The food that we eat and how it is produced is one of the areas that we can all tackle when it comes to climate change.

Over a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the global food chain but small changes to our diets could not only improve our environmental footprint but could also have a positive impact on our health.

What Planet Are You On?'s diet expert Dr. Marco Springmann, a Senior Researcher in Environmental Sustainability and Public Health, shares a seven-day, planetary-health meal plan that he and Dr Pamela Mason, a Registered Public Health Nutritionist, developed.

DAY 1

Breakfast

Porridge with toasted seeds/nuts & frozen berries

Ingredients

  • 150g rolled oats
  • 500ml soya or other plant-based milk alternative  (additional 500ml to serve - optional)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 250g (6 handfuls) of frozen berries
  • 75g (3 handfuls) chopped nuts or seeds 
  • 4 tsp honey (optional)

How to prepare

  1.  Place oats and milk of choice in a pan on moderate heat. 
  2.  Bring to a steady simmer for 5 to 6 minutes depending on the consistency you'd like. 
  3.  Stir though the maple syrup. 
  4.  Pour into four bowls. 
  5.  Add a handful of berries and a handful of chopped seeds/nuts to each serving
  6.  Serve porridge with 125ml milk alternative each & 1 teaspoon of honey each (optional)

Lunch
Minestrone soup with wholegrain bread

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion chopped 
  • 400g minestrone soup vegetable mix
  • 1x 150g dried lentils
  • 1 litre of water
  • Salt/pepper
  • Vegetable stock cube
  • 4 wholemeal rolls

How to prepare

  1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy based saucepan, 
  2. Add the chopped onion,  and cook for 5 minutes to soften. 
  3. Add mixed vegetables and lentils, 1 litre of water, vegetable stock cube and simmer for 25 minutes.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste
  5. Serve with wholemeal crusty roll


Dinner
Bean, Peanut and Butternut Squash Curry with Rice 

Ingredients: curry

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil 
  • 1 onion finely chopped 
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 inch piece of ginger – peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 red chilli (deseeded and chopped fine)
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder (or to taste)
  • 400ml low fat coconut milk alternative
  • 600g butternut squash chopped 
  • 400g tin red kidney beans/chickpeas
  • 1 large mango cut into chunks (or ready cut) – 200g
  • 75g (3 handfuls) peanuts
  •  270g basmati rice

How to prepare

  1.  Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan. 
  2.  Add chopped onion, garlic, ginger, chopped chilli and cook for 5 minutes to soften. 
  3.  Add the kidney beans or chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes
  4.  Add the curry powder, coconut milk alternative and the butternut squash and simmer for 30 minutes.
  5.  Stir in the mango, peanuts and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
  6.  While the curry is cooking prepare the rice as instructed on the pack. 

Bean, Peanut and Butternut Squash Curry with Rice
 
DAY 2

Breakfast
Muesli (makes 300g) plus fresh fruit
Use half the muesli today and half on Day 6 breakfast

Ingredients

  • 150g rolled oats
  • 25g sunflower seeds
  • 25g pumpkin seeds
  • 50g of flaked almonds
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 50g of finely chopped dried apricots
  • 4 apples
  • 375ml soya milk alternative (to have with muesli)

How to make

  1. Mix the above ingredients together. (Portion size 50g each)
  2. Enjoy with 1 apple (150g) for each family member (can be chopped or grated) and 125ml of soya milk alternative

Lunch
Spicy chickpea pitta sandwich

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 large garlic clove finely sliced
1 teaspoon paprika
4 carrots peeled and thinly sliced 
400g can of chickpeas (Retain the liquid from the chickpeas for later in the week)
Juice of half a lemon 
4 wholemeal pitta breads or flat breads (warmed are nicer) 
4 tablespoons of soya yogurt alternative
Salt and pepper

How to make

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. 
  2. Add the cumin and heat for a few seconds. 
  3. Add the carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes stirring often until starting to brown.
  4. Add the garlic, paprika and chickpeas and a squeeze of lemon juice. 
  5. Taste and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
  6. Spoon some of the chickpea mixture into the pocket of a pitta (or into the middle of a flatbread) and top with a spoonful of yogurt. 
  7. Fold the flatbreads if using. 
  8. Serve straightaway.

