Module 3: Nutrition Setup and Phase Mapping

We give clients a structured meal plan from day one to take food decisions off their plate. But the plan isn't something you hand down. You and the client build it together, finding foods that suit their life, with a few variations they can swap between for variety.

Daily shape

The default day is 3 main meals + 2 snacks, with the snacks usually sitting before and after training. Timing is flexible. Swap lunch and dinner, move snacks, have the post-workout snack as dessert. Don't overcomplicate timing.

Remember Module 1: it's a default, not a rule. The two-meal client got his results on two monster meals.

Every main meal is a train

Think of each main meal as a train with five carriages:

flowchart LR
    A[Protein] --> B[Carb] --> C[Fat] --> D[Veg 1] --> E[Veg 2]

1. A protein (chicken, lean mince, steak, fish, eggs)
2. A carb (rice, potato, sweet potato, bread, wraps)
3. A fat (olive oil, avocado, nut butter)
4. Two non-starchy veg (green beans, spinach, zucchini, tomato, cabbage)

If the protein is a fattier red meat or fish (salmon, porterhouse), drop the fat carriage. It's already on board.

The veg carriages are the ones you uncouple and swap. Every 2–4 weeks, rotate in a couple of new vegetables. It keeps things interesting for the client and keeps variety in their gut.

This structure makes everything downstream easier: macro adjustments, swaps, eating out, travel. When a meal has four clean parts, you can change one without rebuilding the whole plan.

How many options?

Start small:

• 1 breakfast
• 2 lunch/dinner options
• 1 pre-workout snack
• 1 post-workout snack

Build up to 3–4 options per meal once they've got a routine going. If any meal hits 5 or more options, ask which ones they actually use and delete the rest. A cluttered plan looks generous but feels overwhelming.

Food choice for low literacy

• Physique foods over "healthy" foods. Granola is "healthy" and easily runs to 800 kcal a bowl.
• Name brands where the macros vary (yoghurt, cereal, bread, wraps), and use the client's local brands.
• Say what counts. Fresh or frozen, both are fine. Spinach is spinach.
• Use convenience foods for time-poor clients. Protein bars and pre-made meals beat a skipped meal.