Menus for the week

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fabmrfox89
fabmrfox89 Posts: 7 Member
in Recipes
Hey guys!

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I think it is!

I was wondering if any of you know where I can go to find ideas for a weekly meal plan. I'm terrible at planning my meals and I don't know what foods I can allow myself in what quantity. Plus, I'm on a super limited budget for food every week, so I'm not able to buy whatever I want. At the moment I'm eating a huge amount a vegetables and some pasta plain or with a wok type sauce (which I know is terrible for you), but I'm always hungry, and I think I'm eating too much because I gained 700g (1.5 lbs) over the past 3 days, but I'm always under my calorie count at the end of the day. Have you had any problems with the information in the food diary? It all seems a little wonky to me. But I digress!

If you know where I can find some weekly meal plans, I'd be much appreciative!

Thanks!

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Hi :)

    You should make your own meal plan based on what you like to eat. You can google recipes or borrow/buy a cook book. Some basic principles and suggestions for meal plans here: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/budget
    Why is wok sauce, or pasta, or vegetables, terrible?
    You can eat anything you want to lose weight. No foods are disallowed.
    Log your food in the diary, and by increasing and decreasing the amounts, you'll see what quantities will fit to your calorie allotment.
    If you are always hungry, you are eating too little. Do not go under your calorie goal.
    Getting enough fiber, fat and protein is good for satiety.
    You should double check foods in the database with the label or the USDA database. Weigh everything that is not pre-portioned.
    Weight fluctuates naturally from day to day unrelated to true fat loss or gain. Consider if weighing daily or weekly is best for you.
  • fabmrfox89
    fabmrfox89 Posts: 7 Member
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    Thanks! Well, when I said it's not good for me I was referring to the teriyaki style sauces I put on my veggies. I feel like I'm eating a lot. My plate sizes are huge, but they're like 95% veggies, so maybe that's why I get hungry about and hour or so after eating.

    Thanks a bunch for your advice and info!
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Vegetables are good for you, but you need other stuff too! Variety and balance is important - we can thrive on a lot of different diets, you just have to find out what is right for you.
  • conniehgtv
    conniehgtv Posts: 309 Member
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    try eating wee.com
    or diabetes.com even if you are not diabetic their meal plans are excellent
  • dawnmcneil10
    dawnmcneil10 Posts: 638 Member
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    Protein will help fill you up, meats, dairy, nuts, eggs, beans, quinoa and so on. To save money buy dry beans and cook them yourself. I love to cook white beans and then puree them as a soup base, my favorite is to add spicy pork, carrots, corn, celery and onion.

    Balsamic vinegar and orange juice make a great sauce for steamed veggies or a stir fry. You don't need much of either and it'll save you a ton of sodium.
  • ms_smartypants
    ms_smartypants Posts: 8,278 Member
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    budgetbytes.com is great site
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    You can look at other people's diaries for ideas. There are threads where people ask/offer that. Look at your friend's diaries to see what they are eating.You could do an internet search for 1400 calorie menus (or whatever your calorie goal is).

    Pre-log your food and you can see what amounts fit your goals. I log my whole day the night before or in the morning and it is really helpful. I eat what I always ate pretty much just smaller portions of some foods.
    If you are always hungry just eating pasta and vegetables then maybe try getting foods with more protein, fats and fiber. Drink more water.
  • chloeelizabethm
    chloeelizabethm Posts: 184 Member
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    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10233650/meal-list-for-the-week-ahead-food-inspiration#latest

    This thread should have some ideas, you could pick through things you like and fit into the budget to make a plan of your own :)
  • pmichalski
    pmichalski Posts: 1 Member
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    I do all my meal planning on pinterest. I look for "clean eating" or "healthy eating". It's great because there are so many options and variety. You can look at what ingredients you add to each meal to see where the calories are coming from and what you can substitute/add to make it better. I usually choose meals that I'll be cooking for the next two weeks and add them to my calendar so that I know what I'll be making each evening, along with all the ingredients so that I know what I need. Meal planning can get a little stressful, but after a couple of weeks of doing this, I find it much easier because I'm not rushed to think of any dinner ideas. Pinterest is a great tool!
  • mrgandmescore4
    mrgandmescore4 Posts: 11 Member
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    Pinterest has a lot of wonderful meal plans. Some you have to pay for some you don't. Google also helped me. I am horrible at planning meals also. We're on a limited food budget also. My husband is the only one working right now. Pasta is not always bad. You can find tons of low calorie meals. My son is allergic to gluten so we do a lot of gluten free meals in our house. Pinterest is my go to for just about everything from crafts to recipes to howtos on installing parts on a car (if I need it). It's like Google with pictures that you can save for later.

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