Tuck in and get slim: the comfort-food diet

Week 1

DAY 1

Breakfast Soda bread with poached egg
• 1 poached egg served with 2 slices soda bread
• 125g pot low-fat yoghurt
Lunch Baked potato with beans
• 1 medium baked potato, 1 small can reduced sugar and salt baked beans, salad leaves, 3tsp low-fat salad dressing
• 1 apple
Snack Yoghurt with honey & nuts
• 125g pot low-fat yoghurt with 4 chopped almonds and 1tbsp honey
Dinner Beef stir-fry with ginger & pineapple
• 125g/4oz lean beef, cut into bite-sized pieces • 1tbsp dry sherry • 1tsp sesame oil • 1⁄2tbsp shredded fresh ginger • 1⁄2 red pepper, chopped
• 1 spring onion, chopped • 1⁄2tbsp low-salt soy sauce • 50g/2oz pineapple, chopped • 40g/11⁄2oz (uncooked weight) rice or noodles
1 Add beef to a bowl with sherry and half sesame oil and put to one side to marinate for 1 hr. Heat a nonstick wok on high then pour in remaining oil. Add beef and stir-fry for 1 min to brown. Remove beef and set aside.
2 Reduce heat to medium then add ginger, pepper and spring onion and stir-fry for 1 min.
3 Add 2tbsp water and soy sauce and cook for about 1 min. Drain juices from beef into wok and add pineapple. Return beef to wok and cook until beef and pineapple are heated through. Serve with rice or noodles.

DAY 2

Breakfast Scrambled eggs on toast:
1 Whisk 1 egg and 2tbsp milk in a bowl,adding a little pepper or herbs if you like.
2 Heat a nonstick frying pan on a setting just above medium and add a little low-calorie spray.
3 When hot, pour egg mixture into pan.
4 Just as egg begins to set, start to scramble by stirring vigorously.
5 Keep stirring, breaking up egg as you go.
6 When egg is cooked through, serve on 2 slices wholemeal toast spread with a little low-fat spread. Sprinkle with chives.
Lunch Baked potato with cottage cheese, ham and pineapple
• 1 medium (150g) baked potato, topped with 3tbsp low-fat cottage cheese, 80g/3oz chopped pineapple, 1 slice honey-roast ham, chopped and mixed salad leaves
• 1 apple
Dinner Chicken & spinach balti
• 1tsp olive oil • 1 chicken fillet, skinned, cut into bite-sized pieces • 1⁄2 onion, sliced • 1 garlic clove, crushed • 1 pinch ground ginger • 1 pinch turmeric • 1 pinch cumin • 1 pinch garam masala • 1 cardamom pod, seeds only • 75g/3oz baby spinach leaves
1 Heat half of oil in a nonstick pan and brown chicken pieces all over. Remove and put to one side.
2 Heat remaining oil and gently cook onions and garlic until soft. Add all remaining ingredients, except spinach, along with a little water. Cover and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 mins. Sauce can be liquidised using a hand-held immersion blender or food processor – or can be served chunky.
3 Add spinach to pan, bring back to the boil and simmer for a couple of mins until spinach is wilted.
Snack Olives and cheese
5 olives and 1 slice low-fat Cheddar

DAY 3

Breakfast Muesli with chopped banana
• Pour 200ml/7oz milk into 45g/11⁄2oz muesli.
Add in 1 chopped banana
Lunch Bagel with cream cheese, red pepper & cashew nuts
• 1 plain bagel spread with 1tbsp lower-fat cream cheese. Top with 1⁄2 sliced red pepper and 4 unsalted cashew nuts
• 1 apple
Dinner Lamb with quinoa, apricots & almonds
1 lamb steak, cut into bite-sized pieces • 1tbsp low-fat yoghurt • 1⁄2tsp ground ginger • 1⁄2tsp ground coriander • 1⁄2tsp ground cumin • clove garlic, crushed • 35g/1/1⁄2oz quinoa, uncooked weight • 1 dried apricot, chopped • 1tbsp flaked almonds • 1⁄2tbsp lemon zest • 1tbsp fresh mint, chopped • 1tsp olive oil
1 Marinate lamb for 30 mins in yoghurt, ginger, coriander, cumin and garlic. Put to one side.
2 Prepare quinoa following pack directions, then mix in apricots, almonds, lemon zest, mint and olive oil.
3 Grill lamb 4-5 minutes each side and serve on quinoa.
Snack Granola and yoghurt
Stir 2tbsp granola into a 125g pot low-fat natural yoghurt

DAY 4

Breakfast Porridge with sesame seeds
• 40g/11⁄2oz porridge oats prepared with 200ml/7fl oz semi-skimmed milk
• Top with 1tbsp reduced-sugar jam and 1tbsp sesame seeds
Lunch Spiced parsnip and apple soup
• 1tsp olive oil • 1⁄2 onion, cut into chunks • 1 clove garlic • 5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated • 1⁄2tsp garam masala • 1 parsnip, sliced, cut into cubes • 1⁄2 bramley apple, chopped • 300ml/10fl oz hot vegetable stock • 1tbsp natural yoghurt
1 Heat oil over a medium heat in a nonstick pan. Once hot, add onion and sweat until soft, about 5 mins.
2 When soft, add garlic, cooking for a further 2 mins before adding ginger and garam masala. Cook for a few mins, add parsnips and apple, stir well, then add stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down to lowest setting, cover and simmer gently for about 30 mins. Add to liquidiser and purée until smooth.
3 Stir in yoghurt just before serving. Serve with 1 small wholegrain roll.
Dinner Turkey & cranberry sandwich
• Spread 1tbsp cranberry sauce on 2 slices wholemeal bread. Fill with 3 thin slices turkey, slivers of onion and 1tbsp lower-fat cream cheese. Serve with 125g/4oz oven-cooked potato wedges.
Snack Jelly with crème fraîche
• 3tbsp sugar-free jelly with 2tbsp reduced-fat crème fraîche and 1tbsp chopped berries

