Eat Well, Train: a beginner's guide + a week of food

No mysticism, no superfoods, no "what our ancestors ate." Just what the evidence actually supports — followed by a full 7-day plan built for cooking for one, in the UK, on a budget. Adherence beats optimisation.

Educational guide, not medical advice. Numbers are sensible defaults, not prescriptions — adjust to your own body and use the calculator.

01Principles

Ten things that are true and useful. Most diet advice is a re-skin of these.

AYou're a generalist omnivore

Humans have no single "ancestral diet." Groups thrived on radically different foods — high-meat Arctic, high-starch tropical, dairy-heavy pastoralist.

The real adaptation is dietary flexibility plus cooking, which unlocked far more calories from the same food. "What are we built for?" gives almost no prescriptive guidance — it tells you that you can eat well in many patterns, not which one to pick.

BEnergy balance sets bodyweight

Calories in vs. out decides whether you gain, lose, or hold weight. Full stop.

Everything else — macros, food choices, timing — is about body composition and health, not the number on the scale. No food is inherently "fattening" outside its calories.

CProtein: ~1.6 g/kg/day

Aim for roughly 1.6 g per kg of bodyweight per day, spread across your meals (≈3–4 servings of 0.3–0.4 g/kg).

Going above 2.2 g/kg adds nothing extra for muscle. More protein isn't better past that — it just displaces other food. A 75 kg person → ~120 g/day.

DFibre: 30 g+ per day

Target 30 g of fibre daily — most people get half that.

It comes free with whole foods: oats, beans, lentils, wholemeal bread/pasta, fruit, veg, nuts. Good for gut health, satiety and long-term disease risk.

EMinimise ultra-processed food

The strongest single dietary lever. It's not "sugar" per se that's the villain.

It's that the processing itself drives overconsumption — engineered to be soft, calorie-dense and hyper-palatable, so you eat more before feeling full. Cook from recognisable ingredients and most problems shrink.

FFats: include them, bias unsaturated

Fat is essential — don't fear it. Bias toward unsaturated (olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, oily fish).

Eat oily fish 1–2× per week (sardines, mackerel, salmon) for omega-3s. Tinned counts and is cheap.

GWhole-food carbs aren't the problem

Rice, oats, potatoes, fruit, bread — not the cause of fat gain. They're practical, cheap fuel, especially around training.

The issue is rarely "carbs"; it's total calories and ultra-processed forms. Eat the potato.

HMediterranean = best long-term data

The eating pattern with the strongest long-term health outcomes.

But it isn't magic — it's just everything above wearing a cuisine: veg, legumes, whole grains, olive oil, fish, some dairy, little ultra-processed food. A template, not a rulebook.

IBeginners: recomp, don't bulk/cut

As a beginner you can build muscle and lose fat at the same time (body recomposition).

Recipe: eat near maintenance calories, hit your protein target, and lift progressively (add reps/weight over time). No need to bulk or cut yet — that's an advanced-lifter problem.

JSupplements: a very short list

Almost all are a waste. The two with real support:

CREATINE monohydrate, 3–5 g/day, every day.
VITAMIN D Oct–March at UK latitudes (no sun-made D).

SKIP BCAAs, fat burners, test boosters. MEH whey = convenience only, not magic.

Supplements, spelled out

TAKE

Creatine monohydrate — 3–5 g/day Most-studied, cheapest effective supplement. Small strength/muscle benefit. No need to "load" or cycle. Take any time, every day. ~£10 buys months.

TAKE

Vitamin D — 10 µg (400 IU)+ Oct–March At UK latitudes your skin makes ~none in winter. NHS advice for everyone. Cheap. Year-round if you're indoors a lot.

OPTIONAL

Whey protein — convenience only Just cheap, fast protein powder. Useful if you struggle to hit your target, otherwise unnecessary. Food works just as well.

SKIP

BCAAs, fat burners, test boosters BCAAs are pointless if you eat enough protein. Fat burners are caffeine + hope. Test boosters don't. Save your money.

02Protein & calorie calculator

Numbers update as you type. Defaults are set for a 75 kg male so it's useful before you touch anything. The meal plan below is built around roughly these figures.

Bodyweight (kg)

Height (cm)

Age (yrs)

Sex

Activity level

Goal

Daily protein target
1.6 g × bodyweight –

Maintenance calories
Mifflin-St Jeor × activity (TDEE) –

Target calories –

Protein spread
across ~4 meals/snacks –

Estimates only. Real maintenance can vary ±15% between people of the same stats — track your weight over 2–3 weeks and adjust calories if it's not moving the way you want. Don't chase precision the equations can't give you.

