Start with foods you like and make space for a little variety when it suits you. These prompts use familiar vegetables, fruit, beans and herbs without a shopping challenge or a colour target. By the end, you will have a few combinations you want to use again and a clearer idea of what fits your kitchen.
A standalone Nourished Years planning companion. The Reset & Thrive book contains its own 28-day programme. Use these days in any order, repeat a useful prompt or make the plan smaller. Keep any notes on paper or in your own notebook.
Day 1Choose a vegetable you already enjoy
Choose one familiar vegetable and decide where it fits into a meal you already make. You could add carrots to a favourite soup or serve peas alongside dinner. Use a preparation method and portion that suit you. There is no need to redesign the meal or buy several unfamiliar ingredients at once.
A smaller step: Add your chosen vegetable to the shopping list or check the freezer.
A question for you: Which familiar meal has an easy place for this ingredient?
Day 2Make room for a familiar fruit
Pick a fruit you enjoy and choose when you would like to eat it. Think about ripeness, storage and how much you will use before buying. A smaller pack or a suitable frozen option may fit your week better than a large fresh purchase. Put it where it will be easy to remember, following its storage instructions.
A smaller step: Choose one serving you already have rather than making a new purchase.
A question for you: What makes this option convenient and enjoyable for me?
Day 3Try beans in a familiar dish
If beans suit you, stir a small amount of cooked tinned beans into a familiar soup, stew or salad. Follow the pack's preparation and storage instructions. Use cooked beans for this quick addition; raw or undercooked kidney beans are unsafe. If you prefer dried beans, prepare them fully according to their instructions before using them.
A smaller step: Read the beans article below and choose whether this experiment suits you.
A question for you: Did I enjoy the texture, and would I use the rest of the pack?
Day 4Explore one frozen vegetable option
Check whether a frozen version of a vegetable you enjoy would be useful. Read the cooking instructions, check your freezer space and choose a pack size you can manage. Plan one use before buying. If you already have a suitable bag, use a portion in a familiar meal instead of adding another item to the freezer.
A smaller step: Write one meal beside a frozen ingredient you already own.
A question for you: Would this option reduce preparation or unused food in my kitchen?
Day 5Add a favourite herb
Use a herb you already know in a dish you enjoy. Try a small amount, taste where it is safe to do so and decide whether you want more. Dried herbs can be useful when a fresh bunch would go unused. If cooking for others, offer a garnish separately so each person can choose.
A smaller step: Choose one herb from the cupboard and check that it still smells appealing.
A question for you: Which flavour would I like to bring back to another meal?
Day 6Use something you already bought
Look at what remains from the week and check dates and storage instructions. Choose a suitable ingredient for your next meal: a vegetable for soup, fruit for breakfast or a herb for a dressing. Use the food-storage article below when considering cooked leftovers. If something is no longer safe to use, discard it rather than forcing it into the plan.
A smaller step: Move one usable ingredient onto tomorrow's meal list.
A question for you: Should I buy a smaller quantity or a different format next time?
Day 7Choose one combination to repeat
Pick a meal or ingredient combination you enjoyed and write down enough detail to repeat it. Include the format that worked, such as frozen peas or tinned beans, and the amount you actually used. Leave out foods that did not suit you. Variety can develop through useful additions over time, without turning eating into a weekly test.
A smaller step: Save the name of one meal you would happily eat again.
A question for you: What fitted my taste, budget, comfort and available time?
Keep a short list of enjoyable additions and the meals they fit. Repeat the familiar choices as often as you like. If you try something new another week, choose it out of interest and practical use rather than a need to complete every colour or ingredient.