Dinner
Tomato and lentil pasta

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion peeled and sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
  • 1 red pepper finely chopped
  • 2 x 400g tins of crushed tomatoes
  • 200g red lentils 
  • 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
  • 250g dried wholemeal pasta 
  • 50g of sesame seeds
  • 60g grated vegan cheese alternative (could be cheddar or mozzarella style), but the pasta dish can be eaten without the cheese alternative!

How to prepare

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan. 
  2. Add the onion and garlic and fry until golden brown. 
  3. Add in the chopped red pepper, tomatoes, lentils and dried herbs. 
  4. Stir and cover the pan then allow to boil for 10 minutes. 
  5. Then turn down the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes checking often that the sauce does not stick.
  6. Ten minutes before the end of cooking the sauce, boil a large pan of water with a pinch of salt. Then add the pasta, cook for 10 minutes or so, and then drain.
  7. Divide the pasta between the three plates and pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the grated vegan cheese alternative (if liked)

DAY 3

Breakfast
Wholemeal toast with banana and cashew nuts

Ingredients

  • 4 large slices of wholemeal bread
  • 4 bananas (fairly ripe) = 300g
  • 100g cashew nuts

How to prepare

  1. Toast the bread
  2. Put the cashew nuts in a plastic bag and crush a little with a rolling pin
  3. Mash the bananas and mix with the roughly chopped cashew nuts, reserving a few nuts to sprinkle on the top
  4. Divide the banana mix and spread it over the toast, and sprinkle the remaining nuts on the top

Lunch
Turkish roast vegetables with butter beans 

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion 
  • 5 peppers (assorted colours) 
  • 400g tomatoes
  • 20 sprigs of thyme (or dried thyme)
  • 6 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 x 400g tins butter beans 
  • 2 teaspoons allspice
  • 400g fresh green beans
  • 120g of grated vegan cheese alternative (optional)
  • Salt and pepper

How to prepare

  1.  Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan /Gas 6.
  2.  Transfer the onion, peppers and tomatoes to a roasting tin with the whole thyme sprigs and trickle over the olive oil. Roast the vegetables for 1 hour.
  3.  Add the butter beans and ground allspice to the roasting tray and mix well, making sure that any dry parts are well coated in olive oil. Bake for a further 30 minutes.
  4.  Cook frozen green beans according to instructions on the bag.
  5.  Fold the green beans into the roasted vegetables. 
  6.  Sprinkle with vegan alternative cheese (if wanted)
  7.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Dinner
Vegetable skewers

Ingredients

  • 20 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 courgette thickly sliced
  • 1 red onion peeled and cut into wedges
  • 1 red pepper and 1 green pepper cut into small chunks
  • 1 tablespoon clear honey, 1 teaspoon grainy mustard, 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 pitta breads (6x 60g)
  • Crunchy green salad

How to make

  1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Blend the honey, mustard and oil with seasoning.
  2. To assemble, thread veg onto skewers and brush with the honey glaze. Cook for 25-30 mins in the oven or on the barbecue, brushing with any remaining glaze before serving.
  3. Serve with pitta bread & crunchy green salad

Note: If using wooden skewers soak for 10 mins before so use to avoid burning.


 
DAY 4

Breakfast
Breakfast cereal with fruit and seeds

Ingredients 

  • Weetabix (2 biscuits each person) 
  • Soya or other plant-based milk alternative (125ml per person)
  • 4 bananas (1 each)
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds each (10gx4)

Lunch
Baked potato with chilli beans

Ingredients

  • 3 medium sized baking potatoes 
  • 1 onion, chopped 
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 fresh red chilli seeds and all, chopped 
  • 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes
  •  2 cans (2x400g) cooked red kidney beans, drained (equivalent to 250g dried beans)
  • 60g grated vegan cheese alternative
  • Salt to taste

How to prepare

  1.  Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
  2.  Wash and dry the potatoes.
  3.  Put potatoes in the oven for 45 minutes
  4.  Heat olive oil in large saucepan. 
  5.  Dice onion and garlic; put in pan and fry for a couple of minutes then add the chilli. 
  6.  Add the kidney beans, stir and cook for a minute. 
  7.  Add the tomatoes and cook on a medium heat until well heated through and the flavours have mixed - about 20 minutes.
  8.  Add water if it gets a bit dry.
  9.  Pour sauce over baked potatoes
  10.  Sprinkle with vegan cheese alternative

