Menu’s and Meal Plans – An Introduction
One key to making the Better Body Plan a success is to make quick and easy to prepare meals and eat simply. Most days, eat fruit and nuts for breakfast and something quick for lunch, such as a few fruits and a salad with a healthy serving of broccoli, peas or beans on top and a light dressing. You should be able to eat healthfully with very little work or effort. To assist you, the menu’s and recipe suggestions that follow are simple and easy to make. Feel free however to modify them and use your own ideas … as long as you always stick closely to the guidelines outlined already in this site.
The foods and recipes can be switched around and eaten in different combinations or at different meals. You will find below 14 days of delicious menu plans and recipes. Keep in mind that in the real world, you would not necessarily make all these different dishes and recipes each week. You may make a soup or a main dish and then use the leftovers for lunch the next day. Remember, you need to reassess what you consider to be a normal portion. Your former side dishes (e.g. salads, soups and vegetables) now become the main dishes, and the portion sizes of these lower calorie foods are much larger. With the Better Body Plan, it is almost impossible to eat too much food … but if you don’t stick to the program, you could end up eating too much of the wrong food … and then you won’t lose weight. Make your life simple. Enjoy your food, but don’t have your life revolve around a menu plan. The suggestions outlined below are delicious and should involve no sacrifice, only different choices.
The first week of sample menu’s is basically vegetarian and is designed for aggressive weight loss. The second week is slightly less aggressive and includes some animal products (less than 12 ounces per week) and a small amount of oil (no more than one teaspoon per day). A small amount of animal products can be added to any vegetable dish for flavour if desired, as long as you keep them below 12 ounces per week. Use white meat, fish, eggs or low fat dairy. If you want to make the non-vegetarian menu’s stricter and more effective, exclude all oil and limit the portion size of the whole grains or starchy vegetables. Remember, you can eat as much as you want of the raw and cooked none starchy vegetables and fresh and unsweetened fruits. Try to include a serving of beans every day as well as 1 ounce of raw nuts and seeds. Limit yourself to one serving per day of whole grains or starchy vegetables. Feel free to experiment. Since you are giving up lots of unhealthy foods, treat yourself to lots of delicious and exotic fruits. Also, try different fresh herbs and spices to season your food. They are also salt free and very high in antioxidants and phytonutrients.
Your Weekly Shopping List
Always keep a good assortment of healthy food in the house. A key to success is having the right kind of food available to prevent being tempted by the wrong kind of food. Here are some suggestions:
Vegetables to be eaten raw: carrots, celery, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, lettuce and other salad greens, snow peas, and sugar snap peas.
Vegetables for cooking (fresh and frozen) -broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, mushrooms, tomatoes, cabbage, string beans, kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens, spinach, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, onions and garlic.
Fruits (fresh or frozen) -strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwifruit, apples, oranges, pineapple, melons, lemons, limes, grapes, pears, bananas, mangoes, plums, peaches and cherries.
Raw nuts and seeds -walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, unhulled sesame seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, and chia seeds.
Ingredients for homemade soups -carrots, celery, garlic, onions, zucchini, fresh and dried herbs, no salt seasoning, leeks, turnips, dried beans, lentils and split peas.
Other staples – flavoured and balsamic vinegars, lemons, (use lemon juice on salads, in soup and other vegetable dishes), tomato sauce (homemade – no salt), salsa (homemade – no salt), avocados, tofu, edamame, (green soybeans) and good old fashioned rolled oats.
Fresh and dried herbs and seasoning’s – basil, oregano, dill, parsley, cilantro, chives, rosemary, thyme, ginger, garlic cloves, garlic powder, onion powder, mint, chilli powder, cumin, Cajun seasoning, pepper, curry powder, and cinnamon.
Menu’s and Meal Plans
The following menus and recipes are examples of diets and dishes rich in nutrients and fibre, consistent with the basic principles of healthful eating:
7 Days of Strict Vegetarian Meal Plans (for aggressive weight loss) (* recipes follow)
Day One
Breakfast
Strawberries, orange and cantaloupe sprinkled with ground flax and hemp seeds.
Lunch
Mixed green salad topped with beans and balsamic or flavoured vinegar.
Portobello – Red Pepper Pita
Dinner
Mixed greens and watercress salad with red peppers and Tofu Ranch Dressing.
Golden Austrian Cauliflower Cream Soup.
Strawberries sprinkled with cocoa powder.
Day Two
Breakfast
Quick Banana Breakfast to Go.
Lunch
Raw vegetables (carrots, red bell peppers and celery).
