Action plan

Recipe writer Nathan Anthony shares the right way to start the year with his new book Bored of Lunch: Meal Planner. By Ella Walker

- By Ella Walker

IF SAVING money and eating better are top of your to-do list for 2026, Nathan Anthony has you covered.

The Northern Irish recipe writer and social media sensation is back with a new book, Bored of Lunch: Meal Planner.

Inspired by Nadia Hussain, Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Irish chef Donal Skehan, Nathan grew up around "some amazing home cooks", including his granny and auntie, who was a chef in New York.

After "falling in love" with the air fryer and slow cooker at university, he started his Bored of Lunch account during lockdown and has gone on to amass 2.7 million Instagram followers and six bestselling cookbooks.

His latest is designed to help you organise your life, your menu and your bank balance.

"A lot of people are finding the pinch at the moment with the cost-of-living crisis," says Nathan.

His meal planner will, he hopes, give "people control over their weekly spend, in a journal format, where they can look at the recipes in the book, they can write how much they're spending, budget accordingly [and] plan their meals to save money".

Here are his top tips for planning your way to better meals and a healthier bank balance...

Organising your food shop saves time and freezer space

"When you don't plan your food shop, you come home, like, 'I bought peas. And there's already peas in the freezer," says Nathan.