How To Eat Clean For A Week

The following eating plan is not designed to starve yourself thin. Far from it. Its focus is to get nourishing foods back into your body. However, because most of the foods in the plan are low in fat and sugar, you may lose a couple of pounds too!

Our diet will provide you with plenty of fruit and veg each day, along with lean protein, healthy fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Throughout the week, drink as much water, herbal tea and diluted juice as you like. Tea, coffee and fruit juice are also allowed, but try to restrict your intake to two cups a day. And if you can, keep alcohol to a minimum.

Portion sizes haven’t been specified – eat as much as you like, but no more than what feels comfortable. You shouldn’t still feel hungry after a meal, but nor should you feel too full. Men can usually afford to eat a few more calories than women, so can eat the fruit, nuts, seeds and whole grains specified a little more freely.

1. Monday

Breakfast:

Porridge made with skimmed milk, chopped banana, and a handful of dates

Lunch:

Tuna salad, made with one small tin of tuna in brine, half a red pepper, one tomato, crème fraiche, and mixed leaves, with one slice of wholemeal bread

Snack:

Two small satsumas and a handful of mixed unsalted nuts

Dinner:

Broccoli and mushroom risotto, made with Arborio rice, broccoli, mushroom, garlic, onion and vegetable stock

2. Tuesday

Breakfast:

Fruit and nut muesli, with skimmed milk and a handful of blueberries

A toasted crumpet with low-fat spread

Lunch:

An omelette made with one egg, onion, spinach, tomato and a tablespoon of strong mature cheddar, with a big bunch of salad leaves on the side

Snack:

Two rice cakes, one apple

Dinner:

A large bowl of carrot and courgette soup, made with one carrot, one courgette, two cloves of garlic and one pint of vegetable stock – blended, plus a wholemeal roll with olive oil

3. Wednesday

Breakfast:

One thick slice of wholemeal toast, with peanut butter (try a variety with no added salt or sugar)

A handful of blueberries

Lunch:

Smoked mackerel, beetroot, new potato, spring onion and celery salad, with a dressing made with low-fat yogurt, a teaspoon of horseradish, lemon juice and black pepper.

Snack:

Two sticks of celery with low-fat cream cheese

Dinner:

Beef stir-fry - strips of lean beef with bean sprouts, peppers, Savoy cabbage and oyster sauce, served with rice noodles

4. Thursday

Breakfast:

Scrambled egg, with spring onion and tomato, plus one slice of toasted wholemeal bread

Lunch:                   

Couscous and feta salad with finely chopped tomato, celery, cucumber, spring onion, basil, mint, lemon juice and plenty of black pepper

Snack:

A handful of mixed unsalted nuts, one orange

Dinner:

Butternut squash curry - butternut squash, aubergine, garlic, onion, spices (cumin, coriander, turmeric, mustard seeds and coriander leaf), half a tin of tomatoes and low-fat natural yogurt, served with rice

5. Friday

Breakfast:              

Porridge made with water, topped with chopped apple, almonds, sultanas and honey

Lunch:

Chicken and bacon salad made with chicken breast, one rasher of trimmed, lean bacon, half an avocado, tomato, lettuce, and topped with toasted pine nuts

Snack:

One pot of low-fat natural yogurt, with one pear, chopped and stirred through the yogurt

Dinner:

Small vegetable pizza, with the sauce made from tinned tomato, tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, garlic, onion and a dash of chili powder, and topped with courgette, peppers and olives, or any other veg of your choice

6. Saturday

Breakfast:

Berry pancakes made with two handfuls of frozen berries, flour, skimmed milk, sugar, a pinch of salt and a drop of oil, served with low fat natural yogurt

One glass of orange juice

Lunch:

Wholemeal pitta bread with hummus, ham, half a red pepper and cucumber

Snack:

Two celery sticks with low-fat cream cheese

Dinner:

Baked trout, with onion, garlic, lemon and olive oil, a handful of new potatoes, steamed green beans and broccoli

7. Sunday

Breakfast:

One rasher of grilled back bacon, half a grilled tomato, a poached egg, a large handful of grilled mushrooms, and two tablespoons of baked beans

Lunch:

One bowl of carrot and courgette soup (same as Tuesday), Two oatcakes with hummus

Snack:

A handful of mixed, unsalted nuts, one apple

Dinner:

Roast chicken breast with lemon, chili, garlic and olive oil, served with a baked sweet potato, and steamed spinach with garlic

Stewed rhubarb with custard (made from powder, with skimmed milk)