Christmas Challenge Diet Plans: Week 3

Congratulations on completing the second week of the WLR Christmas Challenge. Doesn’t it feel amazing to see those pounds coming off?

By now, you should be well and truly stuck into a new way of eating. But to keep things fresh, we have even more meals for you to choose from this week. Stick to one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, one snack and one treat each day and remember to include 300ml skimmed milk and extra veg and salad.

Breakfasts

Apricot muesli

3tbsp unsweetened muesli with 3 chopped dried apricots and skimmed milk.

Cereal with milk

6tbsp high-fibre breakfast cereal (eg branflakes, shreddies, fruit and fibre) with skimmed milk and 1 orange.

Banana, yogurt and orange juice

1 small banana, 1 kiwi fruit, a handful of raspberries, 1 pot plain low-fat yogurt and 1 small glass orange juice.

Peanut butter toast

2 slices wholegrain toast with 2tsp peanut butter and 1 kiwi fruit.

Cooked breakfast

1 poached egg with 1 grilled rasher lean back bacon, 1 grilled tomato, poached mushrooms and 2tbsp baked beans. Plus 1 small glass of unsweetened orange juice.

Cheesy toast

2 slices wholegrain toast with 2tbsp low-fat soft cheese and 1 tomato. Plus 1 small glass unsweetened orange juice.

Fruit salad and yoghurt

1 bowl fresh fruit salad with ½ small pot low-fat natural yoghurt and 2tbsp porridge oats.

Lunches

Jacket potato and cottage cheese

1 jacket potato with 4tbsp cottage cheese mixed with 1 pineapple ring (canned in juice) and salad and fat-free dressing.

Chicken and pasta salad

Chop 1 cooked skinless chicken breast, 5 cherry tomatoes and 2 sticks celery into bite-sized pieces. Mix with 5tbsp cooked wholewheat pasta and 1tsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise. Serve with a green salad.

Prawn and watercress pitta

Fill 1 wholemeal pitta with a handful of prawns, watercress and 1tbsp low-fat seafood dressing. Plus 1 apple.

Egg salad baguette

Fill a 10cm piece French bread with 1 boiled egg and salad.

Italian salad

Slice ½ small avocado, 2 tomatoes and ½ small ball of reduced-fat mozzarella cheese. Arrange on a plate and top with fresh basil, black pepper and balsamic vinegar. Plus 1 bowl fresh fruit salad.

Toasted cheese and onion sandwich

Fill 2 slices wholemeal bread with 4tbsp grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and chopped spring onions. Toast and serve with salad. Plus a handful of grapes.

Smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel

1 bagel filled with 2tbsp low-fat soft cheese and 1 slice smoked salmon. Plus 1 satsuma.

Dinners

Chicken stir fry

Cut 1 skinless chicken breast into thin strips. Heat a spray oil in a non-stick pan and fry the chicken and 1tsp Chinese five spice powder for 3 minutes. Add ½ small bag ready-prepared stir-fry vegetables and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add 1tbsp soy sauce and heat through. Serve with 1 layer wholewheat noodles.

Vegetable chilli with rice

Heat a spray oil in a pan and fry 1 chopped small onion, and ½ sliced green and red pepper. Add chilli powder to taste and cook for a few minutes. Add 5tbsp red kidney beans, 150ml vegetable stock, a small can chopped tomatoes and 1tbsp tomato puree. Simmer until the vegetables are cooked and the sauce thickened. Serve with 5tbsp cooked brown rice and salad with fat-free dressing.

Lamb and pepper kebabs

Mix 75g lean lamb cubes with 1tbsp tzatziki. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight. When ready to cook, cut 1 red and green pepper into bite-sized pieces. Thread the lamb and pepper onto skewers and grill until the lamb is cooked through, turning occasionally. Serve with 6tbsp cooked brown rice and vegetables.

Tuna steak and creamy mash with pesto

Peel and cut 1 large potato into chunks and boil. Drain and mash with 1tbsp green pesto. While cooking, griddle or dry fry 1 fresh tuna steak. Serve with tuna on top of the mash with steamed veg. Plus 1 satsuma.

Mediterranean veggie and mozzarella bake

Slice 1 carrot, 1 leek, 1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, 1 small red onion and a handful of mushrooms. Heat a spray oil in non-stick frying pan and gently fry the veg until brown. Place in a small ovenproof dish, pour over 150ml passata and top with ½ small ball reduced-fat Mozzarella cheese, cut into slices. Place in a pre-heated oven and bake until the cheese has browned. Serve with salad and fat-free dressing. Plus 1 orange and 1 pot fat-free fruit yoghurt.

Pasta, avocado and bean salad

Mix 5tbsp cooked wholewheat pasta with ½ chopped small red onion, mange tout, 3tbsp red kidney beans canned in water, baby sweetcorn, French beans, ½ small avocado, cherry tomatoes and 1tbsp fat-free salad dressing.

Baked salmon with peppers

Slice ½ green pepper and ½ red pepper. Place on a piece of foil with 1 raw salmon fillet. Add some lemon juice and black pepper, fold up the foil and bake until the fish is cooked. Serve with vegetables.

Snacks

Avocado salad

½ small avocado with salad.

Fruit selection

1 apple and 1 orange.

Nuts

8 unsalted almonds or 15 unsalted whole cashew nuts.

Yoghurt dip with vegetables

5tbsp tzatziki with vegetable crudites.

Open cottage cheese and salad sandwich

1 slice wholegrain bread topped with 2tbsp cottage cheese and salad.

Yoghurt and fruit

1 small pot fat-free fruit yoghurt and 1 kiwi fruit.

Branflakes and yoghurt

3tbsp branflakes with 2tbsp low-fat natural yogurt.

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.