Pick one breakfast, one lunch and one dinner every day.

Foods printed in bold are ‘Free Foods’. Base meals around Free Foods, like veg, pasta, lean meat, fish, rice, potatoes, fat-free dairy, eggs and more, and if you feel hungry between meals snack on these foods, including fruit, too.

As well as Free Foods, stock your store cupboard with fat-free salad dressings, stock, herbs, oil-free passata, tomato purée, soy sauce and spices which can be used freely to add delicious flavour to meals.

To make sure that you’re enjoying a fully balanced diet, Slimming World encourages you to enjoy measured amounts of food that are high in calcium and full of fibre:

• Choose 350ml skimmed or 250ml semi-skimmed milk, or 30g of full-fat hard cheese/40g reduced-fat hard cheese.

• Boost your fibre intake by enjoying two slices of wholemeal bread (from a small 400g loaf), a 60g wholemeal roll, a portion of high-fibre cereals (weights specified in the plan), or high-fibre cereal bars.

These can be enjoyed as part of your meals or on their own, just remember to only stick to one portion of calcium and one portion of fibre each day.

(choose one, all serve one)

If you’re quitting smoking you’re going to be forming lots of new habits – as well as leaving one unhealthy habit behind – and eating a nutritious, filling breakfast is a great habit to get in to, even if you haven’t typically eaten a meal in the morning before. If you struggle to eat first thing, pack a ‘grab and go’ breakfast of fruit and tuck into it when you start to feel peckish.

full englishGrilled lean bacon (visible fat removed), mushrooms and tomatoes, an egg or two fried in a pan sprayed with low calorie cooking spray and baked beans.

cereal2 Weetabix (or supermarket’s own brand) with milk from your allowance, topped with halved strawberries.

grab and go

getting started

maximise

A banana, an apple and an orange.

eggs on toastScrambled eggs and grilled tomatoes served with 2 slices of wholemeal toast (from a small 400g loaf).

fruit and yogurtChop up your favourite fresh fruits into a colourful fruit salad and enjoy with fat-free natural fromage frais sweetened with artificial sweetener according to your taste.

overnight oatsLayer 35g plain porridge oats, 200g fat-free natural yogurt and chopped fruit of your choice. Cover and chill overnight. In the morning, stir all the layers together and add more fruit if desired.

toast and marmiteSpread 2 slices of wholemeal toast (from a 400g loaf) with marmite. Follow with a pear.

and slim…stop

12

3

4

breakfasts

If you’d love to join Stoptober but are worried about piling on the pounds, the great news is you can give up smoking without gaining weight and Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan can even help you stop and slim.

• Trim all visible fat off meats and remove skin from poultry. Use low calorie cooking spray (1 calorie per spray or less) instead of oil and fats.

• Keep hydrated. Aim to drink between 6-8 glasses of fluid a day: choose water, sugar free drinks, tea and coffee. Don’t forget to count any milk used in hot drinks as part of your daily dairy allowance.

• Treat yourself. Enjoy two treats from the list provided every day.

• Join your local Slimming World group or Slimming World Online to get lots more healthy meal ideas and support to reach your target weight smokefree and stay there.

your success

asparagus and red onion crustless quiche (serves 4)

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5. Spray a non-stick frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add 2 garlic cloves and 2 red onions finely chopped, season to taste and fry for 4-5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into a 23cm flan dish and spread it out evenly. Meanwhile cook 400g asparagus tips in boiling water for 2-3 minutes and drain well. Mix 8 eggs, 300g fat-free natural cottage cheese and a small handful of fresh tarrgon in a bowl and spoon over the onion mixture. Top the quiche with the asparagus spears and bake for 30-35 minutes or until just set and lightly browned. Serve warm with salad. Follow with some fresh pineapple.

