Menu Plan Monday; National Body Challenge Week #3

It’s the beginning of week 3 and I’ve got some new recipes to try! To see my reviews for last weeks recipes, see here.

My goal is to aim for 1500-1800 calories a day. To do this, I plan approximately: 300 calories for breakfast, 500 each for lunch and dinner, and 200 calories for the afternoon snack. So if I pick out recipes which fit into those calorie ranges for 1 serving, then I don’t have to do too much thinking while I’m cooking and eating. And if I don’t have that info already, like say I’m having carrot sticks and ranch dressing for a snack, I can look at the nutritional info and prepare about 200 calories worth because I’ve already set that amount as a guide.

I’ve left myself leeway in case one meal runs over a little bit or I find myself in need of a snack or dessert after dinner. The trick is just to keep it low-calorie. I have a favorite stand-by low-calorie snack/dessert/breakfast. To about 1 cup of banana slices (134 cal), add 1/2 cup lowfat strawberry yogurt (110 cal), and top with 1/4 cup Post Honey Bunches of Oats or Malt-O-Meal Honey & Oat Blenders (40 cal). It’s filling enough, and for me, the crunch makes it satisfying so that I don’t feel the need to keep snacking on something else after finishing it. (I like crunch.)

One last thing that I’m keeping in mind while I’m planning our healthier eating is allotting veggies two meals a day and fruits two meals a day. If not, I try to double up on one meal. Well, most days. If I do that, I’m most likely to give my family their necessary fruits and vegetables for the day.

So here’s my menu for this week. Eat healthy!

Sunday:

• Breakfast – Yogurt, Fruit Cereal (We were running late this morning.)
• Lunch -  Sweet & Spicy Beef Fajitas, Salsa Fresca
• Snack – Homemade Granola Bars
• Supper – Taco Soup, Baked Tortilla Chips, Avocado Slices

Monday:

• Breakfast -Breakfast Tostadas (modified using egg substitute and an oven instead of a microwave.)
• Lunch – Leftovers or Sandwiches, Sliced Apples
• Snack – Ritz Crackers, Sliced Cheddar, Carrot Sticks & Ranch, Grapes
• Supper – Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde, Salad

Tuesday:

• Breakfast – Cereal
• Lunch – Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• Snack – Banana Sections, Grapes, Apple Slices, Fruit Dip
• Supper – Shepherd’s Pie, Cornbread

Wednesday:

• Breakfast – Eggs, Turkey Bacon, Biscuits, Orange Wedges
• Lunch – Leftovers & Sliced Fruit
• Snack – Carrot Sticks & Ranch, Popcorn
• Supper – Slow Cooker Cordon Bleu, Rice, Steamed Squash, French-Style Green Beans

Thursday:

• Breakfast – Cereal & Grapes
• Lunch – Chef Salads & Ritz Crackers
• Snack – Yogurt, Banana Slices, Cereal Topping
• Supper – Slow Cooker Pork Loin, Potatoes, Corn on the Cob

Friday:

• Breakfast – Scrambled Eggs, Turkey Bacon, Biscuits, Fruit
• Lunch – Leftovers & Sliced Veggies
• Snack – Popcorn
• Supper – Grilled Chicken & Low-Fat Fettuccine Alfredo, Salad

Saturday:

• Breakfast – Biscuits & Gravy, Turkey Bacon
• Lunch – Leftovers or Sandwiches
• Snack – Peanut Butter, Ritz, Cheese, Apple Slices
• Supper – Porccupine Meatballs, Baked Macaroni & Cheese (I’ll use high fiber pasta), Steamed Cauliflower, Ranch Beans

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie!