Slimming World's 7-day menu will show you how vitally important Free Foods are to your weight loss.
They provide you with hundreds of delicious, satisfying meals and snacks to ensure you’ll lose weight beautifully without ever having to go hungry. And together with Healthy Extras – portions of food including wholemeal bread, cereals and milk for extra fibre and calcium – they ensure you have a healthy, balanced diet you can enjoy for life.
We've put together a deliciously diverse 7-day menu that's just bursting with basic Free Food (shown in bold) and includes your Healthy Extra choices (shown in italics) each day – super for your weight loss and simple to follow.
Get started with these quick guidelines - happy eating!
choose...
...a menu each day - they include filling favourites and packed lunch ideas the whole family
will enjoy!
eat freely...
...those foods in bold - no weighing, no measuring, no counting, no kidding!
which of the following menus would you like to try?
Day one
Full English:
Help yourself to a huge bowl of refreshing orange and grapefruit segments, then enjoy a breakfast for a king – best ever Quorn sausages (1 Syn each), and/or lean grilled bacon, a mountain of scrambled eggs, grilled tomato wedges, big flat mushrooms fried in low calorie cooking spray or button mushrooms poached in tinned tomatoes and 1 slice wholemeal toast from a thick-cut 800g loaf to soak it all up with!
Ham roll-ups:
Spread slices of honey-roast ham with 6 Extra Light Laughing Cow Triangles and roll each one up into a sausage shape. Enjoy with loads of lean cold cuts of meat, pickled onions and beetroot, cucumber and carrot sticks, and a mixed-leaf salad drizzled with fat-free vinaigrette.
Cottage pie topped with peppered swede:
Enjoy lashings of swede-topped cottage pie (scroll down for recipe) with leeks, carrots and peas. For pud, enjoy a bowl of fat free natural yogurt drizzled with runny honey (1 Syn per level teaspoon) and dotted with fresh raspberries.
Snacks: wherever, whenever and however much you like!
Crab sticks, slices of cooked chicken, fat free natural cottage cheese mixed with prawns and grated apple.
Swede-topped cottage pie
- In a non-stick saucepan, brown 450g/1lb extra-lean minced beef, add 2 chopped onions, 4 chopped carrots and cook for 5-6 minutes until they start to soften.
- Add 2 tablespoons of Worcester sauce (optional), 2 level tablespoons of tomato purée and 430ml/¾ pint of stock made with Beef Bovril, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the stock has reduced.
- While the meat is simmering, cook 900g/2lb chopped swede and 450g/1lb of chopped celeriac in boiling water until tender, drain, add a tablespoon of chopped parsley and lashings of black pepper, and then mash.
- Pour the meat mixture into an ovenproof dish, spread the mash on top and bake at 200°C for 30 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
Tip: Swap swede for potato if you prefer.
You'll find more delicious lunch and dinner ideas in our recipe archive.
Day two
Fruity porridge:
Make a bowl of porridge using 35g porridge oats and milk from your allowance (250ml semi-skimmed or 375ml skimmed). Top with loads of sliced banana and fresh chopped apricots and tuck in. Follow with peppered grilled mackerel fillets or heaps of lean grilled bacon with poached eggs (enjoy some brown sauce or tomato ketchup on the side, if you fancy: 1 Syn per level tablespoon).
Jacket with beans and coleslaw:
Split a large baked potato (or two!) and spoon oodles of baked beans in tomato sauce over the top. Make up a delicious side of coleslaw by mixing shredded white cabbage, carrot, celery and slivers of red onion with fat free natural fromage frais and mustard powder. Enjoy fresh fruit for dessert, topped with a generous dollop of fat free natural yogurt.
Spaghetti bolognese:
Top a mound of cooked spaghetti with lashings of rich bolognese, made by frying an onion in low calorie cooking spray, adding extra lean mince, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, chopped or grated carrot, celery, crushed garlic and dried oregano, seasoning with salt and black pepper and simmering for 10-15 minutes.
You'll find the recipe here
Snacks: wherever, whenever and however much you like!
Banana, raspberries, any Müllerlight fruit yogurt*
Day three
Tropical muesli crunch:
In a large sundae glass or bowl, defrost a large portion of mixed tropical fruits and layer with fresh strawberries and fat free natural yogurt. Top with 35g Alpen High-Fibre. Add a teaspoon of granulated sweetener to the yogurt to taste, if you like.
Tuna pasta salad:
In a sandwich box, mix together a large portion of cooked pasta shapes with some canned tuna (in brine or spring water), diced cucumber, grated carrot, sweetcorn and a generous dollop of fat free natural fromage frais and a level tablespoon of extra light mayonnaise (1 Syn). Enjoy with 2 Mini Babybel cheeses, diced and mixed in.
Eggs, chips (yes, chips!) and mushy peas:
Make up a big batch of Free Slimming World chips (scroll down for recipe) and smother them in lovely mushy peas, then dip into the yummy, runny yolks of eggs fried in one calorie cooking spray. Finish off with a bunch of red or white grapes and a pot of Rowntree’s low-sugar jelly (½ Syn, all flavours).
