JSM

Meal Rotation

10 min read

Think our meal rotation should be 2 weeks. Include a veg traybake in there to assist dishes, and the gousto salmon curry because it’s just peak

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I can see a 2 pack of lean cheap beef steaks per week being really good. We can even cook double the veg etc on the first one, and make the second one super easy. That’s 2/7 meals sorted.

We also want to have chicken for sure, probably at least twice (chicken 8oz, rice 1cup, broccoli 1cup is goated for a reason). And salmon, you can do the babystickley classic once a week maybe.

Seems like a really good sauce is skyr with lemon, dill, garlic, black pepper.

Lean beef mince once a week? That would definitely be enough beef, 3/7 days.

Chicken sandwich one day would be amazing. Chicken, rice, broccoli for 2 days maybe? Because I can also make a chicken salad with croutons. Chicken stir fry was also really good.

I think for breakfasts, I’ll target fruit, nuts and seeds almost exclusively. I can mix with some yoghurt/milk and granola/bran, but only in small amounts.

Lunches I’ll probably target either sandwiches or salads. Avocado in bread is amazing, I know that now, so I can probably get my typical avocado fill here, alongside things like cheese, smoked salmon, and salad like cucumber, tomato, spinach. For salads, chicken will be great, alongside a bunch of other stuff, and a yoghurt based dressing to avoid calories.

Then the dinners are where these ideas will shine. Steak-based meals twice a week. Beef mince a third meal - that could be chilli that is reused for lunches, or tacos/burritos, or beef bowls with rice, spaghetti and meatballs, korean stir fry, etc. Then a big portion of chicken, rice and broccoli (or a stir fry, to add a little excitement), which I can reuse for another dinner and maybe some lunches. A chicken sandwich, just because I think that sounds delicious. And a babystickley classic, two fillets of salmon at once, for that fatty fish. Probably want fatty fish at least once more per week, Maybe I could use a salmon or mackerel fillet in two different lunches throughout the week.

Bear in mind, if I’m able to make 4 portions of the steak veg or chicken stir fry, and I’m only having it twice a week (assuming I don’t need it for lunches), then each bulk cook would last 2 weeks and therefore I’d only need to make one of the two each week.

Example lunch/dinner schedule:

Monday: Chicken Salad / Beef Mince + Avo Tuesday: Avo + Cheese / Chicken Stir Fry Wednesday: Chicken Salad / Salmon + Avo Thursday: Avo + Cheese / Steak Friday: Meal Deal / Chicken Sandwich + Avo Saturday: Avo + Fish / Steak Sunday: Avo + Fish / Chicken Stir Fry

Breakfast alternates between Bran/Milk and Granola/Skyr or Yoghurt

Notes:

  • have at least one tough thing every day
  • Add white fish, cod is so busted, how about basa/haddock? If basa is similar to cod nutritionally then goddamn
  • Are eggs more of a breakfast/lunch thing?
  • Eggy bread
  • Turkish eggs
  • Chilli for good legumes? Other bulk meals?

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Steak ideas

Not crazy. For your version of “clean eating”, extra lean beef medallions are unusually efficient.

They tick a lot of boxes simultaneously:

Very high protein density

Minimal processing

Excellent micronutrients (iron, zinc, B12, creatine, carnitine)

Lower saturated fat than fattier cuts

Extremely satiating

Good for maintaining lean mass/metabolic health

Chewier texture → slower eating and more satiety

Usually much better value than ribeye/sirloin

So yes: as a staple “default protein”, they’re hard to beat.

The main tradeoffs are mostly practical rather than health-related:

Potential downsides

  1. Less flavour / lower eating pleasure

You already identified the big one.

Fat carries flavour. Lean medallions can become:

dry

metallic

bland

overcooked very easily

But this is solvable.

  1. Slightly less nutrient synergy than fattier cuts

You lose some:

fat-soluble nutrient absorption support

omega-3s (if grass-fed)

satiety from fat

caloric density

Not a major issue if your overall diet already includes:

eggs

EVOO

avocado

salmon/sardines

nuts/seeds

Which yours likely does.

