Diet weekly plans waste food

[IguanaTail]

Has anyone come across a good diet food plan which doesn't mean that loads of food is wasted at the end of each week?

I don't want shakes and powders and sachets and pills. I want nice normal healthy food. But each plan has things like "2 slices of bread" for a breakfast and then when you look across the week, no more bread is used. So you have a whole loaf minus two slices.

AIBU to want a food plan where
1 - the food is good
2 - the food is varied
3 - the food is not wasted

?? Does it exist?

[baublesbells]

why don't you freeze the rest of the loaf? Then it is ready for next weeks two slices requirement

[VintageDresses]

I think they often assume you're coming for 4/6 but you could have a bread roll instead of 2 slices of bread or freeze the loaf and take out what you need.

Most other food can be bought in the portions you need, can't it?

[IguanaTail]

Yeah... could freeze I suppose. Or have a roll.

[SaucyJack]

I dunno if one exists tbh.

I'm not sure it's a bad thing from a (purely) weightloss perspective tho. Surely part of the problem for a lot of us is that we'd rather eat any excess food than "waste" it?

Maybe try batch cooking meals on any particular plan and freezing them in portions?

[MelanieCheeks]

If you're looking at "plans" they will try to have variety across the week, so toast for breakfast one morning, but not repeated for a while.

I keep my sliced bread in the freezer, it toasts straight from frozen.

What were the other food suggestions that you feel might be wasteful? Are there other people in the household who might eat the same foods? Are you all eating the same breakfast, lunch and dinners?

[whois]

I agree you can freeze things, batch cook, buy fresh veg in the tigh portions or get a bit creative - no need to buy kale if you already have half a bag of spinache left over.

[Artandco]

Batch cook and freeze. So make a fresh soup for 4 meals, eat one and freeze the other 3 portions. Then you have an instant soup made for the next three weeks. Same with most meals

[IguanaTail]

I just keep reading things like

Half a banana
2 sausages
50g cheese
Half a cucumber
1 tortilla wrap
1 chicken breast. Etc.

[IguanaTail]

Batch freezing seems to be the way forward. If you make a soup and then freeze it and take it out, how long can you keep it for?

[VintageDresses]

You freeze it in portions so you only take out what you need.

[TiredButFineODFOJ]

You could use weightwatchers or slimming world and devise your own "plan" for a week/month based on their system.
Let's face it, don't most of us have the same breakfast most days? I have toast every day but then I'm not exactly slim

[MelanieCheeks]

You do have a point! I'm constantly trying to find ways of using up extra food. The freezer is your friend, along with a whole set of freezable single-portion sized tubs (IKEA )

[Fatherwishmas]

Try joining slimming world? Cook ahead in batches and freeze. Binge on free foods so never hungry

[whois]

On your list OP - sausages and chicken breasts freeze fine. Cheese keeps for ages, buy a small block. Cucumber, you can buy half portions but if just try and use the other half in the next day or two. Half a banana is a bit trickier but if it's for breakfast I'd just have the same thing the next day to use it up.

[chrome100]

Try living on your own! It's so hard not to waste food. I bought a freezer which I had never had before to freeze bread and just toast slices as I need them.

[lorelei9]

I live alone so diet or not, I have to freeze a lot of things or use leftovers, effectively having repeat days.

doesn't worry me at all tbh, just means you eat the same meals. I don't really vary my breakfast and lunch that much though. I don't mind eating the same thing 2 days in a row - 3 would get wearing but 2 is okay with me.

so yes, freezer is your friend, or work out different ways of using different things. Half a banana does seem weird - maybe just buy small bananas. But other than that, because I also economise heavily, if I see a pack of 6 chicken thighs and I don't want to eat chicken all week, I just freeze the rest. All the freezing is individual portions.

[MelanieCheeks]

Thinking about it a bit more - how do you feel about using something like My Fitness Pal? It DOES mean calorie counting, and is a bit of a faff to begin with, but once you get familiar with what are good choices, it gets a lot easier. TL:DR portion control is the key.

OR

5:2? 2 days a week very low cals, plenty of menu suggestions around, the other 5 days are pretty much as you like (within reason!)

[NannyR]

I buy big trays of chicken breasts and wrap and freeze them individually, ditto with the sausages, wrap them in twos. Cheese also freezes really well if you grate it, then you can just take out what you need. If the banana is for a smoothie you could freeze that too. The only thing that might go to waste on your list would be the half cucumber, although that would make a good snack at some point during the week.

[BreakingDad77]

I know what you mean iguana, DW tried these plans and just meant lots of throwing away spolied fresh food, as lots of the dishes contain fresh items, which other wise means shoppping every/other day.

[BreakingDad77]

I like batch cooking but DW never seems to want to eat it again after its frozen.

[bigkidsdidit]

They just do insane variety like a different breakfast every day. Just pick two days and alternate those

[IguanaTail]

I'm so nervous Nora about freezing and defrosting chicken.

I think the bottom line is that I would just prefer to eat what I want when I want and not bother counting any calories ever and be slim. I need to get a bloody grip really.

[Fairenuff]

Yes, just eat normal food but cut out all the fatty/sugary stuff. Put leftover in the fridge for the next day. Normal eating doesn't have to equal food waste.

Half a banana is no way to live your life. Either have the banana or don't.

[Readysteadyknit]

I am going to try Whole 30 for a detox/kick start to weight loss. It is quite extreme (no sugar, wheat, dairy for 30 days) but I chose it because the recipes look really nice - proper food that my DS will also eat (with the addition of dairy, bread, pasta etc as he chooses). As far as I can see, you eat the leftovers the next day so hopefully no waste.

[SolidGoldBrass]

FFS! All these plans are bullshit. The entire diet industry is bullshit. It's a scam almost identical to religion - promise people something impossible while telling them to do things that will make sure they don't get what they want.