{"id":758640,"date":"2026-09-03T11:30:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T11:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/758640\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T11:30:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T11:30:21","slug":"from-smarter-protein-and-fibre-to-fewer-upfs-five-easy-diet-changes-for-new-season-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/758640\/","title":{"rendered":"From smarter protein and fibre to fewer UPFs: Five easy diet changes for new season energy"},"content":{"rendered":"

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September has always had a better claim to being the new year than January<\/a>. The holidays end, schools go back, offices fill up and, after a few weeks in which lunch<\/a> might consist of crisps on a train and dinner<\/a> was whatever was within walking distance of the hotel, ordinary life returns with suspicious enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

So does the urge to atone for summer. The internet is poised with post-holiday detoxes, healthy eating challenges and promises to \u201creset\u201d your metabolism. Avoid the carbs<\/a>! Bin the alcohol! Put protein powder in everything<\/a>!<\/p>\n

If there were a \u201cperfect protein<\/a> diet<\/a>\u201d for the September push, however, nutritionists<\/a> have a rather less exciting prescription: stop chasing protein and start putting ordinary sources of it into the meals you already eat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is such an enormous focus on protein<\/a> at the moment that you could be forgiven for thinking you need a protein-labelled version of everything you eat<\/a>!\u201d says Rhiannon Lambert, nutritionist, founder of Rhitrition and author of the forthcoming The Fibre Formula. \u201cFor most people, however, it is absolutely possible to get enough protein from ordinary foods.\u201d<\/p>\n

The recommended intake for adults is around 0.75g per kilogram of bodyweight a day<\/a>. The British Nutrition Foundation puts that at roughly 45g for a 60kg woman and 56g for a 75kg man. Average UK intakes are already considerably higher, at around 67g for women and 85g for men.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd importantly, more protein isn\u2019t automatically better,\u201d Lambert says. For the average person, there is usually no need to chase ever-higher protein numbers<\/a> once requirements are being met. Protein is essential, she says, but \u201cit is still only one part of a healthy, balanced diet\u201d.<\/p>\n

Rob Hobson, registered nutritionist and author of The Low Appetite Cookbook, makes much the same point. \u201cProtein is important for fullness and maintaining muscle, but I don\u2019t think everyone needs to become obsessed with protein targets,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

So don\u2019t start turning every snack into a protein product. A better use of your time would be to use the protein already available in ordinary foods \u2013 and to stop treating protein as the only nutrient that matters.<\/p>\n

In fact, it\u2019s only one part of the September reset. Asked how people should actually eat as summer gives way to autumn, Hobson and Lambert kept returning to five fairly simple changes.<\/p>\n

1. Spread protein throughout the day<\/p>\n

The useful protein rule is less \u201ceat more\u201d than \u201ceat it earlier\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s more useful is making sure you\u2019re getting a source of protein with every meal across the day rather than eating very little until dinner which is common,\u201d Hobson says. \u201cBreakfast and lunch are often where people could do better. Eggs, Greek yoghurt<\/a>, cottage cheese, milk, fish, chicken, tofu, beans, lentils and edamame are all good options.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ProteinProtein works best as part of a balanced meal, not as a target to chase (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

Lambert takes a similarly practical strategy. \u201cA really easy approach is to look at your usual meals and ask where the protein is,\u201d she says. \u201cAdd Greek yoghurt and nuts to breakfast, beans or lentils to a soup or pasta sauce, tuna or eggs to a jacket potato, or chickpeas to a salad.\u201d She adds that even foods we do not necessarily think of as protein foods, such as oats, wholegrains and bread, contribute smaller amounts across the day.<\/p>\n

For plant-based meals, Hobson recommends combining sources where possible \u2013 for example beans and seeds in a salad, or tofu, seeds and edamame in a stir-fry.<\/p>\n

The point is straightforward: get some protein into breakfast and lunch rather than leaving most of it until dinner.<\/p>\n

2. Fix breakfast and lunch before blaming the 3pm slump<\/p>\n

The mid-afternoon crash has become another reason to put carbohydrates in the dock. Both nutritionists suggest looking at lunch first.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the biggest mistakes I see is a lunch that simply isn\u2019t substantial enough,\u201d Lambert says. \u201cIf lunch is a tiny salad with very little carbohydrate or protein, it\u2019s really not surprising if you\u2019re hungry and struggling for energy<\/a> a couple of hours later.\u201d<\/p>\n

At breakfast, Lambert says, \u201cI like to think about breakfast as a combination of protein, fibre-rich carbohydrate, plants and healthy fats where possible. Protein and fibre can both help make a meal more satisfying, helping you avoid that mid-morning energy slump, while carbohydrate is an important source of energy for the morning ahead – we don\u2019t need to be frightened of it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA substantial lunch can do more for afternoon energy than another coffee (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

Her broad formula is protein, a fibre-rich carbohydrate, vegetables or fruit and some healthy fat.<\/p>\n

At breakfast, that might be eggs on wholegrain toast with avocado and tomatoes, porridge with Greek yoghurt, berries and nuts, or simply a higher-fibre cereal with milk or yoghurt and some fruit. Lunch could be a wholegrain wrap with chicken, tofu or chickpeas, hummus and salad, or a grain bowl with beans and vegetables.<\/p>\n

Before reaching for another coffee at 3pm, Hobson suggests checking the rest of the picture.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also wouldn\u2019t automatically assume the afternoon slump means you need to cut carbohydrates or sugar,\u201d he says. \u201cSometimes a proper lunch, a drink and a 10-minute walk in the fresh air will do far more than another coffee as a pick-me-up.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you are hungry, have a snack. Lambert suggests fruit with peanut butter, Greek yoghurt and berries, nuts, hummus with vegetables or oatcakes with cottage cheese.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I wouldn\u2019t demonise a biscuit either! If you fancy one, have one.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Keep the carbs \u2013 but make them work harder<\/p>\n

