What is a typical day menu like?

claireabelle81
claireabelle81 Posts: 10
in Food and Nutrition
I need inspiration have spent too many years following weight watchers or slimming world and have got in bad habits, any help greatly received

Was wondering whether to avoid bread rice pasta etc? what do you have in its place? x

Replies

  • Chezzie84
    Chezzie84 Posts: 873 Member
    I do not avoid anything at all. Everything in moderation. As long as it fits into my day, I eat it and if it doesnt, I work for it!!
    Dont get into the "forbidden foods" habit of you can help it. No food is bad, just bad quantities!!
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    I don't avoid anything, either. I don't typically ever eat pasta, don't care for it, but I eat white rice, tortillas (corn or flour), potatoes, bread, etc. all the time. It's all about a modest portion (or a big one, if you plan for it) that fits in your goals.

    Heck, I don't even cut out treats or fast food. I just choose smaller portions. If I'm in the mood for a bigger fast food meal, for example, I plan accordingly. That may mean my 800-1,000 calorie McD's or Taco Bell fest happens on a high activity day (like a long run, I like jogging), where I need the extra calories. Still never go over my calorie goals.

    The point is, you don't have to cut out anything. Moderation is a combination of calorie dense foods eaten in smaller portions and perhaps less often if we choose larger portions. Many of us don't do well (read: crash and burn) with going "cold turkey" on calorie dense (and DELICIOUS, lol) foods.
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    agree with above, dont cut anything out unless you cant eat it without binging

    i personally dont eat fast food but thats because of a combination of cost, its low calorie/micronutrient ratio, sodium, and the horrific things it does to my toilet
  • Swiftlet66
    Swiftlet66 Posts: 729 Member
    Well it varies a lot for me but lately...

    Breakfasts: oatmeal, soaked overnight in soy milk then reheated the next day. I add nuts and fruits to it. If its not oatmeal, is probably rice, egg, Natto beans, maybe a light tofu/green onion soup. Very Japanese style. Lol. That or leftovers.
    Lunch: Some type of curry/stew/chili/soup with either whole grain/sprouted bread or rice (white or brown)
    Dinner: Anything I feel like... But it's usually a light dinner and not do much calories. Could be a sandwich, some rice with fish and side of vegetables boiled in broth, some type of lean meat with a side of vegetables like broccoli or carrots with hummus, baked potato or bread with cheese and eggs or even an all out fruit fest. I have weird eating habits...
    Snacks: cherry tomatoes, snap peas, banana and peanut butter, crackers, soy milk, baked sweet potato

    Note that I rarely have dessert. And I also eat my last meal around 5-7 and do not eat later in the night. Just a few of my habits...

    I don't really have any forbidden foods either but I do feel better eating mostly on a whole foods diet so I tend to avoid a lot of processed snacks and sweets. That and I try to cut down on gluten and dairy since I have a slight sensitivity to it in large portions.
  • StrongHealthyPowerful
    StrongHealthyPowerful Posts: 98 Member
    Breakfast: generally either two eggs with tomato slices (and ham if I’m feeling indulgent) or some chex cereal with skim milk (make sure to measure out your cereal because a serving is way smaller than you realize). Sometimes my breakfast will just be a banana if I’m running late.

    Lunch: depending on what I had for breakfast, either a homemade wrap (using Toufayan wraps because I’m gluten free) with turkey, lettuce, tomato, sprouts, pickles, etc or a “protein salad” of tuna, hardboiled egg, chickpeas and celery on lettuce. One of those usually unless there are leftovers from the night before. Then I'll usually have that, just in a smaller portion than dinner.

    Snack: some days it’s fruit (like plums or bananas), some days a square of chocolate if I’m feeling indulgent. Sometimes I’ll grab a slice of ham if I’m famished when I get home from work.

    Dinner: This is generally my most caloric meal of the day by far and what I eat varies a lot. I date a chef who does not like to eat the same thing two nights in a row (or even twice in a week), so this is the hardest thing for me to monitor and also to enter. As I mentioned before, I’m gluten free (hoping my sensitivity will go away at some point) so we tend to eat a lot of Mexican food which is very corn based instead of wheat based. We generally stay away from cheesy Mexican food and go more traditional. I use a lot of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor without loads of calories. Generally I just try to go for a (preferably lean) protein of some sort, some vegetables, and hopefully not a ton of carbs. It can be difficult to keep my boyfriend from making loads of rice or tortillas, etc, but I find a balance normally. Hitting my macro goals is a lot harder for me than just calorie goals alone.

    I also tend to work out 6 days a week, and try to get some physical activity in even if I don’t hit the gym. I’ve found wearing a fitbit to be very motivating. My calorie goal is set at 1200/day. I usually eat back some of my exercise (some days I don’t, other days I eat all of it back). I’m pretty close to hitting my original goal weight, though I may reset it to be 5lbs lower. Once I hit maintenance I’m interested to see how it works.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Everything in moderation here too. I'll have bread or pasta, just probably not twice a day, and not a whole baguette or a huge bowl of pasta etc.

    For me it changes every day but typically (on a good day)

    Breakfast : oatmeal with nut butter (I've found it's what keeps me full the most)
    Lunch and dinner : some kind of protein with veggies and sometimes potatoes/pasta/rice etc. Or some salad or sandwich. Or both.

