Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Some WW Lunches and a Recipe

Today I wanted to share a couple of WW lunches that have carried me through this weight loss journey and a recipe for a soup. It was adapted from Trisha Yearwood's cookbook, "Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen". I put my own spin on it and maybe you can spin it a bit your own way. It's so good, I crave it all the time!

One reason I love the WW magazine so much is that they put in different menu ideas. I love to see what others are noshing on for their lunches and breakfasts. I need ideas! Especially things that are filling, delish, and are relatively easy to put together. So, here are some ideas that I've come up with.


Veggie Pita
This is such a filling lunch! I start with a large whole wheat pita, split and cut in half. I add a tablespoon of Miracle Whip to each half. Miracle Whip is only 1 point per serving...it may be 1 point for two servings...but I really can't remember at this moment. Either way, it's low. You could also use fat-free Italian dressing or maybe another salad dressing you like. Dijon mustard would be great too as would just plain ol' yellow. No points with the regular mustard!

Then chop chop chop your veggies. Here I used:

  • Cucumbers
  • Red pepper
  • Spinach
  • Grape Tomatoes

You could also use:

  • Green Onion
  • Green and Yellow Peppers
  • Romaine Lettuce
  • Shaved Carrot
  • Roasted Red Pepper

I added a half a serving of Mozzarella cheese (1.5 points) and a serving of pretzels. Wala!! Tasty and filling.



Fruit Salad

I couldn't get enough of eating a giant fruit salad for my lunches one week. I mean, that's all I seemed to want. Yummy fruit! This day I ate a giant bowl of it, two rice cakes for 1 point, two WW muffins (2 points each) and jam (1 point). This day I didn't eat breakfast. Can you tell?

* Yummy alert! Have you ever added vanilla yogurt to your fruit? Wow, is that ever good! Mix one cup of vanilla yogurt (a milk serving and if you choose fat-free I think it's only 2 points per serving). Mix that in with a cup of grapes or a sliced banana or both. Wow. Sooo good.

Waffels with Fruit Topping

I've never ever been one for waffels. Ever. For whatever reason, I'm just not a fan. But, in the name of trying things new, I bought myself a box of frozen whole wheat fat-free blueberry waffels. Wow, what a long name. To elimante the calories of sugary syrup (the sugar-free doesn't interest me) and butter, I decided to smash a banana and use that as my topping. I don't think I'd want waffels any other way now! One banana was plenty for both waffels. I even added a bit of blueberry to the mash. When I have fresh strawberries, I'm going to try those mashed on my waffels. The day I ate this, I satisfied all the way until lunch. Very filling.

The Soup

I don't know what you'd call this but boy, it is so easy and good. It's kind of a dump and heat kind of thing. Anyone can make it. First you gather your ingredients.


  • One box of chicken stock (you could use two if you prefer a more brothy soup)
  • Veggies - loads of them! (I keep lots of frozen veggies on hand to dump into dishes I am making. I used half a bag of California blend veggies and half a bag of corn.)
  • Potatoes -peeled and cubed (I used a combo of red and white - use whatever you have. I used about 6.)
  • One can of stewed tomatoes (diced if you have them, if they are whole, just dice yourself.)
  • One onion - minced finely (Half if you're not an onion lover)
  • Bean (if you feel like it. This was the first time I added beans [black eyed peas] Doens't need it if you don't like it.)
  • 3 cloves of garlic - minced finely (I love the flavor it gives - add less if you want, but definatly have 1 clove)
  • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or non-stick cooking spray (I have the non-stick spray in my photo but I think I used EVOO)

In a large stockpot, heat oil and add onion. Cook until translucent. Add garlic. Do not burn the garlic. It can taste bitter. Next, add your tomatoes, beans, potatoes and chicken stock. Simmer for a few minutes. Stir. Add your frozen veggies. Simmer until potatoes are tender. Serve hot. This is also great for serving the next day. Mmm, mmm good!








Do you have any good ideas for lunches or breakfasts?


17 comments:

the undomesticated wife said...

The soup looks really good! My problem is I hate the prep work. I may have to try this though. And the pitas....yum!!!

Tonya said...

Yum, yum, yum!!! Can you tell it's lunch time here?!? ;) I've never had the pitas...but I'm gonna pick some up on my next shopping trip b/c of you! Those look fantastic! You could stuff 'em w/just about anything! And that soup looks divine! I love soup!

Thanks for sharing your goodies! I was certainly needing some new lunch ideas.

Mandi Shandi said...

Yummy! I make a very similar soup that I always keep on hand and it is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. Love all the pics, and that waffle looked delish!

Anonymous said...

Looks scrumptious!! Now I have a new cookbook to check out! Thanks for the heads up ;-)

Amanda said...

Yogurt over fruit IS yummy! My favorite is light peach yogurt poured over blueberries, strawberries and peaches/nectarines. So yummy!!!

Something else I love for breakfast OR lunch is a 1 point bagel or english muffin (From the refrigerated section with the cream cheese) with an egg, cheese and ham. If you use reduced fat cheese (made with 2% milk), 1 whole egg and 1 egg white, and a few slices of shaved ham, it's only 5 points and super filling!

Thanks for the yummy ideas!

Jennifer said...

Really good ideas there. I love the idea of the waffles. My problem has always been that I could eat about four of them, but adding all that fruit on top would really fill me up without lots of calories/Points.

Keep the good ideas coming!

Mary @ Neat and Tidy said...

Love the soup idea; I want to try this one! I like to put vanilla yogurt over a serving of frozen red raspberries. Then I let the mixture sit for a bit so the berries can thaw some. It's my substitute for ice cream. It's not as good as the real stuff, but it's pretty tasty!

Stephanie said...

Looks and sounds delish!
My most new favorite breakfast is granola (oh ya made it myself haha) and yogurt. In fact I ate it for 3 days breakfast and snacks. mmmm crunchy goodness!

Small House said...

WOW! I want to make that soup tonight so I can have it for lunch tomorrow at work. Dang I have to clean my house!!

Thanks for sharing your great recipes.

Have a great day.
Sandra

Lucy Marie said...

Yum! That soup looks delish. I am a sucker for soup. I always have homemade soup in the freezer/fridge through the winter. I'll be trying this one soon!

Buzzings of a Queen Bee! said...

Great ideas, thanks for the tips! I am especially excited about the pitas!! I have just started WW and I can use all the help I can get! :)
Carrie

Buzzings of a Queen Bee! said...

Great ideas, thanks for the tips! I am especially excited about the pitas!! I have just started WW and I can use all the help I can get! :)
Carrie

Jessica said...

I just passed an award on to you :) Go to my blog for details

{Rebecca Fellows} said...

YUM! All of that sounds SO good! Thanks for sharing :)

Did you by chance get your gift yet? I just wanted to make sure it didn't get lost in the mail :)

Martha said...

Thanks for the great recipes! The pitas look delicious! I will try them!
Martha

cherry said...

Great recipes. I just have to say those pics of you down below are soo cute.....how adorable are YOU!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Mmmm, Mandi, my mouth is watering! I love soups that you can feast on for days. Thanks so much for commenting on my blog ~ it means a lot to me! ....Kathy @ A Little Pinch of This and That

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