A HEART UK 7-day Meal Plan

Try this 7-day meal plan, or use it as a guide, to help manage your
cholesterol while enjoying delicious, nutritious meals and snacks.

3 Average 2000kcal a day* 3 At least 5-a-day 3 Low in saturated fat 3 Great source of fibre
3 Keeps your salt intake down 3 Your daily cholesterol lowering dose of plant stanols**

Highlighted recipes can be found in our tasty recipes online www.heartuk.org.uk/tasty-recipes/explore-our-recipes

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4

Peanut (or other nut) butter and Fruit, nut and oat breakfast bowl: Banana branflakes: 6 tbsp branflakes Oat pot: 1 serving of Overnight oats.
banana on toast: 2 slices wholemeal toast Fruit salad made from 1 satsuma (segmented), with semi-skimmed milk and 1 sliced Plus 1 cappuccino made with 200ml
Breakfast topped with 2 tbsp peanut butter and 1 1 chopped apple and 1 slice cantaloupe banana. Plus 1 pot Benecol Strawberry unsweetened fortified soya
sliced banana. Plus 1 bottle of Benecol melon topped with 150g low-fat plain yogurt, Yogurt. drink or low fat milk.
Raspberry Yogurt Drink. 4 tbsp toasted oats and 30g mixed nuts.

Tuna and sweetcorn jacket potato: Lentil soup and roll: 1 serving of Chicken pasta, pesto and sweetcorn Italian sardines on toast: 2 thick slices
1 large jacket potato topped with 1 small Red Lentil Dhal Soup with Indian salad: Salad made from 200g cooked wholemeal toast rubbed with garlic and
can tuna in water (drained) mixed with Spiced Broccoli with 1 large wholemeal wholewheat pasta, 1 small cooked skinless topped with 2 sliced tomatoes, 120g can
Lunch 3 tbsp sweetcorn, 3 sliced spring onions, roll topped with 2 tsp Benecol chicken breast (sliced), 1 chopped tomato, sardines in olive oil (drained), ½ sliced red
1 tbsp light mayo, lemon juice and zest, and Light Spread. Plus 2 handfuls ½ thinly sliced red onion, 3 tbsp sweetcorn onion, lemon zest and basil, drizzled with 2
black pepper. Serve with salad. (around 16) grapes. and 2 tbsp red or green pesto. tsp of the oil from the can. Plus 1 satsuma.

Roasted Mediterranean veg with Beef and barley stew: Put 120g lean Tofu/Quorn, vegetable and cashew Veggie chilli: Fry ½ sliced onion, ½
couscous: Chop and roast a handful of beef, 50g pearl barley, 1 sliced carrot, ½ nut stir fry: Fry 150g tofu or Quorn chopped red and green pepper, and
cherry tomatoes, ½ red onion, ½ red sliced leek, 1 sliced small onion, crushed chunks in 1 tbsp vegetable oil with crushed crushed garlic and finely chopped chilli to
and green pepper, ½ courgette, ½ small garlic to taste, black pepper, a bay leaf and garlic, grated fresh ginger and finely taste in 1 tbsp vegetable oil, until softened.
aubergine and garlic to taste with 1 tbsp enough reduced-salt stock to cover in a chopped chilli to taste, and ½ pack stir-fry Add 150g meat-free mince and cook
Dinner olive oil. Mix with 200g prepared couscous small ovenproof dish. Cover and place in veg. Add 1 individual pack of wok-ready through. Add ½ large can kidney beans in
(made with reduced-salt veg stock), ½ large a preheated oven until cooked through. wholewheat noodles, 2 tsp reduced-salt water (drained), ½ can chopped tomatoes,
can chickpeas in water (drained), lemon Serve with 220g potato mashed with 2 tsp soy sauce and 2 tbsp toasted unsalted 1 tbsp tomato puree and 200ml reduced-
zest and juice, fresh herbs and black pepper. Benecol Light Spread and steamed cashew nuts and heat through. salt vegetable stock. Simmer until thickened
green beans. and serve with 200g cooked brown rice.
Avo oatcakes: 3 oatcakes topped with Cheese and crackers: 4 rye crackers Tzatziki with pitta and peppers: Jam scone: 1 fruit scone with 2 tsp
½ avocado. with 100g reduced-fat cottage cheese, 1 Tzatziki made from 150g low-fat plain Benecol Light Spread and 2 tsp
tomato and sliced cucumber. Plus a latte yogurt mixed with crushed garlic, lemon reduced sugar jam, plus 2 handfuls of
Snacks made with 200ml unsweetened fortified juice, grated cucumber and chopped mint raspberries (defrosted if frozen)
soya drink or low fat milk. to taste, with ½ sliced red pepper and 1
wholemeal pitta.

