Hi, it's my first day today and it has started very well. I have planned my menus and shopped for the food. I wondered if it might inspire others to create interesting menus too so here's what I'll be eating this week (in no particular order, just however I feel):

Breakfast
• All bran with milk and teaspoon of honey, a banana and low fat fruit yoghurt, apple juice/green tea

• Scrambled Eggs with 2 slices bread, fruit from list, apple or orange juice/green tea

• Toast with peanut butter and fruit from list

• Fruit salad with honey & 2 x slices of toast

• Yoghurt with fruit & 2 x slices of toast

• Bacon sandwich and fruit from list

• Porridge with dried apricots and raisins (can soak in apple juice over night), juice/green tea

Lunch
• Ryvita x 2 with hummus, red pepper sticks and lettuce, fruit from list

• Mackerel lettuce parcels, fruit from list and cashews

• Chicken fajitas – chicken sliced and cooked with fajita seasoning, peppers, mushrooms onions, garlic (or any variation from veg list) wrapped in a wheat tortilla with lettuce, fruit from list

• Steamed salmon/tuna/chicken with soy sauce, chilli, ginger, sesame seeds, with broccoli and stuffed aubergine (onions, garlic, grated cauliflower, cream, salt & pepper, sunflower & pumpkin seeds) & fruit salad with whipped cream

• Chicken/turkey salad with eggs, 2 x ryvita with butter and fruit compote with custard

• Mackerel paté with 2 x ryvita, plain yoghurt & sliced fruit from list

• Shredded chicken with vegetables in tortilla, plain yoghurt & sliced fruit from list

• *Grated cauliflower with butter (imitation rice), turkey mince cooked with chilli powder, onions, garlic, chilli, mushrooms, red peppers & tomatoes. Fruit from list with whipped cream topping

(* grate some cauliflower, add a knob of butter and put into a microwave dish. Microwave for a couple of minutes, stir and microwave again if desired. The cauliflower has a similar texture to rice and is a great substitute. You do not need to add water when cooking as it contains enough to suffice)

Dinner
• Cauliflower and broccoli cheese bake with chicken: Grill or steam chicken and boil/steam veg, drain well and leave to the side. Warm a little milk in a pan but do not boil and add salt, pepper and slowly the grated cheese. Add a bit of cream and warm through until thickened slightly. Pour over veg and chicken.

• Stir fry (veg from list) with chicken or beef, soy sauce, chilli and ginger

• Steak with peppercorn sauce & vegetables from list. In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium low heat, being careful not to boil. Stir in peppercorns, lea & perrins sauce and simmer for 2 to 5 minutes. Season if desired and serve immediately

• Sliced chicken cooked with fajita seasoning, wrapped in lettuce with grated cheese, mushrooms, onions & peppers (or any veg from list). Fruit from list

• Tuna/salmon steak with steamed spinach, Bok Choy and broccoli. Fruit salad from list

• Chicken salad

• Stuffed aubergine, lean steak mince with onions, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers and cheese


I will also have snacks mid morning if I need them (from the list of course!). Day one started today so I'm beginning with a positive approach and focusing on losing my first 50lbs of a total of 66.5 that I wish to lose. Good luck to others also starting :-)

Best wishes, Hayley

Thanks Hayley these are great. I'm rubbish at good menus!

I do all the cooking in my house so it's just practice - plus, a lot of other healthy recipes can be coverted to fit your tastes. If you have any faves just let me know and I'll see if I can come up with a sub.

I just thought of another one - bun-less cheese burgers. So easy to make:

Lean mince beef, finely diced onion, an egg, herbs (whatever you like - maybe add chilli to spice it up!). Put it all into a bowl and mix with your hands to combine ingredients, when it forms a ball take it out and divide into burgers. Cut greaseproof paper into squares and flatten and shape each burger onto one of the bits of paper. Stack and refridgerate until you want to use them - I guess you could also feeze them too. Then just cook on a george foreman grill or under the grill of your oven as you would a normal burger. Add your 1oz of cheese and serve with a large salad. You can also make extra to have the next day for lunch.

I had the chicken fajitas last night and they were actually really good using lettuce leaves (romaine lettuce is best). I wondered what to use instead of the sour cream and found that yeo valley fat free natural organic yoghurt is a brilliant substitute. I also used grated parmesan and you don't need much because the flavour is so strong.I also added in asparagus spears that I halved. I'm eating the leftovers with a wheat tortilla right now for lunch :-)

I guess you could also make tacos using lettuce leaves to sub the taco shells if you can find a good seasoning in the herbs&spices section of the supermarket - to be honest your choices are only limited by the number of products on the shelves and there are loads, with a bit of playing about your ideas can be endless.

I'm actually finding it really easy so far and my husband is eating the same dinners (he gave the thumbs up to fajitas!)

Best wishes,
hayley

What about tom sauce and salad cream (light of course) are we allowed these? Light mayo is on the list.

Thank you am on day 2 and starting to wonder whats next this helped