Tuesday, 25-11-25

Good evening, everyone.

What I ate today.

Breakfast was fruit.

There's the bottom half of half a sub hidden under the bacon and egg and the tomatoes are pretty much the last from the garden that have been ripening inside.

One fibre for the bread.

Dinner was the other half of yesterday's potato topped pie and, as often, tasted better than yesterday.

I had an apple for afters.

One calcium for cheese in the mash.

Plans for tomorrow:

B:  fruit (probably warm) and yogurt

L:  cheese on toast

D:  I have some mash left so I am going to make tuna fishcakes with assorted veg

And fruit

Exercise:  It's personal training tomorrow.

Monday, 24-11-25

Good evening, everyone.

Today's food.

Breakfast was fruit

Lunch was eaten out.  I had a lunch portion (i.e. small and just perfect) of fish and chips which came to around 550 calories in total.  No idea of swips, of course.

And here's dinner.  Underneath the cheesy mash (one calcium) is carrot, cauli and peas (frozen mixed veg) plus leek and parsnip and some leftover chicken.  The sauce was chicken stock from the carcass thickened by Oxo chicken and herb stock powder that thickens as well and is a free food on Slimming World.  There's another portion for tomorrow.

Tomorrow's meal plans:

B:  fruit

L:  bacon and egg sub (half sub, I mean) with salad

D:  other half of the potato topped chicken and veg pie

And fruit

Exercise:  Groove

Sunday, 23-11-25

Good evening, everyone.  After yesterday, it has been a bready day for me today!  Two sourdoughs and one on my mixed flours and seeds yeasted loaf.  None for me though!

Today's meals:

The avocado I hoped to use was beyond the pale and only fit or the food recycling, unfortunately.  Fortunately, one of the new ones felt soft enough to use and so it was.

I didn't cook any bacon - it wasn't needed.

so one hats and one fibre.

The last of the soup that had everything but the kitchen sink in it.  No cheese on top - I forgot - but I did add some chicken.

One swip.

This was lovely.  I roasted a chicken crown so it will do me for a few meals.  One and a half swips for cranberry sauce and the rest is speed/free.

I had some skyr baked apple yogurt afterwards - one swip

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit before circuits

L:  I am out with a friend so no idea but I will try to be sensible

D:  potato topped chicken pie and vegetables

Exercise:  Circuits

Saturday, 22-11-25

Evening, everyone!

What I ate today.
I had an apple before going into town.

The sourdough demo was good and there was food to enjoy - fresh bread with hummus, roasted red pepper hummus and whipped avocado with hot spiced honey.  It was so good.

Obviously not on the SW plan but all fresh made and very delicious.

A slice of the nut roast load made yesterday with fresh veg and some spicy sauce.  Delicious!

Back on it tomorrow - I have to!

So - tomorrow's plans:

B:  bagel with avocado and bacon

L:  soup from the freezer, grated cheese on top

D:  roast chicken dinner

Exercise.  Rest day.  

Friday (posted Saturday am)

Morning, everyone.  Didn't manage to post last night so here we are on Saturday but mostly written Friday.

Friday's meals:

It was a busy morning and I just had fruit.

This was lunch.  Toast for half a fibre, avocado for a healthy fat, topped with a dry fried egg and tomatoes on the side.
Afters was an easy peelers.

Alex was over to do some cooking with his old Nan (aka me) so that involved a certain amount of picking and tasting which I couldn't have swipped, even if I had wanted to.  What with that and a bit of dry white stuff, I'm just accepting that the day ended up off plan and back on it today.

I was so tired, I couldn't be bothered to make what I had planned so used up my calcium and  some swips on cheese on toast.  Perfect.

So a day off plan but it was really nice so no regrets and no recriminations.

Saturday's food plans:

B:  I am out to a sourdough demo this morning so I will have an apple earlier than usual

L:  there may be samples at the demo - we will see.

D:  nut roast with a tomato sauce and salad or steamed veg.

Exercise:  a walk

Another day when it is going to be hard to apply SW values so it is a case of 'be careful, be sensible and do the best you can.

