The Happy New You Diet: Week 4

By Dietitian, Juliette Kellow BSc RD

Happy New You Diet Plan Introduction

Congratulations on completing the third week of the WLR Happy New You Diet. 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!

Breakfast:

Toast and jam

2 slices wholegrain toast with 2tsp each of low-fat spread and reduced-sugar jam. Plus 1 small glass fresh grapefruit juice.

Scrambled egg on toast

1 slice wholegrain toast, 1 egg scrambled with 1tbsp skimmed milk and grilled mushrooms. Plus 1 small banana.

Bagel and soft cheese

1 toasted bagel with 2tbsp low-fat soft cheese and 1 tomato.

Fruit salad and yoghurt

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

Branflakes with banana

5tbsp branflakes with 1 small banana and skimmed milk.

Porridge and honey

Bowl of porridge made with 2tbsp porridge oats and 100ml each of skimmed milk and water with 1tsp honey. Plus 1 small banana.

Special K

8tbsp Special K with skimmed milk and 1 small glass fresh orange juice. Plus 1 apple.

Lunches:

Chicken and watercress pitta

1 wholemeal pitta bread filled with 1 grilled skinless chicken breast, watercress and 1tsp reduced-fat mayonnaise. Plus 1 kiwi fruit.

Cheese and pickle sandwich

2 slices wholegrain bread filled with 3tbsp grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, 1tsp pickle and salad. Plus 1 bowl fresh fruit salad and 1 small pot fat-free fruit yoghurt.

Jacket potato with tuna

1 medium-sized jacket potato with ½ small can tuna in water mixed with 2tsp reduced-fat mayonnaise and salad with fat-free dressing.

Three bean salad

Chop ½ small red onion, ½ green and red pepper and 5 cherry tomatoes. Mix with 2tbsp each of red kidney beans, butter beans and chick peas, 4tbsp cooked brown rice and fat-free dressing.

Ham and mushroom omelette

Omelette made using a spray oil, 2 eggs, 1tbsp skimmed milk, mushrooms, 1 slice lean ham and 1tbsp grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese. Serve with salad and a 5cm piece Granary stick.

Prawn cocktail salad

Make a salad and top with a large handful of prawns and 1tbsp reduced-fat cocktail sauce. Serve with 1 wholemeal pitta bread. Plus 1 pear and 1 small pot fat-free fruit yoghurt.

Dinners:

Veggie stir fry

Fry 1 small bag of ready-prepared stir-fry veggies in 1tsp sunflower oil. When cooked, add 1tbsp soy sauce and heat through. Serve with 8tbsp cooked brown rice. Plus 1 kiwi fruit.

Pork chop and mash

1 grilled lean pork chop with 1 large potato mashed with 1tbsp skimmed milk and 1tsp low-fat spread, vegetables and fat-free gravy.

Chicken fajita

Cut 1 skinless chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and fry in 1tsp sunflower oil with a little fajita seasoning. When cooked, add ½ sliced red and green pepper and ½ small sliced red onion. Cook until the veg are brown. Fill 1 flour tortilla with the chicken and veg and 1tbsp salsa. Serve with any remaining chicken mixture.

Cottage pie

Dry fry 75g extra-lean minced beef until brown with 1 small chopped onion. Add 1 small can chopped tomatoes, 1tbsp tomato puree and fat-free gravy. Cook until the sauce thickens. Transfer the meat and a little of the gravy to a small ovenproof dish. Mash 1 large potato with 1tbsp skimmed milk and 1tsp low-fat spread and place over the minced beef. Top with 1tbsp grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and grill until the top browns. Serve with veg and the remaining gravy.

Salmon fish cake and chips

1 large, fresh salmon fish cake with 115g low-fat oven chips, salad with fat-free dressing and a lemon wedge.

Tuna steak

1 grilled fresh tuna steak with 4 new potatoes in their skins and vegetables. Plus 1 apple and 1 small pot fat-free fruit yoghurt.

Pasta and vegetable bake

Mix steamed broccoli, 2tbsp sweetcorn, 5tbsp cooked wholewheat pasta and ½ large jar low-fat tomato sauce together and place in an ovenproof dish. Top with 1tbsp grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and place under a grill until the top browns. Serve with salad and fat-free dressing.

Snacks:

Fresh fruit

1 small banana and 1 satsuma.

Tomato on toast

1 slice wholegrain toast with 1tsp low-fat spread and 1 tomato.

Avocado salad

½ small avocado with salad and fat-free dressing.

Hummus and carrot sticks

3tbsp reduced-fat hummus and carrot sticks.

Minestrone soup

1 small can minestrone soup.

Yoghurt and fruit

1 small pot fat-fruit yoghurt and a handful of grapes.

Rice cakes and cheese

2 rice cakes with 1tbsp low-fat soft cheese, salad 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.
• 1/2pt 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 eg Boots Shapers, M&S Count on us.
• 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.

Happy New You Diet Plan Introduction

*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