Dinner
Kale and quinoa patties

Ingredients

  • 140g quinoa
  • 500ml hot vegetable stock (made with stockpot or stock cube)
  • 100g kale, stalks removed roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 75g wholemeal breadcrumbs
  • 100ml of chickpea liquid (kept from earlier in the week)
  • 6 cherry tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • Slices of halloumi cheese

How to make

  1.  Put the quinoa in a saucepan and pour over the hot stock. 
  2.  Simmer for 18-20 mins over a gentle heat until the grains have fluffed up and the liquid has disappeared. 
  3.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 
  4.  Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the kale and simmer for 6-8 mins until cooked through. Drain and squeeze out any water
  5.  Put 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 mins until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Tip the cooked quinoa into a bowl and add the kale, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, chickpea liquid and chopped tomatoes. Season well and mix to combine
  6.  Form into patties
  7.  Grill halloumi cheese and put one slice on top of each pattie
  8.  Could serve these with baked or oven roasted sweet red potatoes; these potatoes can be baked or cut into wedges and roasted (with oil) in the same way as ordinary potatoes
  9.  Serve with green salad


 

DAY 5

Breakfast
Bircher muesli

1.  150g of whole rolled oats 
2.  200ml of soya or plant-based milk alternative 
3.  200ml soya yogurt alternative

Combine all ingredients in a bowl then cover and chill overnight. 

Top with
4 grated apples (one each) and 36g/4 tablespoons chopped dried apricots (for the four of you) and 50g of sesame seeds (between the four of you) 

Lunch
Black bean burrito

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, very finely chopped 
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 can (400g) black beans, rinsed and drained (equivalent to 125g dried beans)
  • 3 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed (60g x 3)
  • 1 x 200g tin of sweetcorn, rinsed and drained (160g drained weight)
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • 1 cup crispy salad
  • Optional toppings: yogurt, chopped tomato

How to make

  1.  Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry onion and green pepper until soft
  2.  Add black beans and sweetcorn and cook for 3-5 mins.
  3.  Spoon on to each of the three tortillas, add shredded lettuce and tomato
  4.  Serve with optional toppings

 
Dinner
Cauliflower and chickpea bake

Ingredients

  • 1 medium/large cauliflower
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of plain flour or cornflour
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 350ml soya or other plant-based milk alternative 
  • 75g grated vegan cheddar cheese alternative
  • 100g spinach 
  • 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (equivalent to 125g dried weight) Retain chickpea liquid for use later in the week
  • 100g cashew nuts
  • 100g brown breadcrumbs

How to make

  1.  Preheat oven to 190C/170C fan/Gas 5
  2.  Cook cauliflower in pan of boiling water for 5 minutes then drain and set aside
  3.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan and add the flour or cornflour, beating to make a paste
  4.  Stir in half the garlic and the mustard and cook for 1 minute
  5.  Add the soya milk alternative a little at a time, whisking until the sauce thickens
  6.  Stir in the grated cheese alternative and spinach and season, 
  7.  Add the cauliflower, chickpeas and cashew nuts and stir until well coated
  8.  Pour into an oven proof dish
  9.  Fry the breadcrumbs in the rest of the oil and garlic until crisp then scatter over the dish
  10.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden on top

DAY 6

Breakfast

  • Muesli (use the half leftover from Day 2 breakfast)
  • Enjoy with 1 apple (150g) for each family member (can be chopped or grated) and 125ml of soya milk alternative for each person

Lunch
Roast spring vegetable pizza

Ingredients (pizza base)

  • 1 pack of ready rolled pizza base, 200g OR if you'd like to make your own:
  • 200g plain flour
  •  ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon easy blend yeast
  • 150ml warm (not hot) water
  • Olive oil (for brushing)

How to prepare

  1.  Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7/fan oven 200C. 
  2.  Tip the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl and mix well. 
  3.  Add the warm water and mix to a soft dough. 
  4.  Knead on a lightly floured surface for 2-3 minutes, let rise for 5 min and then roll out to a 30cm/12in round. 
  5.  Brush a large baking sheet with a thin slick of oil and then add the pizza base.
  6.  Cover with a clean tea towel

For the topping

  • 2 red peppers, cut into rings 
  • 1 leek, thinly sliced 
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons tomato passata
  • 2 cherry tomatoes 
  • 3 tablespoons green peas (frozen) 
  • 125g vegan mozzarella cheese alternative
  • 25g sesame seeds

How to prepare

  1.  Spread the pizza base with the passata. 
  2.  Scatter over the leek and red pepper. 
  3.  Thinly slice the mozzarella alternative and arrange over the vegetables. 
  4.  Scatter over the whole cherry tomatoes and peas 
  5.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is crisp and lightly browned. To serve, cut into four wedges.

