What Makes Back to Basics Different?

Unlike our standard Meal Guides, which offer a variety of recipes with specific Flavour Boosters and detailed cooking instructions, the Back to Basics Meal Guides are intentionally stripped down. They provide you with the essential building blocks of your meals—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats—while allowing you the freedom to add your own flavour boosters and non-starchy vegetables.

How This Works:

Each meal within the Back to Basics Meal Guides includes the base ingredients that contribute to your overall caloric intake. For example:

This approach allows you to tailor each meal to your liking without the need for detailed recipes or multiple flavourings. Whether you want to prep plain chicken, rice and vegetables for your lunch or spice it up to become a poke bowl, the freedom and flexibility is there for you.

Simplified Tracking for Your Goals:

One of the core principles at MWU is flexible dieting, which allows you to enjoy the foods you love in moderation while still achieving your body composition goals. Whether you’re aiming for weight loss, muscle gain, or maintenance, your calorie intake plays a crucial role in your success.

We understand that tracking every ingredient can be time-consuming, especially if you’re new to it. That’s why our Back to Basics Meal Guides aim to minimise the hassle by eliminating the need to track individual vegetables, making it easier for you to stay consistent and on track.

It’s important to remember that whether you choose to follow more complex recipes from our standard meal guides or stick to the stripped-back options in the Back to Basics Meal Guides, the key to achieving your goals lies in consistency with your overall calories and macros. The results will come from maintaining this balance, so it’s essential to find what works best for you. For some, that might mean enjoying a variety of different, flavourful recipes, while others may find success with simpler meals like plain chicken and rice.

Ultimately, it’s about finding a routine that you can stick to long-term, ensuring that your diet supports your goals without becoming overwhelming. Both approaches can be effective, so choose the one that fits your lifestyle and keeps you motivated.

Introducing ‘Non-Starchy Vegetables’:

In the Back to Basics Meal Guides, you’ll notice an ingredient labelled as ‘Non-Starchy Vegetables.’ These are low-calorie vegetables that you can incorporate freely into each meal. Unlike starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn, which are higher in carbs, non-starchy vegetables can be consumed more freely. This gives you the flexibility to include your favourite veggies while also minimising your grocery shopping by opting for what’s in season or readily available. Examples include broccoli, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, and lettuce. We recommend consuming 250-350g of non-starchy vegetables daily. For a full list of Non-Starchy Vegetables, check here.

How to Use Your Meal Guide:

We provide the base ingredients in your Meal Guide, and you have the option to create your own recipe or follow the suggested recommendations. For instance:

This structure allows you to prepare simple Meals with the flexibility to add flavours as you wish.

What is a Flavour Booster?

At MWU, Flavour Boosters are ingredients that have negligible calories and therefore don’t need to be included in your overall calorie and macro intake. These include garlic, onions, tamari/soy sauce, chilli, herbs, spices, vinegar, sriracha, and salt & pepper. They’re optional but can greatly enhance the flavour of your meals without affecting your dietary goals. You can find a full list of Flavour Boosters here.

What are Non-Starchy Vegetables?

Non-Starchy Vegetables are those that contain very few calories and don’t need to be strictly tracked. Unlike starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn, which are higher in carbs, non-starchy vegetables can be consumed more freely. While some non-starchy vegetables, like carrots, are higher in carbs than others, the overall impact on your calorie intake is minimal. For a full list of Non-Starchy Vegetables, check here.

Need Cooking Inspiration?

If you’re unsure how to prepare your meal, our Recipe Library offers over 1500 recipes with detailed instructions, cooking times, and directions to help you create delicious, balanced meals.

Prefer Regular Meal Guides?

Not to worry at all! You can either opt in to our Back to Basics Meal Guides by browsing them in the Meal Guide Library, or continue with your preferred Meal Guides with flavour boosters and directions.