(choose one, all serve one unless otherwise stated)

When you’re trying to give up smoking, you can find yourself reaching for snacks instead of cigarettes. With Slimming World’s Food Optimising plan that’s no problem as you can satisfy your appetite on lots of ‘Free’ snacks. We’ve included lots of snacks with these lunch choices or choose more from the list below.

lunches

spicy bean jacket Mix together drained canned mixed beans in water, canned chopped tomatoes with chilli and a pinch of ground cumin. Heat through and serve on top of a halved baked potato. Sprinkle over 30g grated Cheddar cheese and sliced spring onion and grill until melted. Serve hot with a chunky salad. Follow with slices of apple.

BBQ beef and sweet potato saladPeel 1 sweet potato, chop into wedges and cook in boiling water for 6-8 minutes. Drain, spray with low calorie cooking spray and toss with ½ tsp barbecue seasoning. Then spray a lean sirloin steak (visible fat removed) with low calorie cooking spray and sprinkle with another ½ tsp of the seasoning. Griddle both until nicely charred. Slice the steak. Meanwhile, toss lettuce leaves, sliced pepper, sliced cucumber, grated carrot and drained tinned sweetcorn with fat-free vinaigrette. Serve with the sweet potato wedges and steak.

chicken fajitaSpray a non-stick frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and stir-fry finely sliced peppers, red onion and red chilli with lime juice, smoked paprika and ground cumin for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve in Little Gem lettuce leaves with cooked shredded chicken breasts and up to 2 level tbsp shop-bought tomato salsa. Enjoy lots of grapes to follow.

tomato soup (serves 4)

Spray 900g tomatoes with low calorie cooking spray and sprinkle with 1 tsp dried oregano. Bake for around 10-15 minutes until they start to soften and the skins begin to char. Meanwhile place 1 chopped onion and 2 crushed garlic cloves in a saucepan with 300ml hot veg stock. Simmer for 10 minutes. Peel and chop the tomatoes and add to the pan with 700ml more stock. Simmer for 15-20 minutes and blend until smooth. Follow with lots of veg crudités, like carrot sticks, sliced pepper and celery sticks, dipped into fat-free natural cottage cheese.

prawn pasta saladMix together cooked dried pasta, chopped boiled eggs, steamed asparagus and sugar snap peas, cooked peeled prawns, smoked salmon trimmings, wild rocket and finely chopped fresh chives and season with freshly ground black pepper. To make a Thousand Island dressing, mix together 1½tbsp extra-light mayonnaise, 25g fat-free natural fromage frais, ¼ tsp Tabasco sauce, 1 tsp tomato purée and 1 tsp lemon juice. Pour over the salad and toss. Follow with a satsuma or two.

beans on toastTop 2 slices of wholemeal toast (from a small 400g loaf) with baked beans and 40g grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese. Afterwards enjoy a fresh fruit salad.

Place a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add the beef, cook for a few minutes and drain off any fat in the pan. Add the pepper, courgette, onion and garlic and stir-fry for 6-8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, passata and dried herbs, season to taste and turn the heat to medium. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring often.

Meanwhile, mix the yogurt, eggs and nutmeg until smooth. Season to taste and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.

Spray a medium-sized ovenproof dish with low calorie cooking spray.

Spoon half of the mince mixture into the base, top with half of the lasagne sheets and cover with the remaining mince mixture. Add a layer using up the remaining lasagne sheets and spread the yogurt mixture over the top. Sprinkle over the cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and the lasagne sheets are soft. Serve hot with a mixed salad.

porkpad thaiTasty pork, crunchy veg and the distinctive flavours of garlic, ginger and chilli make this simple Thai noodle dish one that you’ll want to make over and over again.

Spray a large non-stick wok or frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a medium-high heat. Add the pork and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until browned. Add the garlic, ginger, spring onions, stock, soy sauce and Thai fish sauce, turn the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, then drain and set aside.

Add the carrots, pak choi and bean sprouts to the wok and turn the heat to high. Stir-fry for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.

Add the noodles to the wok, drizzle over the egg and toss to mix well.

