Your 7-day eating for one meal planner
Before starting any healthy eating programme, please read how to choose your meal plan to make sure you follow the plan that's right for you.
This nutritionally balanced meal plan is targeted at those who eat and cook for one - designed to save you time, money and food waste. Both calorie and carb counted for your convenience, it also contains at least five portions of fruit and veg per day.
Please note that the full nutritional information and exact specifications for all meals and snacks is available in the Eating for One Meal Planner (PDF 948KB) only, and not listed below.
Further information and tips on following this meal planner.
The weekly overview
Monday
Breakfast: Banana porridge
Lunch: Mushroom and spring onion omelette
Dinner: Breaded pollock fillet with sweet potato wedges and peas
Pudding: Greek yogurt and pineapple
Choose from snacks including fruit and nut bars, fruit and nuts.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Shredded Wheat and raisins
Lunch: Tuna, sweetcorn and red pepper toastie
Dinner: Griddled chicken breast with sweet potato mash and roasted Mediterranean vegetables
Pudding: Stuffed baked apple and yogurt
Choose from snacks including fruit and savoury popcorn.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Wholemeal toast with reduced-sugar jam/marmalade
Lunch: Chicken and pesto salad
Dinner: Fruity mince, baby new potatoes and broccoli
Pudding: Microwave mug: chocolate, banana and almond cup
Choose from snacks including yogurt, banana bread and hot chocolate.
Thursday
Breakfast: Microwave mug: apple and cinnamon fruity porridge
Lunch: Veggie stuffed pitta
Dinner: Quorn vegetable stir-fry with noodles
Pudding: Banana bread
Choose from snacks including oatcakes and peanut butter, dried fruit and nuts.
Friday
Breakfast: Very berry porridge
Lunch: Reduced-sugar beans on wholemeal toast
Dinner: Baked pesto chicken with citrus couscous
Pudding: Reduced-fat chocolate mousse with raspberries
Choose from snacks including nuts, dried fruit and fruit.
Saturday
Breakfast: Apple and muesli smoothie
Lunch: Sardines on wholemeal toast
Dinner: Spaghetti bolognese
Pudding: Berry crush
Choose from snacks including fruit and banana bread.
Sunday
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast
Lunch: Low-sugar tomato soup
Dinner: Roast mackerel with curried coriander crust, baby new potatoes and broccoli
Pudding: Stuffed baked apple and frozen raspberries
Choose from snacks including summer berry smoothie, fruit and nut bars and yogurt.
Eating for one planner information
Planning meals for one person that are both healthy and affordable can seem like a huge task, especially when a lot of recipes are designed for families, couples or parties. However, there are some handy tips that can help you to make your make weekly meals more affordable:
- Try buying a combination of frozen, fresh and canned fruit and vegetables to get the best value for money.
- Tinned fish, beans, pulses, eggs and vegetarian alternatives can be a cheaper way to get a good source of protein.
- Plan ahead and write a shopping list so you aren't tempted by supermarket deals.
- Choose fruit and vegetables which are in season.
- Make batches of your favourite meals and stock up the freezer to save time later in the week.
- Look out for reduced items that you can freeze and use at a later date.
- If you can, buy meat in bulk and freeze in portions. Separating larger portions of mince - for example, into two plastic containers - can save pounds over the year.
- If you’re not a keen baker and fancy a treat, a slice of malt loaf or a toasted teacake can make a good alternative snack to more expensive cakes.
General health information
To help us manage our weight and choose a healthier diet, reference intakes (RIs) have been devised and give a useful indication of how much energy the average person needs and how a particular nutrient fits into your daily diet.
RIs are not intended as targets, as energy and nutrient requirements are different for all people depending on your age, sex and activity levels. The term ‘reference intakes’ has replaced ‘guideline daily amounts’ (GDAs), which used to appear on food labels. But, the basic principle behind these two terms is the same.
RIs values are based on an average-sized woman doing an average amount of physical activity. This is to reduce the risk of people with lower energy requirements eating too much, as well as to provide clear and consistent information on labels.
As part of a healthy balanced diet, an adult's reference intakes for energy and carbohydrate in a day is 2000 kcal and 260g, respectively.
The 'Eating for One' meal plan should be adjusted according to your needs. Remember, we don't all need to eat the same amount of calories. Men, who are generally heavier and have more muscle compared to women, require more calories. Young children also need fewer calories than adults. In contrast, older boys from 11 years and girls from 15 years and above, are likely to need more calories. So, adjust portion sizes accordingly to meet your needs.