03The 7-day meal plan

Built for one person, batch-cooked, UK-budget. Calibrated for a ~75 kg person → ~120 g protein and ~2,200–2,400 kcal maintenance (a lightly-active recomp). REHEAT marks meals reheated from a batch cook — most of your "cooking" is microwaving leftovers.

Scaling: these quantities suit ~75 kg. Lighter? Trim portions / drop a snack. Heavier or hungrier? Add a snack or scale carbs up. Use the calculator for your real protein and calorie targets, then nudge portion sizes to match — the food choices stay the same.

Sunday is prep day (~90 min). Cook three bases at once → ① Roast chicken thighs · ② Beef & bean chilli · ③ Red-lentil dahl, plus batch overnight oats and 6 boiled eggs. Everything below is assembled from those. Full methods in Recipes.

Monday prep day was Sunday — eat fresh-cooked tonight

kcal 2,310protein 126 gfibre 38 g

Meal	What	kcal	P (g)	Fibre
Breakfast	Overnight oats: 60 g oats, 250 ml milk, 1 scoop whey, banana, 15 g peanut butter PREP	520	38	8
Lunch	Beef & bean chilli + 60 g (dry) rice REHEAT	640	38	14
Snack	Greek yogurt 170 g + handful frozen berries + honey	200	18	2
Dinner	Roast chicken thighs (2) + roast potatoes (250 g) + frozen broccoli REHEAT	700	42	10
Snack	Apple + 25 g almonds	250	8	5
Total		2,310	126	39

Tuesday fully leftover-driven

kcal 2,260protein 122 gfibre 36 g

Meal	What	kcal	P (g)	Fibre
Breakfast	Overnight oats (as Mon) PREP	520	38	8
Lunch	Red-lentil dahl + 60 g (dry) rice + 2 boiled eggs REHEAT	620	32	16
Snack	Whey shake in water + banana	230	28	3
Dinner	Roast chicken thighs (2) + dahl + wholemeal pitta REHEAT	650	42	7
Snack	Greek yogurt 170 g + honey	190	17	1
Total		2,210	157	35

Wednesday one quick cook (sardine pasta)

kcal 2,350protein 118 gfibre 34 g

Meal	What	kcal	P (g)	Fibre
Breakfast	3-egg scramble + 2 wholemeal toast + spread	480	28	6
Lunch	Beef & bean chilli + jacket potato (250 g) + cheese 20 g REHEAT	650	36	13
Snack	Greek yogurt 170 g + frozen berries	200	18	2
Dinner	Sardine & tomato pasta (1 tin sardines, 90 g dry wholemeal pasta)	620	34	10
Snack	Milk 250 ml + 2 oatcakes + PB	280	14	3
Total		2,230	130	34

Thursday finish the chicken & chilli

kcal 2,290protein 124 gfibre 37 g

Meal	What	kcal	P (g)	Fibre
Breakfast	Overnight oats (as Mon) PREP	520	38	8
Lunch	Last chicken thighs (2) shredded into wholemeal wrap + salad + yogurt-mayo REHEAT	560	42	9
Snack	Apple + 25 g almonds	250	8	5
Dinner	Last beef & bean chilli + 60 g (dry) rice + frozen mixed veg REHEAT	660	38	15
Snack	Greek yogurt 170 g + honey	190	17	1
Total		2,180	143	38

Friday mid-week mini-cook (mince) — makes Sat lunch too

kcal 2,380protein 120 gfibre 33 g

Meal	What	kcal	P (g)	Fibre
Breakfast	Greek yogurt 250 g + 50 g granola + banana	470	28	6
Lunch	Last red-lentil dahl + rice + 2 boiled eggs REHEAT	600	30	15
Snack	Whey shake + apple	230	27	4
Dinner	Spaghetti bolognese (beef mince batch, 90 g dry wholemeal pasta) COOK ×2	720	40	9
Snack	Dark chocolate 25 g + milk 200 ml	260	10	2
Total		2,280	135	36

