Starting Weight Watchers--need fast, go-to recipes for breakfast and lunch

[8esther8]

I've lost weight on Nutrisystem, and did well, because the work is done for you, but it is expensive. I now have all the WW books, but I'm new to it. The pull out section in "Getting Started" gives an "add this then that" chart, but it looks like I will be cooking for the rest of my life. Any one have any go-to combos that you have regularly, that you know the points for? I often eat lunch *and* dinner at work, and definitely don't have time to cook every night. I am planning to throw in a frozen lunch/dinner a few times a week. For breakfast, I'm thinking lowfat milk and fiber cereal, or a bran muffin and string cheese. Any more ideas?

 

[quentina]

I've lost weight on Nutrisystem, and did well, because the work is done for you, but it is expensive. I now have all the WW books, but I'm new to it. The pull out section in "Getting Started" gives an "add this then that" chart, but it looks like I will be cooking for the rest of my life. Any one have any go-to combos that you have regularly, that you know the points for? I often eat lunch *and* dinner at work, and definitely don't have time to cook every night. I am planning to throw in a frozen lunch/dinner a few times a week. For breakfast, I'm thinking lowfat milk and fiber cereal, or a bran muffin and string cheese. Any more ideas?

Did you join WW or doing it yourself? I know that the meeting give out weekly handouts with recipe's etc.

 

[8esther8]

I got the "At Home" kit; my company paid for it. I won't be able to go to meetings, since I sometimes work 6 days a week. I can probably saute up several chicken breasts, make a pot of brown rice, but that's about it, lol.

 

[TraceyDisney2008]

Eggs for breakfast are always fast and easy. Yogurt and fruit with a couple almonds. Tuna or salmon. Shrimp amd cocktail sauce All are ready and easy to go.

 

[gillenkl]

do you have access to the online program - there are tons of meal suggestions and recipes on there

 

[Redheaded Sunshine]

Agree with the PP about the online program. You can plug in what you have in your house and it will give you several different recipes ideas. Also, a FANTASTIC resource for good food is Hungry Girl. She has books and a website. Yummy fast stuff.

Also, I would recommend steaming your chicken if you can, if you plan on reheating it. That's what I do.

Cereal is a danger food for me...it never fills me up in the appropriate portion size (what do you mean that's not a serving bowl???)

 

[gracie1]

I've been on ww for 2 years and went to meetings for 6 months, then did it on my own. It will require some planning, that is for sure. But I pack sandwiches (on white wheat bread) for lunches and sometimes dinner, make chicken breasts ahead of time and refrigerate and you can have grilled chicken salads (make sure to get fat fre dressings....much easier on points). I also pick up lean cuisines and keep in the freezer, healthy choice bowls and green beans for lunches or dinners, light or baked chips to go with sandwiches, reduced fat peanut butter for pb&j sandwiches, fat free eggos for morning, special k cereal, 2% milk (fat free is better on points if you like it, but it is too watery for me), 100 calori snack.
You can also make hamburgers and keep in the fridge and eat them for a couple days, or buy the prepackaged chicken strips. Also spaghetti (use whole wheat pasta) make a meatloaf, asparagus is really good in the oven with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, basalmic vinegar and garlic and bake
There are a tons of things, but you need to pick out what you like to eat, then do a meal plan.

 

[mjkacmom]

If you like hard boiled eggs, boil up a bunch. I love those 100 calorie high fiber english muffins. I also tend to eat a lot of turkey sandwiches with mustard on deli rounds. Cans of soup are also good, because you have exact portion size, fat, calories, and fiber (low sodium would be best).

 

[deezeealum]

OK I just puller out my WW book and here are a few breakfast options from the original flex plan. 1( in a tall glass alternate layers of light yogurt (1 cup), mixed berries (1 cup) and low fat granola (3 TBSP) =4 pts, 2) 1 1/2 cups bran flakes w/3/4 cup fat free milk, 1/2 med grapefruit, sprinkled w/ sugar substitue = 4pts, 3) 1 egg scrambled w/ 1 oz chopped canadian bacon cooked in nonstick cooking spray, grilled tomato halves. serve w/ 2 slices toasted reduced calorie whole wheat bread =4pts 4) 2toasted low-fat frozen waffles topped w/ 2 TBSP low calorie pancake syrup and sliced nectarine =5 pts. I have lunch ideas too if this is the plan you are doing. Feel free to PM me for more info. I loved WW and will be doing again after baby #2 comes this summer. Good luck!

 

[gracie1]

If you like hard boiled eggs, boil up a bunch. I love those 100 calorie high fiber english muffins. I also tend to eat a lot of turkey sandwiches with mustard on deli rounds. Cans of soup are also good, because you have exact portion size, fat, calories, and fiber (low sodium would be best).

I forgot about the english muffins! Also look at canadian bacon. 2% or fat free cheese also (ww also has cheese at some stores) fat free pudding and fat free cool whip for snacks.
You can also make english muffin pizzas with the 2% mozzerella cheese, sauce and bake in the oven with a salad on the side.

 

[MoeFam]

Check out www.skinnytaste.com - her recipes are amazing. You could do one crockpot recipe and use it all week for lunch. For instance- the Fiesta Crockpot chicken- you can use it over rice, in a 1pt tortilla, on a salad, scooped with veggies kinda like healthy nachos, or add some diced tomatoes and juice and have it as soup!

 

[Jeninindy]

The online program is great. You can download the app to your smartphone and track things very easily. The points have changed from the old system and you get more daily points, as well as weekly points.

Tons of recipes to choose from and plenty of ideas. Skinnytaste.com has some very good recipes with the points included.

