Every Saturday I share my Weight Watchers Weekly Meal Plans with Points and Recipes here on Simple Nourished Living. It includes what I'm planning to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well a few snack and dessert ideas.
Taking the time to think about what I'm cooking and eating ahead of time makes meal times so much easier. With the shopping done and weight watchers recipes at the ready I can just walk into the kitchen and get cooking. I don't stick to it one hundred percent. Life happens. But, it helps to have a rough guide and prevents me from reaching into the cookie jar or bag of chips too often. Whoever said that failing to plan was planning to fail was spot on!
I think we all know that cooking at home as much as we can is better for us. I recently ran across this study linking home cooking with a healthier diet. Basically, the study confirmed that people who cook at home more frequently ate fewer calories and less sugar than those who cooked at home less.
And there's more good news: When these people did eat out, the home cooks tended to consume fewer calories out of the home as well. I think the process of cooking gives home cooks better awareness of the ingredients and associated calories involved in preparing various dishes so we have the understanding to make better choices when we eat out.
We are all really busy, so the key to successful home cooking is to keep things simple. I tend to rotate between the same one or two breakfasts and lunches the days I eat at home. And because we are a family of two most recipes I make result in leftovers that we are happy to eat again. So, I usually only cook from scratch three or four times a week. We like to eat out a couple of times, usually during the weekend.
If I end up with more food than we can eat, I portion it out, package it up and pop it in the freezer for future quick and easy lunches and dinners.
I hope these posts make it easier for you to stay on track with your weight loss and/or healthy eating goals too. It's a process that gets easier with practice.
And remember, there's a Weight Watchers Weekly Meal Plans Section on the blog so you can get inspiration from all of the previous weekly meal plans too. Enjoy!
Weight Watchers Weekly Meal Plan (Week #48)
We are quickly closing in on Crocktober, the official beginning of Crock Pot Season. Can you believe it? Hard to believe it's been two years since I set out on my Year of Weight Watchers Crock Pot Cooking Challenge.
I only made it halfway, using my slow cooker for 183 days in a row to make Weight Watchers friendly recipes.
As a family of two, it's not necessary or practical to use my slow cookers everyday. That's part of why I love them.
Crockpot cooking creates a steady supply of leftovers that can be enjoyed another night, re-purposed into a new meal or frozen for future meals. Talk about a time and money saver.
So, pull yours out and put it to work. Have a lovely week and remember to take the time to cook something healthy and delicious for yourselves, dear friends!
Breakfast
This week I'm going to begin the day with a skinny latte (2PP) and either:
1) English Muffin (3PP) with Peanut Butter (3PP) and Fruit (0PP) on the side
2) Slow Cooker Baked Oatmeal (7PP) - One of my favorite ways to begin the day with fruit (0PP)
Lunch
I like to keep lunch quick and easy. Limiting my choices makes weight loss/maintenance easier. (Here's research that supports the idea.) I usually eat lunch out a couple days a week, which prevents me from getting too bored.
1. Kale Salad with Apples and Dates (4PP) - I love this salad. It makes 6 servings and is hearty enough to hold up in the fridge for a couple of days without wilting. To make it heartier I sometimes add more almonds and/or cheese. It would also be good with cooked turkey or chicken added. If I'm really hungry I can have 2 servings for just 8PP.
2. Leftovers from dinner
Dinner
Because we are a family of two most recipes result in leftovers, so, I only cook from scratch three or four times a week. (We eat out once or twice.)
1. Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew (4PP) with Crusty Bread (4PP) and a Simple Tossed Green Salad (0PP) dressed with Light Dressing (1T - 1PP)
2. Slow Cooker Creole White Beans and Chicken (6PP) served over Rice (½ cup - 3PP) and a Simple Green Salad (0PP) tossed with Olive Oil (2PP) and Vinegar (0PP)
3. Leftovers
4. Easy Crock Pot Corn Chowder (5PP) with Warm Crusty Bread (4PP) and Smoked Salmon (4PP)
5. Leftovers
Snacks
I try to limit my snacks to one in the late afternoon which keeps me from being overly hungry when I'm getting dinner. To prevent snacking while I'm making dinner, I often chew gum.
1. Baby Carrots and Celery (0PP) and Hummus (¼ cup - 3PP)
2. Apple (0PP) and Almonds (2 T - 2PP)
Dessert
I usually try to limit dessert to once or twice a week.
Slow Cooker Apple Cake (6PP) - Rod loves any kind of cake and I love apple cake so this is a big hit with both of us.
If you make one of our weight watchers recipes, we would love for you to take a picture and share it on Instagram. Use the hashtag #simplenourishedliving. We want to see what you are making and would love for you to follow us on Instagram.
And remember, there's a Weight Watchers Meal Plans with PointsPlus section on the blog so you can get inspiration from all of the previous weekly meal plans too.
Have a wonderful week!
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