Helping you get the best from your JLC plan
Tips, tools and guidance to help you fit the JLC meal plans into your lifestyle - and actually understand what you're eating while you're at it.
Chat to our Nutrition Team
Not sure where to start?
Contact our nutrition teamWe're here to help. Get in touch with the JLC team will come back to you with tailored recommendations based on your lifestyle, goals and activity level.
To make a diet work, you need to understand calories
How much you need to eat depends on your goals and your energy balance. Energy balance is the gap between what you eat (energy in) and what your body burns (energy out).
Fat loss needs a deficit, meaning energy in is less than energy out. Muscle gain needs a surplus, meaning energy in is more than energy out. Maintenance means they match.
Energy balance doesn't have to line up every single day. It's the weekly and monthly averages that move the needle. And calories aren't the whole picture either. We don't look at foods in isolation, we build balanced meals as a whole, so your body gets everything it needs to thrive: the right macros, the right micronutrients, the right fuel for the way you live.
That's where JLC meals come in. Properly portioned, fully tracked and built to fuel the way you actually live.
Understanding your macros
Macronutrients - protein, fats and carbs - are what your body needs in the biggest quantities to function. Getting the ratio right is what turns 'calories' into a diet that actually works for your goals.
Aim for 1.5–2.2g per kg of bodyweight for muscle building or fat loss. Protein keeps you full, repairs muscle, and drives every base bodily function. Missing it is the number one reason diets fail.
Aim for 20–30% of your daily calories from fats. Calorie-dense but essential — omega-3s, 6s and 9s drive energy, hormones and help absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Think oily fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil.
We aim to offer a variety of carb sources across the week, paired with plenty of fibre and micronutrients to keep them slow-releasing into your bloodstream for stable, sustained energy.
Macros matter, but micronutrients are just as important. You'll notice our meals are colourful and vibrant, and that's not just for aesthetics. We aim to include a diverse range of micronutrients in every meal so your body has everything it needs to function at its best. Think of each colour on your plate as serving its own purpose.
Track your intake with MyFitnessPal
If you're not on a full-day plan, a food diary will help you understand what you're eating around your JLC meals. The more consistently you track, the faster you learn what works for you.
We recommend MyFitnessPal. Every JLC meal has a unique barcode on the lid, so logging takes seconds. A few tips to make tracking actually stick:
- Log your day in advance rather than reacting as you eat
- Weigh unlabelled foods at least the first few weeks
- Don't stress a single off-day, look at the weekly average
- Scan JLC meals straight from the barcode