The Flexitarian seven-day diet plan

A simple weeks plan to get you started

Research shows that dieters have a far greater chance of losing weight when they follow an eating plan than those who go it alone and what better way to kick-start your new way of flexible eating than with a seven-day diet plan? Simply follow the breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options below and watch the pounds slip away...

Day one

Breakfast: Fig and flax oatmeal

½ cup skimmed or soy milk

½ cup water

½ cup rolled oats

Two dried figs, chopped

One tablespoon ground flaxseeds

One teaspoon honey

Bring milk, water and oats to the boil. Simmer and stir for five minutes. Add figs, flaxseeds and honey.

267 calories, 6g fat, 1g saturated fat

Snack: Honey cinnamon grapefruit

One large grapefruit

Two teaspoons of honey

Dash of cinnamon

Cut grapefruit in half and loosen segments with a knife. Drizzle honey and cinnamon on grapefruit halves.

149 calories, 0g fat

Lunch: Caprese pitta

One ounce fresh mozzarella, chopped

One cup halved cherry tomatoes

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

One tablespoon pine nuts

Two tablespoons low-fat Italian dressing

One wholegrain pitta bread, cut in half

Mix mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, pine nuts and dressing together. Stuff mixture into pitta halves.

406 calories, 21g fat, 5g saturated fat

Snack: Protein popcorn

Two tablespoons popcorn

Cooking spray

Two tablespoons nutritional yeast

Pop the corn, spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with nutritional yeast.

153 calories, 2g fat, 0g saturated fat

Dinner: Pesto-style Portobello penne

2/3 cup uncooked wholegrain penne

One large Portobello mushroom, sliced

½ cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Two teaspoons olive oil

One tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Two tablespoons grated Parmesan

Cook pasta al dente per package directions. Sauté mushroom slices and beans in oil over medium heat for three to four minutes. Toss with all remaining ingredients.

505 calories, 19g fat, 4g saturated fat

Day two

Breakfast: Banana pecan waffles

Two frozen wholegrain waffles

½ small banana, sliced

One tablespoon chopped pecans

One teaspoon maple syrup

Toast waffles. Top with banana, pecans and add a drizzle of syrup

311 calories, 14g fat, 2g saturated fat

Snack: 50 pistachios

158 calories, 13g fat, 2g saturated fat

Lunch: Avocado and chicken wraps

Two ounces cooked, diced chicken breast

¼ avocado, chopped

¼ cup salsa

½ teaspoon cumin

One lime, juiced

Two small (six-inch) wholegrain tortillas

Mix chicken, avocado, salsa, cumin and lime juice. Wrap mixture in tortillas.

409 calories, 9g fat, 1g saturated fat

Snack: Chocolate mousse with raspberries

One package (12 ounces) silken tofu (lite, firm)

Two tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Two tablespoons agave nectar

Dash of vanilla extract

½ cup raspberries

With a hand blender, puree tofu, cocoa powder, agave and vanilla until smooth. Serve with raspberries on top.

151 calories, 2g fat, 1g saturated fat

Dinner: Olive, fennel and goat's cheese flatbread

One wholegrain flatbread

Two tablespoons canned sliced black olives, rinsed and drained

½ cup canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained

¼ bulb fennel, thinly sliced

1 ½ ounces goats cheese, crumbled

Three tablespoons pine nuts

1 ½ cups low-sodium tomato soup (brands with less than 500mg sodium per cup), heated

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake flatbread on cookie sheet for seven minutes. Top baked flatbread with olives, tomatoes, fennel, goat's cheese and pine nuts. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Serve with heated soup.

489 calories, 32g fat, 8g saturated fat

Day three

Breakfast: Herbed cheese and tomato bagel

½ cup low fat cottage cheese

Two teaspoons chopped fresh chives

Two teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Two teaspoons chopped fresh basil

Dash of black pepper

One small wholegrain bagel, toasted

Two thick tomato slices

Blend cottage cheese with hand blender. Stir in fresh herbs and black pepper. Spread on toasted bagel and top with tomato.

291 calories, 2g fat, 1g saturated fat

Top tip: Low fat cottage cheese is a great substitute for cream cheese at a fraction of the fat content. Stay away from low fat cream cheese which is packed full of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

Snack: Swiss cheese and crispbread

One slice Swiss cheese

Two wholegrain crispbread crackers

154 calories, 9g fat, 5g saturated fat

Lunch: Barbecue Baja burger

One vegetarian burger

One wholegrain hamburger bun

¼ avocado, sliced

¼ cup sprouts (broccoli, radish or alfalfa)

Two tablespoons barbecue sauce

One orange

Heat burger in microwave, place on bun and top with avocado, sprouts and barbecue sauce. Serve with an orange.

