Whew! I've spent the last week creating meal plans for days 2-14 of my "14 days no repeats"...I am publishing them here as breakfast options, lunch options, dinner options, and snack options! This weekend, I didn't follow my 14 days, no repeats too well. While exploring NYC, it is a little difficult to resist the lovely cheesecakes and sangria (I'll definitely have to post soon on "food and exercise on vacation!")...but that is for another day.
Here it is: My beautifully designed 10 days no repeats meal plan. (The other 4 days will be "on vacation" or "eating out" days)...stay tuned! Enjoy!
Schedule: Eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 2 snacks. Enjoy a treat after dinner with your discretionary Calories if you'd like! Be sure to drink plenty of water as well.
Breakfast options
1. 1 egg, pan fried with pam over 1 slice whle grain toast. Top with 1 ounce cheese and 1 sliced tomato. Eat with 1 cup fruit.
2. 1 packet oatmeal, 1 cup low fat milk, 1 Tbsp. walnuts, 1 banana.
3. 1 cup berries, 1 cup Kale, 1 cup light yogurt, 1/2 cup milk. Toss in blender, blend until smooth!
4. 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup fruit.
5. 2 whole grain pancakes (3-5 inches), 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup fruit.
6. frittatta with veggies, 1 cup fruit.
7. bagel topped with laughing cow cheese, fruit.
8. Tbsp. peanut butter, 1 scoop whey, 1 banana, 1 cup milk. Toss in blender. Blend until smooth.
9. 1 cup greek yogurt, 1 cup fruit, 1/4 cup granola.
10. egg white omelette (4 egg whites, 1 ounce cheese, 1/2 cup veggies), 1 cup fruit.
Lunch options
1. Asian chicken salad: 1 grilled chicken breast, 1/2 cup mandarin oranges, 2 Tbsp dried cranberries, 2 Tbsp almonds and 2 cups baby spinach topped with 2 Tbsp low fat sesame gnger dressing. Served with 1 whole grain roll.
2. 12 ounce Bowl low fat chili (either from a can or homemade) sprinkled with 1 ounce cheese and served with 1 serving corn chips.
3. Chicken or tuna salad plate: salad: (2 ounces chicken or tuna mixed with 1 Tbsp ight mayo, 2 tsp celery, 2 tsp onion, 1/4 cup red grapes cut in half....mix well in bowl)...spread salad mixture over bed of lettuce, 1 cup mixed fruit of choice (eg strawberries, blueberries, peaches).
4. egg salad sandwich: salad: (1 egg and 1 egg white, chopped and mixed with 1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese and 1 tsp. light mayo, salt and pepper to taste)...spread on 2 slices whole grain bread, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Serve with 1/2 cup raw veggies and a piece of fruit.
5. Hummus and cheese platter: 1/4 cup hummus, 2 cups raw veggies, 1 6" pita or 1 sering pita chips, 1 oz cheese cut in cubes, 1 cup cut up fruit. Lay out on a platter and enjoy!
6. The "Trifecta" (idea stolen from Earth Foods at UMass!): 3/4 cup black beans, 1 cup steamed kale, 3/4 cup brown rice. Top with low fat dressing or sauce (I prefer 2 Tbsp tahini dressing) and enjoy!
7. Tuna melt: tuna salad (1 can tuna, 1 Tbsp. light mayo, salt and pepper, dash of paprika). Place salad on slice of whole grain bread. Top with 2 slices tomato and 1 ounce cheese. Toast open faced in toaster ove. Cover with another slice of bread and enjoy! Serve with 1 cup of fruit and 1 cup of raw veggies.
8. 1 sweet potato (baked), 1 cup steamed veggies, 3 ounces chicken. Top with low fat dressings as desired.
9. Stuffed tomato: Scoop out inside of tomato (can use for pasta sauce, etc later)...stuff with chicken or tuna salad listed in lunch #3. Serve with 2 cups fruit salad.
10. Chop chop salad: 2 cups of romaine lettuce, 3/4 cup chickpeas, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, 1 ounce cheese, Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, Tbsp. olive oil.. Toss together, chop in to small pieces. Enjoy with some whole grain bread.
Dinner options
1. 4 ounces broiled salmon sprinkled with lemon, 1 baked potato with Tbsp. low fat sour cream, 1 cup steamed green beans.
2. Breakfast for dinner: 2 pancakes or waffles(whole grain), 2 links turkey sausage, 4 scrambled egg whites with green peppers, onion, tomato (2 Tbsp. each).
