Meal Plans 1st January 2007

samsampotts

Hello all!

I've just noticed this great thread, hope you all don't mind me joining in! I am very interested in healthy eating and trying to lose about half a stone as well as keeping to a strict budget. Seeing other peoples plans is providing much needed inspiration and, like r.mac, I'm shopping online to avoid impulse buying! I only have myself and my boyfriend to feed, here's my plan for this week:

Breakfast: the only thing I can ever face at 6 am is cereal (usually Asda branflakes) with skimmed milk (I don't like milk really so at least if its skimmed it doesn't really taste of anything!). I also usually have hot water with a bit of lemon juice in it.

Lunch: usually home made soup or ham, salad sandwich

Snacks: Fruit and fruit only - got to be a good girl if I'm going to get rid of the Christmas podge!

Dinners:

1.Griddled chicken breast (My sisters boyfriend gets these free from work! I marinade it for 30 mins in lemon juice, olive oil and mixed herbs) Cheesey butternut bake (steamed butternut squash mashed with a bit of parmesan left from christmas, and some nutmeg, baked in oven), green beans from freezer

2. Chicken and rice stew(free chicken again!)

3. Dijon honey pork (pork steaks from freezer, marinade of dijon mustard and cider vinegar), rice and carrots

4. Chicken salad (yes, its that free chicken again!) with garlic bread (low fat version and yummy - lightly grill slices of ciabatta bread or french stick, chop a garlic clove in half and rub over the bread. You can also cut a tomato in half and rub that on, drizzle a bit of olive oil on if you like and sprinkle on a bit of salt. This makes a great lunch on its own with cold meats.)

5. Trout, sauteed potatoes and salad (trout from the freezer - I go to the fishmongers once a month a buy a load of fish for the freezer, its a lot cheaper than buying from the supermarket.)

That's it for this week as we are going to stay with relatives at the weekend and they'll be feeding us!

I'll keep a close eye on my budget for my first full weeks shopping of the year next week!

Sam :0)

fairy3

Hi all,

Welcome on board samsampotts like you I am interested in losing weight post christmas but finding it a hard balance between filling the 3 hungry noses and not feeding me up! My menu plan doesn't start til monday so will post that in a bit.
Just had a saturday shop round the market and spent just over £12 could have been sooooo much more. Very pleased with bargains from Jack Fultons and have managed to get almost everything to last til next week so hopefully will be staying under target. Best bargain had to be three packs of 12 WW choc minimuffins for 99p! Great for packed lunches too.

Hope everyone is doing well today.

J
x

samsampotts

Oh my goodness! I have just (yesterday) sorted through all my cupboards and I have got soooo much food. My mission now is to use all the stuff I already have and only buy essentials. Will post next weeks meal plan when I get back from relative visiting on Sunday, off to London now!

samsampotts

Fairy3 - I don't know if this is any use to you, but for weight loss I must recommend Tesco ediets. Its cheaper than weight watchers or Slimming world and they tell you exactly what to eat each week. You can swap the meals you don't like for ones that you do and all recipes are for one person only so you could do it just for yourself whist you cook something else for the kids. This can be a pain but there are some really simple recipes on there and you can choose a convenience based plan for speed and ease of use. I used this package last year with great success and am back on it now, although I'm not sticking to it strictly this time, just using it to get out of some of the bad habits I picked up over Christmas!

Sorry this is going off on a bit of a tangent everyone - My next post will be a meal plan I promise!

spiddy100

Just done my meal planner for the month

Starting on a Thursday as that was the first shop I did after the New Year.

Thurs: aubergine and mozzarella bake (mozzarella 1/2 price in Lidl atm)
Fri: baked spuds with bacon and leek
Sat: sausage and lentil casserole
Sun: bacon sarnies brunch, out at kids' party pm

Mon: Minestrone soup
Tues: special fried rice from chinese as DH working late
Weds: spaghetti with artichoke and red pesto (these were on 1/2 price in Lidl too a while back)
Thurs: spicy chicken casserole
Fri: veggie stir fry with noodles (stir fry veg yellow stickered at Tesco today)
Sat: root veg bake
Sun: just me and the kids so Annabel Karmel's cabbage surprise

Mon: Lamb and mint casserole with mash
Tues: Chilli
Weds: Bean and yoghurt bake
Thurs: Tomato and lentil soup
Fri: spag bol
Sat: turkey, ham and leek pie (using frozen xmas dinner leftovers)
Sun: out all day

Mon: chinese pork with veg and rice
Tues: tuna pasta
Weds - Mon: staying with my mum

Tues: chicken in mushroom sauce
Weds: potato and onion bake with sausages

Lunches are usually leftovers (I normally make an extra 1 1/2 portions which I share with the kids the following day) or soup.