Good luck - I have lost 14 lbs in the past 3 weeks.....works great.

 

[babydoll]

We have this great grocery store in Rochester called Wegmans. They make up small snack size packages of fruits, vegies and salads. When I did WW, I used the point system so I would try breakfast for 3-4 pts, lunch for 4-6 point, snack for 2 pt and then dinner 8 pts. I found that the convience of "grabbing" the pre-packaged point was increadible efficient but expensive. I then started to make up my own "baggies" with things like muffins that I bake and froze or small packages of chicken that I cooked and immediately cut up and frozen in my desired point range.

good luck!!

 

[dis-happy]

I like the whole wheat tortillas and stuffing them with different things. We had taco/burrito night at our house and that turned out well using the points system too (although I used more veggies in mine and less cheese and meat).

If you can buy the Boar's Head deli meats, they are great! Few additives as compared to most deli meats and 1 oz. = 1 pt. You can get a lot of deli meat for 3 oz., especially when it's sliced thin.

I like the english muffin/egg breakfast some mornings---very filling. Wonder if you could make it up the night before and reheat it quickly.

My favorite lunch: a big salad with lots of stuff in it: chopped cucumber, red onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc. The small pouch of albacore tuna (2.6 oz) makes that a 2 pt. meal. I also make my own vinagrette with rice wine vinegar and olive oil, 2:1 and add spices---it's more than enough and only 1 pt.

Good luck!

 

[dis-happy]

PS. There's a WW support thread on the WISH board here on the DIS.

 

[dakcp2001]

when on ww I ate a lot of english muffin pizzas. I liked to have them for breakfast or lunch. Toast the english muffin, add a little tomato sauce and sprinkle on some shredded cheese (I use 2% shredded mexican) and pop under the broiler for a minute or two they brown fast!!! Like 3 points I think.


Easy recipes:

1 jar salsa (I use medium so its got a little kick)
1 can DIET coke
2-3 boneless chicken breasts

dump em all in a saucepan, simmer on medium until chicken cooked, then turn up the heat to cook down the sauce.Be careful it splatters. Serve over brown rice or whole wheat spagetti.

Cook all on one day, then freeze or put in fridge for leftovers.

2lbs 93% lean ground beef or lean ground turkey
1 box stovetop
2 egg whites
1/2 c of water (sometimes I add a little more)

you can make this into meatballs, meatloaf, or meatloaf muffins in a muffin tin. Low points!

 

[lisam427]

hi-i just started ww this past week. there are several free ww support boards out there. my favorites are

www.dwlz.com
http://www.healthdiscovery.net/

these two boards offer ww recipes, support , and anything else you might need to be successful. they are absolutely wonderful!

i found a ton of point friendly recipes that i make for dinner. any leftovers are portioned into single serving containers and brought to work as lunch. also, when in a pinch i make up some hard boiled eggs, mash them with lite may, a can of low points soup, some fruit and there's lunch. for breakfast i either bring a box of special k, a bottle of milk ( bottle bought from the dollar store), and fruit (throw an extra piece in your lunch for breakfast), or i use oatmeal packets and fruit. weight watchers and michelinas both have frozen breakfast items. i also sometimes scramble 2 eggs put it in a container and eat fruit with it. salads with leftover grilled chicken, or hard boiled eggs , low fat cheese etc..can be thrown in a container and make a great lunch with a piece of fruit.

 

[mom2threecuties]

My typical WW breakfast consists of two slices of high fiber toast with egg whites - 2 points for the breakfast, and the fiber really fills me up. For lunch I love Flatout wraps filled with deli meat, lettuce, and veggies. My favorite easy WW dinner is linguine with laughing cow alfredo sauce (heat 2 wedges laughing cow light garlic and herb, 1/4 cup milk, 1T. parmesan, a few sprays of ICBINB, and a pinch of garlic powder. I think it's 5 points, and I could eat it every night!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I've been on WW for 6 months and am down 50 lbs. I'm using the materials from one of the older plans so I don't know how my points calculations would translate to the new Points Plus plan.

For breakfast, I have two main choices: 1 cup of oatmeal (2 pts) sprinkled with 1 cup of bran flakes (2 pts), sweetened with Splenda and cinnamon, or 5 slices of Canadian bacon (1 pt), 1 slice low-fat cheese (1 pt), 1 sandwich thin (1 pt) and 1/2 cup egg substitute or 3 egg whites (1 pt). I put it all together to make a 4 point sandwich.

I eat my lunch standing up in a preschool classroom so it has to be portable and not messy. I usually have a Boca Burger (1 pt for the original vegan variety), an 80-calorie bun (1 pt) and 1 slice of low-fat cheese. I also have either pretzels or baked chips for 2 pts. A few hours later, I have a granola bar or some other 2 pt snack. My lunch and snack come to 7 pts. By the time I get home at 3:00 p.m., I've had 11 pts.

For a snack, I air-pop 6 tablespoons of popcorn (4 pts). I add a little spray butter (not enough to count) and salt.

For dinner, we usually have chicken or turkey breasts. Sometimes I'll make taco salad using ground turkey. I also like baked potatoes with low fat cheese and fat free sour cream. I have a salad at most meals to get my veggies in. I also cook a lot of green beans and sometimes broccoli.

It definitely takes planning. I always make my lunches the night before so I'm not tempted to toss bad stuff in my bag in the mornings.

 

[meriface11]

here's what i am making tonight to bring for breakfast all week. 1 cup is 4 points.

2 cups old fashioned oats
2 tbsp splenda brown sugar blend
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup applesauce
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced

mix dry ingredients, whisk wet ingredients. add wet to dry, then add apples and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so.