Free Meal Planner - Menu #2

About 1,500 Calories

Breakfast Meal Planner: Enjoy 1 serving of cold or warm cereal - up to 150 calories. Also enjoy 1 slice of whole grain toast - or your favorite bread up to 70 calories + 30 calories worth of margarine or butter. Also enjoy 1/2 cup of low fat milk up to 45 calories.

Total Breakfast Calories: About 300 calories. Opting for whole oats can assist in keeping the tummy and brain satisfied for hours to come. For dieters not keen on mid-morning snacks, the banana can be eaten with the cereal for breakfast.

Contains 2 grain group servings, 1 dairy group serving, and a smidgen of fat from the margarine.

Mid Morning Snack: Enjoy 1/2 large banana and save the rest for your afternoon snack.

Lunch Meal Planner: We're going to feast on spaghetti, whole grain bread and green beans. It just doesn't get better than this for Italian food lovers, does it?

Start by preparing the pasta - and for a shortcut, use the pre-cooked pasta generally found in the deli section at the market.

Next, spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray (butter flavored will add flavor) and add 1 cup of any of the following - and you can mix 'n match OR you can simply opt to enjoy one of these veggies which will be going into the sauce: sliced mushrooms of any variety, chopped bell peppers of any variety, chopped onions of any variety, chopped celery of any variety and/or chopped summer squash of any variety.

We are fond of the following mix: onions, mushrooms and yellow squash. In addition, we'll almost-always add sliced black olives to our mix after it cooks.

Cook the vegetables over low heat until they turn a golden brown. Add 1 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce - up to 100 calories. By checking the labels at the local market, you can double the serving size as some sauces can contain 150 calories or more per serving in comparison to those that may contain half the amount. Generally a serving size equals 1/2 cup - but because we are Sauce Heads, we enjoy a bit more and odds are - you will too!

Heat the sauce and vegetables until warm. Serve with 1 cup of prepared spaghetti OR pasta of your choice. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

One cup of most pastas contain about 200 calories.

As to the vegetables that were tucked inside the sauce, they add flavor, nutrition and assist as extenders - making more to enjoy in the menu for minimal calories.

Also enjoy a serving of green beans. If you don't like green beans, opt for a raw baby spinach salad with chopped tomatoes OR a side salad that is comprised of a variety of lettuce, chopped tomatoes and cucumber slices and use balsamic vinegar as the dressing (5 calories per serving).

Also enjoy up to 100 calories worth of whole grain bread - or your favorite bread or bread sticks. And enjoy up to 60 calories worth of margarine or butter which can be spread on the bread and/or added to the beans.

As a note, adding a bit of tomato paste to the sauce will add a burst of sweetness.

Total Lunch Calories: About 500 calories. Contains 2 grain group servings, 3 vegetable group servings, and minimal fat.

Afternoon Snack: Enjoy the other half of the banana OR 1 small peach or 1 large plum.

Dinner Meal Planner: Steak, Baked Potato and Awesome Asparagus are on the Dinner Menu!

Be sure to choose the leanest cut of steak and enjoy 3 ounces taking care to remove visible fat. The steak can be pan-roasted, oven-roasted, or prepared on the grill and can be enjoyed with your favorite steak sauce or ketchup (I know). Also enjoy 1 small baked potato, 60 calories worth of margarine or butter, 1 serving of light sour cream (40 calories) and a sprinkle or two of bacon bits if desired.

Awesome Asparagus: Either fresh or canned asparagus can be used. Steam asparagus, then top with one slice of your favorite white cheese up to 60 calories worth. Cheese should immediately melt. Add pepper to asparagus if desired, or a dash of lemon pepper for additional flavor.

Also enjoy 1 slice of whole grain bread up to 70 calories.

Total Dinner Calories: About 500 calories. Contains 1 grain group serving, 1.5 dairy group servings, 2 vegetable group servings, 1 protein group serving and minimal fat.

Bedtime Snack:Enjoy a serving of low fat yogurt up to 100 calories OR make a Diet Bites Strawberry Diet Shake. Take 3/4 cup of skim milk and add 1/2 cup of sliced frozen strawberries OR your favorite berry.

Add a spoon of sugar-substitute if desired as well as a splash of vanilla. Blend using your favorite blending tool. Sweet dreams!

This bedtime snack contains 1 dairy serving and 1/2 a fruit serving.

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