Thursday, 19-11-25

Good evening, all.

I had almost forgotten that I have so many recipe links on a page that can be accessed from the tab at the top.   I've just updated it with the arancini recipe and will go through and check all the links over the next week or so, just to make sure they are still live.

Please feel free to take a look.

Today's meals:

I had an apple, a pear and a banana during the morning.

Then a lunch that looked like breakfast - pretty much a healthy extra fibre.

During the afternoon I had a measured amount of mixed nuts - they don't go very far, do they?   :-)

This was dinner - two swips for a drizzle of sriracha mayo and two for a few sprays of avocado oil.

And that was it.

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit

L:  Alex is round - I will probably have avo and something on toast

D:  bacon and mushroom pasta carbonara

Exercise:  a walk

Wednesday, 19-11-25

Good morning, everyone!

Today's meals:

I went out this morning and when I got back it was almost lunch time so I just grabbed an apple and some grapes.

Lunch was more of the Sunday soup with added chicken.  Very filling and swip free.

Steak, chips, mushrooms and salad for dinner.

Half of a healthy oils for avo oil on the steak and the air fried chips.
I also has one of those mini bottles of Merlot for five swips (90-something calories).

I also had some nuts which came to around two fibre choices.

Tomorrow's plans:

(because fail to plan and plan to fail)

B:  fruit and yogurt

L:  beans on toast

D:  salmon and roasted vegetables

Exercise:  personal training

Tuesday, 18-11-25 and the recipe for 'sort-of-arancini'

Good evening, everyone.

I had to chuckle this morning.   After the post explaining why I have always counted wholemeal/wheat/grain flours as a healthy B/fibre, I learnt that in the new year it will officially BE a fibre choice.    And about flippin' time too. 
Do you think SW reads this blog?

Answer: Not a chance!  😁

What I ate today:

I was quite hungry after Groove so breakfast was a bit bigger than usual.  Mango, pineapple, peach and nectarine slices and stewed apple, all frozen and defrosted/warmed up in the microwave (I don't swip any cooked fruit), plus the yogurt and one and a half swips of fruit coulis on top.  Warming and surprisingly filling.  I like fruit and yogurt but at this time of year you need something warm; I think I will be heating fruit up a fair bit over the next months.

Nice, simple baked beans on toast for lunch.

One fibre and one swip for some brown sauce in the beans.

Later on, I had some melon.

This was a total winner, so much so that I', posting the recipe below.  Sort-of-arancini with salad.

One syn for the Spanish rice.

Half a healthy oil for avocado oil.

10g grated parmesan and 20g cubed cheddar for a calcium choice.
Three swips for home zizzed breadcrumbs and a bit of wholemeal flour.

One swip for a little squirt of sriracha chilli mayo sauce (I weighed it to make sure because - you know - mayo!)

And one swip for some 70% lighter salad cream.

A close up so you can see the melted cheese inside

And that was that.  A great mouth-feel and flavour, totally satisfying!  No need for anything else.

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  spray roasted vegetable cubes with bacon and egg, tomatoes on the side - or I may just go for yogurt and fruit, I'll see how I feel when the time comes.

L:  soup with added chicken

D:  on the 19th November I always remember my Dad's birthday by having his favourite dinner meal - steak and chips with a salad and a mushroom sauce

And fruit

No class tomorrow; personal training is Thursday this week.

Sort-of-arancini - I've called it that because proper arancini is made with left over risotto.
The rice and the beans were used up from the day before.

Ingredients:

Half a pouch of Spanish rice (mine was from Aldi) - one swip

Half a can of cannellini beans, drained and mashed

Some onion and a couple of mushrooms, finely chopped and softened in spray oil

Garlic granules, salt and pepper 

10g grated Parmesan and 20g cubed cheddar - one calcium in total

Bit of flour - you don't need much or you could leave this out - swip it or possibly count it as part of a fibre if wholemeal

Beaten egg

Some bread crumbs - blitz some wholemeal or use commercial - wholemeal can count as a fibre choice or swip
Avocado oil or use spray oil - count as part of a healthy oils choice

Method:

Put the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs into three bowls (or just dust your hands with flour when needed).

