kcal)
1 cup of applesauce
with a handful of nuts
(300 kcal)
Sun
Almond Milk, 1 carton (400ml)
Dinner
An easy sandwich
with veggies and a
150g soy yogurt (350
kcal)
Chia Seeds, 6 tsp
Basil Leaves, 1 bunch
Lunch
Mon
Thu
217
Meal Plan “Gluten-Free Experiment”
Here you‘ll find the printable A4 version (to download click inside the document ‘File’
—> ‘Download as’)
Many people claim to feel much better when
following a gluten-free diet. This ‘experiment’ is to
allow you to try it out for yourself.
Note
On some smaller tablets or
reader screens the tables of the
We’ve kept gluten-containing grain out of the
meal plan. This leaves you with an excellent set of
recipes for weight loss that are mostly based on
whole foods. Potatoes, rice, quinoa and legumes
are your new friends now. You can see if you’re one
of the many people who respond really well to a
gluten-free diet.
221
grocery list and meal plan can
look too cluttered. Therefore
we
recommend
viewing
the
printable A4 version, which is
also continuously being updated
(link above).
Grocery List “Gluten-Free Experiment”
(1500 kcal/day)
Meal Plan “Gluten-Free Experiment”
(1500 kcal/day)
Before you leave to shop for groceries cross off the stuff you already have at home.
Produce, Total
Produce, Total
Breakfast
Lunch
Sun
Banana Egg
Pancakes, a handful of
blueberries
(300 kcal)
Tofu Pineapple Salad
(510 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Meatless Chili Con
Carne, (620 kcal)
Freeze the leftovers
Orange and a good
handful of nuts
(200 kcal)
Tofu Pineapple Salad
(510 kcal)
Leftovers
Buddha Bowl, various
ways, (600 kcal)
Prep 2 servings,
refrigerate 1
Apple and a banana
(200 kcal)
Mon
3 Breakfast Egg
Muffins and a natural
yogurt (320 kcal)
Ideally prep the day
before, refrigerate the
leftovers
3 Breakfast Egg
Muffins and a natural
yogurt (320 kcal)
Buddha Bowl, various
ways
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
Refreshing Avocado
Tomato Salad with
some rice crackers,
(450 kcal)
2 carrots with a
quarter cup of
hummus (200 kcal)
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
Refreshing Avocado
Tomato Salad
(400 kcal)
Leftovers
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Apple and a handful
of nuts, (150 kcal)
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with
a dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
Melted Feta Veggie
Bake (450 kcal)
Apple and a handful
of nuts, (150 kcal)
Quinoa Breakfast
Porridge with Hot
Blueberry Drizzle (310
kcal)
The Amazing
Chickpea Spinach
Salad with rice
crackers (400 kcal)
Prep in the morning,
refrigerate half
Farmers Potato Hash
(540 kcal)
Half a cup of cottage
cheese with a tsp of
honey (200 kcal)
Quinoa Breakfast
Porridge with Hot
Blueberry Drizzle
(310 kcal)
The Amazing
Chickpea Spinach
Salad with rice
crackers (400 kcal)
Leftovers
Meatless Chili Con
Carne, (620 kcal)
Leftovers
A quarter to a third
of a 100g bar of dark
chocolate (200 kcal)
Produce, Total
Apple, 1
Fridge, Freezer, Canned Goods
Cacao Powder, 1 tbsp
Avocado, 2
Chickpeas, 2 cans
Cardamom, 2 tbsp
Banana, 3
Chopped Tomatoes, 1 can
Chili Flakes, 2
Bell Pepper, 3
Corn, 1 can
Chocolate Nibs, 1 tbsp
Broccoli, 1 head (for roasting)
Hummus, 1 cup
Cinnamon, 1 tbsp
Brussel Sprouts, 2 cups
Kidney Beans, 1 can
Cumin Powder, 2 tsp
Carrots, 2
Lentils, 1 can
Dark Chocolate, half a bar
Cherry Tomatoes, 2 packs
Olives, 1 handful
Dried Apricots, 2 tbsp
Chili, 3
Blueberries, 1 pack
Honey, 2 tbsp
Cucumber, 1
Cheddar, 50g
Hot Sauce, 3 tbsp
Eggs, 10
Cottage Cheese, 100g
Maple Syrup, 2 tbsp
Garlic Cloves, 5
Feta, 300g
Nut Mix, 1 handful
Green Peas, handful (for roasting)
Natural Yogurt, 2 cups
Olive Oil, 20 tbsp
Lemon, 2
Soy Milk, 1 carton (400ml)
Oregano, 1 tsp
Mushrooms, 1 handful
Tofu, firm, 400g
Paprika Powder, 1 tsp
Onion, 4
Quinoa, half a pack
Raisins, 1 handful
Orange, 1
Rice Crackers, 1 pack
Rosemary, 2 tbsp
Parsley, 1 bunch
Rice, half a pack
Sundried Tomatoes, 6
Lime, 1
Peanut Butter, 2 tbsp
Sunflower Seeds, 2 tbsp
Potatoes, 1kg (for roasting)
For the Cupboard
Tomato Puree, 1 tbsp
Radishes, 1 bunch
Almonds, 1 handful
Vegetable Broth, 1 cup
Rocket, 1 bag
Anise Stars, 2
Walnuts, 1 handful
Spinach, 1 bag
Balsamic Vinegar, 2 tbsp
Peanuts, 1 handful
Spring Onions, 4
Basil, dried, 4 tbsp
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
222
Sat
Dinner
223
Snacks
Grocery List “Gluten-Free Experiment”
(1800 kcal/day)
Meal Plan “Gluten-Free Experiment”
(1800 kcal/day)
Before you leave to shop for groceries cross off the stuff you already have at home.
Produce, Total
Produce, Total
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Sun
Banana Egg Pancakes
with peanut butter,
a tsp of honey, a
handful of blueberries
(400 kcal)
Melted Feta Veggie
Bake
(450 kcal)
Buddha Bowl, various
ways
(600 kcal)
Use up leftover
veggies!
An apple, a cup
of grapes, a good
handful of nuts
(300 kcal)
Mon
3 Breakfast Egg
Muffins and a cup of
yogurt with honey
(400 kcal)
Ideally prep the day
before, refrigerate the
leftovers
High Protein Kidney
Bean Salad with
some rice crackers,
(600 kcal)
Prep in the morning,
refrigerate the
leftovers
Creamy Asparagus
Risotto with a light
salad, refrigerate the
leftovers (550 kcal)
Use zucchini, if
asparagus is out of
season
An apple, a banana
and a good handful of
nuts
(300 kcal)
Tue
3 Breakfast Egg
Muffins and a cup of
yogurt with honey
(400 kcal)
Leftovers
Creamy Asparagus
Risotto with a light
salad (550 kcal)
Leftovers
High Protein Kidney
Bean Salad with
some rice crackers,
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
1 cup of applesauce
with a handful of nuts
(300 kcal)
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
Pear Walnut Salad
with a Orange Mustard
Dressing (600 kcal)
Ideally prep the day
before, eat both
servings
Baked Sweet Potatoes
with a Five Star Feta
Salad (670 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
1 cup of pineapple
cubes sprinkled with
coconut flakes (300
kcal)
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
Baked Sweet
Potatoes with a Five
Star Feta Salad (670
kcal)
Leftovers
Farmer’s Potato Hash
(540 kcal)
3 carrots with a half
cup of hummus
(300 kcal)
Quinoa Breakfast
Porridge with Hot
Blueberry Drizzle and
a banana (410 kcal)
Turkish Lentil Salad
(490 kcal)
Prep in the morning
refrigerate the
leftovers
Farmer’s Potato Hash
(540 kcal)
A cup of cottage
cheese with a tsp of
honey (300 kcal)
Quinoa Breakfast
Porridge with Hot
Blueberry Drizzle and
a banana (410 kcal)
Turkish Lentil Salad
(490 kcal)
Leftovers
Buddha Bowl, various
ways (600 kcal)
Use up leftover
veggies!
