Adding More To Your Meals

Stop asking what to cut out. Start asking what to add.

The question most of us get wrong

When we want to eat better, the first question is almost always the same. What do I need to cut out?

It's the wrong place to start. Cutting things out makes eating feel restrictive, and restrictive rarely lasts. It also tends to leave you with less on your plate and less to keep you satisfied, which is usually why you're back in the pantry an hour later.

There's a much easier way to think about it. Instead of taking things away, add something in.

What this looks like in a real meal

Take butter chicken. It's a pretty regular midweek or Friday night takeaway dinner, and there's nothing wrong with it.

But you can have the exact same meal and make it work a lot harder for you.

Start with brown rice instead of white. It's more fibre rich and more nutrient dense, and it gives the whole bowl something more substantial to sit on.

Then go in with the exact same butter chicken. You're not missing out here.

Add a dollop of natural Greek yoghurt on top. That brings some lean protein, and it's also a natural probiotic food source. It cools the heat of the curry beautifully too.

Finish with fresh coriander. It adds a lot of flavour, and some extra nutrients along with it.

Same meal. Nothing taken away. It's just been elevated, and honestly, it tastes better for it.

More ways to add to meals you already eat

Once you start looking at food this way, you'll find opportunities everywhere.

• A spoonful of Greek yoghurt stirred through your butter chicken or curry
• A handful of beans added to your pasta
• Extra veggies in your stir fry
• Cottage cheese on your toast
• A sprinkle of seeds or a boiled egg on top of a salad

None of these are complicated, and none of them ask you to give anything up. They just quietly increase the protein, fibre and overall nutrition of what you're already having.

Why protein and fibre make such a difference

These two do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to feeling full.

Protein takes longer to digest and helps you feel satisfied after a meal rather than searching for something else. Fibre adds bulk, slows digestion and helps keep your energy steadier between meals.

Add both to a meal you already enjoy and you've changed how that meal makes you feel for the rest of the afternoon, without changing much about it at all.

If you're navigating perimenopause

These small additions can be even more valuable during this stage of life.

Prioritising protein and fibre can help support satiety and steadier energy levels, and it makes it easier to nourish your body through the changes you're experiencing. It's also one of the gentlest places to start, because you're not overhauling anything. You're just building on the meals you already make.

Your Questions, Answered

Doesn't adding more mean eating more? Sometimes slightly, yes, and that's usually the point. A meal that leaves you satisfied tends to stop the grazing that follows an unsatisfying one. What you're adding is nutrition, not just volume.

What if I don't like Greek yoghurt? Cottage cheese works in much the same way, and so does a spoonful of hummus depending on the dish. If dairy isn't for you, try a coconut yoghurt with a handful of cashews or a boiled egg on the side for the protein.

Is brown rice really that different from white? It keeps the bran and germ, which is where the fibre and much of the nutrient content sits. If you don't love the texture, start with half brown and half white and work your way across.

What's the easiest place to start? Breakfast, usually. It's the meal most of us repeat, so one change there gets repeated too. Cottage cheese or eggs on your toast, or Greek yoghurt and seeds through your oats.

Do I need to weigh or track any of this? No. A dollop, a handful, a good sprinkle. The habit matters far more than the precision.

Can I do this with takeaway? Absolutely. Add a side of steamed veggies, stir some yoghurt through, top it with fresh herbs. Takeaway responds to this approach just as well as a home cooked meal.

What if my family won't eat it? Add to your own plate rather than to the whole dish. Extra beans in your bowl of pasta, extra veggies on your side. Nobody else has to notice.

Meals like this are what make healthy eating stick.

Nothing off limits, nothing complicated, just food that works a little harder for you. The Transform app is full of meals designed exactly this way.

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