Batchelors Slim a Soup have created this easy to follow 7-day Fit & Fabulous diet to give you a healthy start to the New Year. Seven nutritious breakfasts, seven easy lunches and seven scrumptious suppers are the basis of this delicious healthy eating plan. There’s enough food to leave you feeling satisfied – not starving! You can either follow the diet to the letter, or mix and match the meals to suit your tastes. Each breakfast has around 200 calories, each lunch around 300 calories and each supper around 400 calories. With the daily essentials, your calorie intake gives you around 1,200 calories each day. This allows you to select one Batchelors Slim a Soup each day to enjoy whenever you like. You’ll be getting a sensible amount of all the right kinds of foods for a gradual weight loss of around 1-2lbs per week, though you may even lose a little more!

The secret of losing weight is to eat foods with fewer calories than you need, so that you gradually burn off unwanted fat by converting it into the extra calories that your body requires. Do this too quickly with crash diets and you lose muscle, rather than fat – not a good idea! A sensible, gradual approach has more successful, long-term benefits - and you will get into the good habit of eating healthy, tasty foods.

With this diet, you could choose the same breakfast each day and just three or four of the lunch choices, if you want. Though remember that the key to a healthy, balanced diet is variety, to make sure that you get all the protein, minerals, vitamins and trace elements that your body needs to function properly. So try as many choices as you can.

Remember to include each day:

1 sachet Batchelors Slim a Soup – choose from Minestrone, Chicken & Mushroom or Spicy Lentil. Enjoy as a tasty change from tea or coffee, as a low calorie mid-morning snack, as a satisfying starter to your lunch or main meal, for a comforting TV snack, or as a warming welcome home after a brisk winter walk.

1 pint skimmed milk or soya milk for tea, coffee or drinking neat – this is important for your calcium intake

A minimum of 5 glasses plain water. Try it hot with a slice of lemon first thing in the morning, and get into the habit of having one glass every couple of hours or so.

Extra fruit per day. Choose from 1 medium apple, 2 kiwi fruits, 1 peach or nectarine, 1 medium pear, 100g seedless red or green grapes, 1 slice of melon, 1 medium orange, 2 clementines or satsumas, 3 pineapple rings in natural juice.

Use sweeteners instead of sugar in tea, coffee or on cereals.

Tips:

Try to get some exercise every day – it will increase your level of fitness, improve your shape and tone up your muscles. It will also help you to burn off more calories. The key is to do something you enjoy, whether it’s walking the dog, going to the gym, swimming, cleaning the house or salsa dancing!

Weigh yourself just once a week, at the same time of day and wearing similar clothes, to get an accurate measure of your weight loss.

Note: This diet is designed for women wishing to lose up to 1 stone. Men should add an extra 250 calories to the daily totals.

Day 1

Breakfast
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 210
Make a chilled fruit-boost smoothie with 1 medium banana blended with 50g frozen forest fruits or frozen raspberries, 4 level tbsp low fat plain yogurt and 150ml (1/4 pint) skimmed milk.

Snack – Batchelors Slim a Soup – any flavour

Lunch - Pizza Muffins
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 302
Split and toast an English muffin. Spread with 2 tsp tomato puree and top with 1 medium sliced tomato. Sprinkle with dried mixed herbs and 2 tbsp grated Cheddar cheese. Grill until bubbling.
Option: Use 1 regular pitta bread instead of the muffin, but do not split it – simply toast lightly, add the toppings and grill. (302 calories)

Supper - Cajun Chicken and Rice
SERVES 4
CALORIES PER SERVING 405
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan and stir-fry 1 chopped onion, 2 sticks celery, 1 green pepper and 2 crushed garlic cloves for 3 minutes. Add 500g chopped skinless chicken breasts and cook for 5 - 6 more minutes. Stir in 600g cooked long grain rice and 4 chopped medium tomatoes. Add 2 - 3 tsp Cajun seasoning, 1 tsp dried thyme and a pinch of chilli powder. Season. Cook, stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until piping hot.

