Every Saturday I share my Weight Watchers Weekly Meal Plans with Recipes & Points 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 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 #45)
Okay, we are now into September and still awaiting some relief from the heat. It may be feeling like autumn where you are but here it's still all about summer so I continue to look for ways to keep it cool and easy in the kitchen. The good news is that the foods I crave most right now are much lower in calories than your typical cold weather fare (except for the ice cream). Here's to another wonderful week!
Breakfast
This week I'm going to begin the day with a skinny latte (2PP) and either:
1) Cottage Cheese (½ cup - 3PP) with Pineapple (0PP) and Blueberries (0PP)
2) Summer Muesli (6PP) - a great easy, healthy and delicious way to enjoy oats during the summer - soaked in the fridge overnight.
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. BLT (6PP) - I'm craving BLTs this summer. I think for me it's all about the big thick slices of juicy tomatoes, which are about as good as they get right now. And a side of fruit, Watermelon or Berries (0PP)
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. Grilled Fish (6 ounces - 5PP) with Olive Oil (1 t - 1PP), Lemon Juice (0PP) and Mrs. Dash Seasoning (0PP), Steamed Broccoli (0PP), Sliced Tomatoes (0PP) and Baked Potato (4PP) topped with Greek Yogurt (1PP)
2. Pasta with Fresh Corn and Tomatoes (8PP) with a Simple Tossed Green Salad (0PP) drizzled with Olive Oil (1t - 1PP) and Balsamic Vinegar (0PP)
3. Skinny Slow Cooker Chicken and Pinto Bean Tostadas (7PP) - One of my new favorite Weight Watchers Recipes around here this summer, this simple shredded chicken and bean mixture can be used a multitude of ways. Serve with Sautéed Corn (2PP) and Zucchini (0PP)
4. Grilled Turkey Burgers (6PP) and Skinny Chopped Greek Salad (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. Apple (0PP) and Cheese Stick (2PP)
2. Baby Carrots (0PP) and Hummus (¼ cup - 3PP)
Dessert
I usually try to limit dessert to once or twice a week. At this time of year I love cold, creamy desserts best.
Ice Cream (½ Cup - 4PP) and Berries (0PP)
If you make one of our recipes, we would love for you to 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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