Thread: Dukan Advice to Help new Members

I posted on another thread about Bran allowances, and it was suggested I post it as a thread for all new people to see. So here it is LOL
The bread and muffins are made using the oatbran and wheatbran.

Wheatbran is additional to the oatbran.

In cruise we can have 2tbsp of Oatbran and 1tbsp of Wheatbran.

I use half of each of the allowances to make breakfast porridge with 120ml milk and sweetner. Microwave for 1 min, stir it, put on for another 30s and watch it....make sure it doesn't bubble over. On PV days add some stewed rhubarb to it, makes it into a bigger portion LOL. I also have a yogurt with my breakfast with a cuppa and this will keep me going to lunchtime, I used to have lunch at 11.30 now I can go til 1pm.

The other half of the bran allowances I make a sort of bread, i put with 2tbs of Skim Milk Powder, 1tsp of Baking powder, 2tbs Quark and 1 egg. Mix really really well and then pour into a microwaveable container (I use chinese takeway tub lined with greasproof) Microwave for 3 mins on 600W setting. This produces a nice bit of 'bread' I have half as a sandwich and half with dukan lemon curd and sweetened quark as a cake.

So thats my bran allowances, and I still got two meals out of it. I have this nearly every single day. It is very very filling. More so than the pancakes I personally think. You could always sweeten the bread, add some flavourings and make it into a cake that you could eat for supper. Slice it into portions and it makes a lovely yummy meal.

Homemade Lemon Curd is a dukan lifesaver. 1/3cup of Lemon Juice (fresh or bottle) 4tbsp Sweetner, 1 egg. Beat egg and sweetner together. Warm lemon juice in a pan, don't let it get too hot. Very very slowly pour and mix warm lemon juice into the egg. Has to be slow otherwise egg will scramble. Once all mixed together pour back into pan and heat. Stirring constantly, one thickened, pour into a container to let it cool and then put in fridge. I find mine will last about a week. Lovely added to yogurt or on the cake.

Yogurt is another home made item. And save a lot on money. A lot of dukaners make their own and we all do it different ways but this is how I do mine.

Use a very thick/heavy bowl something similar to a Slow Cooker Pot. I actually do use my slow cooker pot/machine.
Use 1 ltr carton of UHT Skim Milk (Aldi is 49p)
2 tbsp of Skim Milk Powder
2 tbsp of Live Yogurt (Yeo Vallery Green pot for the first batch, then your own yogurt after that) needs to be room temperature.

Heat the milk in the bowl in the microwave on 600W for 15mins. At the end of the cooking there will be a skim on the top, use a spoon to lift and dispose of this.
Allow milk to cool for about two hours....if you can put a finger in and leave it in then its cool enough.
Now mix in room temperature yogurt and milk powder.
Put a lid on the pot and put a heavy blanket/towel over the top. (I put the bowl back in the slow cooker machine to help with insulation)
Leave this covered and somewhere out of a draught for about 8-10 hours. It will thicken up. Stir it before pouring into two 500ml tubs. This will not be massively thick, but it is perfect for our uses. If you want it thicker then put it in a muslin cloth over a bowl for another hour or so, this will reduce the amount you have. I prefer to leave it undrained.

Something else I thought of.

Preperation and Planning. Definately the key to helping you stick to plan.

I work out all my menu's on a Sunday, I've even been known to do a couple of weeks at a time, when its your first menu's have a look see what you already have in the fridge and freezer and use that to plan. Obviously your plan is likely to cross over with a shopping trip and you can at least plan your shopping in advance with this list.

Things that use mince are great for preparing and cooking in advance and freezing. I quite often make meatloaf, burgers, kebabs, meatballs, cheeseburger pie mince, sausages in advance and then cook and freeze them. Great for the days when you know you will be busy and can just reheat and serve with a sauce or cottage cheese side dish PP days, salad on a PV day.

Another thing with mince, turkey mince is finer to cook with, it doesn't shrink as much and there is usually less fat to drain off after cooking. Beef mince is fine to use, but I like more for my money LOL.

If you create a template for your menu's its something you can then use to write on each week, or type and save on your pc. Its great to look back for ideas as well as you will get to a point where you forget what you used to eat at the start of the diet, sounds daft, but having been Dukaning now for 9 months, there are dishes i used to have in the first few months that I hardly have at all now. All because we discover new recipes and keep trying them. I quite often refer back to old menu's so that i don't really have to think about it too much these days, no longer takes 2 hours to plan a week, only about 20mins now.

this is my template, if it helps someone.....not everyone counts dairy and drinks etc., but I swap and change week by week depending on my losses. Its great to keep an eye on it every now and then....when it posts this it won't show the grid, but there is a grid around each day part of it,

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY
P/P	P/V	P/P	P/V	P/P	P/V	P/P
Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
Tea	Tea	Tea	Tea	Tea	Tea	Tea
Supper	Supper	Supper	Supper	Supper	Supper	Supper
Other Food	Other Food	Other Food	Other Food	Other Food	Other Food	Other Food
Drinks	Drinks	Drinks	Drinks	Drinks	Drinks	Drinks
Dairy	Dairy	Dairy	Dairy	Dairy	Dairy	Dairy
Eggs	Eggs	Eggs	Eggs	Eggs	Eggs	Eggs
Tolerated	Tolerated	Tolerated	Tolerated	Tolerated	Tolerated	Tolerated

You've inspired me to put 'make a template' on my to-do list!

Gosh you are soooooh organised! Don't think I could do that even though I sort of think ahead.... I can learn!

Only thing that works for me super, something has to have worked LOL 5 stone down, and 9 months on diet.

I have always been an all or nothing person. When i was pregnant i bought the magazines, books and registered for the parenting sites. When i started making cards, I joined forums, got books saw videos etc., I like to make sure I am organised but am always worried about doing things wrong which is why I kind of go all out and ask hundreds of questions as well.

I always feel that what I have learned is always great for other people to know, and like to help people do the same and get it right. I really hope this helps anyone.

I have to plan ahead too and do it slightly differntly. I plan my breakfast lunch and dinner for the week ahead. I find I can only eat 3meals a day as I'm just not hungry enough to have more, but that works for me. If I don't plan I really struggle. It keeps me on the straight and narrow. x

Wanted to give you a like for all the fab advice but couldn't find the like button on the phone!
Great idea on the chart, I'm going to have a go at doing my own one.
Apologies for bad typing, trying to go it from phone.

you're welcome china, glad its of some use. Welcome back to Dukan xx

How do you make the template on the PC? Do you use office? I'm going to try and be organised, thank you for the inspiration.

i use word china. I created a table and saved it as a blank for use each week. China if you pm me your email address I'll send you the template x