A filling lunch for work

You'll find that much of the planning I do around food relates to the food I take to work. It's important to get this organised. There are so many potential pitfalls around you..whether you work in an office, factory, school or outdoors. Vending machines, canteens, the bacon rolls ordered on cold mornings, pizzas for overtime, the chip shop just over the road. It can even be events such as birthdays where cakes are brought in to share, or simply watching someone else eat their lunch of white bread sandwiches with crisps and a chocolate biscuit. All very distracting. The challenge of keeping your lunch interesting is the key to making the plan work. Many of us work 9-5 often having breakfast (a vital meal to start the day) and lunch away from home.

The Slimming World website has some great articles under its 'Searchable Features' section about lunches. Simply add the word 'lunches' to the search box. You can find syn values for grab and go lunches from stores as well as recipes for your lunchbox. Here are some of the recipes and combinations I regularly use in sandwiches and on crispbreads:

Cheese and onion sandwich filling (syn free and 1 healthy A):
Mix half a pack of quark with your daily allowance of cheese (grated), seasoning and chopped onions. Leave it overnight in the fridge.

Egg Mayo sandwich filling: (1/2 syn)
Mix half a pack of quark and a tablespoon of extra light Hellman's Mayonnaise. Stir in hard boiled eggs and seasoning. Leave overnight in the fridge.

Create your favourite filling:
You can use the same principle as above to make other fillings such as:
Tuna and Sweetcorn, salmon mayo, prawn mayo - you can be very creative with these.

Store cupboard at work:
You can create an stock at work in your draw of helpful items to make a quick meal on days when you haven't managed to prepare anything. See the Empty Fridge post for ideas on this.

Leftovers:
Had a nice evening meal? Save some for heating up at work. Cook extra so that you can enjoy it again the next day or freeze it for use in the future.

Add your lunch ideas in the comments!

Note: I follow Extra Easy and for simplicity don't reference Green and Red days a great deal here!

Ordering Chinese in for Friday night?

Don't panic. It doesn't mean going off plan! I often get the craving for a chinese takeaway whether its eating out or ordering in. I've edited our copy of the local chinese menu with Syn Values from my Food Directory book to help me make choices quickly. You can buy a Food Directory in class. There is also an excellent article on Chinese takeaway syn values on the SW website.

Your new Slimming World Take-out/ Eat-out Chinese feasts menu for 15 syns or less (based on average takeaway portions):

Low Syn Set Meal A!
BBQ Spare Ribs (8.5 syns)
Chicken Chop Suey (5.5 syns)
Boiled Rice (Free)
Total  14 syns

Low Syn Set Meal B!
Hot and Sour Soup (5 syns)
King Prawns with Ginger and Spring Onion (5 syns)
Egg Fried Rice (4 syns)
Total 14 syns


Super Low Syn Set Meal C!
Hot and Sour Soup (5 syns)
Beef with mushrooms (4.5 syns)
Boiled Rice (Free)
Total 9.5 syns


Or go Syn free!!!!

Stay in and follow recipes from the Slimming World website or other websites. Here are a few good recipes I have tracked down:

Syn Free Chicken and Sweetcorn soup on Minimins
Syn Free Sweet and Sour Chicken again on Minimins
Syn Free Egg Fried Rice on Blogger

So go on...order a 13, a 66 and a 115. You don't have to miss out to be on plan!!

Add your ideas for tasty chinese treats or reveal your favourite low syn choices for takeaways in the comments.

Note: I follow Extra Easy and for simplicity don't reference Green and Red days a great deal here!

Breakfast like a king...

I don't mean Elvis style..no burgers for breakfast please! I was just enjoying my breakfast and thought it would be worth passing on my favourite wake-up food!

Think you're in too much of a hurry for breakfast? Try putting an egg in a mug (optionally whisking it with a fork) and microwaving for 40 -60 seconds. Instant poached or scrambled egg. Serve it on a slice of brown toast from a 400g loaf and add salmon trimmings from the fridge. Pretty posh nosh!

Hard boil some eggs whilst cooking your evening meal, put them in the fridge and slice them into egg sarnies in the morning with ketchup or tomatoes (1 syn for a level tablespoon).

Not an egg fan? Take your Healthy B Ryvitas, slap on some Healthy A Extra Light Laughing Cow Triangles and slices of banana. Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!

If you have a bit more time try the Syn free breakfast tortilla!

Let me know your favourite breakfasts in the comments.

Note: I follow Extra Easy and for simplicity don't reference Green and Red days a great deal here!

I'm hungry

Many people think being on a diet means being hungry. Slimming World is about being full and satisfied without being over stuffed. There are tons of ways to approach hunger pangs. Make sure you are eating enough often enough and don't ignore hunger. It doesn't help sustainable weight losses.

If your meals aren't satisfying, try adding more free foods making sure you balance them with fruit or veg (third of your plate on extra easy). Meats can be much more filling than carbohydrates so try having a little more. Once you have checked your meals are satisfying and frequent enough, it might be worth looking at your snacks. I keep syn free goodies in the fridge that are also great to take in a lunch box.

Fridge goodies:

• Hard boiled eggs (they last 4 days)
• Cooked syn free sausages:

Syn Free Sausage suppliers:

Chapman's Butchers Martham

Joe's Butcher's Southport - Free delivery available on 16+ packs

Hazel's Butchers, Norwich

More..

• Leftover meats/ham
• Mullerlights
• Cottage Cheese
• Using your healthy extras - cheese triangles or your daily allowance diced into cubes
• Cherry toms or sticks of veg
• Cook a syn free quiche and have pieces in a box in the fridge
• Jars of pickles

On the move - keep Hi-Fi bars, Ryvita minis or other cereal bars allowed on your healthy B choice in the car or in your bag.

Be sure to post your fridge favourites and snack ideas in the comments! Also add your favourite Syn Free sausage suppliers too.

Note: I follow Extra Easy and for simplicity don't reference Green and Red days a great deal here!