Waitrose Batch Cook Vegetarian Low Calorie Plan — 1,500 kcal
Vegetarians cutting calories. This 7-day plan targets 1,500 kcal/day and averages 78g of protein, built around Waitrose's Waitrose Essential (700+ lines; introduced 2009, relaunched 2020) for an estimated £55–70/week. Meals are chosen to hold up after a few days in the fridge or freezer — stews, chillies, tray bakes and grain bowls — rather than anything that goes soggy or dries out on reheating.
Plan summary
Individual days vary around these figures.
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We'll send: Waitrose Batch Cook Vegetarian Low Calorie Plan — 1,500 kcal
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Adjust Household PortionsCurrently 1 person · 1 cook portions
Your 7-Day Meal Plan
Monday
Wholemeal Pancakes with Low-Fat Yogurt
Made with wholemeal flour, eggs, semi-skimmed milk.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 60g wholemeal flour
- 2 eggs
- 125ml semi-skimmed milk
- 80g low-fat yogurt
- 40g blueberries
Allergens in this meal: Cereals containing gluten, Eggs, Milk. Worked out from generic ingredient names — always read the product label.
Method
- Whisk wholemeal flour, eggs and semi-skimmed milk into a smooth batter and leave it to stand for 2 minutes.
- Lightly grease a non-stick pan, then cook small pancakes for 1-2 minutes per side.
- Serve with low-fat yogurt and blueberries.
Black Bean Burrito Bowl
Made with black beans tinned, brown rice, sweetcorn.
Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ of a standard tin of black beans, drained
- 60g brown rice (dry weight)
- 50g sweetcorn
- 40g salsa
- coriander fresh, to taste
- lime juice, to taste
Check the label for: Celery. Worked out from generic ingredient names — always read the product label.
Method
- Cook the rice according to its packet instructions, then drain and cool slightly.
- Drain black beans; rinse the pulses under cold water.
- Arrange black beans, the cooked brown rice and sweetcorn in a bowl and finish with salsa, coriander fresh and lime juice, to taste.
Teriyaki Tofu with Brown Rice and Broccoli
Made with firm tofu, brown rice, broccoli.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 150g firm tofu
- 70g brown rice (dry weight)
- ½ small head of broccoli (about 150g)
- 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
- ¾ tsp sesame seeds
- 2 spring onions
Allergens in this meal: Sesame, Soybeans. Check the label for: Cereals containing gluten. Worked out from generic ingredient names — always read the product label.
Method
- Cook the rice according to its packet instructions, then drain if needed.
- Meanwhile, cook the tofu in a non-stick pan over medium heat, stirring, until browned and hot through. Add a small head of broccoli and spring onions and cook until tender.
- Fold the cooked rice through the pan, stir in teriyaki sauce, and heat through before serving with sesame seeds scattered over.
Weekly Shopping List
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Estimated cost: £55–70/week for 1 person from Waitrose. Calories and macros remain per person, while shopping quantities are scaled for the household.
Protein
Carbs & Grains
Vegetables
Dairy & Eggs
Fruit
Herbs & Spices
Condiments & Oils
Extras
Container setup for this plan
This plan has about 21 prep-friendly meals. Start with 17 main containers, 5 small sauce or snack tubs, and 2 freezer tubs.
Use 2 10-container sets to provide at least 17 main meal spaces, then add the separate small tubs shown above.
Best when you already prep most weeks, cook lunches and dinners, or want a longer-term storage system.
- Material
- Glass or premium leak-resistant sets
- Price and availability
- Check Amazon UK before buying
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Plan Details and Assumptions
Waitrose Shopping Evidence Notes
These basket notes explain why this plan is shaped around certain ingredients and swaps before you open the shopping list.
- Use Waitrose own-label basics first, then reserve premium ingredients for meals where quality noticeably improves the week.
- Watch the basket total by keeping carbohydrates, tins, oats and freezer staples simple.
