Seven-Day Menu Planner

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough turkey for Monday and Tuesday; save enough cake for Monday.

9/ 29

Heat-and-Eat Monday

Make TURKEY BLT ROLL-UPS for a quick meal. Spread horseradish-mayonnaise (from a jar) on fat-free flour tortillas. Top with shredded lettuce, thinly sliced tomatoes, leftover turkey slices and crumbled bacon. Roll and serve with deli BROCCOLI SALAD. Top leftover CAKE with fat-free CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM for dessert.

PLAN AHEAD: Save enough broccoli salad for Tuesday; save enough ice cream for Thursday.

9/ 30

Budget Tuesday

Since it’s low-cost and tasty, you can’t have too much of a good thing, especially when it saves money like this OPEN-FACE TURKEY SANDWICH on dense white bread. Place the bread on a plate, top with sliced leftover turkey and heated turkey gravy (or chicken gravy). Make or buy MASHED POTATOES and add the leftover BROCCOLI SALAD. For dessert, SLICED PEACHES go down easily.

10/ 1

Express Wednesday

With just a few ingredients, you can have MAC ‘N’ CHEESE WITH SHRIMP. Cook 2 (12-ounce) boxes creamy cheese sauce and shell pasta according to directions. Two minutes before pasta is done, add 1 (12-ounce) package frozen, cooked medium shrimp (peeled and deveined). Cook, stirring often, 2 minutes or until shrimp are opaque. Drain pasta and shrimp; return to pot. Stir in cheese sauce from packets. Pour into serving dish. Top each serving with some salsa.

Serve with a ROMAINE SALAD and GARLIC BREAD. Fresh PINEAPPLE SPEARS are an easy dessert.

10/ 2

Kids Thursday

Here come the kids for your BEANY ENCHILADAS. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread fat-free flour tortillas with canned vegetarian refried beans. Sprinkle with 50 percent reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese; roll. Place in baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with canned enchilada sauce and more shredded cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with SLICED AVOCADO ON LETTUCE. Top leftover ICE CREAM with CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES for dessert.

10/ 3

Meatless Friday

Skip meat tonight and enjoy TOMATO OLIVE FRITTATA (see recipe). Add fresh YELLOW SQUASH, a SPINACH SALAD WITH EGG WEDGES and toasted whole-grain ENGLISH MUFFINS. TAPIOCA PUDDING is an easy dessert.

10/ 4

Easy Entertaining Saturday Our guests came back for seconds of BAKED CHICKEN FLORENTINE (see recipe). Serve over SPAGHETTI tossed in olive oil and a MIXED GREENS SALAD. Add ITALIAN BREAD. Buy FRUIT TARTS for dessert.

THE RECIPES

MOROCCAN ORANGE BEET SALAD (Sunday)

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 (16-ounce) jar whole pickled beets, drained and quartered

1 (15-ounce) can rinsed reduced-sodium chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 cups mixed baby salad greens

1/3 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

Place beets and chickpeas in medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together orange zest, juice, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour over beet mixture and toss gently to coat. Arrange greens on 4 individual plates. Spoon beet mixture over greens; sprinkle with cheese and pistachios.

Per serving: 298 calories, 12 grams protein, 13 grams fat (38 percent calories from fat), 2.3 grams saturated fat, 37 grams carbohydrate, 5 milligrams cholesterol, 751 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.

Carb choices: 2 1/2.

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TOMATO OLIVE FRITTATA (Friday)

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 35 to 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3 large eggs

2 egg whites

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups shredded 50 percent reduced-fat cheddar cheese

1 (3.8-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained

1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup tomato, seeded and chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, whisk 1 whole egg with flour until blended. Whisk in remaining eggs and egg whites and pepper. Stir in cheese, olives, green onions, tomato and Italian seasoning. Spread in a 7-by-11-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and center is set.

Per serving: 254 calories, 23 grams protein, 16 grams fat (52 percent calories from fat), 7.6 grams saturated fat, 9 grams carbohydrate, 170 milligrams cholesterol, 626 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.

Carb choices: 1/2.

** ** **

BAKED CHICKEN FLORENTINE (Saturday)

Makes 6 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: less than 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Italian-seasoned or regular fine dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (5 to 6 ounces each)

1/2 cup green onions, sliced

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup 1 percent milk

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

4 ounces diced cooked ham (about 2/3 cup)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine bread crumbs and cheese; coat chicken lightly with mixture. Arrange chicken in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Set remaining crumb mixture aside. In a pan, cook onions on medium-high in butter for 3 minutes or until softened. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in flour; then stir in milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; continue to cook and stir 1 more minute. Stir in spinach and ham. Divide and spoon mixture over each chicken breast, pressing lightly into chicken. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake, uncovered, 40 to 45 minutes or until chicken is 165 degrees.

Per serving: 300 calories, 41 grams protein, 9 grams fat (27 percent calories from fat), 3.2 grams saturated fat, 13 grams carbohydrate, 111 milligrams cholesterol, 779 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.

Carb choices: 1.