Mix together the rice, mashed beans, softened onion and mushrooms, seasonings and grated parmesan and squidge together with your hands.

Take some of the mix and flatten out in your hand.  Place some little cubes of cheddar in the middle and shape into a ball enclosing the cheese.
Flour (if using), egg and breadcrumb the ball.

If not cooking straight away, chill in the fridge.

Before baking, spray each ball with some oil - I used avocado oil.

Air fry at 200C for about twelve minutes or so.

Serve with sauce and sides of own choice - remember to swip, if necessary.

I had enough mixture for two balls with cheese and one patty without cheese.  The latter was also delicious and a great way to make a burger.  It might be nice with some added chopped/crumbled nuts, eg chestnuts and brie for a festive flavour.

Monday, 17-11-25

Good evening again!  Welcome to my blog.

Today's meals:   

Breakfast - and I didn't half mangle that egg!  The tomatoes are still garden ones so they tasted great!

One and a half swips for the pancakes.

More of the Sunday soup with added bacon bits.  Very tasty.

I had more bread.  It came to one and a half fibre choices.

Later on I had a banana.

It looks a bit of a mess but it was nice.  Spray fried veg with cannelloni beans (all I had), some Spanish rice from a pouch  and some grated cheese.

The rice was one swip and the cheese was one and a half calciums.

Afters was an orange and two easy peelers - must get my vitamin C!!

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  tomorrow morning is busy so it's just some snatched fruit

L:  beans on toast or similar - still busy!

D:  I have Spanish rice and cannelloni beans to use up so I think I will make a sort of arancini type thing only patties rather than balls

Exercise:  Groove class

Sunday, 16-11-25, a recipe and why I count some flours as B/fibre choices

Good evening, everyone.

What I ate today:

Breakfast was really lovely.  I made sourdough discard pancakes and topped them with shredded smoked salmon, avocado, a sprinkle of mixed seeds and lime juice.

I'll post the pancake recipe below but, suffice it to say, the batter made four pancakes so I have two wrapped up in the fridge and that sorts out tomorrow's breakfast.  It's quite neutral and seasoned with just salt and black pepper so I could go sweet or savoury.

Half a fibre for all four (see below for why) so I can count my sprinkle of seeds as part of the half.

Lovely soup for lunch.  I just threw in onion, leek, butternut squash, sweet potato, carrot and green lentils plus chicken stock and seasonings and boiled it up until everything was cooked.  Then I added some orzo, some pinto beans, some frozen peas and frozen corn and finished it all off.  The starch from the pasta helped to thicken the liquid and it made four good portions of yumminess.

The soup is all SW speed/free and the toast and the sprinkle of mixed seeds finished of my fibre for the day.

Later on I had two easy peelers.

And here we are at dinner.  I hammered out half a chicken breast fillet, shook over a spicy mix, sprayed it with avo oil and griddles it.  Very quick and very tasty with roasted parsnip plus steamed broccoli and sprouts.

The oil, plus what I used for the parsnip was pretty much a healthy oil choice and the cranberry sauce was one and a half swips.

I had an apple for afters and that's that for the day!

Edit:  Next day and I realised that the avocado was my healthy fats so ooops.  I'm still under the swips limit though so it's a not a disaster; it just shows how easy it is to make a mistake.  Sorry!

Plans for tomorrow:

B:  the other two pancakes with either fruit and yogurt or bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms.  I'll see how I feel.

L:  more of the soup, maybe with some added bacon chunks

D:  At the moment I feel like some sort of rice and beans.  That might change, we will see.

Exercise:  circuits class

The pancake recipe and some info

First of all, some info and an explanation.

	0ats	Buckwheat flour	Wholemeal flour	Dark rye flour
fibre	8-11g	10g	11g	16g
protein	11-17	13.3	11.6 (more for bread flour)	10-13
calories	370-390	343	309 - 339	325

The table above compares fibre and protein, oats, buckwheat flour, wholemeal flour and dark rye flour (thank you, Google); the numbers are approximate as it depends on variables such as  type, growth conditions, etc, but it's around these amounts.  They're all very similar - dark rye is higher in fibre, oats are quite a bit higher in calories.  

I didn't go into soluble/insoluble fibre as both a necessary for a healthy balance

40g oats are classes as a healthy extra B or a fibre choice.

So I feel perfectly justified in counting these flours as B/fibre too.

However, it's not SW canon so make up your own mind.  This is just how I do it.

Now - my recipe

20g dark rye starter discard (which is 50/50 rye and water)

10g buckwheat flour

one egg

some Greek yogurt

some water

bit of appropriate seasoning depending on what you want

Mix it all together, adding water to get the thickness right for you.  If you want a bit more fluffiness, add some baking powder and leave the batter for about ten minutes.

Heat a pan and cook as you would cook any pancake.

My basic recipe is half a fibre choice and swip free.  With the flour, the egg and the Greek yogurt, it's not bad for protein either.

Saturday, 15-11-25

 What I ate today

Melon, mango and two easy peelers - lovely!

I enjoyed my all day breakfast so very much.  Two swips for a bit of oil and the rest was free/speed.

Later in, I had some dried fruit for my fibre choice.

Using up the leftover steak in a cheesy pasta thingy.

Two calciums for some seriously lighter cheddar and some nibbles of feta.

And that was that.  I was tempted but stayed very firm.  Phew.

Tomorrow's plans

B:  savoury pancake or waffle with avocado and smoked salmon.  Tomatoes and mushrooms on the side.

L:  soup and toast

D:  roast chicken dinner

And fruit

 

Friday

Evening, all.  I'm back at it again . . .

What I ate today.

Breakfast was some fruit.  No photo.

I had cheesy beans on marmite toast for lunch.  One calcium and one fibre.  Afters was an apple.

Steak and chips for dinner with tomatoes, mushroom and pepper.  The steak was ginormous so there's sole left to slice and reuse tomorrow.

One and a half swips for some 70% lighter salad cream for chip-dipping.

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit platter

L:  a sort of cooked breakfast type thing

D:  steak pasta bake

Exercise:  depends on the weather - maybe a walk.  

 

Tuesday

Evening, everyone.  Just to let you know I won't be posting tomorrow evening but will be back on Thursday.  

What I ate today:

I had an apple before Groove class.

Delicious avocado and smoked salmon on toast.
One fibre and one fats choice

Mug of home made soup, packed with speed vegetables and very filling and warming.
One swip for oil and three swips for some fresh baked bread to dunk.  So good.

This is what I felt like having.  One and a half swips for some sweet chilli sauce

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit and a ham sandwich

I know that's off but I'm out all day and can have the sandwich in the coach.

L:  eating out somewhere

D:  chicken pasta bake from the freezer

And fruit

Exercise:  Plenty of walking.

Monday

What I ate today:

I had a couple of small apples before circuits and personal training.

Breakfast was yogurt mixed with some stewed plums (I don't swip) and chia seeds and the fruit was frozen nectarine and peach slices, blueberries and a kiwi.

Two swips for chia seeds.

I couldn't be bothered to faff around with a toastie and, anyway, the bread wasn't the right shape really.  Same in ingredients, different presentation, that's all.

Afters was an easy peeler.

One fibre and two calciums (should that be calsia?).

I know this looks like something the cat dragged in but this chicken and lentil korma was absolutely delicious.  I used a low fat korma paste, coconut milk, green lentils, orange lentils, black beans and various veg yesterday and today I added cooked chicken thigh and some mango chutney.

Not the lowest swipped meal at a total of seven swips (including the rice) but so, so worth it.

I had an orange for afters.

(it was a very wet day today . . .)

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  smoked salmon and avo on toast, veg on the side

L:  soup from the freezer with grated cheese

D:  salmon baked with sweet chilli sauce, roasted veg

And fruit

Exercise:  Groove