My Menu Plan For the Week

Updated with a few changes that I made during the week. 

normally do make a menu plan of sorts. The day before or sometimes that morning I decide what's for dinner. I wanted to try something different so this week I sat down and made a menu for the entire week. I tried to include all meals and snacks.

We'll see how the week goes. I'm hoping it will help me to stay on a better eating plan and make my days go smoother. Making a plan should save time (and money) in the long run.

For breakfast I usually alternate oatmeal one day and eggs the next. For lunches I made a list of a few things with various points. I did the same with snacks.

Based on how many points dinner is I'll decide what to eat for lunch and snacks that day. An 11 point dinner will mean I should eat a lower points lunch and snack...

I made a grocery list and I did my shopping Friday morning so hopefully I have everything I need to make it through the week. I may have to go to the store for a few fresh veggies and fruit.

Today I made a big pot of Vegetable Soup...I'm going to freeze some in individual servings to use for lunches.

I'll try and post about some of the recipes during the week.

This is my meal plan for the week of: 

Friday, March 8 - Thursday, March 14

Breakfast:

I alternate each day between eating an egg or oatmeal

Oatmeal and fruit

3 Points

½ cup cooked oatmeal with 1 tsp brown sugar

Cooked with 1 chopped apple or 1-cup blueberries or cherries

Frittata (a good way to get a serving of veggies)

4 points (add extra points if eating toast)

1-cup broccoli or cauliflower chopped – 0 point

Little bit of chopped onion and green or red pepper – 0 point

1 Tablespoon shredded cheese – 1 point

1 whole egg – 2 points

1 tsp olive oil – 1 point

Cook the veggies in the microwave to soften. Heat the oil in a small skillet and sauté the veggies, scramble the egg and pour over the veggies. Cook to set and add the cheese on top.

Snacks – I try to incorporate dairy

Added 100 calorie bags of cookies which I think are 3 points.
I also ate a Klondike ice cream bar which was 7 points. Yes it was worth it!!!

Smoothie

2 points

1-cup coconut milk 2 pts

1-cup fruit such as frozen cherries or blueberries- 0 pts

1 ripe banana

Yogurt and fruit

2 points

Yoplait Greek 100 calories w/fruit – 2 points

Add additional fruit – 0 points

Vegetables and Dip

2 points

Raw veggies – 0 points

Dip – 4 tablespoons light sour cream, dried onion, garlic, dried dill and parsley. – 2 pts

Carrots, Pepper and Celery w/ Hummus

3 points

Veggies – 0 points

Hummus – made with garbanzo beans, garlic, olive oil, sun dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers – ¼ cup = 3 points (depending on the amount of olive oil)

Lunch (I'll decide on what I’m having for lunch that day or the night before.)

Sunday we went to Captain D's which could be a disaster but I tried to handle it the best I could. 

Instead of my normal 2 piece fish dinner with fries, hush puppies, coleslaw and sweet tea which is around 35 points!

I ate:

2 pieces of batter fried fish 10 points

1 hush puppy 5 points

2 orders of green beans 2 points

Water to drink

Total 17 points

Still a lot but making a few changes improved the outcome! 

Salad with beans and fruit

3 or 4 points – depending on the type of beans

Any combination of salad greens

1 cup Strawberries or grapes

½ cup canned beans, rinsed and drained (Kidney, garbanzo beans=3pts / Black beans = 2pts)

2 Tablespoons of 1 point dressing (Sesame Ginger or Strawberry Balsamic)

Sandwich

7 points

4 ounces turkey – 4 pts

Round bread or wrap – 3 pts

Dijon mustard – 0 pts

Lettuce and tomato – 0 points

Carrot and celery sticks

 

Soups

0 – 4 points + crackers 1 point

Add 5 saltine crackers – 1 point

Garden Vegetable Soup – 0 points

Split Pea Soup – 1 cup – 4 points

Something different

4 points

*Broccoli with Spicy Honey Sauce – 2 cups = 4 points

Added to lunch:

1/2 cup Tuna salad made with mayo and sweet relish = 4 pts.

 Dinner

* Recipes from the Weight Watchers cookbook “Fresh, Fabulous, Fast”

Friday

7 points

Salmon Patty 5 ounces, green beans, salad with 1 pt dressing

(I used the recipe builder to figure the points for my patties)

Saturday

11 points

*Pecan-Crusted Chicken – 8pts

½ cup brown rice – cooked in veggie broth, with chopped onions, red peppers.  (1-cup=5 pts. I round ½ cup up to 3 pts)

Carrots

This was really good but the recipe called for 4 teaspoons of oil to brown the chicken in. That wasn't nearly enough. It took almost 3 Tablespoons so I upped the points to 12...

Sunday

9 pts

*Fig Glazed Pork Chops w/ green beans 5 pts

Sweet potato – 4pts

 

Monday

10 points

*Thai Beef and Vegetable Curry w/brown rice

This was really good. Everyone loved it!

Tuesday

7 points

*Brazilian Chicken w/ black beans and rice instead of the original recipe I made a slow cooker meal by layering chicken breast, black beans and Rotel tomatoes - cooked on low for 6 hours. Served with rice. Same points.

Wednesday – Zumba! Use the crock-pot

10 points (including 2” square of cornbread)

Lima Beans, brown rice, cucumbers, cornbread

Thursday – WW meeting!  Let the guys grill

11 points

*Grilled pork tenderloin w/ chipotle peach glaze – 7 pts

Steamed veggies– zucchini, broccoli, onions, peppers steamed – 0 points

Sweet potato – 4 pts

How do you plan your meals?

I'd love to hear your ideas.

Patti