Well done on making the decision to join, that's the first step. As for recipes.. don't try looking for recipes & sticking to them.. that's the mistake I did. Just go to a supermarket and picture your kitchen. I'm an ex MA student, so I know what it's like to be on a budget & the temptation of a dominos etc! So yeah, picture your cupboards, bread cupboard - get you wholemeal loaf, some pasta (shells/spaghetti) - if it's wholewheat aka brown it'll be better! Get some (or if you're like me.. A LOT) of eggs! Think o your tin cupboard.. now get loads of spaghetti, beans, spaghetti hoops (all free), tins of peas (mushy, marrowfat), tinned baby carrots are also great, mugshots (the 1% ones are free) they are like watered down pot noodles (the chicken and sweetcorn, tomato and herb are delish)! I also buy tins of sweetcorn and add more sweetcorn to them (that's because I LOVE sweetcorn, lol). Also, buy lots of tins on chopped tomatoes! These are great for making your own spaghetti bolognese! Tins of Tuna & some lighter than light mayonnaise! Buy your Fry Light oil too remember! Errr trying to think what else I have, beetroot! I sometimes make a jacket potato with Tuna/sweetcorn/mayo topped with superspeed beetroot, yum! - Next up think of your drinks, buy lots of bottles of water, the cheapest packs are the supermarkets own make or Nestle Pure Life for £2 (12 bottles). Alpen Light bars are a MUST for the cupboard as well, have one or two a day as a treat (remember the syns). I also buy the Danio yoghurts which are 50p in Asda atm, the strawberry 0% fat ones are delicious!! Strawberry sauce in the bottom & 1 syn each!!
Fridge & fruit/veg next.. so skimmed milk, extra lean mince (I use my mince from Lidl - where it's usually cheap - for the bolognese & also just for normal mince with onions/baby tinned carrots/marrowfat peas)! I always buy new potatoes too! I go through them a lot. If you have the time you can buy normal potatoes for making homemade chips, so you can have chips, egg and beans? I also buy prawns which I toss into the stir frys you can buy (I also add some soy sauce & garlic) Easy & yummy! I buy my fish from Aldi. I buy smoked haddock which you can microwave in a few mins & a fave meal of mine is haddock, new potatoes and baby sweetcorn/sugarsnap peas (or any veggies you have)!
Don't try and go all out trying fancy recipies. Do what I do and picture your cupboards OR picture what you're going to have realistically for breakfast/dinner/tea. I tend to stick to the same thing - which is:
Breakfast: 1 x Wholemeal toast (no butter) topped with Scrambled Egg (sometimes i I'm hungrier than usual I'll add a tin of heinz spaghetti) & a cup of tea with honey & again if I'm hungrier than usual a Total 0% yoghurt with a little bit of honey in it.
Dinner: Stir Fry with king prawns OR Jacket Potato with Tuna/sweetcorn/mayo & beetroot
Tea: New Potatoes, smoked haddock & veggies OR New potatoes with mince OR Homemade chips, egg & beans.
My snacks in-between are an alpen bar & fruit - apples/raspberries & tea/green tea!
Sometimes I have those lazy days where I want something quick so I bought those heinz tins of spaghetti bolognese (3 syns for a big 400g tin). I also have the tins of Heinz Ravioli (3 syns)! Handy to have in! Try and buy your meat etc in bulk if it's on offer so if the extra lean mince is on offer buy a lot and freeze it! One tip though if you make a big meal like mince/spag bol.. don't have it near weigh day!! It tends to stay in your body longer I find (I usually have the spag bol/mince after the weigh in)! Maybe you're different but I don't like big massive meals before weigh in.. even if they are all free, lol.
So there IS a lot you can have! Just don't try and force yourself to follow recipes etc, otherwise it feels forced if you get me? Download the SW app too if you can, handy for shopping & checking the syns!! xx Good Luck!
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