3. 3 ounce Turkey burger with lettuce and tomato and onion on a whole grain roll served with 2 cups garden salad with low fat dressing.
4. 3/4 cup pasta boiled. Cover with the following sauce: 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, 3/4 cup ground chicken or turkey, 1/4 onion, 1/4 pepper, tsp. garlic, tsp. parsley, salt and pepper to taste). To make sauce, first cook ground turkey, then add onions, mushrooms, peppers, and garlic. Sautee until soft. Last, add diced tomatoes, and add in some tomato puree for a smoother sauce. Let cook on low for 10-15 minutes. Serve with 1 cup spinach salad topped with Tbsp. walnuts, 2 Tbsp. cranberries, Tbsp. chopped onion tossed with 2 Tbsp. low fat balsamic vinegarette.
5. Taco night: 3 ounces chicken sauteed with 1/4 pepper, 1/4 onion, 1/4 cup corn, 1/4 cup black beans and spiced to taste with chilis, paprika, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Serve over 2 warm soft corn tortillas. Serve with sliced avocado, cheese, salsa, and low fat sour cream (2 Tbsp each).
6. pizza night! 1 individual Boboli (whole grain) pizza topped with 1/4 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, 1.5 ounces fresh sliced mozzarella cheese. Sprinkled with pepper and garlic salt. Serve with 2 cups garden salad with low fat dressing.
7. Stir fry: cook 1 cup brown rice. Sautee 4 ounces chicken, 1/2 cup sno peas, 1/2 cup sliced carrots, 1/2 cup chinese cabbage in 1 Tbsp. sesame oil an 1 Tbsp. soy sauce. Top with tsp. sesame seeds and serve over rice.
8. Peanut noodles: cook rice noodles or bean thread noodles acording to package. Steam 1 cup broccoli. Sautee 4 ounces chicken, 1 Tbsp. peanut butter, 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. coconut milk, and optional tsp. sugar in wok. Turn to low and add noodles and broccoli. Top with 1 Tbsp. peanuts. Let sit 5 minutes and serve!
9. Juevos Rancheros: Cook taco filling as described above (#5). Scramble 4 egg whites and add to mixture. Wrap in a whole grain or corn tortilla and enjoy! Serve with 2 Tbsp. salsa and 2 Tbsp. greek yogurt.
10. Baked corn flake breaded chicken (crush cornflakes. mix with salt, pepper, parsley, and put in bowl. crack 2 eggs. put in another bowl. Take strips of chicken, dip in egg mixture, then cornflake mixture. Spread on pan and bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes). Serve with brown rice and blackened asparagus. To blacken asparagus, toss in oil, salt, and pepper, and place on sheet with chicken. Asparagus may be done before chicken. Check every 6 minutes fo desired "doneness".
Snack options
1. 1 apple, 1 100 Calorie pack of almonds.
2. 1 cup veggies, 2 Tbsp. ranch dip (light) or hummus.
3. 1 string cheese, 1 pear.
4. 1/4-1/2 cup trail mix
5. 16 ounces low fat milk
6. 1 plain yogurt with 2 Tbsp. walnuts and 2 Tbsp. raisins (opt. 1 Tbsp. honey)
7. banana smothered with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
8. 1 slice whole grain bread topped with sliced tomato and 1/4 cup cottage cheese or 2 Tbsp. low fat cream cheese
9. 1 cup light raspberry yogurt with 1 cup fruit salad
10. last resort: balance bar or other bar or shake with 3+ grams fiber and 9+ grams protein and less than 250 Calories per serving
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Day 1
Day 1 of fourteen. This is going to be a true challenge... Already, I almost packed myself the same lunch to take to work tomorrow! All in all, it was a pretty good day. I prepared relatively hassle free meals packed with nutrients.
breakfast:
8 oz coffee with 8 oz steamed skim milk
2 slices whole grain toast with 1 Tbsp peanut butter and 1 Tbsp low sugar jam
Lunch:
3 oz turkey, pesto, and cheese rollups (lay 3 oz turkey flat on cutting board. Spread with 1 Tbsp. pesto. top with 1 ounce mozzarella. Roll up turkey, and cut in to 4 pinwheels.)
2 cups greens with 2 tbsp tomatoes, carrots, and cucumber topped with 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup red grapes
Snack:
6 ounces light raspberry yogurt
1 apple
1 cup sugar snap peas
Dinner:
1 ounce almonds
2 ounces pan seared salmon seasoned with lemon, salt, and pepper
1/2 cup sauteed veggies (sumer squash, onion, tomato, spinach cooked in 1 Tbsp olive oil)
1.5 cups arborio rice seasoned with garlic and lemon
tea with 2 tsp skim milk and splenda
12 cups water throughout the day
Some key elements to today's menu:
1. I included complex carbs, protein, and fiber at each sitting. This helped me control cravings and feel full throughout the day.
