Your Daily Meal Planner

Tips To Live By – Get Thinner Without Making Drastic Changes

One of the reasons why we eat out too often is lack of time. The key component of this meal plan is advance preparation. A grocery list will make it easy for you to buy everything you need for the week.

A) Starting The Process:
Preparing meats just one week at a time in large quantities can make it easy to put together a nutritious meal in a hurry. Another key step is to prepare enough food so you can pack up last night’s dinner and it can be lunch for the next day!

B) The benefits of packing your lunch are as follows:
1. You can eat better for less money.
2. You can control what you eat; that means better calorie control and weight management.
3. It saves you time by not having to go anywhere to get food.
The end result? You’ll be enjoying healthier eating that is good for you and will save you lots of money. The benefit of eating at home is that you are in complete control of what you eat.

Also, when it applies to your lifestyle, you’ll find yourself cooking and eating together with your family without the bustle of being locked into paying too much in restaurants almost every day. And the benefit is you will find that you’re building stronger relationships with your kids and with your spouse… or significant other.
 
C) Your Grocery List:
The following is a list that is nearly perfect if you have a family of 4. Just multiply or subtract from this example by an appropriate number depending on how many are in your family.
Also, if you don’t like chicken, you can substitute with turkey and vice versa.

Meats and Fish:
Whole chicken x3 or equivalent amount of chicken pieces (if you don’t have time to roast meat yourself, buy rotisserie chicken)
Turkey breast x1 (already cooked turkey breast can be also purchased)
Wild salmon: 3 pounds

Dried Herbs/Spices/Miscellaneous Items: 1 Container Of
Herbs de Provence
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Rosemary
Thyme
Oregano
Basil
Salt/pepper
Cinnamon
Baking powder
All purpose flour
Wheat flour
Nonstick cooking spray
Extra virgin olive oil
Vegetable oil

Vegetables:
Garlic
Celery
Romaine lettuce
Cucumber
Zucchini
Bell pepper
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Onions
Sugar snap peas
Kale: 12-16 oz bag
Green onion
Red cabbage

Fruits:
Orange
Lime
Frozen berry blend or strawberries
Fresh blueberries
Banana

Nuts:
Walnuts
Raw almonds

Cheese:
Parmesan cheese
Low fat Mexican blend cheese

Dry ingredients:
Rolled oats
Steel-cut or Irish oatmeal
Dried cranberries
Ground flaxseed
Whole wheat 7” tortillas
Soba or buckwheat noodles
Wild rice

Sauce/Syrup:
Maple or pancake syrup
Balsamic vinegar
Lawry’s sesame ginger marinade
Salsa
Cranberry sauce
Mayonnaise: low fat
Caesar or blue cheese salad dressing: low fat
Rice wine vinegar

Canned Vegetables:
Black beans: 4
Reduced sodium, low fat chicken broth: 5 14 oz containers
Whole kernel corn: 4

Dairy Products: 1 Container
Low fat plain yogurt
Almond milk, vanilla flavored

Brown Eggs:
1 dozen
 
Preparing Meats:
Herbed roasted chicken:
Ingredients:
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon herbs de Provence, dry
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 whole chicken
1 large orange
1 large onion

Number of servings: 4
Calories per serving: 254
Directions:
1. Rinse and pat dry chicken.
2. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Using your hands, rub the herb mixture under the skin but without removing the skin until all chicken surface is generously covered.
4. Cut orange and onion into large pieces and stuff it inside chicken.
5. Place chicken in a roaster and cook according to directions. If you don’t have a roaster, you can cook in the oven but it’s much easier if you invest in a roaster. With a roaster, you can put the lid on and forget about it until the meat is done.
6. To test doneness of the meat, place a meat thermometer in the thickest portion of the chicken. Temperature should be around 170 degrees in the breast and 180 degrees in the thigh region.

Herb Roasted Turkey breast:
Use the same directions and ingredients as for above roasted chicken recipe.
If you don’t have time or don’t like to mess with roasting meat, you can buy rotisserie chicken and roasted turkey breast at your grocery stores.
 
