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Let’s admit it—many of us indulge in more food than our bodies actually require. Over the years, portion sizes have gradually increased, and coupled with our largely inactive lifestyles, it has become all too easy to consume more than necessary.
If you’re among those who resolved to cut back after overindulging during the festive season, or you’re striving to maintain your newly achieved slim figure after using weight-loss injections, don’t be discouraged if sticking to your New Year’s healthy eating resolution hasn’t gone as planned.
When accustomed to heaping generous amounts on our dinner plates or dealing with the resurgence of ‘food noise’ post-weight-loss treatment, the notion of surviving on smaller portions can seem daunting.
Feeling hungry or deprived of enjoyment is far from appealing. However, it doesn’t have to be this way.
As someone deeply immersed in both nutritional research and real-world dietary habits, I’ve dedicated time to developing practical and realistic strategies to help individuals manage the challenges of both overeating and undereating.
Today, I’m thrilled to share my exclusive plan with Daily Mail readers, offering insights into making the journey to eating just a little less not only easier but also healthier.
Whether you’re looking for an easy and effective route to cut back after a few weeks of festive excess, you’re taking weight-loss jabs (or coming off them), your appetite is suppressed by illness or recovery or you just want to optimise your health and vitality, I’m here to show you how LESS really can be MORE.
This couldn’t be more timely after the publication of a new Oxford University report this week which found people who use weight-loss jabs pile the pounds back on up to four times faster than dieters, leading experts to warn millions of Britons may need to stay on GLP-1s for life.
As a nutrition expert with my finger on the pulse of both research and real-world trends, writes Rob Hobson, I’ve spent time developing practical, realistic strategies to help people navigate the challenges of both over and under eating
If you don’t want – or can’t afford – to do this then you need a plan.
I’ve always worked to help people build positive, realistic relationships with food where nourishment, balance and enjoyment all matter and I have come up with a simple set of rules to help squeeze maximum flavour, nutrition and satisfaction into remarkably modest food packages.
Earlier in my career as a nutritionist, I worked to support people recovering from illness or surgery, rebuilding strength after fatigue or navigating food aversions. I’ve also worked with older adults, picky eaters and clients for whom food simply lost its appeal.
The pattern is the same: when you’re eating less, the food you do eat needs to work much harder for you.
Eating less means fewer opportunities to meet your nutritional needs, so every meal must pull more weight. Every bite matters!
In Weekend magazine, included with today’s paper, you’ll find a delicious selection of cleverly crafted recipes which I have put together to deliver solid nutrition in small volumes, using flavour, colour and texture to satisfy your appetite without leaving you feeling overwhelmingly full.
Why not ditch your uninspiring and nutritionally weak toast breakfast for mini egg muffins with spinach, sweetcorn and feta or coconut chia pudding with mango and toasted almonds?
Swap that boring lunchtime sandwich for a crunchy tofu wrap with peanut drizzle and enjoy a delicious supper of harissa-spiced turkey skewers or smoky prawn and black bean tacos.
These recipes are packed with colour, texture and flavour to tempt you when you don’t feel like eating. And they contain all the nutrients your body needs to satisfy cravings and feel comfortably full on smaller portions.
Every recipe makes two servings so you can eat one and save one for later. Most can be scaled up or paired with a simple side if your hunger increases or you’re cooking for others.
My recipes use budget-friendly ingredients such as tinned fish and frozen vegetables, delivering convenience without expensive pre-packaged food – they are designed to be nutrient-dense and cost-conscious.
Try them and see: there’s plenty to tempt you if your appetite is suppressed. And if you’re aiming to lose weight or maintain weight loss, you’ll discover that eating smaller portions doesn’t have to mean draconian diet rules, hunger and deprivation.
Why nutrients matter
If you’ve fallen into a pattern of making unhealthy food choices, relying on takeaways or highly processed food, skipping occasional meals or using Diet cola or coffee to keep hunger pangs at bay, you could be falling short on nutrients.
My worry is that as soon as anyone restricts their food intake – whether that’s because they’re trying to lose weight or have just lost their appetite – they put themselves at risk of serious nutritional deficiencies.
Food isn’t just fuel. It’s your body’s main source of raw materials to keep everything running, from your immune system and muscle mass to your brain, bones and mood.
Shortfalls in essential nutrients like iron, vitamin B12, magnesium and vitamin D can leave you feeling tired, mentally foggy and more vulnerable to falling ill, and because these symptoms are often gradual or mistaken for just ‘getting older’ or ‘being run down’, they can often go unrecognised.
