Bikini season is right around the corner, and how many women out there have stalled on their New Year’s plans to lose weight and get fit?  For many, eating healthfully gets boring.  It’s time to break out of the rut and try out some new meal ideas to keep you interested and on track.

Fitness magazine makes it easy for you with it’s 7-day menu planner.  There are 7 different breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to chose from. Each daily menu totals around 1500 calories, roughly the number an average sized woman requires to lose weight but still meet daily nutrient needs and feel satisfied.  You begin by selecting a breakfast option, followed by a lunch and then a dinner.  The website also generates a day’s meal plan along with a shopping list.  Here’s an example:

Breakfast

• The P ‘n’ B Waffle: 1 whole-grain frozen waffle topped with 1 tbs. peanut butter
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup calcium- and vitamin D-fortified orange juice

Lunch

• Low-Cal BLT: 2 slices whole wheat bread, 1 slice Canadian or turkey bacon, 2 thick slices tomato, 2 lettuce leaves, 1 tbs. fat-free mayonnaise
• 11 baby carrots
• 1 medium apple, cored and drizzled with 2 tsps. caramel sauce
• 1 cup low-fat milk flavored with 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and sugar substitute

Dinner

• Tofu Stir Fry: Stir-fry 4 ounces firm tofu in 1 tsp canola oil with 1 sliced carrot, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 4 large sliced mushrooms, 1/2 sliced red bell pepper and 1 tbs hoisin sauce
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• Fruit parfait: 1 kiwi (peeled and sliced), 1/2 orange (sectioned), 1 tsp rum extract, 2 tsps grated coconut

Give it a try, and you may find some healthy, new meal ideas to spark that flagging motivation.

This morning it was dank and drizzly in New York. I was craving soup and wanted to use up some barley that had been occupying precious shelf space for far too long. After searching around online for a bit, I stumbled upon a promising recipe at Epicurious.com for a “Barley and Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard” featured in Bon Appetit (Feb 2005) magazine. Amazingly, I had all the ingredients on hand to give it a try:

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
* 1 1/2 cups chopped peeled carrots
* 3 large garlic cloves, minced
* 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 10 cups (or more) low-salt chicken or vegetable broth
* 2/3 cup pearl barley
* 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
* 2/3 cup dried lentils
* 4 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard (about 1/2 large bunch)
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

The directions are as follows:

“Heat oil in heavy large nonreactive pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots; sauté until onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Mix in cumin; stir 30 seconds. Add 10 cups broth and barley; bring to boil. Reduce heat; partially cover and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice and lentils; cover and simmer until barley and lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Add chard to soup; cover and simmer until chard is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in dill. Season soup with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth, if desired.”

This soup truly has it all! Barley is a grain that’s loaded with soluble fiber, the same kind found in oats and may help to lower cholesterol when eaten on a regular basis. Lentils provide protein. Carrots are a great source of vitamin A, and canned tomatoes are loaded with lycopene. Swiss chard is nutrient-packed leafy green that cooks up much faster than collards or kale, and it tastes great seasoned with salt and lemon on its own. If Swiss chard sounds too exotic for you, substitute frozen or fresh spinach. The cumin, dill, onions, and garlic complement each other nicely and really give this soup good flavor.

Hearty, filling, and healthy! You can’t ask for much more than that. Bon appetit!