Begin Day 1:
Menu:
Breakfast: Oat pancakes
Lunch: Chicken salad
Dinner: Roasted turkey with herbs; serve with grilled vegetables.
Oat Pancakes:

I suggest that you make enough of these pancakes to last 2 meals. Pancakes can be prepared in advance and stored in plastic containers or in a storage bag. You can take them out when you need them and just microwave them for 20 seconds or so. You will have hot, steaming pancakes just as if you cooked them that morning. These also are good as snacks, especially if you make them smaller and for kids, try using those fancy shapes to make it fun.

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup rolled oats
¾ cup all purpose flour
½ cup wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
3 egg whites
2 ¼ cup almond milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
Nonstick cooking spray
Light maple or pancake syrup

Single serving: 2 pancakes
Number of servings: 8
Calories per serving: 230

Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well.
2. In a small bowl, whisk egg; stir in milk, oil, honey and vanilla. Add all to flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes for oat to soften.
3. Coat a griddle or skillet with nonstick spray. Preheat on medium heat. Pour about ¼ cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden. Serve with syrup or honey.

Lesson:
Whole wheat flour is less processed than all purpose flour. This means that whole wheat flour contains more nutrients. The closer to its natural form, such as whole wheat, the higher the nutritional value. Any time a refining process is used to make white all purpose flour it strips nutrients from whole wheat.

Chicken salad:
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped chicken
1/3 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoon plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoon light mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
1 bunch romaine lettuce
½ cup chopped almonds
½ cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoon balsalmic vinegar
Number of servings: 4
Calories/serving: 250

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, stir together chicken, celery, almonds, cucumber, vinegar, mayonnaise and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Wash and dry romaine lettuce, torn into small pieces.
3. Place over lettuce.
4. You can use this salad to make a sandwich with whole wheat or multi grain bread; make whole wheat pitas or whole wheat tortilla wrap.

Grilled vegetables:
Number of servings: 4
Calories per serving:
Ingredients:
2 zucchini, halved
2 red or yellow bell peppers, halved
1 table spoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Wash and pat dry vegetables. Cut zucchini in half, lengthwise. Cut bell pepper in half.
2. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and then add salt and pepper to suit your taste.
3. Place on hot grill, skin side down. Grill 3-5 minutes. Do not overcook.
 
Begin Day 2:
Menu:
Breakfast: Omelet with mushroom, green onion and tomatoes
Lunch: chicken salad wrap (use previous day’s chicken salad recipe; wrap with whole wheat tortilla and shredded lettuce)
Dinner: roasted turkey with herbs; serve with a salad of your choice

Omelet with Mushroom, green onions and tomatoes
Ingredients:
1. Nonstick cooking spray
2. 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
3. 3 tablespoons sliced green onion
4. 4 eggs
5. 1/8 teaspoon salt
6. Dash black pepper
7. 1 medium tomato, chopped
8. 1 tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese
9. ¼ teaspoon herbes de Provence or your favorite herb

Number of servings: 2
Calories per serving: 220
Directions:
1. Coat a 10” skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add mushrooms, green onions and cook until tender. Remove using slotted spoon. Wipe out skillet with paper towel.
2. In a bowl, combine eggs, salt, pepper and a pinch of herbes de Provence; whisk until combined.
3. Pour half of the egg mixture into the skillet and spread to coat the skillet. Top with the mushroom mixture and Parmesan cheese. Remove from skillet. Top with tomatoes. Cut omelet in ½ and serve.

Begin Day 3
Breakfast: Oat pancakes
Lunch: roasted turkey whole wheat wrap( spread 2-3 tablespoon of cranberry sauce on whole wheat tortilla. Add turkey, lettuce, tomato)
Dinner: Wild salmon with black bean and corn salad

Wild salmon with black bean and corn salad:
Wild salmon is better for you than farm raised. Farm raised salmon is fed small pellets of dried fish components which contain chemicals that are not so good for you. If you eat farm raised salmon, you should not eat this more than 1-2 a month due to its chemical content. Wild salmon can be eaten everyday.