If you’re not eating enough protein, your body will gradually break down lean tissue, including muscle. This makes you feel weaker, reduces stamina and slows your metabolism over time. It also puts you at greater risk of injury and makes it harder to bounce back if you become unwell.
Over time, a diet low in calcium, protein and vitamin D can weaken bones too, increasing the risk of fractures; this is especially true for women post-menopause, when bone density loss accelerates because oestrogen levels fall.
Healthy fuel for the jab generation
The risk of nutritional deficiencies is even more stark if you, or someone you love, is taking weight-loss medication.
The appetite-suppressing effect of these drugs makes it much easier to eat smaller quantities of food – which is one reason why they can be so powerfully effective.
Side effects such as nausea, fatigue or digestive discomfort are common, and the reduced desire to eat can make it difficult to meet even basic nutritional needs, let alone support energy, muscle repair or overall wellbeing.
Many people on the jabs have battled with over-eating all their lives and relish the disinterest in food that the drugs can instigate.
This drop in appetite can feel like a breakthrough after years of struggling with cravings, overeating and weight gain.
Many people on the jabs have battled with over-eating all their lives and relish the disinterest in food that the drugs can instigate
But while these medications can be powerful tools, they also introduce a new set of nutritional red flags. I’ve supported private clients using these medications and have seen first-hand how challenging it can be to meet basic nutritional needs, let alone help muscle maintenance, and exercise recovery.
It becomes all too easy to skip meals altogether and studies suggest that people on GLP-1 medications eat, on average, a third fewer calories per meal compared to those not on the medication.
If your intake drops without careful planning, it’s easy to miss key nutrients.
So, if you’re on GLP-1s you’ll certainly need to be more intentional about the foods you eat.
Read on to discover my tips for creating satisfying meals and snacks that deliver all the protein, fibre, healthy fats and essential micro-nutrients you need in small, neat and delicious packages.
Small plate planning and the Rule of Four
While each of my recipes in today’s Weekend section and tomorrow’s You Magazine contain the perfect balance of the nutrients you need, I’m pretty sure you won’t always be cooking from scratch. Some days you’ll be grazing, grabbing leftovers or building a quick meal from whatever you can find in the fridge. So I have devised a simple meal-building structure for you to safely fall back on.
This foolproof formula ensures maximum nutrition on every plate – no matter how much or how little you are eating. Following this formula will enable you to build quick meals which support strength, energy and health, hitting all your nutritional needs.
The Rule of Four = protein + colour (fruit or vegetable) + healthy fat + whole food
Protein
Protein should form the anchor of every meal – aim for at least 20g per serving. Protein supports muscle, metabolism and blood sugar balance but if your intake is too low your body may begin breaking down muscle to meet its needs. This can lead to decreased muscle strength and stamina.
Muscle mass isn’t just about strength or appearance, it plays a vital role in your metabolism, supports immune function and helps maintain mobility, balance and resilience as you age.
When people lose weight rapidly on weight loss jabs, studies show a quarter of the weight lost can be muscle.
That’s why if you’re on the jabs it is so important to eat enough protein and include strength training to help protect muscle and support long-term health.
Besides, if your appetite is not suppressed, protein holds the key to stopping you overeating because it makes you feel fuller for longer.
For optimal health, research indicates we should all be aiming to consume 1.2g to 1.6g of protein per kg of body weight per day. For someone weighing 70kg (about 11st), that’s roughly 84g to 112g of protein per day.
If you are aiming to lose weight, base your calculations on your ideal or target weight. So if your ideal weight is 65kg your daily protein target would be 78g to 104g.
This might sound like a lot but if you make protein the focus of every meal and snack, you can spread your intake over manageable meals.
Colour
Fruit or vegetables form the second part of the Rule of Four formula because they add fibre, antioxidants and visual appeal.
They really are nature’s multivitamins and one of the easiest ways to lift the nutritional value of a meal with minimal effort. Using a mix of colours helps cover more nutritional bases across the day.
Diversity is also important to ensure you get optimum quantities of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients as well as supporting a healthier gut microbiome.
Research shows we ideally need about 30 different plant foods a week – including fruit, vegetables, legumes, herbs and spices – to help nourish a wide range of beneficial gut bacteria. Keep a stash of frozen spinach, peas, mixed veg or berries in the freezer so you can throw them into soups, stews, curries or yoghurt and smoothies with no prep.
Thinking about colour is how you get the fibre you need. The UK recommendation is 30g of fibre per day, but most adults fall far short of this. Fibre is one of the most important nutrients to keep an eye on.
It supports your gut health, helps regulate digestion and, alongside protein, plays a key role in keeping you fuller for longer.
Fibre also feeds your friendly gut bacteria which work to produce compounds that help regulate immunity, reduce inflammation and may even influence mood.
