How to plan delicious healthy meals for a Healthy Weight
This is your essential guide to plan meals when you prepare food for home and work.
It uses the food you love and makes it work better for you. It will give you more eating pleasure and fresh ideas with favourites.
It’s your simple guide to Eating In!
Together with the Tips for Eating Out you will have everything you need to find and keep you healthy weight.
No diets, no missing out – just plenty of delicious food.
3 Simple Steps to Plan Meals!!
To really make the Meal Planner work for you here’s three easy steps.
Step 1 Know your heart!
Step 2 Know your Hunger!
Step 3 Know your Handy Meal Planner!
Download the Food Lovers Meal Planner to keep on your phone. Have it at your fingertips!
How to use the Meal Planner
There’s no rules! Just move foods around to suit your tastes and appetite. Do you hate breakfast but love cereal for the afternoon munchies? No problem!
If you like to spread your food out – try using half serves, open sandwiches and skim piccolo coffees.
To keep it simple, I’ve kept the list short. Use the kilojoule (kJ) amount to work out the serve size of your favourite foods.
Men may need extra serves of foods so Iook out for those.
Do see your own dietitian if you have any special needs.
Use measuring cups or kitchen scales to practice estimating your serving size. Once you’re a wiz you might just need to check them again if you’re trouble shooting.
There will be recipes, inspiration and shopping tips coming on the blog so do make sure you don’t miss out, by for Food Lovers News.
Let’s get started! Build your day
1. Foundation Carbs
First choose the quality carb rich foods that will define your style of meals.
Choose 1 larger Carb (600 kJ) – good for Breakfast
2 Bix (like Weetbix/Vitabrits/Oatbrits)
3/4 cup flakey or bran cereal (like Allbran/BranPlus/Sultana Bran/Fibre Plus/Guardian)
1/3 cup raw oats/ untoasted muesli
¼ cup toasted muesli
(40g)
OR 1 slice bread (with an extra teaspoon of fats)
3 smaller Carb (400 kJ) – two could be good for lunch and one for dinner
1 slice bread/dinner roll/crumpet/slim fruit bread (40g)
½ wrap/large roll
1/2 cup cooked rice/pasta/couscous/quinoa (30g raw or 75g cooked)
1/2 cup canned/cooked chickpeas/baked beans/lentils/potato/sweet potato/corn kernels (90g) (1/2 cob)
(Men may need 5 small Carbs – perhaps 3 for lunch and 2 for dinner)
2. Feature Proteins
Next choose the protein-rich highlight of your meals.
1 larger Protein (600kJ) – good for dinner
120gm (palm sized) raw lean red meat/skinless chicken
150g raw fish
2/3 cup (120g) canned chickpeas/baked beans/2 eggs
1 smaller Protein(300kJ) good for lunch (or breakfast)
1 egg/ 40gm lean cooked meat or 1 small tin tuna or 1/2 tin sardines (in spring water or if it is in oil count this as a fat serve too)
60gm tinned chickpeas or 1/3 cup baked beans
(Men may need 2 serves for lunch)
3. Flavoursome Fats
Use these to cook your Feature Protein, spices or onion, to roast vegetables, for salad dressings, as garnishes or for sandwich spreads.
4 small serves Fats (150kJ) – perhaps use 2 each for lunch and dinner
1 teaspoon (5g) butter, mayonnaise, marg, nuts, chocolate spread, oil
2 tsp (10g) pesto/ light butter/cream cheese/cream
1 Tbsp (25g) avocado/cream/coconut milk
A couple of olives (17g)
(Men may need 5 serves)
4. Flexible Dairy
Milks, yogurts and cheese hold the meal together, add flavour and contrasting texture. Add these to cereal oats or use them for tea or coffee, to garnish both sweet and savoury dishes and as a base for sauces.
2 & 1/2 serves Milks (500kJ) – try 1/2 serves for breakfast, dessert, snack and 1/4 serves for piccolo coffees, toppings and garnishes
250ml (1 cup) low fat/skim milk
160g (2/3 cup) low fat, no-added sugar yogurt
30g cheese
125g low fat cottage cheese
5. Fulfilling Veggies
Choose plenty of contrasting colours and textures to add to dishes, both cooked and raw!
Blanche, stir-fry, layer in a salad, roast and add to cooked breakfasts, sandwiches, soups, main meals and dishes.
At least 5 serves (75kJ) – try 1-2 for lunch, 3-4 for dinner
75gm (½ cup cooked vegetables or 1 cup salad veg)
6. Fancy Fruits
Fruits are perfect for making food beautiful. Choose your favourites and add them to cereal or oats and toast. Use them for desserts and as a snack.
2 serves (350kJ) – try 1/2-1 serves on cereal or toast or with 1/2 a dairy serve for a dessert or snack
150g (1 cup) most fresh fruit e.g. medium apple/pear/peach
½ mango or banana (90g flesh)
2 small kiwi fruit or mandarins
See the Food Lovers Meal Planner in Action
Check out this post to see what the Meal Planner could look like for you.
Next steps to Plan Meals
1. Sign up to the Food Lovers News and have inspiration, recipes and shopping tips to plan meals ideas delivered to your inbox.
2. Download this Meal Planner to keep handy on your phone or fridge.
3. Get new Meal Planners delivered to you hot off the press!
4. Watch out for Hints for Entertaining and check put the Eating Out Tips.
5. Connect with Food Lovers Dietitian social media to see how this new way to plan meals could look like for you!