Day 2

Breakfast – Mushrooms on Toast
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 204
Toast 2 medium slices wholemeal bread from a large loaf, spread each with 2 tsp of very low fat spread, then top with 100g sliced mushrooms simmered in a little vegetable stock for 5 minutes. Season and serve, sprinkled with chopped herbs.
Snack – Batchelors Slim a Soup – any flavour

Lunch – Omelette with Stir-fried Veg
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 305
Make an omelette with 2 medium eggs beaten with 3 tbsp skimmed milk, cooked in a non stick frying pan with 1 tsp vegetable oil. At the same time, stir-fry 100g fresh or frozen stir-fry veg (beansprouts, mushrooms, peppers, green beans, Chinese leaves, etc.) in 1 tsp of vegetable oil, then use these to fill the omelette.
Option: Make a courgette or mushroom omelette with 100g sliced courgettes or mushrooms cooked in 1 tsp vegetable oil. (291 calories)

Supper - Bacon-wrapped Chicken with Roasted Veg
SERVES 4
CALORIES PER SERVING 405
Cut pockets into 4 x 175g skinless chicken breasts; fill each with 3 - 4 basil leaves and 1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese. Wrap each one with a rasher of lean back bacon. Put 500g chopped butternut squash, 2 chopped and deseeded red or yellow peppers, 2 thickly sliced courgettes and 2 sliced medium parsnips into a roasting pan. Add 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil and 1 tsp dried mixed herbs. Toss together, place the chicken breasts on top and brush with 2 tsp olive or vegetable oil. Roast for 45 minutes at 190°C, 375°F, Gas Mark 5, until the chicken is tender.

Day 3

Breakfast – Crumpets with Melting Cheese
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 210
Toast 2 crumpets and spread each one with 1 tsp very low fat spread, then top with a little tomato puree or Marmite and 1/2 tbsp grated Cheddar cheese per crumpet. Grill until melted.

Lunch – Chilli Potato Wedges with Salsa
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 306
Cut 1 large (225g) potato into 8 wedges. Toss in 2 tsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp chilli powder. Bake for 45 minutes at 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6. Serve with 40g low fat soft cheese with chives and salsa made with 1 tbsp finely chopped red onion, 2 tbsp finely chopped cucumber, 1 tomato and 2 tsp chopped fresh coriander or parsley.
Option: Bake the potato whole and serve with the salsa and 30g grated Red Leicester cheese (308 calories)

Snack – Batchelors Slim a Soup – any flavour

Healthy Burgers with Heaps of Salad
SERVES 4
CALORIES PER SERVING 399
Pour 50ml boiling water over 50g couscous and leave to swell. Add 400g extra lean minced beef, 1 small finely chopped onion, 1 heaped tsp mixed dried herbs, 2 tbsp chopped chives and a pinch of dried chilli flakes or chilli powder. Season; mix thoroughly. Shape into 4 burgers. Grill for 5 minutes on each side. Lightly toast 4 regular burger buns, spread with a little mustard and serve topped with burgers and salad.

Day 4

Breakfast
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 212
Have 1 medium bowl of no-sugar muesli or cornflakes (40g) topped with 75g strawberries or raspberries, with 150ml (1/4 pint) skimmed milk.

Snack – Batchelors Slim a Soup – any flavour

Lunch - Ham, Tomato and Coleslaw Sandwich
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 303
Spread 2 medium slices of wholemeal bread from a large loaf with 3 tsp very low fat spread. Top with 50g lean boiled or roast ham, 1 medium sliced tomato and 2 tbsp reduced fat coleslaw.
Option: Use 50g skinless roast chicken breast instead of ham (296 calories)

Supper – Thai Prawn & Noodle Curry
SERVES 4
CALORIES PER SERVING 399
Soak 200g rice noodles in hot water for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour 400ml reduced fat coconut milk into a wok with 300ml (1/2 pint) vegetable stock, 4 sliced shallots, 1 sliced garlic clove, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste and 100g sliced fine green beans. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add 350g large cooked peeled prawns (thawed if frozen), 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander or parsley and the drained noodles. Simmer for 2 minutes, then serve.

Day 5

Breakfast – Poached Egg on Toast
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 206
Tuck into 1 medium poached egg on 1 medium slice wholemeal toast from a large loaf with 1 tsp very low fat spread - with 1 small glass (100ml) orange or pineapple juice.

Lunch – Tuna & Potato Salad
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 301
Mix 225g boiled new potatoes with 2 tsp tomato puree and 1 tbsp each of capers, chopped red onion and chopped parsley. Add 100g of tuna in brine and 6 olives.
Option: Use 150g cooked pasta shapes instead of potatoes (294 calories)

Snack – Batchelors Slim a Soup – any flavour

Supper - Ham and Mushroom Pizzas
SERVES 4 (1/2 PIZZA EACH)
CALORIES PER SERVING 398
Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan oven 180°C, Gas Mark 6. Take 2 x 30cm thin and crispy pizza bases and spread 1 tbsp tomato puree over each one. Heat 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil in a frying pan and cook 1 chopped onion and 100g mushrooms for 4-5 minutes. Scatter them evenly over the pizzas with 2 tsp dried mixed Italian herbs. Season, then share 50g wafer thin ham between them, then add a total of 75g grated Cheddar cheese. Bake directly on the oven shelves for 10-12 minutes, until golden. Serve with green salad.

Day 6

Breakfast – Grilled Turkey Rashers with Tomatoes
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 212
Fill up with 4 grilled turkey rashers, with 1 medium grilled tomato and 1 medium slice of wholemeal bread from a large loaf spread with 1 tsp very low fat spread.

Snack – Batchelors Slim a Soup – any flavour

Lunch - Beans on Toast
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 303
Toast 1 medium slice of wholemeal bread from a large loaf and spread with 1 tsp very low fat spread. Top with 250g baked beans in tomato sauce.
Option: Use a 400g can spaghetti hoops in tomato sauce instead of baked beans, and omit the low fat spread (315 calories)

Supper - Pasta with Lemon, Peas and Ham
SERVES 4
CALORIES PER SERVING 406
Cook 275g pasta shapes in lightly salted water for 10 minutes. Add a handful of sliced mangetout and cook for 2 more minutes. Meanwhile, mix together 150g chopped cooked ham, 75g thawed frozen peas and 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest. Drain the pasta; return to the saucepan with a 200g tub of low fat soft cheese, 4 tbsp skimmed milk and the ham mixture. Cook, stirring gently, for 2-3 minutes. Serve each portion with 1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese.

Day 7

Breakfast - Porridge
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 204
Start the day with 1 medium bowl porridge made with 40g rolled oats and water, topped with 2 tbsp low fat plain yogurt or 4 tbsp skimmed milk and 1 tsp demerara sugar or runny honey.

Lunch - Pitta stuffed with Cheese, Cucumber and Salad
SERVES 1
CALORIES PER SERVING 304
Warm 1 regular pitta bread, then split and stuff with shredded lettuce, a few slices of cucumber, 1 medium sliced tomato and 20g grated Cheddar cheese.
Option: Use 2 lean, well-grilled rashers of back bacon instead of the cheese (300 calories)

Snack – Batchelors Slim a Soup – any flavour

Supper - Smoked Haddock on Herb Mash
SERVES 4
CALORIES PER SERVING 404
Boil 1.2kg potatoes in lightly salted water until tender (about 20 minutes). After 10 minutes, start to poach 4 x 175g smoked haddock fillets in simmering water for 8 minutes. Mash the potatoes and beat in 4 tbsp skimmed milk and 150g low fat soft cheese with chives and onion. Add 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley. Serve with the fish and lightly cooked fresh broccoli and cabbage or courgettes.

Enjoy!