410 calories, 15g fat, 2g saturated fat

Snack: Dark chocolate-dipped apricots

Two tablespoons dark chocolate chips

Two dried apricots

Two teaspoons crushed pistachios

Melt chocolate chips. Dip apricots in chocolate, covering only 50 per cent of apricot. Sprinkle with crushed pistachios. Place on wax paper to set for about 10 minutes.

154 calories, 9g fat, 4g saturated fat

Dinner: Tortilla and cheddar chilli

¼ onion, diced

One green bell pepper, diced

One jalapeno pepper, diced without veins or seeds

One clove garlic, minced

Two tablespoons chilli powder

Two teaspoons olive oil

One cup canned no-salt-added crushed tomatoes (not drained)

½ cup canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained

One cup water

½ slice cheddar cheese, chopped into pieces, or ½ ounce cheddar cheese, shredded

10 wholegrain tortillas chips, crushed

Sauté onion, green pepper, jalapeno, garlic and chilli powder in oil over medium heat for five minutes until pepper is tender. Add tomatoes, beans and water and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and top with cheese and tortillas.

490 calories, 22g fat, 5g saturated fat

Day four

Breakfast: Florentine-scramble breakfast sandwich

Cooking spray

One cup baby spinach

One egg, beaten

Dash of black pepper

Two rashers of lean bacon, grilled

One wholegrain English muffin, toasted

Spray pan with cooking spray and sauté spinach for one minute until wilted. In same pan, scramble egg with spinach and black pepper. Put scrambled eggs and hot vegetarian sausage patty on English muffin.

311 calories, 14g fat, 3g saturated fat

Snack: Honey-drizzled yoghurt

One container plain low fat yoghurt

Two teaspoons honey

138 calories, 0g fat

Lunch: Arugula salad with fig and goats cheese

Three cups arugula

Three dried figs, chopped

One ounce goat's cheese, crumbled

Two tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Two ounces cooked, diced chicken

Two tablespoons chopped walnuts

Toss all ingredients together

404 calories, 17g fat, 5g saturated fat

Snack: Mexican hot chocolate

One cup skimmed or soy milk

One tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

One tablespoon honey

Dash of cinnamon

In a saucepan, bring milk to almost boil. In a mug, stir cocoa, honey and cinnamon together and slowly add hot milk into cocoa mixture, stirring until smooth.

160 calories, 1g fat, 1g saturated fat

Dinner: Polenta pizza bake

Two cups water

½ cup polenta (medium-grind wholegrain cornmeal)

Dash of salt and black pepper

Cooking spray

One clove garlic, minced

One tablespoon Italian seasoning

Two ounces cooked lean ground turkey

Two teaspoons olive oil

One cup canned no-salt-added crushed tomatoes (not drained)

One tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Two tablespoons grated low-fat mozzarella cheese

Bring water to the boil, and slowly sprinkle in polenta, salt and black pepper while whisking. Simmer and stir for about 15 minutes (until water is absorbed). Spray an eight-inch casserole dish with cooking spray; then spread polenta evenly on the bottom. Sauté garlic, Italian seasoning and turkey in oil for three minutes. Stir in tomatoes and vinegar and bring to the boil. Spoon tomato mixture on polenta and top with cheese. Grill until cheese in golden.

504 calories, 17g fat, 4g saturated fat

Day five

Breakfast: Peanut butter banana smoothie

One cup (eight ounces) low fat plain yoghurt (liquid not set)

One tablespoon peanut butter

One small banana

Blend yoghurt, peanut butter and banana with hand blender until smooth. Add ice cubes for thicker consistency.

298 calories, 11g fat, 3g saturated fat

Snack: Cinnamon spice crunch popcorn

Two tablespoons popcorn

Cooking spray

Two teaspoons cinnamon

¼ teaspoon chilli powder

One tablespoon soy nuts

Pop corn, spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with spices and toss with soy nuts.

149 calories, 3g fat, 0g saturated fat

Lunch: Apple, fennel and pistachio salad

One apple, chopped

½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped pistachios

Three cups green spring salad mix

Two tablespoons of low-fat Italian dressing

Toss all ingredients together.

395 calories, 24g fat, 3g saturated fat

Snack: Honey Cafe au Lait

One skimmed or soy latte

One teaspoon honey

148 calories, 0g fat

Dinner: Cauliflower cashew curry

One cup chopped cauliflower

One teaspoon curry powder

½ cup crushed no-salt-added tomatoes (not drained)

Nine medium cooked shrimp, thawed

¼ cup frozen peas, thawed

One tablespoon raisins

¾ cup cooked brown rice

Two tablespoons chopped cashews

One green onion, chopped

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook cauliflower, curry powder, tomatoes, kidney beans, peas and raisins covered for 10 to 12 minutes (stirring occasionally). Serve on brown rice and top with cashews and onion.

491 calories, 10g fat, 2g saturated fat

Day six

Breakfast: Vanilla spice French toast with berry syrup

One egg and two eggs whites

One teaspoon vanilla extract

One teaspoon pie spice (apple or pumpkin)

Two slices whole grain bread

Cooking spray

½ cup unsweetened frozen mixed berries

Mix egg, vanilla and spice. Lightly dip bread into egg mixture. Cook in pan sprayed with cooking spray for three minutes on each side, until golden. Heat berries in microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, mash with fork, and serve on French toast.

301 calories, 8g fat, 2g saturated fat

Snack: 10 peanuts

156 calories, 5g fat, 1g saturated fat

Lunch: Artichoke and white bean hummus pitta

¼ cup chopped onion

One teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

One teaspoon olive oil

½ cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup canned (in water) artichoke hearts, drained

½ lemon, juiced

½ cup cucumber, sliced

One wholegrain pitta pocket, cut in half

Sauté onion, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes in olive oil for about five minutes. In a large bowl, using a hand blender, puree cooked onion, beans, artichoke hearts and lemon juice until smooth. Stuff mixture and cucumbers into pitta halves.

387 calories, 8g fat, 1g saturated fat

Snack: Peapods and ranch

One teaspoon ranch seasoning

¼ cup low-fat sour cream

1 ½ cups peapods

Mix seasoning and sour cream together and let sit 10 minutes for flavour to develop. Serve dip with peapods.

127 calories, 7g fat, 4g saturated fat

Dinner: Grilled primavera rigatoni

¾ cup uncooked wholegrain rigatoni

½ small courgette, sliced thick

½ small red onion, sliced thick

½ small yellow squash, sliced thick

Two plum tomatoes, halved

Two teaspoons olive oil

One teaspoon dried rosemary

Dash of salt and black pepper

¼ cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

One tablespoon pine nuts

Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Toss together zucchini, onion, squash, tomatoes, oil, rosemary, salt and black pepper. Grill ingredients for 10 minutes (turning once), until tender. Toss together cooked pasta, grilled vegetables and beans. Top with pine nuts.

514 calories, 17g fat, 2g saturated fat

Day seven

Breakfast: Dried cherry and pistachio oatmeal

½ cup water

½ cup skimmed or soy milk

½ cup rolled oats

Two tablespoons dried cherries

One tablespoon chopped pistachios

One teaspoon maple syrup

Bring water, milk and oats to the boil. Simmer and stir for five minutes. Top with cherries, pistachios and syrup.

300 calories, 6g fat, 1g saturated fat

Snack: 15 in a pod edamame beans and dash of salt

Lunch: Chicken Ranch salad

One teaspoon ranch seasoning

Two tablespoons low-fat Italian dressing

Three ounces cooked, diced chicken

½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ cup canned no-salt-added corn, drained

¼ cup chopped green bell pepper

Three cups green spring salad mix

One nectarine

Whisk ranch seasoning into vinaigrette. Toss all salad ingredients together. Serve with nectarine on the side.

396 calories, 16g fat, 2g saturated fat

Snack: Cracked pepper and salt pitta chips

One wholegrain pitta pocket

½ teaspoon olive oil

Dash of cracked black pepper and salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Brush pitta with oil, cut into six to eight triangles and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Bake on cookie sheet for eight to 10 minutes until golden and crunchy.

139 calories, 3g fat, 0g saturated fat

Dinner: Vegetable enchiladas

¼ onion, chopped

½ cup no-salt-added tomato sauce

Two teaspoons chilli powder

One teaspoon olive oil

½ cup canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained

One cup frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot), warmed and chopped

Two small (six-inch) wholegrain tortillas

Three tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese

Sauté onion, tomato sauce and chilli powder in oil over medium heat for seven minutes. Put ¼ cup tomato sauce mixture on bottom of small casserole dish. Roll beans and veggies into tortillas and lay filled tortillas in sauce. Cover both with remaining sauce and top with cheese. Grill until cheese is bubbly and golden, about seven to eight minutes.

504 calories, 14g fat, 6g saturated fat

The Flexitarian Diet by Dawn Jackson Blatner is available from Amazon. Looking for flexitarian friendly food? The Flexitarian Diet book was launched in association with tibits restaurant in London. Visit www.tibits.co.uk to find out more.

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