Dinner
Nut Roast with potato wedges and cauliflower

Ingredients

  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 200g chopped mixed nuts
  • 2 tablespoons ground almonds
  • 100g wholemeal breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon dried sage
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 medium sweet potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 medium cauliflower 

How to prepare

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4
  2. Fry the onion in the oil until soft
  3. Combine the onion, nuts, breadcrumbs and sage together before turning into an oiled ovenproof dish and baking for 30 minutes until golden brown
  4. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into thick wedges the each half into three wedges
  5. Brush with olive oil
  6. Season with salt and pepper
  7. Place in the oven with the nut roast for 20-30 minutes
  8. Divide the cauliflower into florets and put in a pan of boiling water for the last 10 minutes of the cooking time for the nut roast

DAY 7

Breakfast
French toast with berries

Ingredients

  • 75g of liquid left from chickpeas
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 teaspoons honey
  • 8 slices of crusty bread 
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 400g mixed frozen berries (thawed overnight in the fridge)

How to make

  1.  Mix the chickpea liquid with the vanilla extract and honey in a bowl.
  2.  Brush each side of the 8 slices of bread with the mixture.
  3.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan. Cook the 6 slices of bread (on one side) until crisp and golden brown (about 3 minutes)
  4.  Add the other tablespoon of oil and fry the 8 slices of bread on the other side until brown and crisp (about 3 minutes)
  5.  Transfer the French bread to 4 plates and top with the berries.
  6.  Serve with extra honey (1tsp each) if you like

Lunch
Creamy mushroom pasta

Ingredients

  • 500g pasta of your choice
  • 50g cup olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 small onion or 4 spring onions finely chopped
  • 800g of fresh mushrooms chopped
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 750ml of soya or other plant based milk alternative (almond is good in this recipe)
  • 100g fresh parsley chopped
  • 400g of frozen peas, thawed
  • Salt and pepper to taste

How to prepare

  1. Cook the pasta according to directions
  2.  While pasta is cooking cook the mushroom sauce
  3. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, mushrooms and ½ tsp salt and cook stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned and tender, about 10-15 mins, turning down to medium low after 5 mins.
  4. Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and stir to coat, allowing to cook for 30 sec-1 min. Bring heat back up to medium-high.
  5. Add 200ml almond (or soya) milk alternative alternative, stirring constantly and it let simmer for 1 min. Make sure to break up any clumps.
  6. When completely smooth and thickened slightly, add remaining almond (or soya) milk alternative alternative and pepper to taste, return to a simmer, stirring constantly.
  7. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly again, about 3 mins.
  8. Remove saucepan from heat. Add peas, and salt & pepper to taste and cook for 1 additional minute or until peas are heated through.
  9. Add the pasta to the mushroom sauce and toss to coat.
  10. Serve garnished with extra parsley and serve immediately

Dinner
Homemade burger with coleslaw (or could buy vegan burgers ready-made)

Ingredients: burger

  • 1 small red onion 
  • 1 400g can of red kidney beans rinsed and drained 
  • Wholemeal breadcrumbs from 1 slice of bread
  • 25g mixed nuts
  • 2 teaspoons chilli powder
  • 50ml chickpea liquid
  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree
  • 4 wholemeal rolls 

How to prepare

  1. Chop onion in food processor
  2. Add kidney beans, breadcrumbs, chill powder, chickpea liquid and tomato puree and mix again
  3. Shape into 4 burgers and grill under a hot grill for 5-7 minutes a side
  4. Top burgers with sliced tomato, red onion and crispy salad from bag

Ingredients: Coleslaw

  •  300g shredded white cabbage 
  •  75g shredded carrots
  •  150g Greek soya yogurt alternative
  •  2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  •  2 tablespoons olive oil
  •  1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  •  Salt and pepper

How to prepare

  1.  Mix yogurt, cider vinegar, olive oil, mustard and salt and
  2.  Pour dressing over the cabbage/carrot mix
  3.  Stir until well mixed
  4.  Serve with burgers

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