Christmas Challenge Diet Plans: Week 4

Congratulations on completing the third week of the WLR Christmas Challenge. By now you should really have started to notice a difference in the way you look and how you feel.

Here’s another week’s worth of menus for you to choose from. Stick to one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, one snack and one treat each day, plus 300ml skimmed milk and extra veg and salad.

And don’t forget, you can still choose from the meals in weeks one, two and three!

Breakfasts

Homemade muesli

Homemade muesli made from 2tbsp porridge oats, 3 chopped dried apricots, 2tbsp branflakes with skimmed milk.

Toast and honey

2 slices wholegrain toast with 2tsp each low-fat spread and honey.

Beans and mushrooms on toast

1 small can baked beans in tomato sauce, grilled mushrooms and 1 slice wholegrain toast.

Scrambled egg on toast

1 slice wholemeal toast topped with 2 eggs scrambled with a dash of skimmed milk and 1 diced tomato.

Weetabix and berries

2 Weetabix with skimmed milk and a handful each of raspberries and strawberries. Plus 1 small glass fresh orange juice.

Banana porridge

Bowl of porridge made using 2tbsp porridge oats and 150ml each of water and skimmed milk. Top with 1 small sliced banana and 1tsp honey.

Fruit salad and yogurt

Chop 1 apple, 1 slice canteloupe melon and a handful of grapes. Top with 1tbsp porridge oats and 1 small pot natural low-fat yoghurt.

Lunches

Three bean pasta salad

Chop 3 spring onions, 5 cherry tomatoes and ½ green pepper. Mix with 2tbsp each of red kidney beans, chick peas and cannelini beans and 3tbsp wholewheat pasta and fat-free dressing. Serve with a green salad.

Cheese and crackers

5 rye crackers with a matchbox-sized piece of Brie, salad with fat-free dressing and a handful of grapes.

Pitta bread and tzatziki

1 wholemeal pitta bread with 5tbsp tzatziki and salad. Plus 1 apple.

Jacket potato with egg mayo

1 jacket potato with 1 hard boiled egg mixed with 1tsp reduced-calorie mayo and salad.

Homemade soup

Bowl of homemade vegetable soup made from butternut squash, red chillies, carrots, red peppers and vegetable stock with 2 slices wholemeal toast and 2tsp low-fat spread.

Mediterranean pasta salad

Chop ½ small avocado, 5 cherry tomatoes and ¼ small ball reduced-fat mozzarella cheese into bite-sized pieces. Mix with 5 pitted black olives, 4-5tbsp cooked wholewheat pasta and balsamic vinegar.

Roast beef sandwich

2 slices wholemeal bread filled with 2tsp low-fat spread, 1 thin slice lean roast beef and 1 tomato. Serve with salad. Plus 1 pot fat-free fruit yoghurt.

Dinners

Chicken fajitas

Cut into strips 1 skinless chicken breast and slice 1 small red onion, ½ red pepper and ½ green pepper. Spray a non-stick pan with a spray oil, heat, and fry the chicken for a few minutes. Add the vegetables, 1tsp Cajun seasoning and a little water to stop the mixture sticking. Cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the chicken cooked. Serve with 1 large flour tortilla, 3tbsp salsa dip, 1tbsp reduced-fat crème fraiche and salad.

Roast lamb

Serve 3 thin slices lean roast lamb with 2 small potatoes roasted in olive oil, vegetables, 1tsp mint sauce and fat-free gravy. Plus 1 bowl fresh fruit salad and 1tbsp single cream.

Grilled trout and salad

1 grilled trout with 4 new potatoes boiled in their skins topped with 1tsp low-fat spread and steamed vegetables. Plus 1 apple.

Home made burgers

Mix 100g extra-lean minced beef with ½ finely chopped small onion, 1tbsp chopped parsley, black pepper and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Shape into one large burger or two smaller burgers. Cook under a hot grill until cooked through and the juices run clear. Serve with 1 granary bap, tomato slices and a large green salad. Plus 1 pot fat-free fruit yoghurt.

Meal in minutes

350 calorie-counted ready meal with vegetables. Plus 1 apple.

Pork stir fry

Cut 100g lean pork into strips. Using a spray oil, fry the pork for a few minutes until almost cooked through. Add a selection of sliced veg eg onion, red pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, courgette and mangetout and cook for a few minutes. Add 1tbsp soy sauce, heat through and serve with 6tbsp cooked brown rice. Plus 1 kiwi fruit.

Fish and chips

Grill or griddle 1 cod steak and serve with 150g low-fat oven chips, 3tbsp garden peas and a lemon wedge. Plus 1 slice honeydew melon.

Snacks

Apple and melon

1 apple and 1 slice Honeydew melon.

Egg salad

Large bowl of salad with 1 hard-boiled egg.

Ham salad crackers

2 rye crackers with 1 slice lean ham and salad with fat-free dressing.

Cheese dip and crudités

Mix 2tbsp each of low-fat soft cheese and fat-free natural yoghurt with ½ small finely-chopped onion, 1 clove crushed garlic and black pepper. Serve with vegetable crudités.

Walnuts

4 walnut halves

Dried fruit

7 dried dates

Fromage frais and fruit

1 small pot fat-free fromage frais, 1 slice canteloupe melon and 1 satsuma.

Treats

• 2 small chocolate chips cookies
• 2-finger Kit Kat
• 2 single (25ml) measures of spirits eg gin, vodka, whisky, rum or brandy with a calorie-free mixer eg. diet cola, slimline tonic, diet lemonade.
• 150ml glass of red or dry white wine.
• 1 glass champagne.
• ½ pt standard strength lager, bitter or cider.
• 1 small packet of Quavers or Skips.
• 100-calorie low-fat chocolate bar eg Boots Shapers
• 100-calorie packet of low-fat savoury snacks
• 1 small pot low-fat chocolate mousse.
• 1 French fancy.
• 1 low-calorie hot chocolate drink plus 1 jaffa cake.
• 4 chocolate fingers.
• 1 scoop ice cream.
• 1 toasted crumpet with 1tsp each low-fat spread and reduced-sugar jam.
• 1 meringue nest filled with raspberries and 1tbsp single cream.
• 1 slice of wholegrain toast with 1tsp peanut butter.
• 1 crumpet with 1tsp low-fat spread and Marmite.
• 1 small choc chip cookie and a low-fat instant hot chocolate drink.