An apple, half of a 100
g dark chocolate bar
(350 kcal)
Produce, Total
Apple, 3
Blueberries, frozen, 1 pack
Cacao Powder, 1 tsp
Asparagus, 1 bunch (or 1 zucchini)
Cheddar, 100g
Cardamom, 1 tbsp
Avocado, 1
Cottage Cheese, 100g
Cayenne Pepper, 1 tsp
Banana, 3
Feta Cheese, 200g
Cinnamon Powder, 2 tsp
Bell Pepper (green and red), 4
Hard Cheese, grated, 100g
Coconut Flakes, 2 tbsp
Cherry Tomatoes, 2 packs
Natural Yogurt, 2 cups
Cumin, ground, 3 tsp
Chili, 1
Peas, frozen, 1 cup
Dark Chocolate Nibs, 1 tbsp
Cucumber, 1
Soy Milk, 1 carton (600ml)
Dark Chocolate, half a bar
Eggs, 12
Corn, 1 can
Dried Apricots, 2 tbsp
Garlic Clove, 3
Hummus, 1 cup
Honey, 1 tbsp
Grapes, 1 cup
Kidney Beans, 1 can
Honey, 5 tbsp
Lemon, 1
Lentils, 1 can
Hot Sauce, 1 tsp
Lime, 1
Olives, 2 handful
Mustard, 1
Onion, 5
Applesauce, 1 cup
Mustard, 3 tbsp
Orange, 1
Peanut Butter, 1 tbsp
Nut Mix, 3 handfuls
Parsley, 2 bunches
Quinoa, half a bag
Olive Oil, 16 tbsp
Pear, 1
Rice Crackers, 1 bag
Oregano, 1 tsp
Potatoes, 400g
Rice, half a bag
Parsley, dried, 2 tbsp
Red Onion, 1
Risotto Rice, 1 cup
Raisins, 1 handful
Rocket, 1 bag
For the Cupboard
Rosemary, 2 tbsp
Spinach, 1 bag
Almonds, 1 handful
Vegetable Broth, 700 ml
Spring Onions, 10
Anise Star, 2
Walnuts, 2 handful
Sweet Potatoes, mid size, 2
Balsamic Vinegar, 1 tbsp
White Wine Vinegar, 4 tbsp
Fridge, Freezer, Canned Goods
Basil, dried, 5 tbsp
Wed
224
Thu
Fri
Sat
225
Snacks
Meal Plan “Vegan for a Week”
Here you‘ll find the printable A4 version (to download click inside the document ‘File’
—> ‘Download as’)
Going full on vegan feels difficult for some. Here
is a meal plan that gives you a “taste” of that
lifestyle.
Note
On some smaller tablets or
reader screens the tables of the
Iron is one of the nutrients vegans might lack if
they don’t focus on their diet: make sure you add
apricots, green leafy veg and enough nuts to be
sure. If you want to go vegan for longer be sure to
get vitamin b12 as well - through a supplement, for
example.
Maybe you also have recipes of your own you can
“veganise”?
227
grocery list and meal plan can
look too cluttered. Therefore
we
recommend
viewing
the
printable A4 version, which is
also continuously being updated
(link above).
Grocery List “Vegan for a (1500
Week”
kcal/day)
Meal Plan “Gluten-Free Experiment”
(1500 kcal/day)
Before you leave to shop for groceries cross off the stuff you already have at home.
Produce, Total
Produce, Total
Breakfast
Produce, Total
Apple, 2
Chili, fresh, 1
Anise Stars, 2
Avocado, 2
Fridge, Freezer, Canned Goods
Balsamic Vinegar, 2 tbsp
Banana, 3
Almond Milk, 1 pack
Cacao Powder, 2 tsp
Bell Pepper, 2
Blueberries, frozen, 1 cup
Cardamom Pods, 5
Broccoli, 1 head (for roasting)
Hummus, 1 cup
Chia Seeds, 2 tsp
Brussels Sprouts, 2 cups
Raspberries, frozen, 1 cup
Cinnamon Powder, 4 tsp
Carrot, 3
Soy Milk, 1 carton (400ml)
Coconut Flakes, 1 tbsp
Coriander/ Cilantro, 1 bunch
Soy Yogurt, 3 cups
Cumin, ground, 2 tsp
Cucumber, 1
Tofu, firm, 400g
Dark Chocolate Nibs, 1 tsp
Garlic Clove, 1
Black Beans, 1 can
Dark Chocolate, half a bar
Ginger, 2 cm
Peas, frozen, 1 cup
Dried Apricots, 4 tbsp
Grapes, 1 cup
Pineapple, 2 cans
Hot Sauce, 5 tsp
Green Peas, 1 handful (for roasting)
Couscous, 200g
Maple Syrup, 4 tbsp
Mushrooms, 1 cup
Oats, rolled, half a pack
Mustard, 1 tbsp
Onion, 1
Peanut Butter, 4 tbsp
Nut Mix, 1 handful
Orange, 1
Quinoa, half a pack
Olive Oil, 10 tbsp
Parsley, 1 bunch
Rice Crackers, 1 pack
Peanuts, 2 handful
Pear, 1
Rice, 1 pack
Raisins, 1 handful
Red Onion, 1
Tortillas, 2
Red Pepper Flakes, 2
Rocket, 1 bag
Whole Grain Bread, 5 slices
Soy Sauce, 6 tbsp
Spinach, 1 bag
Whole Wheat Pasta, 200 g
Tomato Paste, 2 tbsp
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Vegetable Broth, 4 cups
Sweet Potato, 1 (for roasting)
Zucchini, 1
For the Cupboard
Walnuts, 2 handful
Lime, 1
Almonds, 2 handful
White Wine, 3 tbsp
228
Fri
Sat
Lunch
Dinner
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
Tofu Pineapple Salad
(510 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
African Peanut Soup
(500 kcal)
Freeze the leftovers
1 cup of grapes and
a handful of dried
apricots with nuts
(200 kcal)
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
Tofu Pineapple Salad
(510 kcal)
Leftovers
Buddha Bowl, various
ways, (600 kcal)
Prep 2 servings,
refrigerate 1
Apple and a banana
(200 kcal)
Kat’s Overnight Oats
in a Jar (350 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Buddha Bowl, various
ways, (600 kcal)
Leftovers
Spicy Black Bean
Soup (400 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
2 carrots with a
quarter cup of
hummus (200 kcal)
Kat’s Overnight Oats
in a Jar (350 kcal)
Leftovers
Spicy Black Bean
Soup and a banana
(500 kcal)
Leftovers
Delicious Fake Lo
Mein (470 kcal)
A quarter to a third of
a 100g bar of vegan
dark chocolate
(200 kcal)
An easy sandwich
with veggies and a
150g soy yogurt
(350 kcal)
Tip: you can use the
bean dip recipes as a
spread!
