Have you tried the 7-day eating plans in Slimming World Magazine? Every issue features a weekly menu of gorgeous Food Optimising meals to give you everything you need for seven days of great weight loss (even a shopping list!).
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to get back on track, our research shows that a brilliant week of Food Optimising can set you up for success in the longer term – and the magazine’s simple-to-follow eating plans are the perfect way to get started.
Of course, the proof is in the eating! So we asked Slimming World Consultant Fraser Walker to taste-test our latest menu (available now in the Jan/Feb issue of Slimming World Magazine) – and he lost a fantastic 5lbs in just one week!
Read on to find out what Fraser thought of the menu and discover one of the tasty recipes from the plan – lamb kebabs with couscous salad and quick houmous. Yum!
Slimming World’s 7-day eating plan – tested!
“I’m a huge fan of the meal plans in the magazine. I know that I get the best results when I carefully plan what I’m going to eat for the week, and the 7-day menus are a great back-up option when I’m rushing around too much to think about it myself.
The shopping lists are one of the best things about them. I nipped into the supermarket, ticked off the items as I picked them up and I was through the checkouts in record time – with no temptation to wander down my danger-zone aisles.
My favourite recipe was the lamb kebabs with couscous salad and quick houmous. It had a little bit of everything – loads of texture and flavour, and the dish just looked incredible plated up considering it was so simple to make.
I was delighted by my weight loss! It really kick-started my motivation as well, and that got me thinking about my habits again. By having meals that were varied, filling and exciting I found I was snacking a lot less and I naturally had fewer Syns throughout the day. I went on to lose 10lbs in four weeks after following the 7-day meal plan. Result!”
Lamb kebabs with couscous salad and quick houmous
serves 4
Free
ready in 30 minutes
What you need:
800g lean diced lamb, visible fat removed
low-calorie cooking spray
1 tbsp ground cumin
200g plain dried couscous
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
45g fat-free natural Greek yogurt, plus extra to serve
1½ lemons, juice of ½, 1 cut into wedges to serve
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 peppers, any colour, deseeded and finely diced
½ cucumber, finely diced
4 spring onions, finely sliced
20g fresh coriander, leaves roughly chopped
½ small red cabbage, shredded
8 pickled chillies, to serve
What you do:
1. Put the lamb in a bowl and spray with low-calorie cooking spray. Add the cumin and a little salt, then toss to coat and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make up the couscous according to the pack instructions (without butter or oil). For the houmous, put the chickpeas, yogurt, lemon juice and garlic in a small food processor with 2 tbsp water, then whizz until smooth. Season to taste, then set aside.
3. Preheat your grill to high. Fluff up the couscous with a fork, then stir through the peppers, cucumber, spring onions and coriander. Season to taste, then set aside.
4. Thread the lamb onto 8 small metal skewers, then place on a foil-lined grill tray. Grill for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through and crisp on the edges, turning halfway. Serve 2 kebabs per person with the couscous salad, houmous, red cabbage, pickled chillies, and lemon wedges for squeezing over.
If our recipe has tempted you to discover the freedom to enjoy the food you love, lose weight and stay slim for life, you’ll find more mealtime inspiration – and unbeatable support – at your local Slimming World group and at Slimming World Online.