Weekly meal planner: low GI
By Tanya Norris

Feel how much more energy you’ll have. Watch how your skin improves. Observe your nails becoming stronger and your hair starting to shine. You should even notice how much easier it is to concentrate.

And most importantly, you’ll feel better about yourself and others around you.

Weights and measures are specified but should be used as a guide. Follow them particularly when they refer to carbohydrates, fats and treats.

A speedy metabolism requires exercise and regular food consumption, so people only needing to lose a small amount of weight will have to increase the volume and intensity of physical activity and cut out those little extras listed in the plan — ie. chocolate, cappuccinos and spicy fruit biscuits.

Diet advice for the week

Monday

• On waking: 300ml water
• Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon
• Breakfast: 1 cup button mushrooms cooked in 1 teaspoon olive oil, half cup baked beans and 1 slice toasted grain bread; mug of green tea, skim milk, no sugar
  ½ hour after breakfast: 600ml water
• Lunch: 1 medium fish, 1 cup shredded lettuce, half grapefruit sliced, half cup steamed green bean, dressed with 1 teaspoon olive oil, half teaspoon white wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
• ½ hour after lunch: 500ml water
• Snack: 1 sliced red apple
• ½ hour after snack: 300ml water
• Dinner: two grilled thin fish, half cup steamed broccoli, 1 small piece dry baked sweet potato (60g)
• Half row dark chocolate

Tuesday

• On waking: 300ml water
• Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon
• Breakfast: half cup low sugar untoasted muesli, 4 prunes, 1 cup whole strawberries, 4 tablespoons natural fat-free yogurt or greek, 1 teaspoon honey; mug of tea, skim milk, no sugar
• ½ hour after breakfast: 600ml water
• Lunch: sandwich with 2 slices wholegrain bead, 3 slices avocado, small serve tuna, grated carrot, beetroot, snow pea sprouts, tomato and lettuce;
• ½ hour after lunch: 500ml water
• Snack: 1 red apple and cup of green tea
• ½ hour after snack: 300ml water
• Dinner: grilled fish, wild rice salad made from half cup cooked wild rice*, 1 tablespoon canned kidney beans, steamed green beans, steamed carrot, chopped fresh mint, 1 teaspoon currants, 10 chopped almonds, with a dressing made with 3 teaspoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 spicy fruit roll biscuits and 1 cup herbal tea
  (*Cook extra rice to use for lunch the next day)

Wednesday

• On waking: 300ml water
• Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon
• Breakfast: two slices grain bread toasted with 2 teaspoons tahini spread and 1 sliced tomato; 4 prunes, one sliced ruby red grapefruit and three tablespoons low-fat natural yoghurt; mug of tea, skim milk, no sugar
• ½ hour after breakfast: 600ml water
• Lunch: half red capsicum baked, stuffed with one small can red salmon in brine, half cup cooked wild rice, quarter cup corn kernels, and 1-teaspoon capers and chopped coriander
• ½ hour after lunch: 500ml water
• Snack: 1 red apple; 10 roasted (unsalted) cashews
• ½ hour after snack: 300ml water
• Dinner: 1 grilled vegan Pattie made with onion (150g), half-cup pasta sauce with chili and half-cup kidney beans with green salad and grated carrot
• 1 piece licorice (15cm long)

Thursday

• On waking: 300ml water
• Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon
• Breakfast: half cup untoasted muesli, half cup mixed berries and half cup low-fat natural yoghurt; mug of green tea, skim milk, no sugar
• ½ hour after breakfast: 600ml water
• Lunch: 1 small whole meal pita pocket, 1 teaspoon humus, 3 falafel patties, tubule, 3 slices avocado, lettuce and tomato; 1 red apple
• ½ hour after lunch: 500ml water
• Snack:  green tea, 1 sweet oatmeal biscuit
• ½ hour after snack: 300ml water
• Dinner: two-egg omelet made with spinach and 30g feta cheese, 1 cup green salad and vinaigrette
• Three pieces dark chocolate

Friday

• On waking: 300ml water
• Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon
• Breakfast: 1 poached egg, half cup cooked spinach, half cup sautéed mushrooms, 2 slices grain toast with 2 slices avocado spread onto toast; mug of green tea, skim milk, no sugar
• ½ hour after breakfast: 600ml water
• Lunch: salad made with third of a cup cooked whole meal pasta, third of a cup canned mixed beans, 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes (oil blotted from them), 1 cup lettuce tuna, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• ½ hour after lunch: 500ml water
• Snack: cheese, small handful of sunflower seeds and 3 dried apricots halves
• ½ hour after snack: 300ml water
• Dinner: grilled flathead or fish fillet served on half cup brown lentils cooked in fish stock, combined with quarter cup sweet corn kernels, chopped parsley and steamed broccoli
• 1 cup mixed berries with half-cup low-fat natural yogurt, sweetened with 1-teaspoon honey

Saturday

• On waking: 300ml water
• Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon
• Breakfast: Bircher muesli made with half cup rolled oats, half grated apple, Quarter cup apple juice, 1 tablespoon slivered almonds and half cup fat-free natural yoghurt; mug of tea, skim milk, no sugar
• ½ hour after breakfast 600ml water
• Lunch: mixed sushi pack (5 pieces) and 1 cup miso soup
• ½ hour after lunch: 500ml water
• Snack: quarter cup hummus with 2 sticks celery and 1 small carrot
• ½ hour after snack: 300ml water
• Dinner: homemade prawn pizza, made with 1 whole meal pita bread, 3 tablespoons pasta sauce, chopped capsicum and chopped onion, 5 king prawns, fresh chopped chili and fresh basil and quarter cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese; 1 cup mixed green salad with dressing
• 1 large brown pear

Sunday

• On waking: 300ml water
• Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon
• Breakfast: 2 slices fruit toast with 2 tablespoons low-fat ricotta; cup of tea with skimmed milk, no sugar; 1 brown pear
• ½ hour after breakfast: 600ml water
• Lunch: salad made with 1 cup broad beans, 3 slices chopped avocado and 5 black olives, 1 teaspoon olive oil and fresh lemon juice — serve under a piece of grilled tuna
• ½ hour after lunch 500ml water
• Snack: cucumbers and cheese
  ½ hour after snack: 300ml water
• Dinner: 2 slices grilled or baked fish with quarter cup rice and nut stuffing, half cup green beans, half cup baked pumpkin (no fat) and 1 small baked onion
• 1 baked apple stuffed with 10 chopped almonds, 2 prunes and 2 dried apricots and 1 teaspoon tahini, serve with 3 tablespoons skimmed milk
  Herbal tea