The Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight (24 page)

CHEESE AND PICKLE

Thinly slice 20g of half-fat Cheddar and place it on top of 2 oatcakes. Top each one with 1 teaspoon of farmhouse pickle.

EMMENTAL AND TOMATOES

Cut 1 thin slice of Emmental cheese into strips and serve with cherry tomatoes or vegetable sticks.

HAM AND PICKLE

Top 2 rye crispbreads with 4 slices of wafer-thin ham and 2 teaspoons of pickle.

COTTAGE CHEESE AND TOMATO

Spread 30g of cottage cheese over 2 wholegrain rye crispbreads. Halve 3 cherry tomatoes and place them on top of the cottage cheese.

ROAST CHICKEN, HAM AND GRAPES

Make up a small plate with about 50g of sliced skinless roast chicken breast, 1 slice of Parma ham and a 25g bunch of grapes.

PRAWN AND CUCUMBER

Place slices of cucumber on a rye crispbread and top with 2 tablespoons of reduced-fat prawn cocktail. Season with a grinding of black pepper.

SMOKED SALMON AND GHERKINS

Fold 2 slices of smoked salmon on to a plate and serve with 2–3 gherkins and cherry tomatoes.

TROUT PÂTÉ

Place 30g of hot-smoked trout in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of low-fat yoghurt and mash together with a fork. Spread the trout mixture over 3 thin multigrain crispbread fingers. Thinly slice some cucumber and place on top of the trout.

MENUS FOR YOUR FIRST WEEK

We’ve put together these menu suggestions to get you started on your diet and give you an idea of what sort of meals you might have. You can be as flexible as you like; it’s about making small changes to the way you cook – and eat – rather than getting stressed trying to squeeze your lifestyle into some one else’s idea of healthy living. All our recipes have been carefully calorie counted, so you really can’t go wrong. If you have extra calories one day, pick dishes with fewer for the next. It’s about balancing your total calories for the week rather than worrying about each day.

Not everyone wants – or has time – to cook different things every day and you might prefer to make a big batch of soup or pasta salad at the start of the week and enjoy that for lunch over several days. Or you might like to finish up some leftovers from the day before for lunch or supper. We often make a big batch of stew, divide it into portions and pop it in the fridge, or freezer, to enjoy another day.

Allow yourself a couple of snIntroduction-Main-Text" every day, but make sure they’re low in calories – check out our suggestions on page 184. Forget the crisps and other junk food. Drink tea and coffee as usual, but use semi-skimmed milk. Drink plenty of water, still or fizzy, and add a little no-sugar squash to encourage you to drink more of it. Try to keep alcohol to the weekend, if at all, and aim to drink just 1 or 2 glasses, no more. Again, get medical advice before starting a diet.

MONDAY

2 boiled eggs and 1 rye crispbread
Minestrone soup
(see here)
and a topless sandwich of your choice
(see here)
Chilli con carne
(see here)
with small portion of rice and salad

TUESDAY

Cranberry and almond muesli with semi-skimmed milk
(see here)
Minted pea and feta omelette
(see here)
with with a large mixed salad
(see here)
Salmon with chilli and ginger
(see here)
with a small portion of rice and
stir-fried vegetables (from a pack)

WEDNESDAY

Toasted crumpets with fruit
(see here)
Tuna and sweetcorn pasta salad
(see here)
Paprika chicken
(see here)
with a small portion of rice and some green beans

THURSDAY

2 scrambled eggs on 1 slice of wholegrain toast
Golden vegetable soup
(see here)
and a topless sandwich of your choice
(see here)
Skinny beef lasagne
(see here)
with with a large mixed salad
(see here)

FRIDAY

Fresh fruit compote with home-made granola
(see here)
Tuna niçoise wrap
(see here)
Southern-style jambalaya
(see here)
with green salad

SATURDAY

Bacon with tomatoes and poached eggs
(see here)
Chicken caesar salad
(see here)
Mediterranean beefburgers
(see here)
with a large mixed salad
(see here)

SUNDAY

Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon
(see here)
Lemon and thyme roasted chicken with new potatoes and fresh vegetables
(see here)
,
followed by summer fruit meringues
(see here)
2 slices of ham with a large mixed salad and 1 tbsp reduced-calorie dressing