The Get Slim for Spring Diet Plan (be a happy loser)
By wlr's resident foodie Joanne Putney
Does the “D” word conjure up images of endless plates of limp lettuce and tasteless food? Don’t worry, the Slim for Spring diet plan will make you happy to be eating good, healthy food.
Put together by the wlr foodies for Bella magazine, this 2 week plan is full of scrummy breakfasts, lush lunches and delicious dinners to help you lose weight and add a spring to your step.
How it works
- The plan provides 1100 to 1200 calories a day. Add a few healthy snacks, or increase some portions sizes if your calorie allowance should be more.
- Keep a food diary to help boost your chances of success.
- Repeat this plan until you reach your weight-loss goal. You should lose up to 2lbs a week – maybe more to start with.
- You won’t spend all your time in the kitchen as prep and cooking has been kept to a minimum.
- You’ll eat more than five portions of fruit and veg on most days.
- All recipes given are for one, unless otherwise specified.
- You can have black tea or coffee, diet drinks and water to drink.
You can add your own meals, drinks or snacks to the plan by taking a free trial of the wlr tools, this will also give you access to week 2 of the plan.
~ Day 1 ~
1,087 calories, 6.3 portions of fruit and veg
Breakfast: Pancakes with raspberries and chocolate sauce (Serves 4)
Make our recipe for higher protein pancakes. Serve 2 pancakes per person topped with 80g fresh raspberries and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
Lunch: Toast with houmous, avocado and tomatoes
Toast 1 slice of medium wholemeal bread and top with 15g reduced-fat houmous, half a sliced avocado and 5 cherry tomatoes. Have 1 apple and 50g red grapes on the side, or save for a snack later..
Dinner: Szechuan chicken stir-fry with jasmine rice
Stir-fry 1 skinless chicken breast, cut into strips, in 1tsp olive oil. Add 80g chopped broccoli. Once cooked, add in 60g Szechuan stir-fry sauce. Cook 60g jasmine rice, spoon the stir-fry on top and sprinkle on 1 sliced spring onion.
~ Day 2 ~
1,106 calories, 9.5 portions of fruit and veg
Baked eggs with prosciutto and tomato
Line 2 cups of a non-stick muffin tray with 2 slices prosciutto. Crack an egg into each, along with 2 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C/gas 6 until cooked. Serve with a slice of wholemeal bread.
Lunch: Broccoli soup
Heat a can of Baxters Broccoli, Salmon & Watercress soup, and have a banana for afters.
Dinner: Quick pasta Bolognese
Dry-fry 100g extra-lean minced beef. Add in 1 diced onion, 1 grated carrot, half a finely chopped celery stalk and half a crushed garlic clove. Stir in 400g tinned chopped tomatoes. Cook 75g rigatoni according to the packet instructions. Serve with 5 halved cherry tomatoes and 5 basil leaves on top.
~ Day 3 ~
1,114 calories, 7 portions of fruit and veg
Breakfast: Granola with Greek yoghurt and berries
Top 45g granola with 4tbsp low-fat Greek yoghurt. Sprinkle 80g raspberries, 30g blueberries and 6 strawberries on top.
Lunch: Ryvita with smoked salmon, cream cheese and spinach
Spread 35g cream cheese on to 3 Ryvita, then top each with a few baby spinach leaves and a slice of smoked salmon. Have 1 apple and 2 figs for afters, or save for a snack later.
Dinner: Tomato and olive quiche with garlic bread (Serves 4)
Make our recipe for tomato, onion and olive quiche . Serve 1 slice per person, hot or cold, with 2 slices of garlic bread each.
~ Day 4 ~
1,117 calories, 5 portions of fruit and veg
Breakfast: Fruity porridge with honey
Using 30g porridge oats and 150ml semi-skimmed milk, make up your porridge. Top with 1 small sliced banana, ½tsp cinnamon and 1tsp honey. Also top with, or enjoy separately, 3 sliced strawberries and 15 blueberries.
Lunch: Sweet and savoury open sandwich
Top 1 slice wholemeal bread with 35g cream cheese, 2 slices prosciutto and 2 figs, halved.