Ingredients:
1. 1 ¼ pound wild salmon filets, fresh or frozen
2. Nonstick cooking spray
3. 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4. Salt and pepper
5. 2 tablespoon fresh or dried oregano, thyme and basil or any other herb mixture you like
6. 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
7. 1 can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
8. 1 tablespoon lime juice
9. 1 tablespoon honey
10. 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Number of servings: 4
Calories/serving: 250
Directions:
1. Rinse and pat dry salmon
2. Drizzle olive oil on salmon. Salt and pepper. Coat with herb mixture
3. Coat a grill pan or a skillet with nonstick spray.
4. Cook salmon 8-12 minutes, turning once.
5. Combine lime juice, honey and vinegar and whisk until honey dissolves. Add corn and black beans.
6. Top with salmon.
 
Begin Day 4:
Breakfast: Omelet with spinach, corn, red pepper
Lunch: Wild salmon with black bean and corn salad
Dinner: Chicken soba noodle soup
Omelet with Spinach, Corn and Red Pepper:

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
Dash salt and pepper
¾ cup spinach leaves
¼ cup chopped red bellcpepper
¼ cup whole corn kernels
2 tablespoon sliced green onion
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 lime, cut and squeezed
1 tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese

Number of servings: 2
Calories per serving: 195
Directions:
1. Mix cilantro, lime juice, corn, green onions and red pepper. Set aside.
2. Coat 10” skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat.
3. In a bowl, combine eggs, salt, pepper; whisk until combined.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and spread to coat the skillet. Cook until egg is set and shiny. Top with spinach and Parmesan cheese over ½ of the omelet. Fold the other ½ of omelet over the spinach. Remove from skillet. Top with corn/pepper mixture. Cut omelet in ½ and serve.

Chicken Buckwheat/Soba Noodle Soup:
If you grew up eating white noodles in your chicken soup, well, let’s be adventurous and convert it to healthier soba noodle. Soba noodle is whole grain substitute for white noodles or spaghetti noodles made with refined four. It has more flavor and is better for you. Plus, it looks more gourmet!!

Ingredients:
1 cups water
3 14 ounce can reduced sodium, low fat chicken broth
4 cloves garlic
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 ounces soba or buckwheat noodles, coarsely broken
3 medium carrots, sliced
1 6 ounce frozen sugar snap peas, thawed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Number of servings; 5 1 ½ cup servings
Calories/serving: 218
Directions:
1. In a large stockpot, cook chicken with olive oil.
2. Add carrots, celery, sugar snap peas, water, chicken broth, noodles. Bring to boiling. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.
 
Begin Day 5:
Breakfast: Steel-cut oatmeal (also called Irish oatmeal)
Lunch: chicken soba noodle soup
Dinner: turkey and wild rice salad

Steel-cut Oatmeal:
Steel-cut oats are less processed form of rolled oats or quick oats. These oats are cut into small pieces rather than being rolled. They are more chewy and have more nutty flavor. They have lower glycemic index than regular oatmeal and better for controlling blood sugar. This is especially good for diabetics. Oats also help you lower your cholesterol. So, become a friend with oats!

Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 cup steel-cut oats
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups almond milk or fat-free milk
Optional toppings: bananas, walnuts, blueberries

Number of servings: 3 1-cup servings
Calories per serving: 300
Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine water and oats, salt and cinnamon. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until oats are desired consistency. If you like oats to cook faster or softer consistency, soak oats over night. Stir frequently.
2. Remove from heat. Add honey for sweetness. Add milk to dilute the oatmeal to desired consistency.
3. Optional: top with blueberries, walnuts and banana or substitute with other toppings of your choice.
4. You can store leftover in an air tight container. Microwave or heat on stove top with extra milk or water if needed.
Turkey and Wild Rice Salad:
Wild rice contains fewer calories than white rice and expands 3-4 times its original size when cooked so you don’t need to eat as much. Plus it is more nutritious than refined white rice.