Stay hydrated. Drink 6 to 8 cups or glasses a day. Water, unsweetened herbal and fruit infusions, tea/coffee with lower fat milk, or ‘no-added sugar’ or ‘sugar-free’ drinks all count.
 DAY 5 DAY 6 DAY 7 SHOPPING LIST
Poached egg and avocado on toast: Blueberry and almond porridge: Egg, beans and mushrooms on toast:
1 toasted wholegrain bagel or a thick slice Bowl of porridge made from 4 tbsp oats 1 scrambled egg with ½ large can reduced-
wholemeal bread with ½ mashed avocado, and 275ml unsweetened fortified soya sugar, reduced-salt baked beans and 1
Breakfast 1 poached egg and a handful of sliced drink or low fat milk topped with 2 handfuls handful of sliced mushrooms fried in 1 tsp
cherry tomatoes. Plus 1 bottle of Benecol blueberries and 2 tbsp chopped almonds. vegetable oil, served on 2 slices wholemeal
Peach & Apricot Yogurt Drink. Plus 1 bottle of Benecol Blueberry toast with 2 tsp low fat olive oil spread.
Yogurt Drink.

Hummus, beetroot, carrot and pepper Cheat’s veggie pizza: Spread 1 plain Greek salad: Made from ¼ chopped
wrap: 1 wholemeal wrap filled with 3 tbsp flatbread with 2 tbsp red pesto and top cucumber, ½ chopped green pepper,
reduced-fat hummus, 1 small sliced cooked with ½ sliced red onion, a handful of sliced 2 chopped tomatoes, ½ finely sliced
beetroot, ½ sliced red and green pepper, 1 mushrooms, ½ sliced red pepper, 3 tbsp red onion, 50g reduced-fat feta cheese
Lunch grated carrot and a handful of rocket. Plus sweetcorn and 30g grated mozzarella (crumbled), ½ large can chickpeas (drained),
1 apple. cheese. Bake until the cheese melts. Serve 1 tbsp olive oil and white wine vinegar.
with salad. Serve with 1 wholemeal pitta. Plus 2
handfuls of blueberries.

Fish and chips: Cut 1 large potato into Fish pie: 1 serving of Creamy Salmon and Roast chicken: 3 slices skinless roast
wedges, toss with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and Potato Bake served with 3 tbsp peas and chicken breast, 3 roast potatoes (roasted in
bake until cooked through. Bake 1 chunky steamed broccoli. Plus 1 apple. vegetable oil), 1 small stuffing ball, steamed
white haddock fillet. Serve the wedges broccoli, carrots and cabbage, and gravy.
Dinner and fish with 3 tbsp peas. Plus 2 handfuls Plus 1 pot Benecol Peach Yogurt.
raspberries (defrosted if frozen) layered in
a glass with 150g plain low-fat yogurt and
topped with 1 tsp mixed nuts.

3 oatcakes topped with 100g reduced- Egg pitta and melon: 1 wholemeal pitta Chocolate treats: 3 heaped tsp drinking
fat cottage cheese and 1 banana. filled with 1 sliced tomato and 1 boiled egg chocolate mixed with 200ml warmed
Snacks mashed with 2 tsp light mayo. Plus 1 slice unsweetened soya drink or low fat milk and
cantaloupe melon. 2 chocolate coated oat biscuits.

Stay hydrated. Drink 6 to 8 cups or glasses a day. Water, unsweetened herbal and fruit infusions, tea/coffee with lower fat milk, or ‘no-added sugar’ or ‘sugar-free’ drinks all count.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT THIS MEAL PLAN

• Before making significant changes to your diet, or if you have specific dietary needs, always speak to your healthcare professional to ensure
this plan is appropriate for you.
• The meals and portion sizes in this plan are designed for one person. If you are cooking for more than one, adjust portion sizes accordingly.
• While there’s no ‘one-size’ fits all, and everyone’s goals are different, this plan shows you one way of meeting the dietary recommendations
for managing your cholesterol.
• This plan includes foods fortified with plant stanols and as such is not suitable for pregnant nor breast feeding women.
The nutritional analysis was undertaken on Diet Plan v7 and was accurate as of December 2023.
*This meal plan is based on an average woman’s requirements and provides an idea of what a week’s worth of meals and snacks could look like. It is not intended to be followed long term. If you
need more tailored support, talk to your Doctor who can advise or refer you to see a registered dietitian. **Plant stanol ester has been shown to lower cholesterol as part of varied and healthy
diet and lifestyle. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease. The beneficial effect has been shown with a daily intake of 1.5-3.0g plant stanols. Each day Supported by Benecol Ltd
provides the effective daily dose of plant stanols – anything from between 2g to 3g a day.
©HEART UK June 2024. www.heartuk.org.uk Charity Registration No: 1003904