2. I focused on vegetable oils for fat rather than animal sources. My meals were high in monounsaturated fat (olive oil and almonds) and omega 3 fatty acids (salmon). This will help me maintain cardiovascular health, and may also help protect against cancer, arthritis, and weight gain!
breakfast:
8 oz coffee with 8 oz steamed skim milk
2 slices whole grain toast with 1 Tbsp peanut butter and 1 Tbsp low sugar jam
Lunch:
3 oz turkey, pesto, and cheese rollups (lay 3 oz turkey flat on cutting board. Spread with 1 Tbsp. pesto. top with 1 ounce mozzarella. Roll up turkey, and cut in to 4 pinwheels.)
2 cups greens with 2 tbsp tomatoes, carrots, and cucumber topped with 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup red grapes
Snack:
6 ounces light raspberry yogurt
1 apple
1 cup sugar snap peas
Dinner:
1 ounce almonds
2 ounces pan seared salmon seasoned with lemon, salt, and pepper
1/2 cup sauteed veggies (sumer squash, onion, tomato, spinach cooked in 1 Tbsp olive oil)
1.5 cups arborio rice seasoned with garlic and lemon
tea with 2 tsp skim milk and splenda
12 cups water throughout the day
Some key elements to today's menu:
1. I included complex carbs, protein, and fiber at each sitting. This helped me control cravings and feel full throughout the day.
2. I focused on vegetable oils for fat rather than animal sources. My meals were high in monounsaturated fat (olive oil and almonds) and omega 3 fatty acids (salmon). This will help me maintain cardiovascular health, and may also help protect against cancer, arthritis, and weight gain!
MyPyramid Recommendations
www.mypyramid.gov is a USDA website all about the new food pyramid, "MyPramid". It includes a number of free, interactive tools to help the general population learn how to eat for optimal health. One of these is the"MyPyramid Plan", which gives general daily food recommendations based on age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level.
As I go forward with my "14 days, no repeats" challenge, I will base my daily food intake on my own MyPyramid recommendations (120 lb, 27 year old female who exercises an average of 60 minutes per day). This translates to:
7 ounces grains
2 cups fruits
3 cups vegetables
3 cups milk
6 ounces meat and beans
up to 6 teaspoons oils per day
up to 290 discretionary Calories per day
Portion sizes for each food group recommendation can be found right on the site. Discretionary Calories are your "extra allowance"...you may use discretionary Calories to...
1. Eat more foods from any food group than the food guide recommends.
2. Eat higher calorie forms of foods—those that contain solid fats or added sugars. Examples are whole milk, cheese, sausage, biscuits, sweetened cereal, and sweetened yogurt.
3. Add fats or sweeteners to foods. Examples are sauces, salad dressings, sugar, syrup, and butter.
4. Eat or drink items that are mostly fats, caloric sweeteners, and/or alcohol, such as candy, soda, wine, and beer.
(source: www.mypyramid.gov)
I encourage everyone to calculate his/her own MyPyramid Plan recommendations and change the portion sizes I lay out for each day of food for the next 2 weeks accordingly!
As I go forward with my "14 days, no repeats" challenge, I will base my daily food intake on my own MyPyramid recommendations (120 lb, 27 year old female who exercises an average of 60 minutes per day). This translates to:
7 ounces grains
2 cups fruits
3 cups vegetables
3 cups milk
6 ounces meat and beans
up to 6 teaspoons oils per day
up to 290 discretionary Calories per day
Portion sizes for each food group recommendation can be found right on the site. Discretionary Calories are your "extra allowance"...you may use discretionary Calories to...
1. Eat more foods from any food group than the food guide recommends.
2. Eat higher calorie forms of foods—those that contain solid fats or added sugars. Examples are whole milk, cheese, sausage, biscuits, sweetened cereal, and sweetened yogurt.
3. Add fats or sweeteners to foods. Examples are sauces, salad dressings, sugar, syrup, and butter.
4. Eat or drink items that are mostly fats, caloric sweeteners, and/or alcohol, such as candy, soda, wine, and beer.
(source: www.mypyramid.gov)
I encourage everyone to calculate his/her own MyPyramid Plan recommendations and change the portion sizes I lay out for each day of food for the next 2 weeks accordingly!
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