Having a menu of meals for the week can give you inspiration and guidance to eat healthily. Mix and match ideas and purchase enough food when grocery shopping so you are prepared when hunger strikes. Make healthy choices rather than opting for less nutritious fast food and snacks. Eating a variety of foods will prevent you from getting bored with your food options and ensure that you are consuming a wide range of nutrients. Remember to drink water throughout the day too; it will not only hydrate you, but it will also keep you feeling full.
Monday
A good breakfast will start your week off right. Have whole grain toast with low-fat cheese melted on top and an apple for breakfast. For lunch, have 2 cups raw, chopped vegetables dipped in hummus, a quinoa salad and a small orange. Dinner can be simple marinated chicken breasts broiled, served with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.
Tuesday
Make a morning breakfast smoothie on Tuesday morning with your favorite frozen fruits, yogurt, ground flaxseeds, peanut butter, avocado and a banana. For lunch, use leftover chicken breast to top a garden salad with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, olives, walnuts and an olive oil balsamic vinegar dressing. For dinner, try broiled beef tenderloin with steamed red potatoes, steamed green beans and a side salad.
Wednesday
A healthy breakfast for Wednesday can be a small banana with a 1/2 cup of bran cereal and 1 cup of low-fat or nondairy milk. Lunch may be leftover tenderloin and vegetables or a bowl of minestrone with a slice of whole grain bread and a salad. For dinner, try salmon fillets broiled with a tomato basil salsa, wild rice, steamed asparagus and a spinach salad.
Thursday
For Thursday's breakfast, try a balanced breakfast of a bran muffin with yogurt, fruit and a veggie omelet. MayoClinic.com has recipes for many healthy lunch ideas including black bean burgers and chipotle ketchup. For dinner, try a Food Network Healthy Eating recipe of whole-wheat spaghetti with turkey meatballs.
Friday
Another breakfast idea that might be great for your Friday morning is a glass of milk and an English muffin with peanut butter and sliced bananas on top. MayoClinic.com has a recipe for a healthy lunch of Chinese fried rice. Add plenty of vegetables and maybe some shrimp as well as a side salad or vegetable soup to round out the meal. For your Friday night dinner, make a stir-fry with some of AskDrSears.com's healthiest foods like onion, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, kale, cauliflower and shiitake mushrooms. Add a protein like chicken, shrimp or tofu and serve over brown rice.
Saturday
Saturday morning might be a relaxing time to make whole grain french toast topped with blueberries and strawberries and a glass of orange juice or milk. For lunch, try tuna salad on whole grain bread with a cup of vegetable soup or a side salad. When it's time for dinner, try homemade pizzas with whole-wheat or gluten-free pizza crusts, low-fat mozzarella cheese and lots of vegetables for toppings. The Food Network has a recipe for grilled zucchini and herb pizza you might enjoy.
Sunday
On Sunday morning, make whole-wheat zucchini pancakes with fruit toppings and a glass of milk. Sunday afternoon, make a spinach frittata for lunch and serve it with a small fruit salad. For dinner, have some spicy red lentils with a spinach salad.
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