  1. Can become “too lean” if overused

A super lean diet all day every day can sometimes lead to:

lower meal satisfaction

cravings later

reduced adherence

lower overall energy intake than intended

This is why pairing them with healthy fats and fibre works best.

The optimal strategy

Instead of trying to make the steak itself fatty, build a “clean flavour system” around it.

Best pairings

Healthy fats

Extra virgin olive oil

Avocado

Tahini

Grass-fed butter in small amounts

Parmesan shavings

Greek yogurt sauces

Umami boosters

Mushrooms

Garlic

Anchovies

Miso

Worcestershire sauce

Soy/tamari

Caramelised onions

Acid (very important for lean beef)

Acid makes lean meat taste dramatically better.

Lemon

Red wine vinegar

Chimichurri

Pickled onions

Mustard

Herb combinations

Rosemary + garlic

Thyme + black pepper

Parsley chimichurri

Smoked paprika + cumin

The real unlock: treat them like a “protein base”

Rather than “a steak dinner”.

Examples:

Steak + chimichurri + sweet potato wedges + greens

Sliced medallions in brown rice bowls

Steak salad with rocket, tomatoes, EVOO

Steak + eggs breakfast

Steak tacos in wholegrain wraps

Stir fry with broccoli and ginger

Mediterranean steak bowl with hummus/tzatziki

That’s where the value becomes absurd.

Clean verdict

Very Clean

Honestly one of the better “budget-performance” foods for this style of diet, especially if:

you tolerate red meat well

the rest of your diet includes fibre/polyphenols/omega-3s

you don’t crowd out fish and plants entirely

I’d just avoid turning it into:

“ultra lean everything”

dry meal-prep punishment food

steak with no plants/carbs/fats alongside it

Done properly, they’re elite

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New meal rotation

  • Chicken breast, rice, broccoli as bulk cooked lunches
  • Egg fried rice, the day after a big rice meal, so make too much on purpose
  • Chickpea curry?
  • Steak night with sweet potato fries, broccoli, asparagus

Breakfasts

  • greek yoghurt, granola, berries (strawberries, raspberries), nuts/seeds, grated dark chocolate

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Goated meal rotation (The ones that I come back to):

  • sausage and veg traybake
  • chicken souvlaki sandwich + halloumi
  • tortellini asparagus
  • chicken and bacon pasta salad
  • tomato chicken curry
  • hf tortilla chilli
  • (Stir fry?)

Hf gammon steaks + sauce and mash https://www.hellofresh.co.uk/recipes/pan-fried-gammon-steaks-and-cheesy-leek-sauce-69710d3e933a02843ffb63f2

Hellofresh easy lamb and mushroom ragu https://www.hellofresh.co.uk/recipes/easy-lamb-and-mushroom-ragu-6759a34aa1a7f6303a776c0e

Notes

  • i need to abuse rice more. Not just for dinner, but using the leftovers with lunch instead of bread. Could do the same with pasta?
  • something fish related?
  • tortellini asparagus is actually mid, you could get a better recipe or replace it

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Great news: rice goes with so many things, and curry is one of the easiest, cheapest, most flexible options — perfect for a spontaneous evening meal.

Below is a super simple, forgiving curry you can make with whatever protein/veg you have. It’s the “starter kit” of curries — you can level it up later.

🌶️ SIMPLE 20-MINUTE CURRY (BEGINNER-PROOF)

⭐ Ingredients (use what you have)

Base

1 onion (or ½ if big), diced

2–3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 thumb ginger (optional but great), grated

1–2 tbsp oil

Spices (pick one option):

  1. Easiest: 1–2 tbsp curry powder

  2. Slightly fancier:

1 tsp turmeric

1–2 tsp cumin

1–2 tsp coriander

½–1 tsp chilli powder or flakes

Sauce

1 can chopped tomatoes or 1 can coconut milk

½–1 stock cube (chicken/veg)

Salt & pepper

Protein/veg (anything works):

Chicken thigh pieces

Chickpeas

Lentils

Potatoes

Peppers, peas, spinach, carrots, mushrooms, etc.