Saturday relaxed — leftovers + a fry-up

kcal 2,420protein 116 gfibre 30 g

Meal	What	kcal	P (g)	Fibre
Breakfast	Big scramble: 3 eggs + beans (200 g) + 2 wholemeal toast	600	34	15
Lunch	Bolognese leftovers + jacket potato REHEAT	620	36	10
Snack	Greek yogurt 170 g + frozen berries	200	18	2
Dinner	Chicken-thigh stir-fry (fresh thighs + frozen stir-fry veg + 75 g dry noodles)	680	38	8
Snack	Handful nuts + satsuma	220	7	4
Total		2,320	133	39

Sunday next prep day — use up odds & ends before the shop

kcal 2,250protein 122 gfibre 35 g

Meal	What	kcal	P (g)	Fibre
Breakfast	Porridge: 60 g oats + milk + whey + berries	500	36	8
Lunch	Tin mackerel + 2 eggs + wholemeal toast + salad ("clear-out" plate)	560	40	8
Snack	Greek yogurt 170 g + honey + nuts	300	20	3
Dinner	First serving of the new chilli/chicken batch + rice FRESH BATCH	680	40	14
Snack	Banana + PB on oatcakes	250	9	4
Total		2,290	145	37

The meal template (so you can improvise)

Once the week clicks, you don't need a plan — you need a shape. Every main meal is:

Slot	Pick one	Why
Protein palm-sized+	chicken thighs · mince · tinned fish · eggs · lentils/beans · Greek yogurt · whey	Hits your 1.6 g/kg target and keeps you full.
Veg half the plate	frozen broccoli/peas/mixed · any salad · tinned tomatoes · onion & garlic base	Fibre + micronutrients + volume for few calories. Frozen is as nutritious and cheaper.
Smart carb fist-sized	rice · potatoes · oats · wholemeal pasta/bread · noodles	Cheap energy, especially around training. Whole-food forms add fibre.
Flavour swap for variety	chilli/cumin → Mexican · curry powder → Indian · soy/ginger → Asian · oregano/garlic → Italian	Same base ingredients, different cuisine. This is how one batch cook feels like five meals.

Swap the protein and the spice and a chicken-rice-veg bowl becomes a stir-fry, a curry, a burrito bowl, or an Italian traybake. Variety is a seasoning problem, not a shopping problem.

04Batch-cook recipes

Six bases. Cook the first three on Sunday, the oats + eggs alongside, and the bolognese mid-week. Methods are deliberately terse. All quantities for one person across multiple servings.

① Roast chicken thighs BATCH · 6 thighs ~4 servings

Ingredients

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (~600 g)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp each: paprika, garlic granules, dried oregano
Salt, pepper

Method

Oven 200 °C fan. Toss thighs with oil + spices in a roasting tin.
Roast 25–30 min until 75 °C / no pink.
Cool, fridge in a tub. Use across 4 meals (shred for wraps, slice for bowls).

per thigh ≈ 165 kcal · 21 g protein · keeps 3–4 days fridge / freezes well

② Beef & bean chilli BATCH · 4 servings

Ingredients

500 g 5%-fat beef mince
1 onion, 2 garlic cloves
2 tins chopped tomatoes
1 tin kidney beans, 1 tin black beans (drained)
2 tbsp tomato purée, 1 tbsp each cumin + paprika, 1 tsp chilli
1 beef stock cube, splash oil

Method

Soften onion + garlic in oil. Add mince, brown.
Stir in spices + purée 1 min. Add tomatoes, beans, crumbled stock cube, splash water.
Simmer 25–30 min. Portion into 4 tubs (2 fridge, 2 freeze).

per serving ≈ 360 kcal · 33 g protein · 12 g fibre (before rice/potato)

③ Red-lentil dahl BATCH · 4 servings vegan base

Ingredients

300 g dried red lentils, rinsed
1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, thumb ginger
2 tbsp curry powder (or 1 tbsp each cumin/coriander + ½ tsp turmeric)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin coconut milk (light) or 400 ml water + splash milk
800 ml water, 1 stock cube, oil, salt

Method

Fry onion, garlic, ginger. Add spices 1 min.
Add lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, water, stock. Simmer 25–30 min, stir, until thick.
Season. Portion into 4 tubs.

per serving ≈ 320 kcal · 18 g protein · 11 g fibre · pair with egg/yogurt to lift protein

④ Beef-mince bolognese BATCH · 2–3 servings mid-week cook

Ingredients

300 g 5%-fat beef mince (or use ½ the chilli batch's mince)
1 onion, 1 carrot, 2 garlic cloves
1 tin chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp purée
1 tsp dried oregano, 1 beef stock cube
Wholemeal spaghetti, 90 g dry per serving

