wlr's 7 Day Low GI Diet Plan

By Dietitian Juliette Kellow BSc RD

The low glycaemic index diet is great for keeping hunger at bay, important for everyone trying to lose weight. By keeping blood sugar levels stable, low GI stops you needing to reach for sugary snacks and should keep you feeling fuller for longer on less calories.

WLR's healthy low GI diet plan has been put together with Dietitian Juliette Kellow and is designed to produce an average weight loss of around 2lbs a week - probably more when you first start the diet.

This plan provides around 1100 to 1200 calories a day. If your calorie needs are higher than this, simply increase portion sizes or add extra foods from the low and medium GI foods on our list.

The plan is relatively high in lean protein and contains mainly low glycaemic index carbs. It's also low in fat and contains plenty of low GI fruit and veg.

The meals are simple and quick to make using foods available in UK supermarkets all year round in UK supermarkets.

The plan is for one week, with low GI breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for each day. Lunches on days one to five can easily be prepared as pack-ups.

You can swap out meals or snacks you don't fancy with those more to your taste.

You can do this easily in WLR, simply load the plan into your food diary and adapt it to suit yourself and the calorie quota that has been worked out for you. You can try WLR free to give this a go.

The 7 Day Meal Plan

Day 1

Breakfast: Porridge with Honey - 301 cals

Make the porridge with 40g oatmeal, 200ml skimmed milk and a teaspoon of honey. Plus a medium sized Orange.

Lunch: Creamy Mustard Chicken Pitta - 379 cals

Toss small pieces of cooked chicken breast (100g) with 2 teaspoons of extra light mayonnaise and quarter of a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Fill a wholemeal pitta with the chicken and 50g of green salad.

Dinner: Seafood Stir Fry - 373 cals

Make with 200g of your favourite seafood, half a small red chilli and half a clove of garlic stir fried in a teaspoon of oil, add a tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley. Serve with 100g of cooked wholemeal pasta and a mixed leaf salad.

Snacks:  - 226 cals

Mixed Nuts and Seeds (25g) and a medium sized pear

Day 2

Breakfast: Fruity Muesli with Yoghurt - 281 cals

Make with a peeled chopped apple, 2 chopped dried apricots, 10g of bran, a teaspoon of honey and a small pot of natural low fat yoghurt.

Lunch: Fresh Lentil Soup - 471 cals

Use half a carton (300g) of lentil soup and serve with a thick slice of wholemeal bread. Have two medium sized plums for dessert.

Dinner: Cod Fillet and Salsa - 305 cals

Steam a large (180g) cod fillet and serve with a tablespoon of salsa, 100g of boiled potatoes and 75g of garden peas.

Snacks: - 169 cals

Use 2 tablespoons of houmous and 100g raw veggies cut into strips, for example carrot, celery, peppers etc. Split this into two portions if you want to make two snacks for the day.

Day 3

Breakfast: Yoghurt with Pear - 216 cals

Slice a medium pear into a pot of low fat natural yoghurt, sweeten with a teaspoon of honey and sprinkle on 2 teaspoons of sunflower seeds.

Lunch: Tuna and Butter Bean Salad - 298 cals

Combine a 130g can of tuna (canned in water), 100g canned butter beans, a chopped tomato, 1/2 a chopped red onion and a tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley. Dress with a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and serve with a slice of pumpernickel bread.

Dinner: Chicken Stir Fry with Rice - 471 cals

Slice up a 150g chicken breast and fry with half a pack (175g) of prepared stir fry vegetables in 1 tsp of oil. Flavour with whichever herbs/spices you like. Serve with 140g of cooked brown rice.

Snacks: - 169 cals

20g of unsalted nuts and 50g strawberries.

Day 4

Breakfast: Porridge with Blueberries - 292 cals

Make porridge with 40g oatmeal, 200ml skimmed milk and 80g of fresh or frozen blueberries.

Lunch: Beans on Toast - 330 cals

Spoon half a can (200g) of baked beans onto a thick slice of wholemeal toast. Have an orange for dessert.

Dinner: Smoked Haddock with Spinach and Lentils - 288 cals

Grill a 150g haddock fillet and serve with 100g of cooked lentils and 50g of baby spinach.

Snacks: - 281 cals

1 pot of low fat fruit yoghurt and 25g of unsalted nuts.

Day 5

Breakfast: Pink Grapefruit and porridge - 328 cals

Make the porridge with 40g of oatmeal, 200ml skimmed milk and a teaspoon of honey, serve with half a pink grapefruit.

Lunch: Fresh Vegetable Soup with Pumpernickel Bread - 303 cals

Serve half a carton of fresh veggie soup with a slice of pumpernickel. Have an apple for dessert.

Dinner: Poached Salmon and Vegetables - 406 cals

Poach a 175g salmon fillet and serve with steamed green beans and broccoli and 100g of boiled new potatoes.

Snacks: - 138 cals

30g of cottage cheese with an oatcake and a handful of grapes, and a satsuma.

Day 6

Breakfast: Fruit Yoghurt and bran flakes - 314 cals

Serve 30g of bran flakes with 200ml skimmed milk, plus a pot of low fat fruit yoghurt topped with a teaspoon of sunflower seeds.

Lunch: Grilled Mackerel with Cherry Tomato salad  306 cals

Grill a small (75g) fillet of mackerel. Combine 4 quartered cherry tomatoes with 2 chopped spring onions and spoon over the fish. Serve with a large green salad and 2 oatcakes.

Dinner: Steak with Mediterranean Vegetables - 392 cals

Cut up half a medium red pepper, half a medium onion, half a courgette and a medium tomato. Spray with Olive Oil fry light and roast in the oven until tender. Grill a 150g lean rump steak to your liking and serve with the vegetables and 100g cooked bulgar wheat.

Snacks: - 169 cals

Mixed Nuts and Seeds (25g). Split this into two portions if you want to make two snacks for the day.

Day 7

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs on Toast - 231 cals

Scramble 2 eggs with a tablespoon of semi-skimmed milk in the microwave, serve with a slice of wholemeal taste with a thin spread (7g) of low fat spread.

Lunch: Guacamole with Pitta and Crudites - 342 cals

Blend (or mash) half a medium avocado, a teaspoon of lemon juice, half a clove of garlic, a tomato and chilli to taste. Chop up 100g of mixed raw veggies like celery, carrot, peppers etc. Serve with the pitta lightly toasted.

Dinner: Turkey Breast Steaks with Sweet Potato - 550 cals

Bake a 200g sweet potato until tender. Brush 150g of Turkey breast with a teaspoon of olive and grill until cooked through. Serve with 90g of steamed curly kale and 85g of garden peas.

Snacks: - 89 cals

A medium apple and a pot of low fat fruit yoghurt.

Low GI Foods

The following table shows a selection of some common foods with a glycaemic index of up to 55. For a more comprehensive list see our Glycaemic Index Tables which give low, medium and high GI values for popular foods.