Can someone help me make a food plan?

xLyric
xLyric Posts: 840 Member
edited September 22 in Food and Nutrition
I decided that since I tend to snack a bit too much it would help if I made a "perfect" day in the food journal and copied it for a week. Then if that works, do the same thing the next week, maybe with different foods. That way I know what I'm going to eat and I know to eat ONLY that. Maybe I'll copy it just for six days and let Sunday be a more relaxed, eat what you want (within reason) day.

But here's where I need help... I don't want to make a day and then be horribly lacking in something important, like protien or iron. I also would be grateful for any food suggestions, because all I have so far is cheese sticks and V8. :tongue: Anything easy is good. I don't have time to prepare much, and I'm on a really tight budget. Also, I'm a vegetarian, no meat, fish, birds, gelatin, etc. Dairy and eggs are fine. And I'm taking a multivitamin.

So if anyone has any ideas, or knows what I should include, I'd be really grateful for some help. :bigsmile:

Rough plan so far:

Breakfast: Yogurt and granola
Lunch: Cheese stick, V8? apple/banana, ???
Dinner: ??? Veggie Chicken nuggets, something vegetable?

Replies

  • mizfit
    mizfit Posts: 118
    There's a great site you can check out called fatfreevegan.com I just became a vegetarian myself and found some great recipes on this site. I usually eat slow cooked oatmeal or brown rice cereal for breakfast and you can add fruits or applesauce to sweeten them. I add in plain whey protein and one tbs of honey or stevia to sweeten.
    Protein shakes are also a quick, easy and nutitious meal to make. You just need some protein powder(I use Vega), water or almond/rice/soy milk, frozen fruits (berries are great) and or a banana (I use half and I freeze them which thickens the shake and makes it more filling).
    For supper I love to make stir fried veggies which are really easy and if you don't have time to cut up fresh veggies you can find ready made stir fried veggie mixes in the freezer section in the grocery store. You can have that with brown rice, or noodles such as soba. You can also add tofu for protein.
    I also enjoy couscous which is soooo easy to make and quinoa is also another great choice. They are very versatile and you can have them with veggies.
    Be careful with the fake meat foods such as veggie nuggets which have a lot of sodium in them. There great once in awhile but not so great for everyday if you are watching your sodium intake.
    Good luck.
  • leslielove
    leslielove Posts: 251 Member
    Be careful with yogurt since it has a ton of sugar. Cottage cheese is a great dairy choice, low in sugar and super high in protein. Its really good with fruit or veggies for pretty much any meal.

    Look for quinoa. It will be your best friend since it is a complete protein in the form of a grain. You need to be careful to get your protein in. Beans are also a good choice, as are most kinds of nuts. Soy products can inhibit your ability to lose weight, so don't put too much of your diet into them.

    In order to make shopping list, you might just want to throw some stuff into your diary and see what meets your requirements and then shop off that. Check out your grocery store ads to see what's on sale where and buy fresh stuff in small amounts so it doesn't go bad. You might have to make a couple trips a week, but its worth it.

    Good luck!
  • sarahek
    sarahek Posts: 7
    For breakfast, you have to be really careful with yogurt and granola. It appears healthy, but can actually pack A LOT of calories, mainly due to sugar.
    I would recommend, a plain greek yogurt (fage does a low fat one, i think thats the brand, but i'm unsure cus i dont live in the states) mix in with blueberries, shaved almond,a bit of honey, or have some oatmeal on the side. Personally i'd stay away from granola, or just ensure you measure out the correct serving size.
    Also for breakfast, eggs are a great option, i usually have mine boiled and cut it up on a piece of toast with some soy milk and some fruit. Omelettes are great too.
  • xLyric
    xLyric Posts: 840 Member
    Those are great ideas, thanks! Especially the eggs and cottage cheese and oatmeal.

    I'm going to unlock my journal, if it isn't already, and if anyone can, could you look at TOMORROW'S journal and tell me if I'm missing anything important? I'm not completely done yet (haven't added anything to the evening slot) but anything helps. :)

    EDIT: Actually, dinner has me stumped. I've got about 500 calories left, any ideas? I figure that will be my biggest meal since I tend to eat more as the day goes on. (I don't really eat breakfast unless it's quick enough to grab as I go to school, so the boiled eggs are a great idea.)
  • xLyric
    xLyric Posts: 840 Member
    Alright, I have it all down. Besides being way over on protien, I think it's good... And being over on protien isn't bad, right?

    ... Anyway, I'll probably ask again tomorrow when it isn't so late, but if anyone could, would you take a look and see if it looks alright? I'm not going to drop dead from some deficit in a week? :bigsmile:

    And I know the ramen isn't the healthiest thing, but it's without the packet and I figure having it for a week will kill the craving.
  • heatherlee464
    heatherlee464 Posts: 2
    Hi! I understand where you are coming from. For me I usually have an egg for breakfast... scrambled, fried, whatever... in it you can add a slice of cheese, onions, mushrooms.. whatever you want. For lunch is some tuna in pita bread. Dinner lately I have been having a salad with 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, or a slice of ham, or tuna... for a snack I have found the Snickers Energy Bars are good... I hope this helps or at least gives you an idea! Good luck!
    Heather
  • xLyric
    xLyric Posts: 840 Member
    Double posted, sorry.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories