The Slimsticks Diet

If you want to shed some pounds and still enjoy real food in a hassle-free way, then welcome to the Slimsticks Diet. You don’t have to worry about counting calories or grammes of fat, because we’ve done all the hard work for you.

 

Below is a selection of delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners, which you can mix and match, designed to help women shed a good 2lb a week. If you are a man, then you will need to add a few extra slices of bread throughout the day or slightly increase the servings of pasta or rice with your dinners and have some extra fruit. Combine these dishes with Slimsticks to fend off the cravings and hunger pangs that drive you to snack between meals.

You can have the same breakfast every day if you wish, although to get a good variety of nutrients and stave off boredom it’s a good idea to mix and match at least a few of the ideas.

At lunchtime you can make sandwiches, salads and soups to take with you, or simply pick up our on-the-go suggestions from your local supermarket or sandwich bar. Dinners have been dreamt up to keep your taste buds happy, while implicitly taking care of your waistline. If you want to swap some of the lunches and dinners around, repeat some of your favourite meals or leave a few out, then feel free. The key is that this plan fits in with your lifestyle and preferences, because we want you to drop pounds while retaining a love for life and enjoyment at mealtimes.

Each day try to have a couple of servings of fruit and at least three good portions of vegetables. Again, get as much variety as you can to keep yourself happy and inspired.

Your milk allowance

In addition to the breakfast, lunch and dinner suggestions, try to have half a pint of skimmed milk a day (or light soya milk fortified with calcium). You can have this in teas and coffees, as a cappuccino, or trade in half of your milk for a yoghurt if you prefer. See our section on drinks, below.

Taking Slimsticks

To stop you from snacking in between meals and help you stick to your diet, take two sachets of Slimsticks a day during the first month – one with breakfast and one with lunch. This will help you feel fuller for longer after eating and see you through to your next meal. After the first month, if you are starting to see a difference, you can simply take one sachet of Slimsticks with breakfast, otherwise, stick with two until you do.  

Get moving

As well as cutting down your calorie intake with our diet plan, move around more as this will help you lose more weight. Take the stairs rather than the lift, get off the bus a stop early and park further from your destination. Ideally, take some long walks or start a gentle jogging, cycling or swimming regime. If you can clock up the equivalent of 10,000 steps a day, you’ll really start to see a difference. Then keep up the exercise after your diet to help you keep the weight off.

So now it’s over to you.

Tuck in, take Slimsticks, get active and watch your body change before your eyes.

Good luck!

 

BREAKFASTS

1. Scramble 2 eggs with 2tbsp of skimmed milk and seasoning. Serve with a slice of granary toast and a grilled tomato.

2. Mix together 40g of bran flakes or All Bran with a chopped apple and a sliced banana. Serve with cold milk – 1% fat or semi-skimmed milks are good options.

3. Cut up three of your favourite fruits and mix with 3tbsp of plain yoghurt. Sprinkle with some toasted seeds or nuts. Pumpkin seeds or toasted almonds taste great.

4. Grill two big mushrooms and a tomato sliced in half. Serve with two poached eggs and slice of sourdough or rye bread toast.

5. Have a take out ‘Grande Skinny Cappuccino’ (or make your own milky coffee at home with around 250ml of skimmed milk), and have with two pieces of your favourite fruit, including a banana if you can. 

6. Enjoy a bacon sandwich using two lean grilled rashers of back bacon with granary bread or toast. Have with a few grilled tomatoes (or have slices of tomato in your sandwich) and a small glass of orange juice.

7. Tuck in to a 50g bowl of sugar-free muesli served with your favourite fresh berries or mixed with some grated apple. It is tasty with apple juice or stick with your milk if you prefer.

8. Toast 2 pieces of sourdough or granary bread and cover lightly with chocolate spread (Green & Blacks is very tasty), then top up with some slices of fresh strawberries.

9. Have a juicy pink grapefruit (peel like an orange and eat in segments or slice in half and eat with a spoon). Follow this with a bowl of Fruit and Fibre-style cereal with cold milk.

10. Make French toast by whisking an egg with a pinch of cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg. Dip in two slices of granary bread (left out overnight) and fry in a non-stick pan brushed with a little oil for 2-3mins each side. Serve with a blob of fromage frais and some slices of peach, apple or pear.

11. Serve grilled bananas by popping a peeled banana on a piece of foil, sprinkling with a little vanilla essence, 1tbsp of orange juice and 1tsp of brown sugar (and some freshly crushed cardamom seeds if you fancy). Grill for 5mins and serve with a blob of Greek yoghurt or fromage frais.

12.  Have 3tbsp of dried fruit compote (make by gently simmering 300g of mixed dried fruit with 200ml of water, some orange zest and juice and a little honey). Top with Greek yoghurt, preferably the lower fat versions.

13. Make up a quick bowl of porridge in the microwave or on the hob with 40g of oats and 200ml of skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. Serve with some mixed berries and a swirl of honey.

14. Toast two slices of granary or sourdough bread, and spread with crunchy peanut butter. Look for peanut butter brands without added sugar, which are simply peanuts and some extra salt. Serve with around 200ml of your favourite fruit juice.

 

LUNCHES

1. Salmon & Fennel on Sourdough

Mix 1tbsp of plain fromage frais with 1tsp each of horseradish relish, lemon juice and chopped chives. Add 100g of tinned salmon (drained) and half a grated bulb of fennel. Season and serve with a slice of toasted sourdough bread.

2. Salad Nicoise

Mix 1tsp of olive oil, 2tsp of white wine vinegar and 1tsp of finely cut spring onion. Cut 4 new boiled potatoes into quarters and add a handful of steamed, cooled French beans a chopped tomato and 50g of tuna canned in spring water (drained). Season, top with a quartered hard-boiled egg and 2 black olives.

3. Penne Pasta Salad

Cook 70g of pasta shapes according to pack instructions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Mix 2 finely chopped ripe tomatoes, half a deseeded green chilli and 1tbsp of freshly chopped basil. Add 100g of peeled, cooked prawns. Season and stir into pasta and serve.

4. Smoked Mackerel Pate

Mix 60g smoked flaked mackerel with 1tsp of Dijon mustard, 2tbsp of low fat soft cheese, 1tbsp of chopped parsley, a squeeze of lemon juice and some black pepper. Serve spread on 2 slices of toasted sourdough or rye bread.

5. Mexican Bean Pitta

Drain and mash 150g of canned red kidney beans (you can warm them if you like). Add a few drops of Tabasco sauce, some chopped coriander and spring onion, a squeeze of lemon juice and seasoning. Warm a wholemeal pitta. Split and stuff with shredded lettuce and the bean mix and serve.

6. Chicken and Avocado Wrap

Pop a good handful of chopped watercress in the middle of a tortilla wrap, followed by 100g of lean roasted chicken breast roughly sliced into smallish pieces, half a small avocado (diced) and a chopped tomato and spring onion. Season, fold in the sides of the tortilla, roll up and enjoy.

7. Smoked Salmon and Dill Salad

Arrange some rocket and mixed leaves on a plate with 4 cooked and sliced new potatoes. Drizzle over some lemon juice. In a bowl, stir 2tbsp of low fat yoghurt, 1dsp of lemon juice, 1tbsp of finely chopped dill, a chunk of thinly sliced cucumber and 100g of thin strips of smoked salmon. Pile on top of potatoes and serve.

8. Turkey on Granary

Toast a slice of granary bread and spread with Dijon mustard. Lay on top 100g of sliced, cold roasted turkey and lots of cucumber. Sprinkle with the finely chopped green top of a spring onion and slices of cucumber. Season with black pepper and serve.

9. Humus on Toasted Rye

Blend or mash with a fork to a smooth paste 150g canned drained chickpeas, the juice of half a lemon, 1tsp of crunchy peanut butter and 1tsp of freshly chopped mint. Season and serve with a slice of toasted sourdough bread and lots of vegetable crudités.

10. Skinny Cheese Omelet

Whisk 2 eggs and season. Heat 1tsp of olive oil in a small pan and sauté a handful of fresh button mushrooms with the lid on for 5mins. Heat a non-stick frying pan, brush with oil and pour in the egg mix. Shake the pan well. Add the mushrooms. Once cooked through, serve with a slice of sourdough bread and a tomato salad.

11. Crab and Pitta

Mix 1tbsp of reduced fat crème fraiche with 1tbsp of tomato puree. Stir in 100g of fresh or canned (drained) crab meat, a chopped spring onion, some chopped coriander and a chunk of cucumber finely diced. Take a handful of fresh lettuce and with crab mix stuff into a small wholemeal pitta serving any extra crab mix on the side.

12. Baked Potato with Beans

Bake, microwave or buy from a sandwich bar a medium-sized baked potato. Split open and serve with a small can of beans (about 3tbsp). Opt for reduced sugar and salt versions if you can, and serve with a large side salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

13. Quick Sushi Pack

Buy a small tray of sushi of your choice from a supermarket chill cabinet or sandwich shop, such as Prêt a Manger. Go for one with around 8 pieces and no fried additions. Drink plenty of water because sushi can be quite salty if you serve it with soya sauce.

14. Healthy Eating Sandwich

Either buy a Healthy Eating option sandwich from a supermarket or make you own using simple ingredients, suxch as two slices of granary bread, lean ham or beef, slices of roasted chicken or turkey. Add grain mustard and salad of your choice.

 

DINNERS

1. Roasted Salmon fillet

Roast a 100g salmon fillet brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with crushed garlic and fresh rosemary needles, sea salt and black pepper. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and a few tablespoons of cooked long-grain rice mixed with 1tsp of butter and a chopped spring onion.

2. Roasted Vegetables and Parma ham Bruschetta

Serve some roasted peppers, aubergines and courgettes drizzled with balsamic vinegar with a slice of toasted rye bread (brushed with olive oil and rubbed with garlic) and around 100g of sliced Parma ham.

3. Spaghetti Bologna

Sauté a finely chopped onion, a small grated carrot finely diced and a little crushed garlic. When soft, add 100g of extra lean beef mince. Brown and add a glass of white wine. Once evaporated, add 80g of Italian passata and a few tablespoons of water. Season, simmer for 20mins, and serve with cooked spaghetti (70g dry weight) and a green salad.

4. Chilli King Prawns with Mangetout

Sauté a small crushed garlic clove with a chopped spring onion, a handful of mange tout and a deseeded sliced chilli for about 2mins. Add 100g of cooked king prawns and 1tbsp of sweet sherry. Season and stir-fry for another 2mins. Mix in cooked long-grain rice (60g dry weight) and serve immediately.

5. Grilled Mackerel with Lime

Grill a 100g fillet of mackerel which has been brushed with oil, a squeeze of lime juice and seasoned. Grill for 3mins each side, turning once and serve with a large mixed salad and a few tablespoons of cooked new potatoes.

6. Lemon Sole with Pak Choi

Bake about 100g of lemon sole fillet in a lightly buttered shallow oven-proof dish, sprinkled with freshly chopped coriander and with enough water to just cover the base. Cover and bake for 12mins. Serve with steamed pak choi drizzled with oyster sauce and some boiled rice (60g dry weight).

7. Fillet Steak with Rocket leaves

Chargrill a fillet steak (about 150g). Just before serving, place a good handful of rocket leaves on top of the steak and drizzle with 1tsp of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve with cooked new potatoes, which have been sliced and put under a medium grill for 2-3mins per side.

8. Chicken with Lemon and Noodles

Heat 70ml of chicken stock in a wok and add 100g of skinless chicken breast cut into thin strips. Gently poach adding 1/2tsp of green peppercorns, 3 fresh sage leaves and 1tsp of lemon zest. After two minutes, remove chicken and reduce stock. Away from the heat, stir in a level tbsp of low fat yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Return chicken, simmer for 4mins. Serve with boiled noodles (70g pre-cooking) topped with fresh coriander.

9. Linguine Carbonara

Sauté 1/2 a finely sliced red onion and 1 rasher of back bacon cut into small pieces in 1tsp of oil until the bacon is cooked, but not crispy. Add a little crushed garlic and set aside. Cook 70g of linguine, drain and mix in with the bacon. Over a low heat, break an egg into the pasta and stir quickly (whip away from heat if egg begins to scramble). Once egg is thoroughly mixed, season and serve with a tomato and onion salad with balsamic vinegar.

10. Scallop and Prawn Salad

Arrange a mixture of mixed salad leaves on a plate, with some cooked asparagus. Take 150g of fresh scallops (no roe) and uncooked prawns. Dip in a mix of 1tbsp of chopped fresh coriander, 1tsp of five spices, and half a crushed garlic clove. Stir fry for 3mins in 1tsp of heated sesame oil with a chopped spring onion. Serve on top of the salad with cooked noodles (70g pre-cooking) on the side.

