You asked for it, and here it is! A brand new 7-day meal plan filled with new meals, snacks and recipes. I have also received a lot of e-mails requesting vegetarian recipes, so this meal plan contains some delicious options for our vegetarian friends participating in the Cityline Weight Loss Challenge.

Enjoy!
Dr. Joey

Cityline Weight Loss Challenge 7-Day Meal Plan, No. 2

Day 1 – Monday

BREAKFAST – Fruit and Granola Yogurt

• ¼ cup granola
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• ½ cup of blueberries or ½ banana sliced thinly

A.M. SNACK (optional) 1 non-fat skim milk latte

LUNCH – Turkey & Avocado Sandwich

• 2 slices sprouted grain bread
• ¼ small avocado, sliced thin
• 3-4 slices turkey slices (we recommend Maple Leaf Natural Selections)
• Handful of alfalfa sprouts
• Leaf lettuce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Served with mixed green salad with olive oil + lemon vinaigrette

P.M. SNACK (recommended) celery sticks + 1 tsp almond butter or hummus

DINNER- Fish in Foil Packets with steamed vegetables

• 3-5 ounce fillet of your favorite fish (salmon, tuna, tilapia, etc.)
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Sprinkle of fresh or dried dill
• Black pepper to taste

Wrap in tin foil along with sliced green onion and bake for 20 min at 450 F

Meanwhile, steam as much broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, kale, or spinach as you desire and season with 1 tsp sesame oil or olive oil

Day 2 – Tuesday

BREAKFAST – Make Your Own Breakfast Burrito

• ½ cup of vegetable medley (i.e. chopped peppers, onions and spinach)
• 1 small100% whole grain wrap
• 2 egg whites + 1 egg, beaten
• Pinch cumin and black pepper

1. Chopped green or red peppers, onion, and spinach

2. Sauté the veggies in 1 tsp olive oil until onion is softened

3. Add egg mixture and season with cumin and pepper

4. Scramble gently until egg is fully cooked

5. Transfer to center of wrap, top with 1 tsp salsa or 1 ounce grated cheese if desired.

6. Wrap and roll and enjoy!

Tip: Wrap your burrito in tin foil if you’re taking it to go.

A.M. SNACK (optional) – Apple slices with cinnamon + 10 almonds

LUNCH – Pesto Salmon

• 5 ounces of canned salmon
• 1 tbsp basil pesto
• Squeeze fresh lemon and pinch black pepper

Mix ingredients thoroughly and eat with chopped Romaine lettuce, celery, carrot, bell pepper and/or cucumber sticks

P.M. SNACK (recommended) – 100 gram yogurt (any flavor) with handful of blueberries

DINNER- Chickpea Burgers with side salad (Please refer to end of meal plan for recipe)

Day 3 – Wednesday

BREAKFAST – Banana Walnut Smoothie – Source of omega-3s!

• ¼ cup walnuts
• 1 cup skim milk + 4 ice cubes
• ½ banana
• 1 teaspoon flax seed oil

TIP: Pulse the nuts and fruit before adding the liquid

A.M. SNACK (optional) 2 slices of Ryvita cracker with 1 tsp almond butter

LUNCH – High Energy Entree Salad (vegetarians will love!)

• 1 cup Romaine lettuce, chopped + 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 small cucumber, sliced + 1 small tomato, sliced
• 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
• 1/2 cup sliced green or red onion
• 1/2 cup of raw sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• 4 ounces of thinly sliced firm tofu

Dressing: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon, 1 tsp honey

P.M. SNACK (recommended) 1 grapefruit or 1 orange with 10 almonds

DINNER – Low carb nacholess salad (see end of meal plan for recipe)

Day 4 – Thursday

BREAKFAST- Yogurt Parfait

• ½ cup Greek or goat yogurt
• ½ cup mixed berries
• ½ cup All-Bran Buds
• Sprinkle of cinnamon

A.M. SNACK (optional) Red pepper slices and 1 tbsp of guacamole or hummus

LUNCH -“Better with age” Carrot and Cabbage Slaw (Please refer to end of meal plan for recipe)

P.M. SNACK (recommended) 1 apple with 1 Babybel cheese

DINNER- Angel hair zucchini pasta (Please refer to end of meal plan for recipe)

Day 5 – Friday

BREAKFAST- Look 10 years younger smoothie!

• 6 ounces of unsweetened almond milk
• 2 Tbsp of Greek yogurt
• ½ cup of frozen berry mix (Europe’s Best)
• 1 handful of spinach
• 1 teaspoon of peanut butter

Blend on high and enjoy!

A.M. SNACK (optional) 1 grapefruit or 2 kiwis with 10 almonds

LUNCH – Chicken Caesar Salad

• 3-5 ounces grilled chicken breast, sliced
• 1 cup of chopped Romaine lettuce
• 1 tbsp of low fat Caesar dressing

P.M. SNACK (recommended) – 1 Simply Bar or Kashi Bar

DINNER – Basil Veggie Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup diced red pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced white onion (optional)
• 4 cups of finely chopped coleslaw
• 1 tsp of garlic
• ½ cup of fresh basil
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 2 cups of pasta sauce

Saute mushrooms, red peppers, sliced onion in olive oil for 4-5 minutes. Add in 4 cups finely chopped coleslaw (fresh without dressing) and stir. Add in 1 tsp of chopped garlic, fresh basil and sugar and sauté for 5-6 minutes. Add in 2 cups of pasta sauce and stir. Cover and simmer until heated throughout.

Enjoy as a main dish with 3-4 ounces of cubed tofu or grilled chicken or on its own!