Cook for 1-2 minutes until the egg is just cooked through then remove from the heat.

Scatter over the chilli and coriander and serve hot with lime halves to squeeze over.

Many smokers find their tastebuds come ‘alive’, so we’ve packed the dinners in this plan full of fab flavours to make the most of this new enhanced sense – and remind you just how far you’ve come!

dinners

beef lasagneThis Italian favourite was the most searched-for recipe on Slimming World’s website last year… and you’ll know why after your first mouthful!

serves 4

ready in 1 hour 15 minutes

500g lean beef mince (5% fat or less)

1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into bite-sized chunks

1 courgette, cubed

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

400g can chopped tomatoes

400g passata

2 tsp dried mixed herbs

salt and freshly ground black pepper

500g fat-free natural yogurt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

a pinch of nutmeg

low calorie cooking spray

12 dried lasagne sheets

4 level tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

serves 4

ready in 30 minutes

low calorie cooking spray

500g lean pork mince (5% fat or less)

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1cm piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

bunch of spring onions, sliced diagonally

5 tbsp boiling vegetable stock

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla)

250g dried flat rice noodles

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into matchsticks

2 pak choi, roughly chopped

250g fresh bean sprouts, rinsed

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

small handful of finely chopped fresh coriander, to serve

lime halves, to serve

Put the celeriac and stock in a pan and boil for 20-15 minutes, or until the celeriac is tender. Drain, return the celeriac to the pan and mash until fairly smooth. Season and keep warm.

Meanwhile, put the lamb in a shallow glass dish in a single layer. Mix the garlic, thyme and lemon juice, spoon over the meat to coat evenly and season.

Place a large, ridged griddle pan over a high heat until smoking hot. Spray the lamb with low calorie cooking spray and cook for 2 minutes on each side for medium, or 4 minutes on each side for well done. Remove from the heat, cover with foil and leave to rest.

Boil the beans for 3-4 minutes. Drain, then put in a bowl with the lemon zest, toss and season well. Divide the mash between 4 warmed plates and add a twist of black pepper. Add the lamb and green beans, plus lemon wedges and serve.

Spray a large non-stick saucepan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onions and stir-fry for 10 minutes or until soft.

Add the cumin, ground coriander, chilli powder, cinnamon, garlic and tomato purée and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.

Add the squash and swede and toss well to coat. Pour the stock and the lemon juice over the vegetables and bring to a gentle simmer.

Cover partially, turn the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste, add the chickpeas and simmer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle over the herbs and smoked paprika and serve hot.

Every bit of this fragrant dish is a treat for the taste buds.

serves 4

ready in about 30 minutes

1 large celeriac, peeled and cut into small cubes

2 litre boiling hot vegetable stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 lamb leg steaks, all visible fat removed

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp dried thyme

finely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon

low calorie cooking spray

400g green beans, trimmed

lemon wedges, to serve

serves 4

ready in 1 hour

low calorie cooking spray

2 onions, roughly chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp cinnamon

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 tbsp tomato purée

1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks

1 swede, peeled and cut into chunks

800ml boiling vegetable stock

juice of 1 lemon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

small handful of finely chopped

fresh parsley and coriander

big pinch of smoked paprika, to garnish

thyme lambwith mash and beans squash,swede

and chickpea tagineTagines are delicious North African stews that take their names from the big earthenware pots they’re cooked in. They’re equally tasty made in a pan and you can use just about any ingredients you like – we’ve used squash and swede.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6 and spray two non-stick baking sheets with low calorie cooking spray.

Put the cod fillets in a bowl, sprinkle over the lemon juice and season to taste.

Cook the chips in lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes then drain and dry on kitchen paper. Return the chips to the pan and shake to rough up the edges, then tip them on to one of the baking sheets and spread them out. Spray with low calorie cooking spray, season to taste and cook on the top shelf of the oven for 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly beat the eggs in a wide bowl. Mix the breadcrumbs, most of the parsley and some seasoning in

another wide bowl. Dip each cod fillet first into the egg and then the breadcrumb mixture to coat evenly

and arrange them on the second baking sheet. Put the fish into the oven on the

shelf below the chips and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the fish is

cooked through.