Thinking about colour is how you get the fibre you need. The UK recommendation is 30g of fibre per day, but most adults fall far short of this
Healthy fats
Incorporate healthy fats such as a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a piece of smashed avocado, a spoon of hummus, a dollop of tahini, a smear of peanut butter or a scattering of nuts, seeds or olives. Healthy fats provide flavour – some add healthy omega-3s – and importantly they help you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Whole food
Each meal should ideally contain some form of high-fibre whole food such as a grain or legume to provide slow-burning energy and nutrients such as iron and magnesium.
This will often form the smallest part of the meal but it is an important part. For this element you might choose a slice of wholemeal or seeded bread or a wrap, grains in the form of quinoa, barley, brown, wild or red rice, or oats, a small portion of wholewheat or legume-based pasta, starchy vegetables, legumes, or fortified breakfast cereals.
If your appetite is low, avoid too many starchy carbs. They can take up space in your stomach that could be dedicated to more nutritionally valuable foods.
I recommend you use the Rule of Four to create the core structure of every meal. You can always build on top with extra elements to suit your tastes or needs, such as fresh herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, fermented foods, more grains and legumes or a dressing.
Get the most from every meal on weight-loss jabs
If you’ve established good habits of preparing small, nutritionally structured high-protein, high-fibre meals and snacks, these habits will carry you forwards into life without jabs
One of the most striking effects of GLP-1 medications is the silencing of food noise, those obsessive, persistent thoughts about food that make it difficult to focus.
For many people, this quiet is profoundly freeing but it could mean you forget to eat, skip meals or drift through the day under-nourished in the foods you need to maintain energy levels, immunity, mood and muscle mass.
My plan will help you find joy in eating – even when your appetite is low.
Prioritising good nutrition throughout your weight-loss journey will also stand you in very good stead when you come off the jabs and have to face up to a return of food noise.
If you’ve established good habits of preparing small, nutritionally structured high-protein, high-fibre meals and snacks, these habits will carry you forwards into life without jabs and give you the best chance of maintaining your figure without piling back the pounds or having to yo-yo on and off the jabs long-term.
Follow these tips to maximise nutrition and minimise jab-related side effects:
- Eat by the clock. Relying on hunger signals might not work, so try setting reminders on your phone, anchor meals or nutritious snacks to other habits (such as your morning gym session) or create a daily eating structure that includes three small meals and one or two healthy snacks.
- Follow a loose food plan. Planning ahead should make eating feel less like a negotiation when hunger isn’t driving you. Drawing up a rough outline of what and when to eat should help you stay consistent.
Shaking things up
If you’re struggling to meet your protein target, protein powders and clear protein waters can be incredibly helpful.
They do fall under the category of ultra processed foods (UPFs) but when used to complement a whole-food diet (rather than replace it), they offer a practical way to bridge nutritional gaps, either as a single drink or stirred into soups, yoghurt or mashed vegetables.
Clear whey (it looks like fruit juice) or protein water are especially helpful as a lighter drink that is often easier to tolerate.
They can be particularly useful between meals or after exercise and still deliver about 15–25g of protein per serving.
- Follow the ‘Rule of Four’ method for meals (Protein + Colour + Healthy fats + Wholegrains) as your healthy food road map. With suppressed appetite and increased risk of gastric side effects if you over-indulge in creamy or greasy foods, it is very useful to use these frameworks to ensure your body is getting the full spectrum of nutrients it needs.
- Eat little and often. Smaller, more frequent meals are much easier to manage when your appetite is suppressed by weight-loss medication. This approach reduces pressure on your digestive system and helps prevent nausea or bloating, giving you more opportunities to take in the nutrients your body needs.
- Avoid rich fatty meals. GLP-1s slow digestion and greasy or fried meals can slow digestion further and often make nausea worse. Stick to lighter cooking methods like steaming, poaching, baking or slow roasting.
- Drink between meals not during. Sipping water or herbal teas throughout the day supports hydration and can help ease constipation – both common concerns when appetite is low or you’re using GLP-1 medications. A few sips before eating may gently support digestion, but try to avoid drinking large volumes of fluid right before or during meals. This can lead to early fullness and make it harder to eat enough.
- Choose gut-friendly fibre. Constipation is common with GLP-1 medications, so aim to include gentle fibre sources like oats, berries, ground flaxseed, cooked vegetables and pulses in small amounts.
Adapted from The Low Appetite Cookbook by Rob Hobson (Thorsons, £18.99). © Rob Hobson 2025. To order a copy for £17.09 (offer valid to January 24; UK P&P free on offers over £25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
