Meal Ideas

WEIGHT LOSS AND HEALTHY EATING MEAL IDEAS

Choose one from each of the categories ensuring that you have 3 meals and 2 snacks daily. These are just suggestions so don’t restrict your intake of other good foods not mentioned here. The key to health is variation - don’t eat the same thing every day. Make sure that your portion sizes of starchy carbohydrates (potato, rice, pasta, cous cous,oats, cereals, breads) are not too large. Approximately the size of your fist is appropriate.

Remember the healthy eating guidelines when choosing your meals.

BREAKFAST IDEAS:

Oatmeal porridge (whole oats) with fresh berries and semi skimmed/skimmed milk
Wheetabix (plain) with skimmed milk and1 tbsp ground flax seed
Fruit and tofu smoothie (use a ¼ block silken tofu or pot low fat natural yogurt, add skimmed milk or unsweetened soya milk to get correct consistency). Add blueberries, banana, pear or any fruit you enjoy and whizz together in food processor
Yogurt - 1 small pot of Total Greek 0% or 2% or other low fat plain yogurt , 2 tbsp walnuts and strawberries or blueberries (small punnet)
Wholemeal pita with smoked salmon, ‘light’ cream cheese or quark and watercress.
Haddock/ kippers (undyed) with 1- 2 poached eggs. 1 piece of fruit
Scrambled egg/poached egg and smoked salmon on rye bread.
Baked beans (no sugar no salt) and mushrooms on wholegrain toast
Sardines on wholemeal toast or rye bread.
Fruit salad with pot of low fat yogurt
Meusli (no added sugar or salt) 1tbsp raisins/sultanas with berries and skimmed milk or low fat yogurt

o Frittata made with 2 eggs, mushrooms, onion, peppers, or any other vegetables that you enjoy

Wholemeal pancakes (no sugar), vanilla yogurt (bio live yogurt) and blueberries.
Sunday breakfast: Small tin baked beans (low salt low sugar), 1 slice wholemeal toast, 2 grilled fresh tomatoes or tinned. Grilled mushrooms, 2 poached eggs, 1 slice grilled bacon

LUNCH / EVENING MEAL IDEAS:

Wholemeal bagel, cottage cheese and smoked salmon and salad leaves
Lentil/bean /vegetable soup (e.g. chestnut and butterbean) with 1 slice corn /rye /wholemeal bread
Chicken and vegetable soup with 1 slice rye bread (buy ready made soup if you have to organic is best)
Wholegrain pasta and tuna salad include celery, spring onions, sweetcorn
Cold turkey salad with cabbage, beetroot, apple and carrot coleslaw and brown rice
Mixed Salad with a tin of red/pink salmon with 1 slice wholemeal toast
Brown Rice and lentil salad (ready made or homemade) with grilled chicken and green salad

Roast chicken/lamb/beef and roast vegetables include pumpkin, squash, courgettes, onions, garlic. Avoid fatty parts of the meat and chicken skin. Maximum 1 small potato.
Salmon steak with steamed vegetables – cauliflower, spinach, carrots, wholegrain rice.
Tuna steak /beef steak with green salad and mashed potato (sweet potato)
Trout and steamed vegetables – broccoli, butternut mash, beetroot, fruit .
White fish – haddock /cod baked with tomatoes and with steamed broccoli/cauliflower and mashed butternut.
Chicken Curry/vegetarian curry with brown rice or dahl.
Shepherd’s pie– ½ low fat lamb mince and ½ lentils - include onions and sweet potato mash on top.
Chilli made with lean beef mince - add in chopped vegetables like courgette, carrot, red pepper, chilli as well as red kidney beans and chick peas.

SNACKS

Eat nuts walnuts, pecan nuts, cashews, brazil, cob nuts. (max 2 TBSP portion daily)
Eat seeds sunflower, pumpkin (buy a jar of Food Doctor mixed seeds which are flavoured and quite delicious) or just plain is fine. (max 2 TBSP daily)
Fruit like apples, pears, pineapple with
Small pot low fat yogurt eg Total 0% or 2%
Cereal bars – NB check the sugar content – more than 10g sugar per 100g is too much.
Hummus with carrot/pepper/cucumber and celery sticks (you can buy ready made)
Oatcakes/Ryvitas with marmite and cottage cheese, quark, guacamole or hummus is nice.

