7 day weight loss plan

Rather than following an extreme detox plan that limits just about every food except fruit and veg while at the same time getting you to down a nasty ‘detox’ drink every day, this plan is safer and more sensible and shouldn’t leave you short on nutrients if you follow it for just one week.

Fruit – your plan can include any fruit including fresh, frozen, dried or canned in natural fruit juice.

Foods to include in the plan

Your plan can include:

• Fruit – your plan can include any fruit including fresh, frozen, dried or canned in natural fruit juice. This includes apples, bananas, pears, oranges, grapefruit, satsumas, sultanas, raisins, pineapple, mango, kiwi fruit, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, nectarines, peaches, melons, star fruit etc
• Fruit juice – either make homemade fruit juices or smoothies from fresh fruit, or drink ready-made juices. Make sure ready-made juices are labelled as being ‘pure’ or ‘unsweetened’.
• Vegetables – eat any vegetables including fresh, frozen or canned in water (without salt added). This includes carrots, onions, turnip, swede, sprouts, cabbage, peppers, mushrooms, sweetcorn, peppers, leeks, courgettes, broccoli, cauliflower, salad, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions etc
• Beans and lentils – eat any beans, including those that have been dried or canned in water. This includes red kidney, haricot, cannellini, butter, black eye, pinto, red lentils, green lentils and brown lentils
• Tofu and Quorn
• Oats – sprinkle oats over fresh fruit or use to make porridge, sweetened with honey and fresh fruit
• Potatoes – all types
• Brown rice and rice noodles
• Rye crackers, rice cakes and oatcakes
• Fresh fish – eat any fresh fish including cod, plaice, mackerel, salmon, lobster, crab, trout, haddock, tuna, prawns, Dover sole, red mullet, halibut, lemon sole, monkfish, swordfish etc. Canned fish in water is suitable too eg salmon or tuna
• Unsalted nuts – eat any including Brazil, peanuts, almonds, cashew, hazel nuts, macadamia, pecans, pine nuts, pistachio, walnuts etc
• Unsalted seeds – eat any including sunflower and pumpkin
• Plain popcorn – without sugar or salt
• Live natural yoghurt
• Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• Garlic, ginger and fresh herbs
• Ground black pepper
• Honey
• Water – at least 2 litres a day. Tap or mineral water is fine.
• Herbal or fruit teas

Avoid any food that contains wheat including bread, croissants, cereals, cakes, biscuits, pies, pastry, quiche, battered or breadcrumbed foods, etc

Foods to avoid during your detox

• Red meat, chicken, turkey and any meat products like sausages, burgers, and pate
• Milk, cheese, eggs, cream
• Butter and margarine
• Any food that contains wheat including bread, croissants, cereals, cakes, biscuits, pies, pastry, quiche, battered or breadcrumbed foods, etc
• Crisps and savoury snacks including salted nuts
• Chocolate, sweets, jam and sugar
• Processed foods, ready meals, ready-made sauces and takeaways
• Alcohol
• Coffee and tea
• Sauces, pickles, shop bought salad dressing, mayonnaise
• Salt
• Fizzy drinks and squashes, including diet versions

Detox Plan Breakfast: Porridge with Honey

Detox Plan Breakfasts

• Banana porridge
  Porridge made with water and topped with natural yoghurt, banana, raisins and sweetened with honey.
• Fruit salad with yoghurt and oats
  Fresh fruit salad with natural yoghurt and a sprinkling of oats.
• Fruit smoothie made with fresh or frozen fruit.
  Fruit smoothie made from fresh fruit, natural yoghurt and honey to sweeten if needed.
• Muesli and yoghurt
  omemade muesli made from oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit served with natural yoghurt.
• Fresh fruit and yoghurt
  Fresh fruit and a pot of natural yoghurt sweetened with honey.

Detox Plan Lunch: Guacamole with Vegetable Crudites

Detox Plan Lunches

• Vegetable soup and oatcakes
  Large bowl of vegetable or lentil soup (either homemade or supermarket ‘fresh’) with oatcakes.
• Tuna and sweetcorn jacket potato and salad
  Jacket potato topped with tuna (canned in water) mixed with sweetcorn and natural yoghurt and served with salad.
• Mediterranean salad with rice cakes
  Rice cakes served with rocket, avocado, tomatoes, fresh basil and black pepper. Plus a handful of unsalted nuts.
• Guacamole with crudités
  Homemade guacamole made from avocado, lemon juice, fresh chilli, tomatoe and garlic served with vegetable crudités and oatcakes.
• Tzatziki with crudités
  Homemade tzatziki made from natural yoghurt, garlic, cucumber and lemon juice served with vegetable crudités and oatcakes.
• Avocado and prawn salad
  Fresh avocado served with prawns, salad, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.
• Jacket potato with grilled cod
  Grilled cod fillet served with jacket potatoes and lightly steamed vegetables.

Detox Plan Dinner: Potato and Bean Casserole

Detox Plan Dinners

• Chinese vegetable stir fry
  Stir fry a selection of vegetables such as bok choi, spring onions, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and beansprouts in a little olive oil with garlic and ginger. Serve with brown rice.
• Baked salmon with jacket potato
  Bake a salmon fillet and serve with a jacket potato and steamed vegetables.
• Tuna and prawns with noodles
  Gently fry a selection of vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, peppers, courgette and leek in a little olive oil. When lightly browned, add a handful of prawns. Cook for a few minutes, then add canned tomatoes, tomato puree, black pepper and tuna canned in water. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce thickens. Serve with rice noodles.
• Sweet and sour stir fry with rice
  Gently fry a selection of chopped vegetables such as onions, peppers, baby sweetcorn and mushrooms. Add canned pineapple (in fruit juice), canned tomatoes, tomato purée, white wine vinegar and honey. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Serve with brown rice.
• Potato and bean casserole
  Gently fry a selection of typical casserole vegetables such as onion, carrots and parsnip in a little olive oil with garlic. When browned, add diced potato and fry for a few minutes. Add fresh vegetable stock, black pepper and your favourite beans. Bring to the boil and simmer until the casserole thickens.

Detox Plan Snack: Fruit Salad