🔥 How to Make It (20 minutes)

  1. Fry the flavour base

Heat oil → add onion → cook 5 min until soft. Add garlic + ginger → cook 1 min.

  1. Add spices

Sprinkle in curry powder or your spice mix. Let it toast for 20–30 seconds — smells insane.

  1. Add your protein/veg

Chicken: stir on high heat for 2–3 min to seal

Veg: throw in raw

Chickpeas: drain + rinse, just heat in the pan

  1. Add the sauce

Choose your style:

Tomato-based curry: add tinned tomatoes + splash of water

Creamy curry: add coconut milk (+ optional 1 tbsp tomato paste)

Add stock cube. Stir.

  1. Simmer

Simmer 10–15 min. Taste → add salt, pepper, chilli, maybe a squeeze of lemon or a teaspoon of sugar to balance.

  1. Serve over your rice

Boom. You’ve made curry.

🌱 Variations (if you want something specific)

🍛 Katsu-style fake:

Cook chicken separately (pan-fry or oven), slice, and pour a smooth mild curry over it.

🍛 Chickpea coconut curry

Add only chickpeas + spinach + coconut milk + curry powder.

🍛 Butter-style chicken

Use tomato + cream or coconut milk + a little butter + garam masala.

🧠 Tips so it actually tastes good

Toast spices before adding liquid — always.

Salt early AND at the end.

Add chilli flakes if it feels “flat.”

Add a touch of sugar or honey if it tastes too acidic.

Add a knob of butter at the end for richness.

If you want, tell me what ingredients you have and I’ll craft a custom curry for tonight that perfectly fits your rice.

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Four pork loin steaks between two hungry people is a bit tight, but the good news is that pork loin is perfect for slicing thin and stretching into a bigger dish. Instead of serving them as whole steaks, I’d lean toward turning them into a main component of a bigger meal. That way the pork becomes flavourful protein rather than the whole plate.

Here are two options that work really well.

(Use a different kind of pork, probably)

Pork Garlic Noodles (best for stretching the meat)

This is probably the best option for two hungry people.

Why this works

Pork loin slices beautifully thin

Noodles add the bulk

The pork flavours the whole dish

Ingredients

4 pork loin steaks

2 packs noodles (egg noodles / ramen / udon)

3 cloves garlic

Soy sauce

Honey or sugar

Optional veg: broccoli, peppers, carrots, spring onion

Method

  1. Slice pork very thinly across the grain.

  2. Marinate briefly (5–10 min) in:

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp honey or sugar

1 minced garlic clove

  1. Cook noodles and set aside.

  2. Very hot pan or wok:

Oil

Fry pork quickly until browned.

  1. Add garlic and veg.

  2. Add noodles and sauce:

Simple sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

splash vinegar or lime

optional chili flakes

  1. Toss everything together.

Finish with

spring onions

sesame seeds if available

You get a big, filling bowl for two people with loads of flavour.

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Quality matters: ideally choose an aged cheddar with minimal ingredients (milk, salt, cultures, enzymes).

Pairs best with high-fibre whole foods rather than refined carbs.

Good clean pairings:

Omelette with spinach and mushrooms

Wholegrain toast + avocado + melted cheddar

Bean or lentil chilli topped with a small amount

Apple slices + cheddar

Jacket sweet potato with cheddar and Greek yogurt

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Tinned fish e.g. mackerel

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  • salmon and brown pasta

  • chickpea curry with kale

  • eggs: scrambed, omelette, egg fried rice, poached/boiled

  • chicken breast, rice, broccoli as bulk cooked lunches

  • steak night with sweet potato fries, broccoli, asparagus

  • greek yoghurt, granola, berries (strawberries, blueberries), nuts/seeds, grated dark chocolate

  • veg tray bake? I have carrots, sweet potato, onions, leeks. I can add healthy bread, and the gravy stuff should be fine. Heck chicken sausages could be a good low-fat option.

  • brown pasta salad with chicken and mushrooms

  • chilli + brown rice + avocado + yog

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