DAY 5

Breakfast Toast with honey & banana
• Spread a little low-fat spread over 2 slices toasted wholemeal bread. Top with sliced banana and drizzle each slice with 1tsp honey
Lunch Pumpkin & sweet potato soup
• 1 small sweet potato • 100g/31⁄2oz pumpkin, cut into bite-sized pieces • 1 clove garlic, crushed • ½ onion, sliced • 1 small carrot, sliced • 1tsp reduced-fat margarine • 1⁄2 tsp five-spice powder • sprinkle parsley and thyme
1 Boil sweet potato for a couple of mins, then chop into small pieces. Bring first 5 ingredients to simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often. Whisk in margarine and five-spice powder.
2 Simmer soup for 10 mins, whisking often. Add parsley and thyme. Soup can be made 1 day ahead – allow to cool, cover and keep chilled. Simmer before serving.
3 Serve with a small wholegrain roll, spread with a little low-fat spread.
Dinner Chicken & broccoli gratin with pasta
• 1 small chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces • 1⁄2 can Campbell’s chicken soup • 100g/31⁄2oz broccoli, cut into small florets • 3tbsp breadcrumbs • 1tsp olive oil • 40g/11⁄2oz pasta (uncooked weight), to serve
1 Preheat oven to gas mark 4/180°C (160°C in a fan oven). Preheat grill to a medium-high heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Grill chicken 8 mins on each side, or until juices run clear. Remove from heat, cool, and slice.
2 Cook broccoli in a pan of boiling, salted water for a couple of mins until slightly cooked and tender. Place chicken and broccoli in a heatproof dish and pour in soup. Sprinkle over breadcrumbs and put in oven to bake for 15-20 mins until golden. Serve chicken and broccoli with cooked pasta.
Snack Crudités with low-fat houmous
• Green beans, sticks of pepper, carrot and celery with 2tbsp low-fat houmous

DAY 6

Breakfast Banana berry smoothie and cottage cheese on toast
• Combine 100ml/4fl oz fruit juice of choice, 1 chopped banana and 75g/3oz raspberries in a blender. Whizz until smooth and frothy
• 2 slices wholemeal toast topped with 2tbsp cottage cheese
Lunch Tuna & sweetcorn sandwich
• Fill 2 slices wholemeal bread with 1tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise, 50g/2oz tuna, 30g/11⁄2oz sweetcorn, 1 sliced tomato and a handful salad leaves
• 125g pot low-fat yoghurt
Dinner Baked cod with gruyère & breadcrumb topping
• 1⁄2 onion, sliced • 1 clove garlic • 2tbsp white wine • 227g can chopped tomatoes • 1tbsp fresh thyme • 1 bay leaf • 1tsp olive oil • 1 fillet cod, skinned • 1tbsp breadcrumbs • 1tbsp gruyère cheese
1 Preheat oven to gas mark 6/200°C (180°C in a fan oven). Meanwhile, in a nonstick saucepan, gently cook onions and garlic in white wine over a medium to low heat.
2 After about 5 mins, add tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf and cook for a further 15-20 mins. 3 Coat bottom of ovenproof dish with oil and place fish on top. Pour over tomato sauce, season with pepper and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Bake in oven for 15-20 mins, until cheese topping is browned.
Snack Oatcake with peanut butter & pear
• Top 1 oatcake with 1tsp reduced-fat peanut butter and a few slivers of pear

DAY 7

Breakfast Muesli with yoghurt, almonds and orange juice
• Pour 125g pot low-fat yoghurt over 40g/11⁄2oz no-added-sugar muesli. Stir in 1tbsp chopped almonds
• 200ml/7fl oz unsweetened orange juice
Lunch Houmous and cheese pitta
• 1 wholegrain pitta bread halved and filled with 35g low-fat cheese, 1tbsp low-fat houmous, chopped cucumber and mixed salad leaves
Dinner Beef stir-fry
• 1⁄2tsp olive oil • 100g/4oz lean beef steak • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped • 1⁄2 yellow or red pepper, deseeded and sliced • 50g broccoli, cut into small florets • 1 spring onion, sliced • 1⁄2 pak choi, sliced • 50g/2oz water chestnuts, drained and sliced • 1tbsp oyster sauce • 40g/11⁄2oz (uncooked weight) rice
1 Heat oil in a nonstick frying pan or wok and add steak. Stir-fry for 1–2 mins to seal, then add garlic, pepper, broccoli florets and spring onions, along with 1tbsp water.
2 Stir-fry for 3 mins, then add pak choi, water chestnuts and oyster sauce. Allow to heat through thoroughly and serve immediately with some plain boiled rice or noodles.
Snack Yoghurt with nuts
• Stir 1tbsp almonds into a 125ml pot low-fat yoghurt

See page 2 for week 2's menus for the comfort-food diet

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