Dinner: Toad in the hole with mixed veg and gravy (Serves 4)
Make our recipe for toad in the hole. Serve with 160g steamed veg and 70g gravy per person.
~ Day 5 ~
1,083 calories, 5.3 portions of fruit and veg
Breakfast: Poached eggs on toast
Poach 2 medium eggs and serve with a slice of wholemeal toast and 5 cherry tomatoes.
Lunch: Tomato soup
Heat a can of tomato and basil soup and enjoy. Have 1 banana and 10 grapes for afters.
Dinner: Breaded sea bass with yellow rice and peppers
Place a saucepan with salted water over a high heat and bring to the boil. Add rice and ½tsp turmeric, and cook according to the packet instructions. Season both sides of a 100g sea bass fillet with salt and pepper. Place 10g self-raising flour in a shallow dish, gently press the fillet into the flour to coat and shake off the excess. Heat 1tsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat, cook the sea bass in the hot oil until the fish flakes easily with a fork – about 4 mins per side. Serve with the rice and 75g roasted peppers, drained.
~ Day 6 ~
1,082 calories, 6.5 portions of fruit and veg
Breakfast: Blueberry smoothie
Put 1 small banana, a handful of blueberries, 100ml fresh orange juice and 100g low-fat Greek yoghurt into a smoothie maker or blender. Blitz and serve with a sprinkle of muesli on the top for a bit of crunch.
Lunch: Ham and salad wrap
Slice half a red pepper and place in the centre of a tortilla wrap with 4 slices of wafer-thin honey roast ham and a couple of lettuce leaves. Drizzle 1tbsp low-fat French dressing on top and wrap it up. Then enjoy an apple and cinnamon muffin (see day 7) and 10 grapes for afters, or save as a snack for later.
Dinner: Ricotta cheese omelette with tomatoes
Make an omelette using 2 medium eggs. Halve 5 cherry tomatoes and slice 2 spring onions. When the omelette is almost cooked, add 50g ricotta cheese and fold. Serve with the cherry tomatoes and spring onions sprinkled on top, and a slice of wholemeal bread on the side.
~ Day 7 ~
1,096 calories, 9.2 portions of fruit and veg
Breakfast: Apple and cinnamon muffins (Makes 12)
Make our recipe for apple and cinnamon muffins. (Muffins keep well for two days at room temperature, or for four days in the fridge. They can also be frozen.) Serve 1 with a banana and a 200ml glass of semi-skimmed milk.
Lunch: Turkey, salad and mayo bagel
Slice a sesame seed bagel in half. Top one half with 60g wafer-thin turkey, 2 lettuce leaves, 10g sliced red onion, 1 sliced medium tomato and 1tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise. Finish off with 50g red grapes.
Dinner: Chicken and butternut squash stew (Serves 4)
Peel and dice 2 small onions, 2 cloves garlic, 2 medium carrots and 2 stalks celery. Heat 1tsp olive oil in a large pan, add the vegetables and cook until they start to soften – about 5-10 mins. Meanwhile, cut 4 skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and peel and dice 320g butternut squash. Add the chicken, squash, 800g tinned chopped tomatoes and 250ml white wine to the vegetables. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hr. Peel and dice 240g potatoes, add to the pan, and simmer for a further 20 mins.
It’s the practicalities that can often sabotage a diet. That’s why we’ve made this plan simple to shop for and prepare. If you use the plan in WLR you can produce a shopping list, swap meals around or substitute any that you don’t like. You can try it free.
*WLR diet plans are designed to produce a healthy weight loss of 1-2lbs per week, based on UK Health Department estimates of average daily calorie needs for men and women in the UK. Of course, not everyone's needs are 'average', so predicted weight loss will differ from person to person. For a more accurate idea of how many calories you need as an individual, you can use the WLR tools free for 24 hours here
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You can follow the Slim for Spring plan or use the planning tools in WLR to create your own diet plan - an interesting thing to do! Click the Diet Plans button in your Food Diary - you can try it free for 24 hours