Pear Walnut Salad
with a Mustard
Dressing and half
a cup of cooked
couscous (420 kcal)
Prep in the morning,
refrigerate the
leftovers
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with a
dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
1 cup of pineapple
cubes sprinkled with
coconut flakes
(200 kcal)
Quinoa Breakfast
Porridge with Hot
Blueberry Drizzle
(310 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Pear Walnut Salad
with a Mustard
Dressing and a half
a cup of cooked
couscous (420 kcal)
Leftovers
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with a
dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
3-4 rice crackers with
hummus and cucumber slices (200 kcal)
Quinoa Breakfast
Porridge with Hot
Blueberry Drizzle
310 kcal)
Leftovers
African Peanut Soup,
(500 kcal)
Leftovers
An easy sandwich
with veggies and a
150g soy yogurt
(350 kcal)
Tip: you can use the
bean dip recipes as a
spread!
A handful of dried
apricots with nuts and
a banana (200kcal)
229
Snacks
Grocery List “Vegan for a (1800
Week”
kcal/day)
Meal Plan “Gluten-Free Experiment”
(1800 kcal/day)
Before you leave to shop for groceries cross off the stuff you already have at home.
Produce, Total
Produce, Total
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
Tofu Pineapple Salad
(510 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Quick and Easy Green
Thai Curry (590 kcal)
Freeze the leftovers
Banana, grapes and
a handful of dried
apricots with nuts
(300 kcal)
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(400 kcal)
Prepare two servings,
refrigerate 1
Tofu Pineapple Salad
(510 kcal)
Leftovers
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with a
dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Banana, tomato
and hummus on
crispbread
(300 kcal)
Overnight Oats,
various ways
(400 kcal)
Roasted Vegetables
of your choice with a
dip of your choice
(600 kcal)
Leftovers
Spicy Black Bean
Soup, with a tortilla
(500 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
2 carrots with a
quarter cup hummus,
apple (300 kcal)
Avocado Spinach
Fitness Smoothie
(390 kcal)
Spicy Black Bean
Soup with a tortilla
(500 kcal)
Leftovers
Buddha Bowl, various
ways
(600 kcal)
1 cup of applesauce
with a handful of nuts
(300 kcal)
Refreshing Avocado
Tomato Salad and a
slice of bread
(420 kcal)
Prep in the morning,
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Arugula Lentil Salad
from Heaven
(680 kcal)
Thu
An easy sandwich
with veggies and a
150g soy yogurt
(400 kcal)
Tip: you can use the
bean dip recipes as a
spread!
One slice of whole
grain toast with
peanut butter and a
banana (300 kcal)
Fri
Quinoa Breakfast
Porridge with Hot
Blueberry Drizzle and
a banana (410 kcal)
Refrigerate the
leftovers
Arugula Lentil Salad
from Heaven, leftover
(680 kcal)
Refreshing Avocado
Tomato Salad and a
slice of bread
(420 kcal)
Leftovers
3-4 rice crackers with
hummus and cucumber slices and a handful of nuts
300 kcal)
Sat
Quinoa Breakfast
Porridge with Hot
Blueberry Drizzle and
a banana (410 kcal)
Leftovers
Quick and Easy Green
Thai Curry (590 kcal)
Leftovers
Buddha Bowl, various
ways
(600 kcal)
Use up leftover
veggies!
