Could someone clarify please?

Spotty Teapot

Full Member
Could someone clarify this for me please?

A fellow poster has told me that thei SW consultant has told them that on the EE plan each meal must not only contain 1/3 superfree food but also 1/3 green element and 1/3 red element and that the food optomising book backs this up.

Is this true?

I have read the book but I thought the only rule was that 1/3 of the plate be superfree and then the rest of the plate could be comprised of any free food and any syns you may choose to use.

Thank you for your help!
 
You don't have to have 1/3 red and 1/3 green foods on EE. In fact a lot of new members don't even know which foods are red or green if they've never done those plans.
Sample EE menus on the SW site and in the magazine doesn't do this either.
 
Thats what I thought, but I'm quite confused now and upset at the thought that I might not have been doing it properly (I have done it before, so I do know the red/green thing).
 
Thats what I thought, but I'm quite confused now and upset at the thought that I might not have been doing it properly (I have done it before, so I do know the red/green thing).

You have been doing it properly so there's no need to be upset.
 
spotty teapot you are doing fine all looks well and as long as you have your 1/3 superfree then your on the right road.
 
Never heard anything before about having to mix red and green and it's not in my books (which are new). Looks like you are doing fine to me.
 
SW encourage vegetarians to follow EE (why, I do not know!) and the don't have a third red foods!

Sometimes people make up their own rules hun which is why it's best to read the book or ask your consultant, as well as on here!

That said, some consultants have been known to make their own rules up too ;-)
 
My consultant told me when I joined that as a veggie I would be better off following green days, not sure if that's the official line. The first thing she asked the handful of new joiners was "Do we have any veggies?" and when I put my hand up she said she would go through the green day plan with me separately at the end after showing the others EE.

I would miss my extra HEXs if I did EE every day I think, and I don't eat enough fish to make it worth my while. Maybe I will try doing a full week of EE some time and see how it affects my losses though.

I'm wondering, if EE is encouraged for veggies, why do we get fewer HEXs - would we still be getting everything we need in our diet? I presume the idea behind EE is that if you mix red and green foods you will naturally be eating additional protein or fibre in your diet which would otherwise have been covered by the additional HEX. But veggies would be eating the same on EE as on green and still going without a HEX. Won't they be missing something?
 
I have no idea why but I've seen it happen! Just like some vegetarians on here have done red days........

On green days you also get the lovely list of extra B choices like nuts, seeds, cheese etc.

I don't understand it and most veggies do follow green, however, it's been said!
 
I know, I love the B choices on green days, it means I can have three lots of cheese if I want! I did toy with doing red days too as I heard the weight loss can be better, and just having lots of Quorn, fish and veg, but as my partner is a "proper" veggie who doesn't eat fish and doesn't like Quorn it would be a bit awkward cooking an evening meal we could both eat. I'm quite enjoying doing Success Express at the mo: means I can have a bit of fish and still not miss out on my HEXs, as long as I have 2/3 superfree with every meal.
 
I was under the impression that for extra easy you were meant to have a third of each group on your plate, thats what my consultant told me! :( So as long as I have at least a third super free, the rest can be made up of anything free?!? This makes life much easier!!!!!! x
 
I was under the impression that for extra easy you were meant to have a third of each group on your plate, thats what my consultant told me! :( So as long as I have at least a third super free, the rest can be made up of anything free?!? This makes life much easier!!!!!! x

That's right, not sure where your consultant got this idea from. Have a look at the sample 7-day menus on the Slimming World site (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian) and you'll see that free foods are not divided into red and green.
 
I'm wondering, if EE is encouraged for veggies, why do we get fewer HEXs - would we still be getting everything we need in our diet? I presume the idea behind EE is that if you mix red and green foods you will naturally be eating additional protein or fibre in your diet which would otherwise have been covered by the additional HEX. But veggies would be eating the same on EE as on green and still going without a HEX. Won't they be missing something?

The argument they use is that on EE you get better portion control because of the requirement to have the superfree food. I suppose technically someone could do green and eat pasta and rice all day with no fruit and veggies. They wouldn't get very far doing it but SW say EE promotes a more balanced diet. That is a more 'normal' way of eating which makes it easier to follow long-term.

I had this argument with the new consultant who took over our group and is one of the reasons why I chose to leave. My argument was that I could do all this and more on green because I do build my meals around superfree foods (although I use the old definition), I eat a variety of free foods over the week with loads of fruit and veg, and I get the added benefit of a wider choice of HEBs which is particularly beneficial when you are maintaining. But she would not see this and was insistent that I would be better off doing EE, even though I have been at target for years.
 
I think I have found were this idea comes from, on the Food Diary given out by SWC it states free foods 2/3, Superfree foods 1/3, I had been filling in my diary on line so hadnt noticed it before.
 
Q. Can I eat proteins and carbohydrates at the same meal?
A. Yes, yes, yes! Food Optimising is quite unlike food combining, where you have to avoid eating different food groups together. Food Optimising encourages you to have balanced meals. For example, with a juicy steak you could have a jacket potato with a large side-salad or vegetables all Free with our Extra Easy plan!

Does this answer the query got myself confused now.
 
Not really! The question was whether you have to have red and green foods on the plate at each meal. And the answer is no.

Whether you have carbs and proteins together is really neither here nor there because you can do that on any of the plans not just EE. Some people think that the other SW plans are about not having carbs and proteins together but that was never the case.
 
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