Hi everyone! I'm really struggling with finding well-balanced nutrition ideas to fill my daily menus. I'm thinking my best strategy (at least until I get the hang of things) is to find a few days worth of menus and then rotate them! Would anyone like to share their daily menu for a day that they are really proud of? I would really appreciate hearing from you so that I can gain some ideas. Thank you very much for your help!

Here's a day I'm happy with:

Breakfast: One serving of Special K Protein Plus cereal w/ lactaid nonfat milk.

First Mid Meal: Protein enriched sugar free pudding.

Lunch: Whole wheat wrap with baby spinach, mustard, lean turkey and low fat swiss.

Second Mid Meal: South Beach snack bar (peanut butter crisp flavored).

Dinner: Vegetarian refried beans with a little salsa and low fat cheese.

Third Mid Meal: Liquid Whey protein supplement

(I am told to eat six small meals a day and no extra snacks.)

Boy, I feel loved. I guess I thought others may enjoy sharing ideas. :cry

Hi I'll be band on Friday... I am happy but I see how many people lost a lot ot weight and how many didn't.

I would love to help you, but I'm not all that regimented when it comes to meals. I drink Slim Fast powder with skim milk for breakfast. Other than that, I have whatever strikes my fancy. I usually eat leftovers for lunch, or a little foil packet of tuna. Sometimes I will have a package of PB crackers and a piece of string cheese. For dinner I eat a little bit of protein - maybe one chicken leg. If I have a snack at night, it's usually 4 oz of low fat yogurt.

I'm not regimented either. I have a proten shake for mid-morning (Lean Body for Her -- 30 grams of protein), then usually a piece of cheese or scoop of cottage cheese mid-day. Then we usually go out to dinner so I eat off everyone else's plate <grin> and then I have some snack-y stuff at night. I'm not the best bandster in terms of eating what and when I should, but I'm getting in all my protein and vitamins and water and I'm losing weight. Yay!

I'm struggling with this right now too. I have good restriction but find I have limited meal choices. I travel for my job 2 - 6 hours per day in the car.. at least lunch and dinner at fast or semi fast food. I usually have a protein shake for breakfast... and some type of salad at lunch and shoot for a protein for dinner.

I'd die if I had to eat six small meals like you... that's too much work and too much thinking about food.

Today I had...

Breakfast - Coffee & Atkins Protein Shake

Lunch - Small Serving of Pretzel Crisps and cream cheese dip (1 serving)

Dinner - 2 McDonalds Chicken Fingers

Not the most healthy well rounded meals so... I need tips as bad as you.

Let's see...today I had

B-scrambled egg with mushrooms (1/4 of "replacement eggs" with mushroom pieces scattered in)

L-Boca burger with a pickle and a "dab" of Helman's Light mayo with steamed mixed veggies left over from last night

D-3oz of Tilapia, cooked carrots, cooked broccoli crowns

Yesterday I had

B-scrambled egg with l/f sharp cheddar shredded with a bit of canned spinach (again, 1/4 cup replacement eggs)

S-Sugar Free Jello

L-Pink Salmon in the foil package..it's a perfect 3oz with canned asparagus

D-Vegetarian Re-Fried beans mixed with 3oz canned chicken breast and a couple of tablespoons of salsa with a bit of taco seasoning mixed in

I'm only three weeks out and still sort of learning how things effect me. I eat a lot of fish. Salmon (grilled and canned), tuna, tilapia, crab, etc. I also enjoy Morningstar and Boca products. Chicken cooked any way I can imagine (well, never fried). I eat cooked squash, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, peas, carrots, beets (very limited), spinach, etc.

Hope that helps just a tiny bit...

I am not a good person to ask either but last year I did get alot of recipes of this site and used them. If you do some queries on recipes in the food category, you should be able to find those threads.

I haven't had an appetite so here's a typical menu

breakfast - south beach meal replacement bar

lunch - tomato, cucumber, sprouts with balsamic vinegar and spices

dinner - green beans, small potato, fake crab usually fried in a little olive oil with onions, garlic, peppers, etc

The large lower fat avacados are readily available here so sometimes I mix one with tuna, add some sprouts and I'm set for a few meals.

Last night, I cooked up black beans, some ground steak, added tomatoes, onions, spices, etc for a soup.

I will probably throw some black beans in a salad at lunch in the next couple of days.

I supplement with protein shakes, etc.

Sorry I don't have better suggestions but I am finding that simple things work best.

Here's a day I'm happy with:

Breakfast: One serving of Special K Protein Plus cereal w/ lactaid nonfat milk.

First Mid Meal: Protein enriched sugar free pudding.

Lunch: Whole wheat wrap with baby spinach, mustard, lean turkey and low fat swiss.

Second Mid Meal: South Beach snack bar (peanut butter crisp flavored).

Dinner: Vegetarian refried beans with a little salsa and low fat cheese.

Third Mid Meal: Liquid Whey protein supplement

(I am told to eat six small meals a day and no extra snacks.)

Cereal is good, but I'll warn you that I went through a time where I couldn't really eat it. It would go down ok, but slowly, and you know what happens to cereal in milk... Today I had frosted mini wheats... I dipped them in milk!!

meat wraps, with like deli meats, and cheeses, or some cream cheese are good. Beef jerky could be a good mini meal/snack.

Unfortunately, except for protien bars, there just isn't a lot of grab and go foods for people trying to eat healthy that you don't have to pre-prepare (which I hate).

I am so totally not the person to ask. I have a lot of restriction in the morning and in the evening.......about the only time I can eat anything of substance is from 11 am to 3 pm. I can not even drink water or coffee before 10 or so. Today I had a kids meal from Luby's.......baked fish, mashed potatoes and cornbread dressing......I was able to eat all of that (I didn't eat the roll or jello that comes with it), but I will not be able to eat anything for dinner. Sometimes if I don't have any protein at lunch I will drink a protein shake, but I can not eat the bars.

Great info! I appreciate your thoughts. There are so many rules to follow that I get worried that I'm not "doing it right"

I guess the best "rule" is to find healthy foods that I enjoy.

Today was a bad day though...I was working through lunch and had to eat with co-workers...I ate the cheese and pepperoni off of some pizza. YIKES!

It is so stinking hard to avoid those situations!!! I did good the rest of the day though so I'm going to try not to stress about it!

Thanks everyone!

i've been having

breakfast: high Protein oatmeal with a piece of fruit or egg on toast (i can do some breads!)

lunch: 1/2 tuna sandwich or lunch meat or Soup or healthy choice tv dinner

or vegetarian lowfat refried Beans,

dinner: small piece of meat or fish, 1 cup cooked veges or salad and usally a 1/2 cup of starch like a potatoe or rice (again, I can eat those things).

I've also been grilling a lot of veges on the grill and maybe a portabello mushroom (delicious)

Snacks are low fat yogurt or cheese stick or few slices of roast beef or peanuts