The Assumptions Behind This Plan
Every plan is built on four decisions. If one of them does not match your week, that is the part to change - the swaps below cover the common cases.
| Decision | This plan uses | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Calorie target | Built around roughly 1,500 kcal per day | Lower-calorie days need protein, fibre and vegetables so the plan still feels like meals. |
| Supermarket | Waitrose | Waitrose pages suit quality-focused produce, fish, dairy, higher-welfare protein and premium but controlled shops. |
| Budget | £55–70/week estimate | Moderate plans allow more convenience items and variety without becoming premium-only. |
| Prep style | Batch cook (prep on Sunday) | Batch plans repeat weekday bases so Sunday prep genuinely saves time. |
Sunday Batch-Cook Plan
This plan uses repeated weekday bases so the Sunday prep instruction matches the actual meals.
- Prepare five portions of Wholemeal Pancakes with Low-Fat Yogurt for quick breakfasts.
- Cook and portion five lunches of Black Bean Burrito Bowl.
- Batch cook Teriyaki Tofu with Brown Rice and Broccoli and Egg Fried Brown Rice with Frozen Vegetables as the main dinner bases, then alternate them Monday to Friday.
- Cool everything quickly and get it into the fridge within one to two hours.
- Refrigerate only the portions you will eat within two days — freeze the rest straight away, and move each one to the fridge the night before you need it. Freezing the later part of the week is a food-safety step, not a freshness preference.
Shopping This Plan At Waitrose
Premium positioning, but the Essential range is competitive on staples and keeps a plan viable without paying premium prices throughout.
What Waitrose is good for here
- Essential covers most core prep ingredients, so cost sits well below the headline Waitrose reputation.
- Good free-from and speciality range for restrictive diets.
Worth knowing before you shop
- Straying outside Essential raises the weekly cost quickly.
- Fewer stores nationally, and a smaller convenience footprint than the big four.
Retailer details checked 2026-07-20. Ranges and loyalty schemes change — the weekly cost estimate above is based on the plan's budget tier, not on live prices at this store.
Swaps & Suggestions
💰 Make it cheaper
- Buy Waitrose's Waitrose Essential (700+ lines; introduced 2009, relaunched 2020) range for rice, pasta, oats and tins — nutritionally identical to standard lines, at the lowest price point in store
- Switch to Waitrose's value range across the board rather than mid-tier lines
- Swap fresh berries for frozen mixed berries (same nutrients, fraction of the cost)
- Add a couple of eggs or a portion of cottage cheese as a whole-food protein top-up
- Use 0% fat Greek yogurt or quark in place of standard yogurt — same volume, far more protein
💪 Increase protein
- Add tinned beans or lentils to a batch-cooked chilli or curry for extra protein at low cost
- Add a couple of eggs or a portion of cottage cheese as a whole-food protein top-up
- Use 0% fat Greek yogurt or quark in place of standard yogurt — same volume, far more protein
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does this vegetarian low calorie plan cost per week?
This plan is designed for Waitrose and is estimated at £55–70 per week for one person at typical UK prices, depending on what you already have at home. myWaitrose can reduce this further.
How much protein does this plan provide per day?
This plan averages 78g of protein per day across the week, based on the meals actually selected — in line with general UK guidance of roughly 0.8–1.6g per kg of bodyweight for active adults.
How is this different from a generic vegetarian low calorie plan?
Plenty of vegetarian low calorie plans share the same 1,500 kcal target — the difference here is that meals are filtered for how well they hold up over several days, not just for taste on day one.
Can I print this vegetarian low calorie meal plan or save it as a PDF?
Yes. Use the export / print PDF button on the plan page. The printable version summarises all 7 days at 1,500 kcal/day, the Waitrose shopping list, and your chosen household portion sizes.
Is this plan suitable for meal prep?
Yes — this plan is specifically designed for batch cooking. Prep everything on Sunday in 60–90 minutes and portion into containers for the week ahead.
Is this plan suitable for vegetarian eaters?
Yes. Every meal in this plan is vegetarian, using ingredients readily available from Waitrose.
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