How to use the plan

Our aim is to create delicious meals that are packed with healthy fats, lean protein and slow-release carbs, as well as a rainbow of fruit and vegetables, while minimising processed products. This plan can help you to cut down on added sugar, lose excess weight and give your energy levels a boost. You’ll also support your immune system by eating plenty of nutrients that can also help improve your skin, nails and hair – think of it as a beauty treatment, too!

Each day provides more than five of your five-a-day and keeps within the recommended Reference Intakes (RI) for fats, saturates, sugar, salt and calories, while following the latest guidance on your intake of ‘free’ sugars. Fat helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, E and D, so we’ve included healthy fats from oily fish and unsalted nuts, as well as whole dairy. We’ve used cold-pressed rapeseed oil because it contains just 7% saturated fat, compared to 52% in butter.

Our plan provides no more than 1,500 kcals per day, which is likely to create a moderate shortfall of daily calories, allowing for steady and controlled weight loss. If weight loss is not your goal, or your lifestyle requires a higher calorie intake, we have lots of healthy snack recipes at bbcgoodfood.com/healthy-plan-snacks. As with any lifestyle or diet change, if you have any concerns or health issues we would encourage you to check with your GP before starting our plans.

The secret to the success of any approach to healthy eating is preparation and planning, so we recommend using the Saturday before you begin the diet plan to shop for ingredients and include a little bit of food preparation which will free up time during a busy week.