Scatter the remaining parsley over the fish

and serve hot with mushy peas and lemon

wedges to squeeze over.

Add the cumin and coriander seeds to a dry frying pan and fry over a high heat for 20-30 seconds until fragrant. Remove from the heat and crush to a fine powder using a pestle and mortar, spice grinder or rolling pin. Set aside.

Spray a large deep saucepan with low calorie cooking spray, add the onions and cook over a low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring, until softened.

Add the cumin and coriander powder, ginger, garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, cardamom and turmeric and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.

Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously so that the spices do not burn and the chicken is sealed. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes until thickened.

Meanwhile, make the cucumber salad by mixing together the cucumber, tomatoes and red onion. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Stir the spinach into the curry and cook until just wilted. Season to taste and serve with the cucumber salad and boiled rice.

Get that Friday feeling with our delicious version of the great British takeaway – including our famous Slimming World chips.

serves 4

ready in 45 minutes

low calorie cooking spray

4 skinless and boneless cod fillets

juice of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

1kg floury potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edward, peeled and cut into thick chips

2 medium slices of bread from a small 400g wholemeal loaf, crumbed

small handful of finely chopped fresh parsley

serves 4

ready in about 50 minutes

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

low calorie cooking spray

2 medium onions, finely chopped

4cm piece of root ginger, peeled and finely grated

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp turmeric

4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, all visible fat removed, cut into large pieces

400g can chopped tomatoes

300ml hot chicken stock

400g baby spinach leaves

For the cucumber salad:

1 cucumber, trimmed and cut into chunks

4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

salt and freshly ground black pepper

fishand chips

You won’t need to call your family to the table for this satisfying curry – the aroma of warm spices will let them know something delicious is about to be served!currychicken

chickenand bacon risottoRisotto is such a soothing dish and our version of the Italian favourite features the timeless combination of chicken, bacon and leek.

25g chocolate-coated raisins

4 x chocolate éclair sweets

2 x jaffa cakes

2 x pink wafer biscuits

25g air-popped popcorn, any variety

2 x cheese straws

5 x marshmallows

1 sachet reduced calorie/light hot chocolate drink, made with water

1 x individual lemon slice

60g pot shop-bought chocolate mousse

Pour the stock into a saucepan and keep hot over a medium heat.

Spray a large non-stick frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a high heat. Add the bacon and stir-fry until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the leeks to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes to soften.

Add the rice and stir-fry for 1 minute then stir in the chicken and saffron. Turn the heat to medium and add the stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring often and waiting for the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. Continue for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is just cooked and the risotto has a creamy consistency.

Season to taste then stir in the bacon and scatter over the chives to serve.

serves 4

ready in 40 minutes

1.75 litres boiling chicken stock

low calorie cooking spray

200g back bacon rashers, visible fat removed, roughly chopped

2 large leeks, finely chopped

300g dried risotto rice

4 cooked skinless and boneless chicken breasts, shredded

a pinch of saffron

salt and freshly ground black pepper

small handful of finely chopped fresh chives

• Cherry tomatoes

• Slices of lean ham, turkey or beef

• Crab sticks

• Hard-boiled eggs

• Fresh or frozen (defrosted) fruit

• Fat-free natural yogurt

• Vegetable crudités like carrot sticks and celery batons

• Sugar-free ice lollies

• Grilled chicken drumsticks (with the skinremoved)

• Corn on the cob

snack ideas (enjoy these freely at any time to satisfy your appetite)

Image credits: Laura Edwards, Lara Holmes, Adrian Lawrence, Gareth Morgans, Maja Smend, Graeme Simpson, Karen Thomas.

(choose up to 2 every day)treats