Recipe ideas for meal replacement programme

Depending on the meal replacement programme you choose to follow you will be allowed to have some food each day.

For the total meal replacement programme you will have an allowance of 2 vegetable servings each day.

For the partial meal replacement programme you will have one 400 calorie meal each day.

This is in addition to 2 servings of fruit daily for each plan. Please see our meal replacement programme resource for further information.

Total meal replacement programme vegetable serving ideas

When following the total meal replacement programme you can have 2 vegetable servings daily which total 100 calories each, or enough to fit in 2 cupped hands. You can serve these vegetables however you like, but in order to maintain interest you may want to try some of the following serving suggestions.

Please note the following foods are not included in your vegetable allowance: avocado, olives, potato, yam, sweet potato, plantain, pulses, nuts, seeds, coconut and vegetables or salad in dressings such as coleslaw.

Use spray oil only if cooking vegetables. Avoid salad dressings and croutons.

Carrot and coriander soup (6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 spray of cooking spray
• 1.2 litres vegetable stock
• 1kg carrots, peeled and chopped
• Large bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
• Large onion, sliced thinly
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Fry the onion in the cooking spray until soft.
2. Add the carrots, stock and seasoning and simmer for 15 minutes until the carrots are tender.
3. Add the coriander, liquidise and serve.

 Vegetable curry (4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 spray of cooking spray
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon curry powder (use less for a milder flavour)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 100g cauliflower florets
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 courgette, sliced
• 100g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 100g broccoli
• 400g tinned tomatoes
• 500ml vegetable stock
• tablespoon tomato puree
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Fry the onions, garlic and curry powder in the spray oil for a few minutes until starting to soften.
2. Add the carrots and cauliflower and cook for a further few minutes
3. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. Season to taste.

Ratatouille (4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 spray of cooking spray
• 2 courgette, sliced
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 red, yellow or green pepper, chopped
• 1 small aubergine, diced
• 2-3 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Pre-heat a non-stick pan and add spray cooking oil.
2. Put all the courgette, onion, pepper, aubergine and garlic into the pan and cook over a low heat until soft and the vegetables have reduced in size (approximately 20 minutes)
3. Add the tinned tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and add any herbs you like (such as, dried mixed herbs, or fresh basil and oregano)

Pea and mint soup (4 servings)

Ingredients

• 750 ml vegetable stock
• 30ml spoon fresh mint or 5ml spoon dried mint
• 500g fresh shelled or frozen peas
• Ground black pepper (optional)

Method

1. Wash the fresh mint and chop finely.
2. Put the peas in the saucepan and add the stock.
3. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, stir and simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Take off the heat and add the mint.
5. Carefully blend the soup until smooth.
6. Add black pepper to taste.

Stir fry (1 serving)

Ingredients

• 50g bean sprouts
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• Quarter of a teaspoon of 5 spice powder
• 1 red, yellow or green pepper (or a mixture), cut into thin slices
• 50g mushrooms, cut in thin strips
• 1 small carrot, cut into thin strips
• 1 spring onion, cut in thin strips
• 25g green beans  (fresh or frozen)
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 spray of cooking spray

Method

1. Stir fry all the vegetables and 5 spice over a high heat for 5 minutes in a wok using the low fat cooking spray.
2. Add the soy sauce and serve

Partial meal replacement programme 400 calorie meals

You can choose to have your meal at any time of day. Some people may prefer to have this at school or college so that they do not stand out from their friends but you can also have this at breakfast or for your evening meal.

Make sure that your meal is balanced and consists of vegetables, some starchy carbohydrate (such as, potatoes, yam, wholegrain rice, wholemeal pasta or breads made from wholemeal flour) and protein (such as, pulses, nuts, eggs, fish, meat, Quorn and other vegetarian or vegan alternatives). Fill half of your plate with vegetables or salad to fill you up.

There is a wide variety of recipes available online. You can filter the recipes so they only show recipes with 400 calories or fewer. You can also read labels of any foods you have in the house to build your own meals.

For example, a baked potato topped with tuna mayonnaise and a side salad would be:

• Baked potato for 250 calories
• 80g tin tuna in spring water for  60 calories
• 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise for 40 calories
• Mixed salad of quarter of a bag of mixed leaves, 7 cherry tomatoes and quarter of a tin of sweetcorn for 50 calories
• Totalling 400 calories