© Cathy Castle July 2009 www.nutritionimpact.co.uk

WEEKLY MENU EXAMPLE

Breakfast

Snack 10-11am

Lunch

Snack 3-4pm

Supper

Monday

2 Boiled/poached eggs

1 slice of wholegrain toast

With a thin spread of butter and marmite

1 portion fresh fruit

1 oatcake

with 1 tsp peanut butter

Soup (lentil, bean or chicken - 500ml)

Homemade or bought

Add ½ tin beans for more protein

1 slice wholemeal bread

Avocado and walnut salad (See recipe)

1 small pot plain yogurt

1 portion fruit

Stir fry (tomato onion carrot cabbage plus other veg) protein = tofu or chicken or tempeh prawns keep some tofu for tomorrow breakfast if you like. Use coconut or olive oil for steam frying (1tbsp oil plus 2 tbsp water – 1 tsp soy sauce/fish sauce to taste and cover with a lid)

Tuesday

Fruit and tofu smoothie

(use a ¼ block silken tofu or pot natural yogurt, add skimmed milk or unsweetened soya milk to get thinner consistency. Add blueberries, banana, pear or any fruit you enjoy and whizz together in food processor

1 ryvita with scrape of hummus. Sprinkle with 1 TBSP Food doctor seed mix

Mackerel or salmon pate on 1 slice wholemeal toast with a mixed salad.- cucumber, lettuce, cress, tomato peppers, carrots etc

At least 3 portions of vegetables. Approx a 250ml cup per portion

1 ryvita with scrape of hummus. Sprinkle with 1 TBSP Food doctor seeds mix

Grilled/baked/poached chicken breasts with roasted or steamed vegetables, fennel, courgette, ½ sweet potato or 1 portion carrots, and steamed green vegetables eg French/runner/broad beans, broccoli, spinach.

Do an extra chicken portion for lunch tomorrow.

Wednesday

1 pot of Total Greek 0% or 2% or Low fat plain yogurt

2 TBSP walnuts

Sweeten with 1tsp Agave syrup or 1 tsp honey

Add strawberries or blueberries (small punnet)

Cut veg sticks (either carrot/cucumber, pepper, celery)

dipped in hummus

1/2 small pot (2 tbsp)

Chicken coleslaw: made with chopped cabbage, cooked chicken breast, walnuts, red peppers, grated carrot, tbsp raisins and dressed with the juice of ½ lemon and ½ orange

Cut veg sticks dipped in hummus

½ small pot.

Baked/grilled Salmon steak served with steamed vegetables of choice (eg green beans, broccoli, red cabbage, cauliflower, carrots), Make an extra salmon steak for lunch tomorrow

Thursday

Whole porridge oats

2 tbsp ground nut and seed mix (flax: sunflower :almond

Proportions =3:2:1)

1 teaspoon of agave syrup or honey.

With skimmed milk

1 small pot low fat plain yogurt

1 portion fruit

Salmon steak and salad.

At least 3 portions of vegetables.

1 ryvita with 1 teaspoon nut butter

Chilli. Made with punnet of lean beef mince

Sauté ½ onions, 2 cloves garlic, chopped courgette, peppers and 2 carrots. Then add a tin of tomatoes and stock if necessary. When the mince is cooked add a tine of red kidney beans and chick peas. Serve with 1 portion brown rice (fist size portion of rice)

(Keep ½ for lunch tomorrow if you like)

Friday

Meusli (soaked for 20 minutes in water or skimmed milk) 1

1 tbsp ground seed mix. 5 prunes or 5 dried apricots

1 small pot low fat yogurt

Pot of Cottage cheese with rye bread and mixed salad (Dressing made from 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp spoon vinegar)

OR left over chilli from last night.

2 tbsp seeds or nuts with a banana

Herb crusted haddock baked (see recipe)

Serve with steamed vegetables

Saturday

Frittata made with 2 eggs, mushrooms, onion, peppers, or any other vegetables that you enjoy.

1 ryvita or 1 oatcakes with nut butter

Quinoa and prawn salad with prawns courgettes and red pepper cook quinoa according to packet instructions add the other ingredients at the end. Add a dressing - 1 tbsp olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar.

Piece of fruit and handful of seeds Or save for evening dessert

Grilled steak with mixed salad

Optional dessert if snack was missed

Blueberries for dessert with 1pot low fat yogurt

Sunday

Small tin baked beans (low salt low sugar)

1 slice wholemeal toast

2 grilled fresh tomatoes or tinned.

Grilled mushrooms

2 poached eggs

1 slice grilled bacon

NONE

Roast Dinner your choice of meat plus roast vegetables, courgettes, tomatoes, fennel, carrots celeriac – 1 parsnip or ½ sweet potato or 1 medium potato

Unlimited green vegetables, steamed avoid fatty meat and chicken skin

NONE

If needed depending on when you have lunch

OR Open Sandwich with left over roast on Wholemeal bread or rye

Piece of fruit

NB The snacks are suggestions in case you feel hungry mid morning or afternoon they are not compulsory but will help to stop cravings.