Dinner when you are trying to lose weight, a simple template and a week of ideas
A good dinner for weight loss follows 1 simple template, lots of vegetables, a palm of protein and a modest portion of carbs, eaten at least 2 hours before bed. Once you have the template, you stop needing recipes every evening, and dinner becomes a matter of swapping ingredients.
A coach from the club reviews your circumstances alongside you and suggests the right next steps.
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The template
- Vegetables. Around half of what is in front of you, cooked, raw or both.
- Protein. About the size of your palm. Fish, chicken, eggs, tofu, beans or lentils.
- Carbs. A fist of potatoes, rice, pasta or bread, wholegrain where you can.
- Flavour. Herbs, spices, lemon, garlic. A little oil, measured with a spoon.
Starchy foods are not the enemy at night. The British Dietetic Association explains that starchy foods should make up about a third of what we eat. The portion is what matters.
7 nights, 7 ideas
- Monday. Salmon fillet, new potatoes and green beans.
- Tuesday. Chickpea and spinach curry with a small portion of brown rice.
- Wednesday. Chicken stir fry with peppers, broccoli and noodles.
- Thursday. Spanish omelette with a big mixed salad.
- Friday. Homemade fish finger wraps with crunchy slaw.
- Saturday. Lean mince chilli with kidney beans, half rice, half extra vegetables.
- Sunday. Roast chicken, roast vegetables and a modest serving of roast potatoes.
The NHS recommends at least 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 of oily fish, and dinner is the easiest place to fit them.
Timing that suits real life
If you get home late off the Marylebone train, eat a light snack at work around 5pm so you do not arrive ravenous. Then keep dinner simpler and smaller. Leaving 2 to 3 hours between the meal and bed is kinder to your sleep, as our article on sleep and appetite explains.
Cooking for a family
If you cook for children or a partner, there is no need for separate meals. Serve the same dish and change the proportions on your own plate, with more vegetables and a little less pasta or rice. Children benefit from seeing vegetables take up real space on an adult’s plate, and you avoid a second round of cooking.
After dinner
Evening grazing undoes many good days. Brush your teeth after the meal, make a herbal tea and move out of the kitchen. If you are genuinely hungry later, choose something planned rather than whatever is open. Our list of snack ideas includes a few that suit the evening.
This article does not replace advice from your GP or another health professional, particularly if you have a medical condition or take regular medication.
The other end of the day
A good dinner makes the next morning easier, and at Bicester Nutrition the day starts with breakfast taken together at the club before work. A free assessment is the place to talk about your own evenings.
Your weight loss curve
Add your profile and the curve is redrawn at once.
Losing 8 kg at the median pace would take roughly 11 weeks, or around 4 months at the gentlest one.
Most guidance puts lasting weight loss at 500 g to 1 kg per week, which is the ideal zone on the chart. Lose more than 1 kg per week consistently and the body eats into muscle and not just fat, shown by the hatched zone.
This projection is a rough guide only. Each person’s journey is their own, and results are not the same for everyone. The sums are done on your device, with nothing stored or sent anywhere. Over 65, speak to your doctor before anything else.
How this curve is calculated
At the top, the zone’s edge marks 500 g per week, the gentlest rate. At the bottom, its edge marks 1 kg per week, the point where risk starts.
Weight comes off faster in the first weeks, much of it water, before the pace eases. Beyond 40, the median curve gradually flattens as metabolism slows down. With the same effort, men generally lose a little faster than women.
Like real life, the journey curve includes plateaus a few days long and minor regains. It is no prediction of the path you will follow.
The tips here are general and are no substitute for medical advice.
Further reading
Daily support is set out in the club programme for better balanced eating.