Lidl GB and Miguel Barclay launch £1 Planet Plate recipes to make balanced eating more affordable

Lidl GB has partnered with celebrity chef Miguel Barclay to launch a series of £1 Planet Plate recipes designed to demonstrate that healthier, more balanced meals do not have to cost more, following new research suggesting affordability remains the biggest obstacle to improving diets.

• Lidl GB partnered with chef Miguel Barclay to launch seven £1 Planet Plate recipes and introduced Wellness Wednesdays to help shoppers make healthier, more sustainable food choices without increasing grocery costs.
• Research commissioned by the retailer found 69% of Britons believe eating healthily is more expensive, while 45% said affordability makes healthier and more sustainable choices harder.
• The recipes were inspired by the Planetary Health Diet and encourage simple swaps such as adding more vegetables, pulses, wholegrains and plant-based proteins to everyday meals.

The retailer said the initiative comes as its latest consumer research found that 69% of Britons believe eating healthily is more expensive, while almost half (48%) admitted choosing a less healthy meal in the past year because it was the cheaper option.

The findings also suggest many consumers are keen to make changes. Around 65% said they worry about the long-term impact of their diet on their health, while 48% are concerned about its environmental impact. However, 45% said the cost of food makes it harder to make healthier and more sustainable choices.

To address those concerns, Lidl GB has worked with Barclay, creator of the bestselling One Pound Meals series, to develop seven recipes costing £1 per portion using ingredients available in Lidl stores.

The recipes are based on the Planetary Health Diet, a framework developed by scientists that encourages eating patterns intended to support both human health and environmental sustainability. Rather than promoting major dietary changes, the approach focuses on practical adjustments such as eating more vegetables, beans, pulses and lentils, choosing wholegrain foods more often, and incorporating more plant-based ingredients into familiar meals.

Lidl said the recipes are intended to make those recommendations more accessible by showing shoppers how they can prepare balanced meals using affordable everyday ingredients.

The retailer's research also found that 62% of consumers would be willing to make small changes to their weekly shopping if doing so reduced their environmental impact without increasing their grocery bills.

Richard Bourns, Chief Commercial Officer at Lidl GB, said: "Our research shows people want to make healthier and more sustainable choices for the planet, but often affordability stands in the way. At Lidl GB, we're breaking down those barriers by proving that market leading value can go hand-in-hand with making foods encouraged by the Planetary Health Diet more affordable and accessible. We're supporting this ambition through year-round promotions, rewards and initiatives designed to make balanced choices more affordable."

Barclay said: "I've always believed that great food doesn't have to come with a big price tag. The key is making the most of simple, affordable ingredients and knowing how to bring them together in a way that's delicious and balanced. These £1 Planet Plate recipes show how little changes, such as adding more vegetables and beans, can be easy to create at home, without compromising on flavour or affordability."

Alongside the recipe launch, Lidl GB is introducing Wellness Wednesdays, a new Lidl Plus promotion running from July 30 to September 2, 2026. The initiative will offer customers 10% off one product from the supermarket's Live Well range every Wednesday.

The Live Well range includes products identified by Lidl as supporting both personal health and the health of the planet. The retailer said the promotion complements its wider efforts to improve access to affordable food through ongoing price reductions, Lidl Plus rewards and its Pick of the Week offers on fresh fruit and vegetables.

According to Lidl, the Planetary Health Diet encourages consumers to make incremental changes rather than completely changing the way they eat. Suggested steps include increasing plant-based protein by adding more beans, pulses and lentils to everyday meals, choosing at least one wholegrain product each day, eating more fruit and vegetables, and balancing familiar dishes with extra vegetables, wholegrains or plant-based protein.

The supermarket said the new recipes and promotional offers are intended to help shoppers adopt those habits without increasing their grocery spend, at a time when many households continue to face pressure on food budgets.