For all the attention lavished on protein, Britain has a rather bigger problem with fibre.<\/p>\n

Adults are advised to consume 30g a day, yet the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey found only 4 per cent met that recommendation. Adults aged 19 to 64 averaged just 16.4g.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one I feel particularly strongly about because protein is having such a huge moment, while fibre still gets nowhere near the same attention,\u201d Lambert says. \u201cThe good news is that fibre doesn\u2019t require expensive powders or specialist products.\u201d<\/p>\n

That is bad news for the September instinct to ditch carbohydrates altogether, because many of the foods nutritionists want us to eat more of are carbohydrates.<\/p>\n

\"MostMost UK adults fall well short of the recommended 30g of fibre a day (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t cut carbohydrates out if the goal is better energy,\u201d Hobson says. \u201cThey\u2019re an important source of fuel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead, he recommends higher-fibre options: oats, wholegrain bread and cereals, potatoes with their skins, brown rice and other wholegrains. Beans and lentils are particularly useful because they bring both protein and fibre.<\/p>\n

Hobson has a practical trick for making pulses harder to forget about: he decants tins into a container in the fridge and adds spoonfuls to scrambled eggs, salads, soups and one-pot dishes through the week.<\/p>\n

Lambert takes the same approach to fibre more broadly. \u201cAt breakfast, choose oats or a wholegrain cereal and add berries, nuts or seeds. At lunch, opt for wholegrain bread or wraps and add beans, lentils or chickpeas. At dinner, keep the skins on potatoes, choose wholegrains where you enjoy them, add extra vegetables and bulk out dishes such as curries, chilli or Bolognese with pulses.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Put your meals back on the clock<\/p>\n

Autumn itself does not demand a different diet. September is useful because it brings back something summer often destroys: routine.<\/p>\n

\u201cSummer often means holidays, eating out, more snacking and less routine, so getting back to regular meals I think is really useful and can help with appetite and energy levels,\u201d Hobson says.<\/p>\n

Neither nutritionist recommends compensating for August by fasting, cutting food groups or embarking on a punishing diet.<\/p>\n

\"GettingGetting back to regular meals can help restore structure after a disrupted summer (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need to compensate for enjoying your summer, skip meals or suddenly cut out entire food groups,\u201d Lambert says. \u201cI also really encourage people to think about what they can add back in, rather than immediately making a long list of foods they need to remove.\u201d<\/p>\n

That might mean eating breakfast again, having vegetables with dinner, drinking enough water and reining in alcohol if holiday habits have followed you home.<\/p>\n

Lambert advises against trying to fix everything on 1 September. \u201cPerhaps this week you start eating breakfast regularly again, make sure you have vegetables with dinner and take a water bottle to work. Then build from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hobson also recommends making the healthy option the easy one: eggs, yoghurt, tinned beans and fish, grain pouches and frozen vegetables kept within reach so a decent dinner does not require a major project.<\/p>\n

5. Don\u2019t purge the UPFs \u2013 rethink convenience<\/p>\n

The other September temptation is to clear the cupboards of anything deemed ultra-processed.<\/p>\n

Higher UPF consumption has been associated with poorer health outcomes, but the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition has cautioned against treating every food classified as ultra-processed as nutritionally identical. Its advice is to focus particularly on processed foods high in calories, saturated fat, salt and free sugars and low in fibre.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is something I see a lot, with people deciding they need to clear every UPF out of their kitchen cupboards,\u201d Hobson says. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t get hung up on trying to eliminate them completely because they\u2019re not all nutritionally the same. Instead, look at where they’re dominating your diet.\u201d<\/p>\n

A diet dominated by takeaways, packaged snacks and convenience meals is one thing. Frozen vegetables, tinned beans and fish, microwaveable wholegrains and bags of salad are another.<\/p>\n

\"ConvenienceConvenience needn\u2019t mean poor nutrition \u2013 beans, frozen veg and simple shortcuts all have a place (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

Lambert is equally wary of making UPFs the enemy. \u201cProcessing itself isn\u2019t inherently bad – freezing, cooking, pasteurising and canning are all forms of processing, and they can make food safer, more convenient and more accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The aim is not to cook every ingredient from scratch. A jar of tomato sauce becomes a perfectly useful dinner base with vegetables, beans or lentils added. Frozen vegetables can rescue a midweek meal. Yesterday\u2019s dinner can become today\u2019s lunch.<\/p>\n

Autumn lends itself rather well to all of this. Cooler evenings suit soups, stews, curries and traybakes, all of which make it easy to add vegetables, beans, lentils and wholegrains and to cook enough for another day.<\/p>\n

Apples, pears, squash, mushrooms, carrots and brassicas are also coming into their own. Hobson\u2019s advice is to \u201cuse the season as an opportunity to get more variety into the diet rather than looking for particular \u2018superfoods\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n

One genuinely seasonal nutritional change is worth remembering. Between October and early March, sunlight in the UK is not strong enough for most people to make sufficient vitamin D through their skin, so the NHS advises adults to consider taking a daily 10 microgram supplement.<\/p>\n

Beyond that, September does not require a detox, a carbohydrate exorcism or a new personality organised around cottage cheese.<\/p>\n

Lambert puts it more simply: \u201cMy biggest piece of advice for September would be: don\u2019t try to undo your summer. Just start looking after yourself again. Get some routine back, add nutritious foods into your day, and focus on what you can do consistently rather than what you can do perfectly.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":758641,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[59,102,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-758640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/758640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=758640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/758640\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/758641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=758640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=758640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=758640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}