Snacks: wherever, whenever and however much you like!
Make your own Chilled lemon soufflé (scroll down for recipe), or snack on sticks of celery and carrot with tzatziki dip (made from fat free natural yogurt mixed with finely-chopped mint, cucumber and spring onion).
Free Slimming World chips
- Preheat the oven to 240°C/Gas 9.
- Cut piles of peeled potatoes into chunky chips, boil for 5 minutes and then drain and leave to dry for 10 minutes.
- Return to the pan, put a lid on and shake to ‘rough up’ the edges of the chips (this will give them a lovely crunchy texture once cooked!).
- Place on a baking tray, spray with Fry Light and bake in the hot oven for 25 minutes, turning occasionally until golden.
Chilled lemon souffle
- Soak 1 sachet of gelatine in the juice of 3 lemons. Meanwhile, take a 15cm/6" soufflé dish and wrap some foil or baking parchment around the outside of the dish to stand 5-7½cm/2-3" above the top of the dish. Tie in place with string.
- Beat 6 egg yolks, then add 6 level tbsp artificial sweetener and grated lemon rind from the 3 lemons. Put the gelatine and lemon juice in a small saucepan and heat gently until dissolved. Stir into the egg yolks, then fold in 283g/10oz fat free natural fromage frais.
- Beat 6 egg whites until stiff and then fold into the lemon mixture using a metal spoon. Pour into the prepared soufflé dish and chill in the refrigerator until set.
Makes 4 servings.
Day four
Bacon and sausage frittata:
Grill some best ever Quorn sausages (1 Syn each) or 2 Tesco Light Choices Low Fat Pork sausages (1 Syn) and lean bacon, then chop them into chunky pieces and set aside. Next, quickly fry some red onion in a non-stick pan sprayed with one calorie cooking spray, add some halved cherry tomatoes, the chopped sausage and bacon, and cover in well-seasoned beaten egg. Turn the heat right down and place a baking tray over the frying pan. When the top’s firm, sprinkle with 30g Cheddar cheese and tuck in! Finish with a bowl of refreshing orange segments.
Soup n’ salad:
Start with a bed of crisp iceberg lettuce leaves topped with piles of prawns coated in Marie Rose dressing, made from fat free natural fromage frais mixed with a drop or two of Tabasco sauce and a level tablespoon of ketchup (1 Syn). Then enjoy a 208g serving of Baxters Healthy Choice Chicken and Vegetable Soup.
Chicken Tikka Masala:
Follow the recipe below to make up a rich, creamy chicken tikka masala. Serve with basmati rice and garlicky sautéed spinach (spinach wilted in hot water, then fried in a non-stick pan with a clove of crushed garlic and a sprinkle of nutmeg).
Snacks: wherever, whenever and however much you like!
Roll chunks of fresh pineapple and fat free natural cottage cheese in slices of cooked ham and eat freely all day long! Plus you’re free to tuck into the leftovers of your creamy tikka chicken - that’s the beauty of Free Food!
Chicken Tikka Masala
- Spray 4 chicken breasts with low calorie cooking spray, season and place under a hot grill for 15-16 minutes, turning once, until cooked through. Remove and, when cool, cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Using a fine grater, grate 2 large shallots and 3 cloves of garlic (both peeled) into a bowl. Spray a large non-stick frying pan with Fry Light and place over a medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic mixture with ½ tsp crushed cardamom seeds, ½ tsp turmeric and 1 tbsp tikka masala powder (or tandoori spice blend powder). Stir-fry for 1 minute and then add 4 tablespoons of passata.
- Add the chicken and ¼ pt stock made with Chicken Bovril, then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add 113g/4oz fat free natural fromage frais, season to taste and remove from the heat. Drizzle over a little more fromage frais and garnish with chopped coriander and lime wedges, if desired.
Makes 4 servings.
Day five
Busy breakfast!
Grab 2 Alpen Light Cereal bars (any flavour) to keep yourself going on the run, then top up your tummy mid-morning with bananas broken up and mixed into toffee Müllerlight
yogurt*, followed by unlimited fruit.
Ploughman’s platter:
Pile your plate with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and pickled onions, and add hard-boiled egg, thick slices of lean ham, chopped apple and a 45g hunk of reduced-fat Cheddar cheese. For added tang, include a Waldorf salad, made by chopping celery, Granny Smith apple and mixing with fat free natural fromage frais.
Speedy Chinese
For a quick, filling alternative to your Friday night takeaway, rustle up your own Chinese delights by heating some one calorie cooking spray in a wok, adding some chopped chicken or prawns, spring onions, red chilli, finely chopped ginger and crushed garlic, fry for a couple of minutes, then throw in a pack of mixed stir-fry veg from the supermarket. If you’re feeling adventurous, add other oriental delights like water chestnuts or lychees! Add lots of Soy sauce to taste, cook for 3 or 4 minutes and serve on a mound of boiled egg noodles.
