Meal planning is an often overlooked tool that can really help with weight loss. It’s exactly what it says on the tin: planning out what you’re going to eat for the week and shopping for it.
Some people swear by it as it takes the guesswork out of eating (no more standing in front of the fridge at 6pm on a Tuesday wondering what to eat), and it gives you an idea of your calorie intake for the week so you can plan in treats.
Give it a go with these lip-smacking recipes to add to your meal plan for next week.
Recipes to add to your meal plan
Meatball and garlic bread traybake
Calories: 565 per portion
Um, yes please. Traybakes are our new BFF – put everything in one tin, shove it in the oven and bob’s your uncle. You could even buy ready-made meatballs to cut down on prep time here, but be sure to update the calories accordingly.
Crispy gnocchi with roasted peppers, chilli, rosemary and ricotta
Calories: 570 per portion
Another traybake from one of our favourite cookbooks The Green Roasting Tin (aff link), this one puts a delightful spin on gnocchi, which before this recipe we’d only ever had drenched in sauce. Here, it’s crispy, moreish and complimented beautifully by the chilli and ricotta.
Get the recipe from The Happy Foodie
Homemade burgers with sweet potato wedges
Calories: 388 per portion
It’s national burger day today and it’s got us hankering for a gourmet burger dripping with grease. Instead, we’re going to make this healthier version, which uses lean mince to cut down on fat (and calories).
The burger also includes crushed cream crackers, which sounds crazy, but it really does work well. Trust me.
Cajun dirty rice
Calories: 369 per portion
This recipe is one of Pinch of Nom‘s most popular, and it’s easy to see why. It’s super low in calories but still packs one hell of a flavour punch. It works well as a complete meal, but you could also serve it as a side or a protein-packed lunch.
Halloumi fajitas
Calories: 885 per portion
Fajitas are a staple in our house, as they’re easy to make and bloody tasty. If you usually go for chicken fajitas, mix it up with these halloumi fajitas. Halloumi is one of my favourite cheeses – salty, chewy (ok, slightly squeaky, but in a good way), and high in protein (22.5g protein for this portion), and it works really well here.
The one thing to watch out for with halloumi is its salt content, so if you’re worried about that try halving the suggested quantity.
Lo mein noodles
Calories: 464 per portion
If you’re a fan of chow mein, you’re going to like lo mein. Lo mein is like chow mein’s saucier little bro, made with less oil which makes it healthier but no less tasty. This recipe is packed with veggies, can be made in just 20 mins and features tofu (although you could serve without, or sub for a protein of your choice).
This recipe also uses special lo mein noodles, but if you can’t find them you can use bog-standard egg noodles.
Turkey chili
Calories: 478 per portion
Chili is another classic that’s easy to make, perfect for freezing and extremely versatile. It’s served with tortilla chips here, but you could have it with rice, a baked potato, wedges, a wrap…hell, why not make double, freeze, and enjoy with a different side next week too?
Don’t be put off by how many ingredients are listed here, most are spices that you can keep for ages once you’ve got them in.