Weight Watchers Friendly Meal Planning Ideas
Every Friday I send out an email with what I'm planning to eat for dinner in the coming week which I also archive here on the blog. It helps keep me accountable and I hope you find it helpful as well.
The Benefits of Weekly Meal Planning
Getting dinner on the table is so much easier when you've planned what you're cooking and eating ahead of time and done the grocery shopping.
It's the only thing that prevents me from resorting to fast food or takeout more often than I should.
Every time I get out of the meal planning habit and resort to take-out, restaurants, and snacking on junk, it's amazing how crappy I feel and how quickly the pounds pack on.
THE KEY TO EATING WELL IS COOKING.
When you're trying to eat well, not cooking isn't an option. There are just too many unknowns (hidden sugar, flour, fats, chemicals, points), too many temptations, and portions are way too large for you to routinely eat well on take-out or pre-made food.
As far as I'm concerned the Slow Cooker is the best invention ever for folks trying to eat healthy and lose weight without losing their minds.
Meal Planning + Slow Cooking = Easy Healthy Dinner!
I use mine at least once a week, sometimes more!
I'm absolutely, positively convinced that cooking with my crock-pot (affiliate link) is directly linked to the success I've had keeping my weight off!
We are a family of two, so most recipes result in leftovers that we are happy to pack up for lunch the next day, freeze for a future quick-and-easy meal, or transform somehow.
THE KEY TO CONSISTENT COOKING IS PLANNING.
In the beginning meal planning can be a huge chore. The key is finding an approach that works for you over the long haul.
You can do-it-yourself, of course.
But, if you want a little help with your meal plans be sure to check out:
- My Month of Meal Plans eBook (updated with WW Freestyle SmartPoints)
- Kristen from Slender Kitchen's Meal Planning Made Easy (affiliate link)
- Alisha from Meal Planning Mommies 12-Week Meal Planner eCookbook (affiliate link) and Meals for Two (affiliate link)
If you are looking for a Healthy Meal Planning Solution (affiliate link) with lots of options including low carb and vegetarian diets with complete nutritional information and Weight Watchers SmartPoints, my WW friend Kristen, from Slender Kitchen has a really good one.
What I love about Slender Kitchen Meal Plans (affiliate link) is that I don't have to think. I print out the grocery list, do the shopping and when it's time, head into the kitchen and get right to cooking!
I subscribe to her service and use her plans the weeks when I want someone else to tell me what to cook!!
This Week's WW Meal Plan Suggestions with WW Freestyle SmartPoints:
Most days my breakfast is something quick like an english muffin with almond butter, avocado toast, eggs, yogurt with fruit, oatmeal or a smoothie, depending on my mood and the season.
Lunch is usually leftovers or some combination of soup / sandwich / salad.
This week I am planning to make...
I'm having one of those "just tell me what to make" weeks, where I don't feel like sitting down and drafting a plan all by myself. It's times like this I'm so glad to be a member of Slender Kitchen Meal Plans (affiliate link). I don't follow Kristen's meal plan suggestions all of the time or 100%, but I'm so happy to turn to them when I need WW friendly inspiration...
Slow Cooker Balsamic Tomato Chicken (img courtesy SlenderKitchen)
Slow Cooker Tomato Balsamic Chicken
Salsa Verde Turkey Tacos (img courtesy SlenderKitchen)
One-Pan Pork Chops, Potatoes and Green Beans (img courtesy SlenderKitchen)
Sheet Plan Pork Chops, Potatoes and Green Beans
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Rice Stuffed Peppers
Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
I'll also make a pot of my favorite Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup for warm and cozy weekday lunches.
I hope this helps you with your own meal planning this week 🙂
*PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
Tired of trying to decide what to cook?
If you are struggling with meal planning here are 3 great meal planning resources to help:
- My Month of Meal Month of Meal Plans eBook
- My WW Friend Kristen's Slender Kitchen Meal Planning Made Easy (affiliate link) Program
- My WW friend Alisha's 12-Week eCookbook and Meal Planner (affiliate link) and Table for Two Meal Planner and eCookbook (affiliate link)
Customer Testimonials
I have been using Slender Kitchen Meal Plans (affiliate link) since last year and we love it! Even more excited now that it has the new points. The recipes are easy, family friendly, and taste good. I love that I can customize for our family and the shopping list saves me so much time and money. One of my best purchases last year. ~ Camille
I bought the Table for Two eCookbook and I love it! It saved me from giving up on my weight loss journey. The meals are delicious and so easy to cook. Having a weekly grocery list, recipes and instructions with pictures readily accessible has taken so much stress off of me in meal planning. I was tired of cooking recipes that had multiple servings and eating the left overs several times during the week. My husband loves the Table for Two recipes and he doesn’t even need to lose weight! I have recommended your site to several friends on the same journey and they love your recipes too. Thank you for all your hard work in making meal planning so easy!
~ Barbara
Hi Martha - I cannot begin to thank you enough for my month of meals. We (my husband and I) have only had the first week, but WOW, what great meals! I can't wait for the second week. You have a customer for life!
~ Sharon S.
I bought the 12 Week eCookbook and Meal Planner by Alisha Hughes from Meal Planning Mommies. It is great 12 weeks with a shopping list which is wonderful. I just make a copy of the list and go shopping for the week.
~ Roberta R.
More WW Friendly Meal Planning Ideas
- WW Freestyle Dinner Meal Planning Ideas - Week #93
- Dinner Menu Planning Ideas with Weight Watchers Freestyle SmartPoints - Week #92
- Weight Watchers Friendly Dinner Ideas with Freestyle SmartPoints - Week #91
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Hi, I'm Martha. Simple Nourished Living chronicles the easy and delicious Weight Watchers friendly recipes, tips & hints that help me balance my love of food and desire to be happy, healthy and slim. 
Cindy
We just had a death in the family and I am struggling to move forward. I see myself using food to cope and it only leads to more food, because nothing is satisfying.