I've got all the main ingredients bought so it will just be milk, fruit etc for the rest of the month, plus a bit of veg towards the end.

fairy3

Just looking for inspiration in the cupboards before I plan my menu starting Mon! Samsampotts thanks for the advice re tesco ediets will look into that as PC in kitchen so nice and handy! Have lost 3lbs in last 10 days without really trying just not having the 'padding' that I feed this lot. Either that or the lack of biscuits and chocs hanging around...................

Spiddy 100 any chance of having a recipe for the root veg bake? sounds lovely. An impressive menu plan too. Just one week at a time is enough for me but reckon that another couple of weeks and I will have a free week from the freezer as I keep doubling up.

J
x

spiddy100

fairy3 wrote:

Spiddy 100 any chance of having a recipe for the root veg bake?

Here you go, it's weight watchers too 3 points per serving, recipe serves 4 as a main meal

225g potatoes
225g celeriac (optional)
1 medium swede
2 large carrots
2 parsnips
2 large onions
4 small turnips
low-fat cooking spray
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme or rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
200ml hot vegetable stock
200ml semi-skimmed milk
25g low-fat spread

For the creamy mustard sauce (optional)
25g low fat spread
25g plain flour
300ml skimmed milk
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tblsp virtually fat free fromage frais

1. Preheat oven to GM 4/ 180c/ 350f
2. Peel and cut all veg into wafer thin slices. Cook in a large pan of slightly salted water for 5 minutes then drain. Spray a large lasagne or roasting dish with cooking spray. Arrange the vegtables into layers with the thyme and plenty of s&p.
3. Pour in the stock and milk. Fleck the surface all over with low-fat spread.
4. Transfer to the top shelf of the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes until vegetables are tender and top is crispy.
5. Meanwhile, if using, make the sauce. Place the low-fat spread, milk and flour in a small pan and bring to simmering point, stirring constantly. Bring the boil, still stirring, until the sauce thickens. Stir in the mustards, fromage frais, and seasoning to taste. Do not allow sauce to boil.
6. Serve slices of the bake accompanied by sauce if using.

Will let you know if it's nice tomorrow

PS You can substitute any of the veg as long as you keep the same amount of potatoes and the points will remain the same.

fairy3

Thanks for that! This little piggy's going to market tomorrow! Not sure about celeriac might substitute sweet potato. Am familiar with points which reminds me have a load of cook books in the attic for WW.

J
x

puncherella

Hi all, have been lurking for a long time around these forums but this is my first post - here is my meal plan for next week or so, two of us are trying to stick to a budget of around £80 p/m. We get veg from the grocers (cheaper), meat from local farmers market (nicer), rest from Morrisons and try to eat organic (or at least free range) meat and seasonal veg. Also, I am trying to lose weight so cutting down on cheese (no more macaroni cheese!!) and alcohol.

Sat: wild mushroom risotto w/rocket
Sun: spinach & ricotta gnocchi in tomato sauce w/garlic bread
Mon: bangers & mash, onion gravy & broccoli
Tue; ratatouille & couscous
Wed: Malaysian fish curry & rice
Thurs: cottage pie (+ extra for freezer) & veg
Fri: thai spinach soup (make extra & freeze) *
Sat: chicken fajitas (friends round)

*I use Delia's tip and use Carnation light instead of single cream, as you can keep in SC forever (and it's lower fat).

breakfast: toast/cereal, lunches: homemade soup & bread/ wraps. Spent £50so far, and hopefully have stuff to last till end Jan but we'll see...

TKP_3

Our menu for the next week :
Sunday : Roast Pork, roast potatoes, sweet potato, butternut, leek and parsnip
Monday : Lamb tagine with dried apricots
Tuesday : Chicken stir fry
Wednesday : Gnocchi, spinach and gorgonzola bake, with Lamb chops
Thursday : Pork and swede one pot
Friday : Steak and chips
Saturday : Chris' mutton and chickpea curry (recipe from this site)