Day 6 – Saturday

BREAKFAST- Cheesy Eggs

Scrambled eggs (4 egg whites + 1 egg) with 1 ounce of dill goat’s cheese

A.M. SNACK (optional) ½ cup yogurt with ½ cup berries

LUNCH – Tuna Veggie Wrap

• 1 whole grain wrap
• 4 oz canned tuna
• Sliced English cucumber
• Sliced Roma tomatoes
• Grated carrots or beets
• Sliced bell pepper
• Handful of baby spinach
• 1 ounce cheese of choice (optional)

P.M. SNACK -½ cup edamame topped with 1 ounce of goat’s cheese

DINNER – Chicken Meatballs (Please refer to end of meal plan)

Day 7 – Sunday

BREAKFAST- Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 2 medium sized apples, peeled and cubed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ scoop of vanilla protein powder

Boil water and add oats. Simmer for 20 minutes, then add apples, cinnamon, sugar and ½ scoop of vanilla protein powder. Simmer for 10 minutes more, then serve.

Makes 4 servings

Single serving size:

• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 1/4 cup steel cut oats
• 1/2 medium sized apple, peeled and cubed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ scoop of vanilla protein powder

A.M. SNACK (optional) 1 hard-boiled egg

LUNCH – Crunchy Chicken Salad

3 ounces grilled chicken breast sliced onto 2 cups baby spinach leaves, tomatoes, onions, and cucumber.

Dress with olive oil, lemon juice and a touch of sauce.

Throw in some toasted pine nuts

Sprinkle with 1 thumb-sized piece of goat’s cheese if desired.

P.M. SNACK (recommended) carrots and 2 tbsp hummus

DINNER – Pan- Seared Salmon

3 ounces of pan-seared salmon with lemon and dill

Serve with kale avocado salad (recipe at end of meal plan).

RECIPES 

Low-carb nacholess salad

In university, my “go-to” appetizer was a big plate of nachos! Unfortunately, most nacho platters are filled with saturated fats, calories and carbohydrates. So…in order to enjoy my favorite appetizer, I have come up with a low carb nacho salad that truly delivers the same taste.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1/2 pound of ground chicken, cooked
• ½ cup of sliced black olives
• ½ cup of tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup of chopped green onions, chopped
• 1 cup of low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions:

On a baking pan lined with tin foil, spread a fresh bed of shredded lettuce. Distribute meat, olives, chopped tomatoes, green onion and any additional toppings. Sprinkle with cheese. Heat oven to 350 and broil for 3 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. Remove immediately and serve.

Serve with guacamole or low fat cottage cheese if desired.

Serves 2 for dinner

Chickpea burgers

V= vegetarian!

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
• 2 tbsp chia seeds in ¼ cup water
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup sprouts (alfalfa)
• 1 cup almonds and cashews (ground almost into a meal to replace breadcrumbs)
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine the chickpeas, chia seeds and salt in the food processor and puree until almost smooth.

2. Pour into a bowl and add cilantro, onion, zest and sprouts.

3. Add nuts and let sit for a few minutes.

4. Form into patties (if too wet, add more dry chia and let sit for a few minutes again)

5. Bake in oven at 350 for 20 minutes

Makes 8-10 patties

Serving: 1 per meal without bun (enjoy with side salad)

Basil-zucchini angel-hair pasta

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces of angel-hair soy noodles (shirataki)
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 cup zucchini, sliced thinly into ½ moons
• ½ cup red pepper, thinly sliced
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp of crushed garlic
• ¼ cup of chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp of low fat parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Rinse and drain Shirataki noodles well. Pat dry using paper towels. Boil noodles for 2-3 minutes to get rid of aroma of liquid noodles were stored in. Drain excess liquid and pat dry.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, red peppers, salt, garlic and fresh basil. Cook until heated through (4-5 minutes).

3. Add pasta to skillet and toss with vegetables.

4. Plate pasta and vegetables and top with grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Serves 1

Chicken meatballs 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground chicken breast
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, optional
• 1, 28 oz / 796 ml can plum tomatoes, with juices, pureed

Directions:

1. Heat a non-stick skillet sprayed with non-stick spray. Add onions, garlic and dried oregano. Cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, until onions are golden brown. Cool onion mixture before adding it to the ground chicken.

2. Place ground chicken in a bowl. Add onion mixture when cooled. Add salt and pepper. Mix well. Shape mixture into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or waxed paper.

3. To cook, heat large, deep non-stick skillet sprayed with non-stick spray. Add onion, garlic and hot pepper flakes. Cook for about 5 minutes, until onions are softened. If vegetables start to burn add a bit of water to the pan. Add pureed tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add meatballs to the sauce. Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.

Note: The mixture tends to be sticky. Before shaping simply dip hands into cold water.

Approximately 12 meatballs will weigh 6 oz. Check on your scale. I like to portion this recipe into 3-5 oz. portions and freeze the containers to use as needed.

Kale avocado salad

Ingredients:

• 1 head kale, thick centre stem removed, sliced fine
• 1 avocado, halved, flesh scooped out of peel
• 1 green onion, sliced thin
• 2 ½ tbsp. olive oil
• 1 ½ tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. Celtic sea salt
• 1 tomato, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large salad bowl, toss together all ingredients (except tomatoes). Mix well creaming the avocado into the kale.

2. Add the tomatoes after mixing.

3. Serve and enjoy!

Serves 4

“Better With Age” Carrot and cabbage slaw

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 cup kale, finely chopped
• ½ red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon green onion, chopped
• ½ cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds

Ginger-Sesame Dressing:

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon tamari

Directions:

Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl. Whisk all the dressing ingredients into another bowl. Toss the salad with the dressing. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Enjoy with 2 hard boiled eggs for lunch!

Serves 4