Steamed Broccoli with Sesame Ginger Sauce or Red Lentil Sauce.
Melon or other fresh fruit.
Dinner
Salad with lemon juice and shredded pear.
Chard and Vegetable Medley.
Jenna’s Peach Freeze.
Day Three
Breakfast
Eat Your Greens Fruit Smoothie.
Lunch
Black Bean Mango Salad.
Pineapple or other fresh fruit.
Dinner
Romaine and arugula salad with Apple Pie Dressing
Home made Mushroom Soup
Day Four
Breakfast
Dried apricots soaked in soy, hemp or almond milk.
Lunch
Mixed greed salad topped with white beans and walnuts and Dijon Date Dressing.
Fresh or frozen berries
Dinner
Raw vegetables (string beans, carrots, broccoli and peppers).
Simple Guacamole.
Home made Lentil Stew.
Collards and Carrots with Raisins.
Day Five
Breakfast
Blue Apple Nut Oatmeal
Lunch
Edamame with no salt seasoning.
Bean Enchiladas.
Papaya with lime or other fresh fruit.
Dinner
Romaine and napa cabbage salad with lemon or flavoured vinegar.
Thai Vegetable Curry.
Cantaloupe Slush.
Day Six
Breakfast
Creamy Fruit and Berry Smoothie
Lunch
Raw vegetables (carrots, celery, snow peas and mushrooms with Salsa.
Simple Bean Burgers with lettuce and tomato.
Kiwifruit or other fruit.
Dinner
Mixed greens and arugula salad with assorted vegetables and Creamy Blueberry Dressing.
Eggplant roll ups.
Steamed asparagus.
Day Seven
Breakfast
Mixed tropical fruit ( pineapple, mango, and banana)
sprinkled with flax seeds and unsweetened coconut.
Lunch
Raw vegetables (red peppers, zucchini and sugar snap peas).
Black Bean Hummus.
Healthy tortilla or pita crisps (Cut whole grain tortillas or pitas
into small triangles and place in oven at low temperature until crisp).
Apple or pear.
Dinner
Easy Three – Bean Vegetable Chili.
Great Greens.
Banana Walnut Ice Cream.
7 Days of Non vegetarian Meal Plans (for moderate weight loss) (* recipes follow)
Day One
Breakfast
Quick Banana Breakfast to Go.
Lunch
Raw vegetables (carrots, broccoli and cucumbers) with healthy Thousand Island Dressing.
Black Bean Lettuce Bundles.
Watermelon or other fresh fruit.
Dinner
Asian Vegetable Stir-fry.
Strawberries or other fresh fruit with Almond Chocolate Dip.
Day Two
Breakfast
Fruit and nut bowl (assorted fresh fruit sprinkled with nuts and seeds).
Lunch
Turkey (2 ounces) with mixed greens, broccoli sprouts, tomato and mustard on sprouted grain bread.
Grapes or other fresh fruit.
Dinner
Romaine and watercress salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Tomato Bisque
Banana Oat Bars
Day Three
Breakfast
Chocolate Smoothie
Lunch
Vegetable Bean Burrito.
Sliced avocado.
Orange or other fresh fruit.
Dinner
Romaine salad with Caesar Salad Dressing or other non fat low-sodium dressing.
No Meat Balls with low sodium or no salt added pasta sauce.
Baked spaghetti squash.
Spinach and Brussels Sprouts Marinara.
Day Four
Breakfast
Vegetable Omelet topped with salsa.
Lunch
Asparagus Shiitake Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing
Mixed Berries.
Dinner
Raw vegetables with Herbed White Bean Hummus.
High Cruciferous Vegetable Stew.
Day Five
Breakfast
Blue Apple Nut Oatmeal
Lunch
Pita Stuffed with Greens and Russian Fig Dressing
Pineapple or other fresh fruit.
Dinner
Mixed greens and arugula salad with tomatoes and Tofu
Ranch Dressing
No Pasta Vegetable Lasagna
Cara’s Apple Strudel.
Day Six
Breakfast
Banana – Cashew Lettuce Wrap
Lunch
Walnut – Pear Green Salad
Easy Vegetable Pizza
Dinner
Southern Style Mixed Greens
Black Forest Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Day Seven
Breakfast
Blended Mango Salad
Lunch
Mixed greens and watercress salad with assorted vegetables, topped with white beans and sunflower seeds, with flavoured vinegar.
Cantaloupe or other fresh fruit.
Dinner
Broiled fish fillets topped with Mango Salsa
Kale with Cashew Cream Sauce
Brown and wild rice with water sautéed onions.
Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream.
