new member questions

Hi, Slkeag. A portion size for a vegetable is usually a cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked, though 2-3 cups for a “free” vegetable is fine, too. Meats can be prepared how you like, though we do encourage broiling, roasting, braising, and sauteing over frying or charring. If you like breading, we would of course encourage a whole grain or other food type, and oven “fried” rather than deep-fat.

Hi, Lpmoyes, and welcome! Desserts are “sweets” (equivalent to 1 carb + 1 fat exchange, if you want to swap these), and are generally an option for your evening snack, i.e. dessert after dinner. However, you can change your snacks around however you want, and have your sweet at lunch if you wish. We prefer that you make your own sweets, to avoid overly processed and artificial ingredients, but if you’re short on time, a small serving each day will not undo all of your efforts.
With regard to the plain yogurt issue, we do prefer it, and you can of course add your own sweetener – see here for our recommendations https://www.trimdownclub.com/the-best-way-to-sweeten-your-tea-2. However, if this still doesn’t work out, then at least try for a brand with active cultures and the least amount of added sugar.
Food combinations are taken care of for you in the menus. You can click on “Exchange view” in the toolbar above your finished menu to see how your pattern is calculated to reflect this. It is really very simple – combine a protein with each carb, and try to get in a fruit or vegetable at nearly all meals and snacks. The background information is in the main “Program Guide” in “My Downloads” (in the upper right corner of the screen).

SWG means “Sprouted Whole Grains”

Quick and easy meals and snacks that I use: Hard boiled egg (several made ahead of time), frozen tilapia filets (quickly thaw in warm water, sprinkle with Lemon Pepper seasoning and Roasted Garlic & Herb seasoning and fry up in a little olive oil (make up a few filets at a time), Crab Classics single serve packets (great cold or thrown on a salad mix), any squash (cut in half, clean out seeds, place halves face down in a cake pan filled with about 3/4″ of water and bake for about 1/2 hour or until tender)… Etc.

The key is really about looking ahead on your menu and planning a few day’s meals ahead of time. I have very little time to cook (plus, I hate cooking) so I put together my meals and store them in the small, oval French White ceramic dishes, cover them with the matching cover, so I can carry them in my bag to work to reheat in later. I also buy the blended salad mixes (my favorite is the Half & Half mix). I also fix myself up little veggie trays with cut-up cauliflower, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and sometimes cut up cucumber if I’m going to eat the veggie tray right away (cut up cucumbers cause slime after about 1 or 2 days).

Thank you so much.

just joined myself. I wonder if SWG means single whole grain?? I am British and have been in the states for 32 years. Yes, chips are crisps.

I am still having trouble working my way through the site. I am trying to find quick convenient meals for the daily menu plans as I don’t have time to cook or make anything. ANY IDEA?

Lorraine