Planning Ahead

I was just looking over next week's menu, trying to come up with my own. This is going to be harder than I thought. Here is some of what I've come up with, very loosely based on the book's menu. I'm very open to suggestions!

Sunday Breakfast:

• 1 piece of fruit
• 3/4 oz oatmeal squares
• 3/4 cup skim milk

Sunday Lunch:

• broiled turkey burgers (assuming we have a broiler by then)
• 1 hamburger roll
• 2 tsp. ketchup
• 1/2 cup carrots
• cucumber-tomato salad

Sunday Dinner:

• macaroni and cheese
• 1/4 cup peas
• 1/4 cup carrots
• green salad

Sunday Snacks:

• 2 pieces fruit
• 3/4 cup milk

**********

Monday Breakfast:

• 1/2 cup juice
• 1 egg
• 1 slice toast
• 1 tsp. margarine
• 1/4 cup skim milk

Monday Lunch:

• 2 1/4 oz. chicken on lettuce with 1 tsp. mayonnaise and diced tomatoes
• 1 slice bread
• 1/2 cup low-calorie jello
• 3/4 cup skim milk

Monday Dinner:

• 3 oz. broiled haddock
• 1/4 cup squash (whichever kind is on sale)
• 1/2 cup green beans
• salad
• fruit

Monday Snacks:

• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 cup juice

**********

Tuesday Breakfast:

• 1 piece fruit
• 1 oz. cheese
• 1 slice toast
• 1/2 cup skim milk

Tuesday Lunch:

• deli meat on toast
• salad with 1 oz. shredded cheese
• canned fruit

Tuesday Dinner:

• 3 oz roast beef
• 1/2 cup wax beans
• 1/2 cup carrots
• salad
• 1 piece fruit

Tuesday Snacks:

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 english muffin
• 1 tsp. margarine + 2 tsp. jelly

***********

Wednesday Breakfast:

• 1 piece fruit
• 1 serving cream of wheat
• 1 cup skim milk

Wednesday Lunch:

• Greek salad
• 1 slice wheat bread
• 1 tsp. margarine

Wednesday Dinner:

• 3 oz. baked chicken
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1/2 cup zucchini
• salad

Wednesday Snacks:

• 1/2 cup low-calorie pudding
• 1/4 banana
• 3/4 cup canned fruit
• 2 graham crackers

**************

Thursday Breakfast:

• 1 cup juice
• 1 pita broiled with mustard and 1 oz. cheese
• 1/2 cup skim milk

Thursday Lunch:

• 3 T. peanut butter
• 2 tsp. jelly
• 1 slice bread
• carrot sticks
• 1/2 cup applesauce

Thursday Dinner:

• 3 oz steak
• 1/2 cup snow pea stir fry
• fruit gelatin pie
• salad
• 1/2 cup skim ilk

Thursday Snacks:

• root beer froth
• 1/2 cup strawberries w/ 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1 piece fruit

*************

Friday Breakfast:

• 1/3 cup juice
• 3/4 oz oatmeal squares
• 1 cup skim milk

Friday Lunch:

• use up any ingredients that will go bad soon
• include a meat, a veggie, a fruit, and a salad

Friday Dinner:

• probably pizza, using any veggie toppings available
• salad
• low-calorie pudding

Friday Snacks:

• 1 piece of fruit
• 2 graham crackers
• 3 oz. frozen yogurt

***************

Saturday Breakfast:

• Use up any ingredients that will go bad
• include a grain, a fruit, cheese, and milk

Saturday Lunch:

• EMS DAY, try to not eat like a pig

Saturday Dinner:

• Use up any ingredients that will go bad
• include meat, 2 veggies, salad, small dinner roll

Saturday Snacks:

• canned fruit
• 1 piece fresh fruit

***********

That's the tentative plan. I've left it specific enough to actually have a plan to stick to, but vague enough to allow me freedom based on grocery sales.

One of the goals I hope to accomplish through this project is to learn how to menu plan like this by myself. My biggest hurdle is remembering to include enough fruits and veggies, as well as GOOD grains.

It has been very easy for me to identify patterns in this diet. Dinner always includes 2 veggies, and usually a salad, but very few (if any) grains. I think that's a pretty easy system to stick to.

I've been making a side dish (potatoes, rice, etc) for the rest of the family, because they'd overthrow me if I didn't. I usually have one very small spoonful, just so I don't end up craving it and hiding in the closet to eat a huge bowl of it.

Having built-in snacks planned into my day has been a huge help. It's nice to know that if I feel hungry between meals, I'm ALLOWED to have a couple graham crackers or a bowl of applesauce.

I'd like to give my "freedom" menu a fair shot this coming week. If it goes well, I'll probably try it again, using the WW book for ideas. Surprisingly, quite a lot of my proposed menu this week came directly from, or was greatly inspired by, the WW book. I didn't just completely make it up out of thin air. Using the book as a guide, and with practice, I hope to be able to do it by myself eventually.