Method

Soften onion, carrot, garlic. Brown mince.
Add purée, tomatoes, oregano, stock. Simmer 20–25 min.
Cook pasta; combine. Reserve a portion for next-day lunch.

sauce per serving ≈ 330 kcal · 28 g protein (+ ~310 kcal / 13 g for 90 g pasta)

⑤ Overnight oats BATCH · make 3 jars no cook

Ingredients (per jar)

60 g rolled oats
250 ml milk (or 200 ml milk + 50 g Greek yogurt)
1 scoop whey (~25 g protein)
15 g peanut butter + ½ banana / handful frozen berries

Method

Stir oats + milk + whey in a jar. Top with PB + fruit.
Lid on, fridge overnight (keeps 3 days). Grab & go.

per jar ≈ 520 kcal · 38 g protein · 8 g fibre

⑥ Sardine & tomato pasta QUICK · 1 serving · 15 min

Ingredients

1 tin sardines in tomato sauce (or oil, drained)
90 g dry wholemeal pasta
½ tin chopped tomatoes / 4 cherry tomatoes, garlic, chilli flakes
Splash olive oil, squeeze lemon

Method

Boil pasta. Meanwhile soften garlic + chilli in oil, add tomatoes 5 min.
Flake in sardines (mash bones — calcium). Toss with pasta + lemon.

≈ 620 kcal · 34 g protein · 10 g fibre · ticks the oily-fish box

Boiled eggs (alongside): 6 eggs into boiling water, 8 min, cold rinse, keep in shell in the fridge up to 5 days. Instant +6 g protein wherever a meal runs short.

05Weekly shopping list

One week, one person, everything above. Prices are approximate UK supermarket estimates (mid-range own-brand, 2026) — they'll vary by shop, offers and region. Buy spices/oil/condiments once and they last weeks, so real weekly spend is lower than the headline after the first shop.

≈ £42

estimated weekly total (incl. one-off pantry items ≈ £8)

≈ £34

typical ongoing weeks (pantry already stocked)

Item	Qty	Est. £
PROTEIN
Chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)	~1 kg	5.00
Beef mince, 5% fat	~800 g	5.00
Eggs (free-range)	12	2.40
Tinned sardines	2 tins	1.40
Tinned mackerel	1 tin	1.20
Whey protein	~7 scoops (of a tub)	3.00
CARBS
Rolled oats	1 kg bag	1.20
Long-grain rice	1 kg	1.20
Wholemeal pasta	500 g	0.90
Potatoes	2.5 kg bag	1.80
Wholemeal bread / pittas / wraps	1 loaf + pack	2.00
Egg noodles	1 pack	0.80
Oatcakes / granola	1 pack	1.20
VEG & FROZEN
Frozen broccoli	900 g	1.30
Frozen mixed / stir-fry veg	1 kg	1.50
Frozen peas	900 g	1.00
Frozen berries	500 g	2.00
Onions	net (~5)	0.80
Carrots	~6	0.50
Bananas / apples / satsumas	mixed week's fruit	2.50
Salad bag	1	0.80
DAIRY
Milk	4 pints	1.45
Greek yogurt (0–5%)	1 kg tub	2.00
Cheddar	block (use ~100 g)	1.50
PANTRY (mostly one-off — lasts many weeks)
Tinned chopped tomatoes	5 tins	1.75
Tinned kidney + black beans	2 tins	1.20
Dried red lentils	500 g	1.00
Light coconut milk	1 tin	0.90
Tomato purée	1 tube	0.60
Stock cubes	1 box	1.00
Peanut butter	1 jar	1.50
Olive oil	1 bottle	3.00
Spices (paprika/cumin/curry/chilli/oregano/garlic granules)	as needed	3.00
Almonds / mixed nuts	200 g	1.80
Honey + dark chocolate	1 each	2.20
Estimated total	approx	~£66 first shop · ~£42 once pantry trimmed

Reading the total: the table lists full pack prices. In practice you only buy oil, spices, peanut butter, nuts, honey, chocolate and condiments occasionally — strip those and a typical ongoing week is ≈ £34–42 for ~2,300 kcal/day at ~120 g protein. Cheaper still if you swap some beef mince for lentils/eggs. All figures approximate.

Printed from eat-well-train — meal plan, recipes & shopping list. Calculator & principles are on the live page.