Half of a 100g dark
chocolate bar
(300 kcal)
Produce, Total
Avocado, 4
Fridge, Freezer, Canned Goods
Cinnamon Powder, 2 tsp
Banana, 5
Blueberries, frozen, 1 cup
Coconut Flakes, 1 tbsp
Bell Pepper, 1
Hummus, 1 cup
Cumin, ground, 2 tsp
Broccoli, 1 head (for roasting)
Soy Milk, 1 carton (400ml)
Dark Chocolate Nibs, 1 tbsp
Brussels Sprouts, 2 cups
Soy Yogurt, 1 cup
Dark Chocolate, half a bar
Carrots, 2
Tofu, firm, 400g
Dried Apricots, 5 tbsp
Cherry Tomatoes, 1 pack
Baby Corn, 1 can
Dried Tomatoes, 5
Chili Pepper, 2
Black Beans, 1 can
Green Curry Paste, 2 tsp
Cilantro/ Coriander, 1 bunch
Coconut Milk, 1 can
Hot Sauce, 2 tbsp
Cucumber, 1
Pineapple, 1 can
Maple Syrup, 1 tbsp
Garlic Clove, 2
Applesauce, 1 cup
Maple Syrup, 2 tbsp
Ginger, 3 cm
Crispbread, 4 slices
Maple Syrup, 4 tbsp
Grapes, 1 cup
Oats, rolled, 1 pack
Nut Mix, 2 handful
Green Peas, handful (for roasting)
Peanut Butter, 1 tbsp
Olive Oil, 14 tbsp
Lemon, 1
Quinoa, half a pack
Peanuts, 2 handful
Lime, 2
Tortillas, 2
Raisins, 1 handful
Onion, 3
Whole Grain Bread, 6 slices
Red Pepper Flakes, 3
Parsley, 1 bunch
For the Cupboard
Sunflower Seeds, 2 tbsp
Radishes, 1 bunch
Almonds, 5 tbsp
Vegetable Broth, 3 cup
Rocket, 2 bags
Anise Star, 2
Walnuts, 1 handful
Snow Peas, 1 handful
Balsamic Vinegar, 2 tbsp
Spinach, 1 bag
Cacao Powder, 1 tsp
Sweet Potato, 2 (for roasting)
Cardamom Pods, 3
Tomato, 1
Cashew Nuts, 1 cup
Sun
Mon
Tue
230
Wed
231
Snacks
8. TRACK YOUR
PROGRESS AND
JOIN THE VEGGIE
WEIGHT LOSS
GROUP!
We created a super simple sheet for you to keep track of
your weight loss. Give it a chance and write down your
weight here each week. Holding yourself accountable is a
magical trick that helps to keep you much more motivated
(it’s actually really nice to see how you slowly build your
weight loss graph)!
Tackling a goal together is always easier than doing it alone.
You’re very welcome (we’d love you to actually!) to join
our “Veggie Weight Loss Group” on Facebook. As well
as other vegetarians on their own weight loss journeys
you also fi nd nutritionist & health coach Claire Garcia
Ruiz BSc MSc, the trio Dave, Kat and Hauke from
HurryTheFoodUp
and
many
other
bloggers,
both
vegetarian and vegan.
If you have any questions, please ask! We really do want
to hear from you, and success stories are always very
weclome! Many other people would love inspiration from
you, and maybe you’ll fi nd some of your own too!
234
9. FURTHER
INFO AND
CONTACT
We really hope you found this book helpful and you feel
ready to start your weight loss journey the vegetarian
way! We’re sure with the information and recipes in the
book you have everything you need to be successful.
Do you need personal guidance and
motivation?
Sometimes knowledge is just not enough and many of us
fall short when it comes to implementing new habits.
If you feel you need some hands on guidance to stay on
track, you can book personal coaching with Claire Luise
Garcia on her website over here.
Are you looking for more recipes?
Dave, Kat and Hauke, the creators of the recipes in this
book, constantly update their blog hurrythefoodup.com
with new, quick and tasty veggie recipes. They all have the
nutrition info calculated and are super easy to implement
in your meal plan
Do you have further questions?
We are always happy to help out. If something in this book
remains blurry, if you just want to say “hi” or if you have
any other inquiries then the quickest way to get in touch
is to shoot Hauke an email (hauke@hurrythefoodup.com).
He usually answers within a day.
236
APPENDIX
Calculating your Daily Calorie Intake
Ultimately weight loss (and for that matter weight gain) is
a numbers game. If you burn more calories than you eat
you will lose weight and if you eat more calories than you
burn you will gain weight – simple, right?
Well, yes and no really. It is simple in theory. BUT, it gets
complicated in practice. Here’s the first issue: How do
you know how many calories you burn in a typical day?
You could use the handy government guideline of 2000
kcal per day for women and 2500 kcal per day for men.
But these numbers are based on people who are already
a healthy weight and who are moderately active in their
leisure time, or who work in active professions. They are
also most applicable to adults in the age range of 18-30
years. So, as much as it’s a potentially great guideline for
a population of young, healthy, active adults it may not
apply very well to you as an individual.