11. Roasted Asparagus with Poached Eggs

Brush 6 asparagus spears with olive oil, season lightly and roast for approximately 6-7mins until they are cooked, but still have a bite. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, top with 2 poached eggs and serve with a slice of toasted sourdough bread.

12. Roast Trout Fillets with Green Beans

Lightly dust 100g of trout fillet with seasoned flour and pan fry in 1tsp of oil for 2mins. Put on a baking tray squeezed with lemon juice. Bake with 2 halved tomatoes at for 10mins. Serve with lots of steamed green beans and 2tbsp of boiled new potatoes, drizzled with balsamic glaze.

13. Roasted Chicken Wings with Potato and Cucumber Salad

Season and brush with oil 100g of skinless chicken wings. Roast for 35-45mins. Serve drizzled with lemon juice with a mix of 150g of cooked and sliced new potatoes with their skins on, some diced cucumber, a chopped tomato, 4 chopped black olives and 1 finely chopped deseeded green chilli (optional). Add 1tsp of olive oil, a good drizzle of balsamic glaze, seasoning and some torn mint leaves.

14. Roast Dinner

Serve about 120g of roast lean meat (lamb, beef, chicken or turkey) with a large serving of your favourite steamed vegetables and two small roast potatoes and gravy.

 

LUNCHES IF YOU'RE ON THE GO

1. Ham and tomato sandwich using 2 slices of ham and mustard to pep it up. Try to use multigrain or sourdough bread, which keeps you feeling fuller for longer.

2. Baked potato with tuna and sweetcorn (try to avoid butter). If making at home, remove centre of potato and mash with lemon juice to make potato moister.

3. A supermarket tray of sushi with 8 pieces. Avoid those that have added bits of Japanese food fried in batter. Eat the ginger, it will give your metabolism a boost, but go steady on soya sauce, which is very salty.

4. Chicken roll. Choose a normal size roll rather than a massive bap and fill with lean roasted chicken and salad of your choice. You can spread the cut surface of the roll with extra light mayonnaise.

5. Have a small wholemeal pitta served with half a tub of reduced fat hummus along with some vegetable crudités.

6. Buy a hearty filling soup, like lentil or a mixed bean soup, from a sandwich shop and have with a wholemeal roll.

7. Grab a healthy eating style pasta salad from your local supermarket chill cabinet. Check the calories are below 400 per serving. Some salads look healthy, but are more calorific than a large mayonnaise packed sandwich.

8. Have a salad made up for you in your local salad bar. Opt for your favourite salad ingredients, such as lettuce, cucumber, beetroot, corn, mushrooms and so on, and have with a topping of roast turkey.

9. Have a prawn salad which you can whip up quickly at home or have made in a local sandwich shop.

10. Buy a packet of tortilla wraps and roll up a wrap filled with a small can of tuna (one which comes with its own easy to open ring pull top) and serve with some cherry tomatoes.

11. Buy a carton of gazpacho soup from the supermarket chill cabinet and serve cold with a healthy eating sandwich of your choice.

12. Have a baked potato topped with baked beans. If at home opt for reduced sugar and reduced salt versions if you can. You may like to add a blob of cottage cheese as well and have with a salad on the side.

13. Have an egg salad sandwich along with some vegetable crudité to munch on to give your lunch some crunch.

14.  If you have a local café to hand, ask for two poached eggs on toast with some grilled tomatoes. It will keep you going all afternoon.

 

WHAT TO DRINK

– During the day, stick with water as much as you can. It can be tap, or sparkling or still mineral. Some research suggests that fizzy water is more filling than still, so it may be worth opting for this version.

– You can have teas and coffees, but try to stick to no more than four a day, using milk from your allowance. Once these are used up, try herbal teas or roiboish, which you can have with milk and is caffeine free.

– Avoid all sugary drinks, fruit smoothies, milk shakes and fruit juices. These add extra calories that you don’t need.

– While you are losing weight, give up alcohol during the week and stick to just two units at the weekends. This is equivalent to 2 125ml glasses of low alcohol by volume wine (around 9%, Marks and Spencer now stocks these) or 2 half pints of lager or beer, or 2 standard shots of spirits with low calorie mixers. This may sound draconian, but it is only for four weeks.