The nutrition plan fails at 6pm on a Tuesday when there are three other people to feed and nobody wants chicken and rice. You do not need separate meals. You need the family meal built so your portion hits the numbers, and the rest of the table never notices.
Section
The three rules
- Protein is the base of the meal, not the garnish. Meat, fish, eggs or beans on every plate; members get the exact portion for their appetite from the Nutrition Guide.
- Your carbs are the lever. Everyone gets the same pot of rice or pasta. You take a smaller scoop and a bigger pile of veg. Nobody is cooking twice.
- Fat is where the hidden calories live. Measure the oil, go easy on cheese and creamy sauces, and the same meal drops by a few hundred calories without anyone noticing.
Seven that work
- Chicken traybake. Thighs or breast, potatoes, peppers, onions, one tablespoon of oil for the tray. Your plate: extra chicken, fewer potatoes.
- Chilli with beans. Five percent mince, kidney beans, tinned tomatoes. Beans add protein and fibre and stretch the mince. Rice for them, half rice and extra chilli for you.
- Spaghetti bolognese. Lean mince, grated carrot and courgette hidden in the sauce. Your version has more sauce and a smaller nest of pasta.
- Fajitas. Chicken or steak strips, peppers, onions, spice. Two wraps for the kids, one wrap and a bowl of the filling for you.
- Fish pie. Fish pie mix, peas, a milk-based sauce rather than cream, mash on top. Protein and comfort in one dish.
- Stir fry. Prawns, chicken or tofu, a bag of stir-fry veg, soy and garlic. Noodles for them, a smaller portion for you.
- Jacket potatoes. Tuna, beans, cottage cheese or chilli on top. The quickest one on the list and the kids can build their own.
Making it hit the numbers
Weigh the protein for your portion for the first fortnight; after that you will know what 150g of chicken looks like. Use the calorie calculator to set your targets and the protein cheat sheet to hit them. The recipe bank has more of these with rough numbers per portion.
The thing nobody says
Cooking one meal that works for everyone is the habit that survives the eight weeks. Separate "diet food" is the one that does not.