That said, just because estimating calorie needs is not an
exact science, that doesn’t mean that we should dismiss it
all together – it can still provide a very useful guide to help
you on your weight loss journey.
The main factors that increase your daily calorie
requirements are physical activity, higher muscle mass
(that’s the % of your body that is made up of muscle),
high current body weight (overweight people need more
calories just to keep their bodies going).
237
Conversely, factors that reduce your daily calorie allowance
are lack of physical activity, a body composition that is
higher in fat and age (as we get older we typically require
less calories – this is partly due to the fact that we typically
lose muscle mass as we get older).
Let’s put the government numbers to one side for a
moment and look at some equations that determine what
your calorie requirements might be. If you are overweight,
the calories you “need” to maintain your weight are greater
than if you were a healthy weight – that’s good news when
you are starting your weight loss journey. It means that if
you start eating the calories recommended for the general
population (2000 for women and 2500 for men) you may
already be on the path to losing some weight.
Let’s start calculating
There are some great online calculators to estimate your
daily calorie requirements, but you might also be interested
in where the numbers come from. The calories you need
to maintain your current weight are classified as your total
energy expenditure (TER). TER is made up of your basal
metabolic rate (BMR), physical activity level (PAL) and the
thermic (or thermogenic) effect of eating food (that’s the
energy used to digest and process the food that you eat).
Your BMR accounts for most of the calories that you need
each day (up to 70%). It’s the number of calories required
to keep your body alive when you are doing nothing and
includes things like breathing and keeping your body at
the correct temperature.
It’s the energy needed by your body even if you didn’t
move all day long. Once you know your BMR you can then
calculate how many calories you need per day depending
on how active you are. The PAL part of the equation
includes everything other than lying down and eating – so,
it includes sitting, standing, walking around and doing your
day to day tasks but, rather importantly, it also includes
purposeful activity – which is sports and exercise.
There are several different equations for calculating TER
and all have their limitations. Schofield equations were used
by the UK government in establishing Dietary Reference
Values for the population in its 1991 COMA report and
by the WHO/FAO (World Health Organization/Food and
Agriculture Organization).
238
239
The Harris Benedict equation is popular as it is relatively
straightforward. It is worth noting that both formulas may
overestimate energy requirements by 10-15%. It’s worth
knowing this if you think that your progress is slower than
expected – it may be that the equation you are using is
not as accurate. Both of these are presented here for your
reference – though you could just as easily use a free online
calculator such as the one on the Diabetes UK website or
the one found on GLOBALRPh.
The Schofield Equation
Age (years)
Men
Physical Activity Level
Physical Activity Levels (PAL)
Men
Women
Sedentary: Little to no exercise,
inactive job
1.3
1.3
Lightly active: No regular exercise
but very active throughout the day
(person who regularly walks 30
minutes a day, parent looking after
children)
1.6
1.5
Moderately active: Either a very
active job or regular intensive
exercise (at least 30 minutes, 3-4
days per week)
1.7
1.6
Very active: Very physical job
(labour intensive professions) or
intensive exercises for an hour a day
for 5-7 days per week
2.1
1.9
Women
10 - 17
BMR = 17.7 x (weight
kg) + 657
BMR = 13.4 x (weight
kg) + 692
18 - 29
BMR = 15.1 x (weight
kg) + 692
BMR = 14.8 x (weight
kg) + 487
30 - 59
BMR = 11.5 x (weight
kg) + 873
BMR = 8.3 x (weight
kg) + 846
60 - 74
BMR = 11.9 x (weight
kg) + 700
BMR = 9.2 x (weight
kg) + 687
Table 2: Activity Level Factor (for Schofield Equations)
Table 1 can be used to calculate your basal
metabolic rate (BMR) with the Schofield equation.
Convert to metric units
If you’re American you probably want to convert your
weight and height to metric units before entering into the
equation:
Weight in kilograms = weight in pounds divided by 2.2.
Example: If you weigh 230.5 lbs , divide by 2.2 to get 104.79 kg.
Height in centimeters = height in inches multiplied by 2.54
Example: If you’re 5’7”, or 67 inches, multiply by 2.54 to
get 170 cm.
240
Having calculated your BMR you now need to add in
a calculation for how much you move. This is called the
“activity level factor.” These can be found in table 2.
To work out your daily calorie needs, you multiply your
basal metabolic rate by your activity level factor. This
calculates the daily calories that your body needs to stay
the same weight (we will talk about calculations for weight
loss later on).