Snacks: wherever, whenever and however much you like!
Make up a big sandwich box of couscous soaked in stock and a squeeze of lemon juice for added flavour. Add fresh herbs, finely chopped spring onion, chopped peppers and chopped tomatoes and tuck in whenever you’re a bit peckish.
Day six
Fruity filler:
Munch on a big bowl of fresh strawberries, pineapple and grapes mixed with unlimited strawberry Müllerlight yogurt* and topped with 35g of crumbled Nestlé Shredded Wheat Bitesize.
Roasted vegetable and mozzarella couscous:
In a big bowl, mix together loads of courgettes, red onion, mixed peppers, garlic and carrots that have been chopped, sprayed with one calorie cooking spray and roasted at 200°C/Gas 6 for 25 minutes. Mix in lashings of tinned sweetcorn, red kidney beans and cooked couscous, plus 45g chopped Mozzarella cheese.
Steak and spicy sweet potatoes wedges
A real weekend treat! Dish up a piece of steak with lots of spicy sweet potato wedges (scroll down for recipe). Serve with peas, grilled tomatoes and grilled flat mushrooms.
Snacks: wherever, whenever and however much you like!
If you’re at home, rustle up a portion of Slimming World chips (see recipe below day one) or ring the changes by using the same method to bake sweet potatoes and parsnips. Out and about? Then go for a hot jacket with beans, a corn on the cob or take some fruit in your bag.
Spicy sweet potato wedges
- Peel some sweet potatoes, chop into wedges and place in a saucepan of salted water.
- Bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes until just tender.
- Meanwhile, in a pestle and mortar, crush ½ teaspoon each of coriander seeds and cardamom seeds (discard the green outer husks), together with ½ teaspoon of chilli powder.
- Drain the sweet potato wedges, spray with Fry Light and sprinkle over the spices. Place on a pre-heated ridged grill pan, spray again with low calorie cooking spray and grill for 2-3 minutes on each side (also great for the barbecue).
Day seven
Boiled eggs ’n’ soldiers
Take 2 slices of bread from a 400g wholemeal loaf, toast and cut into strips. Dunk into perfectly-boiled eggs (bring a pan of water to the boil, add your eggs and time them for exactly 4½ minutes) and wash down with a 250ml glass of ice-cold semi-skimmed milk
Traditional Sunday roast:
Whether you’re eating out or at home, go mad for meat and veggies – tuck into unlimited lean turkey, beef, lamb, pork or chicken and enjoy with a mixture of roasted carrots, swede and butternut squash and new potatoes. Use your Syns to add a Yorkshire pudding (3 Syns) and smother the whole lot in lovely meaty gravy (4 level tablespoons made with meat juice is 3 Syns).
Spicy butternut squash soup:
Enjoy a big, warming bowl of butternut squash soup (scroll down for the recipe, which serves four). If you wish, stir in leftover chunks of meat from your Sunday roast for added texture and filling power.
Snacks: wherever, whenever and however much you like!
Mix defrosted mixed summer fruits to fat-free fromage frais or for a warming winter pud, chop bananas into a bowl and pour over vanilla Müllerlight that’s been very gently heated in the microwave.
Spicy butternut squash soup
- Heat a large saucepan sprayed with Fry Light, add one chopped onion and cook on a low heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in 900g/2lb peeled, deseeded and chopped butternut squash, 1 peeled and quartered potato, 2 cloves of crushed garlic and half a teaspoon each of ground allspice and nutmeg. Fry for a further minute, then pour over 850ml/1½pts vegetable stock made with Vecon (available from health food shops).
- Season, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the squash is soft. Add a tablespoon of fresh, chopped coriander leaves, wait one minute and then blend with a hand blender or in a food processor.
- Serve with a swirl of fat-free natural yogurt on top. Delicious!
For maximum health, satisfaction and variety, enjoy even more every day!
Tuck into 5-15 Syns every day. Some meals have built-in suggestions, but feel free to substitute your favourites - whether that's a tipple, something sweet or a 'saucy' addition to your dinner! (Slimming World members have free access to our searchable food database, Syns Online as part of our FREE LifelineOnline members website).
Handy hints
- Trim all visible fat off meat and remove all skin from poultry.
- Cook your food in any way as long as no fat or oil is added.
- Vegetables can be fresh, canned or frozen.
- Black tea/coffee and low-cal drinks, fat-free vinaigrette/French salad dressings and all herbs and spices can be used freely.
- Eat at least five portions of fruit and veg each day - it shouldn't be hard, fresh and frozen fruit is Free!
- Healthy Extra choices have been built into the menus. Where you see a weight, portion size or measurement you will be eating a Healthy Extra.
* for a vegetarian alternative to Müllerlight Yogurt, use fat-free natural yogurt sweetened to taste with artificial sweetener.