Ingredients:
1 cup wild or brown rice, cooked according to directions
1 pound thinly turkey, cubed or sliced
Salt and pepper
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup chopped basil, oregano, rosemary (or any herb combination you like)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded red cabbage
½ cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoon almonds, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup low sodium, low fat chicken broth
Number of servings: 6
Calories/serving: 270

Directions:
1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. In a large skillet, add olive oil. Add chicken and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add vinegar, herb mixture and chicken broth. Add dried cranberries.
3. Add chicken mixture to cooked rice. Toss to combine.
4. Top with carrots and red cabbage and almonds.
 
Begin Day 6
Breakfast: Fruit smoothie and wheat toast
Lunch: Turkey and wild rice salad
Dinner: Chicken and vegetable stir fry:

Fruit Smoothie:
Fruit smoothie is a great way to eat fruits and drink milk/juice. You can involve your kids and let them pick out their own ingredients. I like using almond milk instead of juice because it gives it smoother, thicker consistency. Almond milk has less calories than fruit juice. If you are using juice, make sure you get one that says 100% fruit juice. Fruit cocktails contain 10-15% of juice so you are essentially buying sugar water.

Flaxseed is a great way to get extra omega 3 fatty acids which are good for preventing cardiovascular diseases.
Ingredients:
1. 1 cup vanilla flavored almond milk or 1 cup 100% fruit juice with flavor of your juice
2. 1 cup frozen or fresh berry blend (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries…etc.)
3. 1 banana; substitute with other fruits if you don’t like banana or vegetables like carrots
4. 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

Number of servings: 2 9oz servings
Calories/serving: 260
Directions:
1. In a blender, combine all of above ingredients. Cover and blend until smooth.
2. Drink alone or if you need more substance, add a piece of wheat or multi grain toast.
3. Pour in a to go cup if you are in a hurry.

Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry:
Number of servings: 4
Calories per serving: 270

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup wild rice, cook according to package directions
1 medium onion, sliced
3 medium size carrots, cut into strips
1 12 ounce bag kale, washed and drained
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 zucchini
12 ounce cooked chicken breast, cubed or sliced
½ cup water
¼ cup Lawry’s sesame ginger marinade

Directions:
1. Heat wok. Add olive oil. Add carrots and kale. Add water. Cover with lid and cook 5 minutes. Stirring frequently.
2. Add onion, bell pepper. Cook 5 minutes. Stirring frequently.
3. Add turkey, zucchini and marinade. Cook until vegetables are done. Turn off heat.
4. Serve with wild rice.
 
Begin Day 7:
Breakfast: Steel-cut oatmeal
Lunch: Chicken with wild rice salad
Dinner: Turkey quesadillas

Turkey quesadillas:
Ingredients:
8 7” whole wheat tortillas
Nonstick cooking spray
12 ounce cooked chicken, cut into bit site pieces
2 small red sweet peppers, seeded and chopped
¼ cup sliced green onions
¾ cup Mexican blend, low fat cheese
4 cup shredded lettuce
Purchased salsa
Number of servings: 4
Calories/serving: 260
Directions:
1. If you have a quesadilla maker, this is a snap. If not, use nonstick skillet. Heat over medium heat.
2. Coat with nonstick spray.
3. Place tortilla in the skillet. Top half of the tortilla with turkey, green onions, and peppers. Cover with cheese.
4. Fold torilla in half. Press down lightly. Cook until tortilla is lightly browned. Turn over and cook the opposite side.
5. Remove from heat. Cut in half and serve with lettuce and salsa.

Happy & Healthy Eating To All
Jennie Yoon M.D.
Medical Director of Women’s Imaging
Florida Hospital

Be sure to read my newest book: Breast Cancer Prevention Starts With Healthy Livining Available At Amazon.com

For more healthy and tasty recipe ideas visit the following sites:
Going Fat Free.com
YouTube.com/JennieYoon
Pink Is Powerful.com