241
Example
The Harris Benedict Equation
A client named Rachel (not real name) weighs 230.5 lbs
(104.79 kg), she is 5’5’’ (168 cm) tall and she is 40 years of
age. She works in an office where her job doesn’t require
her to move about too much, she drives to work, drives the
kids to school and doesn’t do any structured exercise in her
free time. We would classify Rachel as being sedentary.
Using the charts the equations above we get the following
results with the Schofield equations:
The Harris Benedict equation is also calculated in two
parts – the BMR followed by the physical activity level
factor. You will find that the Harris Benedict equation
gives a different estimate for daily calorie needs than the
Schofield equation.
BMR
= (8.3 x 104.79kg) + 846
= (879) + 846
= 1716 kcal (this is Rachel’s basal metabolic rate)
To find out how many calories Rachel burns each day we
multiply her basal metabolic rate by her activity factor
(which is this case is 1.3):
BMR for men
BMR = 66.47 + ( 13.7 x weight in kg )
+ ( 5 x height in cm ) – ( 6.8 x age in
years )
BMR for women
BMR = 655.1 + ( 9.6 x weight in kg ) +
( 1.8 x height in cm ) – ( 4.7 x age in
years )
Convert to metric units
Activity Factor
= 1716 x 1.3
= 2218 kcal
2218 kcal is the number of calories that Rachel needs to
consume each day to stay the same weight – not to lose
weight and not to gain weight.
Weight in kilograms = weight in pounds divided by 2.2.
Example: If you weigh 165 lbs , divide by 2.2 to get 75 kg.
Height in centimeters = height in inches multiplied by 2.54
Example: If you’re 5’7”, or 67 inches, multiply by 2.54 to
get 170 cm.
Physical Activity Level
Using PAL (physical activity level) to estimate TER (total
energy requirement) for use with the Harris Benedict
Equation:
242
243
Physical Activity Levels (PAL)
Daily Calories Needed
Sedentary. Little to no exercise,
inactive job
BMR x 1.2
Lightly active: No regular exercise
but active throughout the day
(person who regularly walks 30
minutes a day, parent looking after
children)
BMR x 1.375
Moderately active: Either a very
active job or regular intensive
exercise (at least 30 minutes, 3-5
days per week)
BMR x 1.55
Very active: Very physical job
(labour intensive professions) or
intensive exercises for an hour a
day for 6-7 days per week
BMR x 1.9
Back to our example
Let’s take Rachel again. Just like in the example before she
weighs 231 lbs (104.79 kg), she is 5’6’’ (168 cm) tall and she
is 40 years of age. We classify Rachel as being sedentary.
Using the charts the equations above we get the following
results with the Benedict Harris equations:
The Thermic Effect of Food
Just a note on the thermic effect of food. This can account
for about 10% of your calorie needs but it is very variable
between individuals and it does vary depending on the
foods that you eat. It provides part of the explanation
for why some people find weight loss easier when they
increase the protein in their diet (protein requires more
energy to break it down). We won’t take the thermic effect
into account for our calculations.
Reducing Calories to Lose Weight
It might sound like we are trying to confuse you – but we
want you to be aware of the potential differences between
one online calculator and another. Also, what we really want
you to focus on is the set of numbers that we are going to
show you next, which illustrate how physical activity can
change total energy requirements. You see, in the short
term you can’t really change your BMR – yes, it changes
with body weight, muscle mass and age. Those factors take
time to change. What you can change tomorrow is how
much you move. Read on to see what we are talking about.
BMR
= 655.1 + (9.6 x 104.79kg) + (1.8 x 168 cm) - (4.7 x 40 yrs)
= 655.1 + (1006) + (302) - (188)
= 1775.1 kcal (this is Rachel’s basal metabolic rate)
Multiply her basal metabolic rate by her activity factor
(which is this case is 1.2).
Total Energy Requirement (TER) = 1775.1 kcal x 1.2
= 2130 kcal
2130 kcal is the number of calories that Rachel needs to
consume each day to stay the same weight – not to lose
weight and not to gain weight.
244
245
If Rachel started to some light exercise (for example going
for a half hour walk on most days of the week) and became
a bit more active in her day to day activities her activity
level would move from sedentary to lightly active. The
impact of this on her calorie burn during the day would be
as follows:
1716 x 1.5 = 2574 calories (using the Schofield equation)
This is based on her activity level factor moving from 1.3 to
1.5. This means that just by increasing her movement (and
making no changes to what she is eating) Rachel requires
346 more calories per day. To put that into context, 346
calories per day is the equivalent of 1 lb in body fat in 10
days. Weight loss will be quicker if she walks (or moves)
more and/or if she also changes what she is eating. Table
3 below shows the number of calories that Rachel would
need to maintain or lose weight depending on whether she
continues to lead a sedentary lifestyle or if she increases
her activity from sedentary to lightly active.