    I typically have some ice cream or chocolate or something at some point too, but my goal is higher now.

    If I have a snack it's some nuts/fruit/protein bar, nuts, Greek yogurt, lunch meat/cheese roll ups etc. At this point I'm leaning towards bigger meals and less snacks though.
  • misschoppo
    misschoppo Posts: 463 Member
    I don't avoid anything and have the occasional blow out but on an average weekday my diary will look something like this:

    DRINKS: water / fruity & herbal teas throughout the day

    BREAKFAST: toasted sandwich thins with cream cheese/pate/peanut butter/mackerel in spicy sauce OR a bowl of porridge OR fruit and greek yogurt

    LUNCH: chicken salad OR fish with cous cous OR a vegetable homemade soup with some cooked meats added for extra protein OR sushi OR a portion of leftovers from dinner the night before

    DINNER: stir fries with lots of veg/cashew nut and any meat OR chilli/stew/slow cooker casserole with rice/quinoa on the side OR just really simple grilled meat with 2-3 vegetables and either rice or salad on the side OR an omelette with lots of veg and meat.

    SNACKS: I snack on dried fruit, fresh fruit, nuts, wasabi peas, graze snack boxes, ready to eat chicken/turkey, dark chocolate and the occasional cookie or muffin.

    On weekends I will sometimes get a takeaway/or bake treats and I always tend to make either a huge roast dinner one night or something else really nice like racks of ribs/wings/pulled pork etc with plenty of "naughty" sides.
  • CupcakeCrusoe
    CupcakeCrusoe Posts: 1,440 Member
    I don't ban anything, as you're about to see.

    When I plan my day, it goes like this:

    DESSERT: I always log this first. A piece of pie, or a cookie... I make sure that I put that in there. It keeps me happy.
    Breakfast: egg whites with cheese or overnight oats.
    Lunch: usually a salad with chicken or beef for protein.
    Dinner: Varies a lot, depending on whether I'm getting ready for a run, what I've got in the fridge, what I need for macros that day, etc.
    Snacks: Vary (macros again). But yogurt, apples, carrots, and nuts make appearances often. Oh, and lately I've been eating exactly three doritos a day. Getting through the bag, three at a time,
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    there is no reason to avoid bread or rice unless you want to avoid bread/rice, etc. I eat all manner of starchy vegetables routinely...I eat rice routinely...I eat pasta routinely. I eat lots of lean proteins...around 145 grams worht and about 6-8 servings of fruit and veg per day...I eat a lot of black beans as well....probably around 5 cups per week throughout the week. I eat around 60-70 grams of fat per day, mostly from avocados, nuts, and various cooking oils. I eat desert pretty much nightly and enjoy beer, wine, booze, etc
  • APLAWING
    APLAWING Posts: 36
    I need inspiration have spent too many years following weight watchers or slimming world and have got in bad habits, any help greatly received

    Was wondering whether to avoid bread rice pasta etc? what do you have in its place? x

    I don't necessarily avoid specific foods unless you consider butter or mayonaise as a "food". Like everyone said, it's not about what you eat but how much of it you eat. Moderation.

    I keep it simple because that is what works for me. Calories in, calories out. I plan my day ahead of time. Since my husband and son hate healthy foods I usually eat light for breakfast and lunch and eat a normal dinner to avoid having to cook two separate dinners or eat a tiny portion of theirs. Everyone tells me that I'm doing it wrong and that I shouldn't eat little amounts in the AM/lunch and then eat the majority at night but you know what?? I don't care what they say because it works for ME. You have to find what works for YOU. With that said, here is my typical menu:

    Breakfast:
    Cinnamon Raisin Bagle-Thin - 110 cals
    Coffee with 1 TBSP cream - 30 cals

    Lunch:
    Whole grain sandwich thin with 4 thin slices of deli ham & a slice of fat free cheese. 4 pickle slices (100+60+35+20 cals)

    Dinner:
    Hamburger bun(140), 1/4lb 80/20 ground beef patty(240), slice of fat free cheese(35), ketchup, mustard, pickles(35) - 450 cals
    Crispy baked french fries with ketchup - 200 cals

    That totals 1,005 calories... so I can have a snack mid-afternoon or an after dinner sweet.

    You need to find what works with your lifestyle and plan around it;

    Good luck:D
  • Snip8241
    Snip8241 Posts: 767 Member
    Breakfast: pure protein bar or 3 egg whites, sautéed tomato, spinach and a fruit.

    Lunch: in a bowl...cottage cheese, tomatoes cucumbers, a pickle, hot sauce. Sometimes I add chicken.

    Dinner: a protein, a veggie, a salad. Sometimes, pasta or a potato

    Snacks: Greek yogurt , apples and peanut butter, iced coffee

    Now.....I don't deprive myself...if I want something I plan it

    Wine, dessert, banana bread, chocolate....anything as long as it fits.
  • Bookworm0961
    Bookworm0961 Posts: 1
    You can have a small serving (1/4 cup) of brown rice -- no pasta or roni's though. You can make 'spagetti' from squash that tastes pretty good. You can also make salads with yogurt rather than mayo and save many fat calories.

    Hope this helps some.

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