Menu Planning Monday

Time again for the menu planning Monday.  Did you like the breakfast ideas last week?  Did you get any good ideas for breakfast?

This week’s focus is lunch.  Our lives vary so much.  Some of us eat most of our lunches out.  If you are one that eats lunch out alot I would suggest doing what I have suggested before and keeping a notebook with you of good menu items with point values at various restaurants that  you eat at so you will know the best decisions to make.

For those who can take a lunch to work good options would be to get the little frozen meals made by Weight Watchers, Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, etc.  Most of those will have the point value on the box.  If they don’t then you can just use your calculator to figure out the points.

Here are some ideas for lunches you can put together at home or put together to take with you to work.

Here are some quick lunch recipes I got from Dotti’s Weight Loss Zone.

Cranberry-Chicken Salad, (Combine 1 tbsp each of dried cranberries, chopped celery, light mayonnaise, and plain fat-free yogurt with 2 oz drained,  canned chunk white chicken in water; spoon onto a bed of mixed greens.)  (4 points)

Tuna-Stuffed Tomato, (Combine 2 oz. drained canned tuna, 2 tbsp. chopped carrot, 2 tsp. fat-free mayonnaise, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard and a dash of celery seeds; stir well. Cut a tomato into 4 wedges, cutting to, but not through, bottom of tomato; stuff with tuna salad.) (3 points)

Egg Salad in Tomato, (Combine 1 hard-cooked egg, chopped, 1 tablespoon fat-free mayonnaise, and 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard; stir well. Cut a medium tomato into 4 wedges, cutting to, but not through, bottom. Spoon egg salad into tomato.) (2 Points)

Macaroni and Cheese, (Combine 1 cup hot cooked macaroni, 1/4 cup fat-free cottage cheese, 3 tbsp each of shredded cheddar cheese and skim milk, and a dash each of salt and pepper in a small baking dish; stir. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until bubbly.) (6 Points)

Egg & Cheese Sandwich, (Combine 1 large egg and 3 tbsp shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese; stir well. Cook in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until set, stirring occasionally. Spread between 2 slices high-fiber whole-wheat bread.) (4 Points)

Here are a couple more lunches that I have put together:

Baked Potato – 1 medium baked potato with 1 tbsp light butter spread, 2 tbsp fat free sour cream, and 1/4 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese – 5 points

Turkey sandwich (2 slices fat free turkey breast, 1 slice fat free cheese, dijon mustard on Orowheat sandwich thins), 16 pringles, 100 calorie pack cookies – 9.5 points

So what lunches pave you put together?

(sorry this may seem a bit short today…it is a hectic week this week!)

Kellie