Weekly weight
Daily calories for
loss goal
weight loss
(for moderately
(increasing activity
sedentary, 40
from sedentary to
year old female
lightly active)
currently weighing
104.8 kg / 230.5 lbs
Daily Calories for
weight loss
(no change to
physical activity)
Maintain weight
2574
2218
Lose 1/2 lb per
week
2324
1968
Lose 1 lb per week
2074
1718
Lose 1 and 1/2 lbs
per week
1824
1468
Lose 2 lbs per
week
1574
1218
246
You may notice from the table above that for each
additional 1/2 lb per week that Rachel wants to lose she
needs to reduce her calorie intake by 250kcal per day. If
Rachel is happy with a slow steady weight loss of 1/2 lb per
week, then reducing her kcal intake by 250 kcal per day
won’t require very many changes to her diet. Most dieters
set out to achieve weight losses of more than 1/2 lb per
week.
For most people, 1/2 lb per week isn’t enough to keep
motivation levels up. The safe and healthy amount to lose
is up to 2 lb per week. Small and steady weight losses are
more likely to stay off than the higher weight losses that
are associated with short term dramatic diets. Also, higher
weekly weight losses are usually associated with a loss of
lean muscle tissue as well as fat – which is okay for a week
or two but is not advisable as a long term strategy.
Going back to our example, if Rachel wants to lose 2 lbs
per week, but doesn’t want to do any more activity, then
she will need to stick to a strict regime of 1218 kcal per day.
That might be fine for the first few weeks but 1218 kcal is
not easy to stick to for any length of time.
If Rachel doesn’t want to increase her activity, she would
be best advised to settle on 1 lb per week weight loss whilst
eating 1718 kcal per day.
You can quickly see that it makes sense to add in some
physical activity into her day. If she became moderately
active (for example if she did half an hour of light activity
a day – like walking half an hour a day) she could consume
1574 kcal per day to lose 2 lb per week, 1824 kcal per day to
lose 1 and 1/2 lbs per week or 2074 kcal per day to lose 1lb
per week. The good news is that the activity doesn’t have
to be done all in one go, bouts of at least 10 minutes at a
time still count towards your daily activity goals.
247
Enough about “Rachel.” Let’s now look at you. Once you’ve
worked out your daily calorie requirements to maintain
weight, then take away 500 kcal for each lb (0.45 kg) that
you want to lose per week (if you’re not a fan of doing
the calculations remember that there are heaps of online
calculators that will do this for you for free).
500 kcal less per day is based on the fact that a 1 lb of body
fat is equivalent to 3500 kcal. You may sometimes see
600 kcal instead of 500 kcal per day – this is just to allow a
margin of error for when people miscalculate their calorie
intake. Remember that the 500 kcal deficit doesn’t have
to be a drop in calories – it could also be from increasing
your physical activity. As you will see in the section on
getting physically active (entitled “convincing yourself
that you don’t have time to exercise”) it is very difficult to
burn off 500 kcal every day from exercise alone. It is much
easier to cut out some high calorie foods.
In reality it’s best to do a combination of the two – not
just because that will help the numbers work but because
exercise and movement are good for your health in general
– it’s good for your heart, good for your bones, helps your
body deal with cholesterol and blood sugars better, it
helps with mood and sleep and with your energy levels.
If that wasn’t enough, being more active will help you to
maintain your muscle mass so that you are losing fat and
not muscle (just as an aside this assumes that you are doing
light exercise – if you go all out with hardcore exercise then
there is a risk of you compromising your muscle mass... but
that’s a whole other book).
Disclaimer
We would like to take a moment to note that this book
is for information purposes only. It does not claim to
provide medical advice or to be able to treat any medical
condition. It makes no claims in respect to weight loss,
either in terms of the amount or rate at which weight loss
could be achieved.
The calories, fibre, protein and other nutritonal information
is worked out as closely as possible using Calorie Counter
and we have checked the information as accurately as
possible. However we can’t be held responsible for mistaken
listings: the nutritional information is given as a guide only.
If you have any concerns regarding your health please
contact your medical practitioner before making changes.
The recommendations to increase your physical activity
are general and non-specific. If you have any injuries or
conditions which may restrict your ability to increase your
physical activity, please seek medical/professional advice
before making changes.
For me (and the purposes of this book which is all about
losing weight) the real clincher is that being more active will
help you to eat within a range of calories that is sustainable.
It’s really hard to live off 1200 kcal for any length of time.
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Vegetarian For
Weight Loss
By Claire Ruiz BSc MSc,
Hauke Fox
& Dave Bell