Diet Chef - Week 1

My first week of Diet Chef is over and as promised, I'm here to update you all on how I got on.

Firstly, Diet Chef provide you with a breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack. This usually totals in at around 900 calories. Once you've added your 5 fruit & veg portions and 2 dairy portions, that total should come to 1200 which is your allowance for the day. If you do have any "spare" calories, you can use them to add extras to your meals. I've been using their calorie guide to make sure I don't go over!

Now, onto this weeks meals.

Monday

Breakfast: Porridge with Cacao (I added half a banana, sliced) 211.5cal

The texture wasn't the best. I'd never had porridge before but when I added the banana I felt it was a bit more tolerable.

Lunch: Peanut Flavour Protein Bar 233cal

This was delicious. It was just like eating a regular chocolate bar. I'm a huge fan of peanuts and peanut butter so it went down a treat.

Dinner: Lasagne (I added lettuce and cherry tomatoes) 373cal

The lasagne was lovely. I honestly didn't expect to like it so much. The meat was perfect with no grisly bits and the pasta wasn't hard which is what I expected as it was to be microwaved. It was very filling and I'd definitely eat it again.

Snack: Salt & Vinegar Popcorn 106cal

I'm usually not a popcown fan but these are full of flavour so I really enjoyed them.

Tuesday

Breakfast: Chocolate Granola (I added raspberries) 205cal

Again, I was a bit funny about the texture and I felt like I had to force myself to eat it. It's not very chocolatey but the raspberries were a welcome addition.

Lunch: Vanilla Flavour Protein Bar 228cal

Similarly to Monday's lunch, it was very like a regular chocolate bar but I didn't think that it was as tasty as the peanut one.

Dinner: Sausages & Onion Gravy (I added baby potatoes & mangetout) 530cal

When I heated the sausages and put them on the plate, they didn't look appetising at all. I tasted them and they were amazing. They are actually nicer than the regular sausages I eat. The onion gravy was beautiful too.

Snack: Paprika Flavour Bakes 109cal

These are a bit harder to bite into than regular crisps but are just as nice. They aren't smothered in flavour but they have a tang afterwards.

Wednesday

Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Muesli Bar 191cal

I'm usually not a fan of these healthy bars but it was really lovely. It was quite sweet so I enjoyed it.

Lunch: Tomato & Herb Couscous Pot (I added cherry tomatoes & mozzarella) 341cal

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this at all. I didn't like the taste or texture and I couldn't finish it.

Dinner: Chicken in Black Bean Sauce (I added egg noodles & lettuce) 434cal

The flavour of the sauce was lovely but I would have enjoyed fresh chicken more.

Snack: Chocolate Chip Oat Biscuits 92cal

I couldn't fault these at all. They were very sweet and very unlike a healthy snack!

Thursday

Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Soft Cookie 199cal

This was lovely and had a perfect amount of chocolate for breakfast time. 

Lunch: Chunky Vegetable Soup (I added 2 slices of wholemeal bread) 123cal

I loved this. The soup wasn't too runny and the veg was soft.

Dinner: Coq au Vin (I added broccoli, cauliflower & baby potatoes) 470cal

I liked the chicken a lot more than the chicken the previous night. The sauce was delicious and I even liked the mushrooms and onions. I didn't expect to!

Snack: Sour Cream & Chive Pretzels 99cal

I loved these too. Perfect amount of flavouring.

Friday

Breakfast: Banana & Vanilla Porridge (I added a sliced banana & spoonful of Nutella) 253cal

I'm not usually a fan of the texture of porridge but the banana helped.

Lunch: I have to be honest and say I had a blip. I was in town and I had a Subway sandwich. Calorie-wise, it was 530cal and I instantly regretted it. I felt so bloated and generally felt horrible. It really showed me that eating healthily made me feel good.

Dinner: Pork Meatballs (I added tagliatelle) 437cal 

These were delicious. The meat was perfect and the chilli kick of the sauce was lovely.

Snack: I didn't snack.

Saturday

Breakfast: Strawberry Porridge 159cal

I didn't add anything this time and I think I'm starting to get used to the texture. I liked the burst of flavour when I bit into a piece of dried strawberry.

Lunch: Tomato, Red Pepper & Cheese Pasta Pot 222cal
The pasta wasn't dry like I expected it to be. The sauce was a little runny but it had a nice flavour.

Dinner: I wasn't overly hungry today and I don't usually have a proper dinner on a Saturday so I made myself a fruit salad. 156cal

Snack: I didn't snack.

Sunday

Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Muesli Bar 191cal

Lunch: Carrot & Coriander Soup 156cal

Delicious, flavoursome and the perfect texture.

Dinner: Chicken Tikka Masala (I added white long grain rice) 515cal

This was full of flavour and very like the tikka masala that I usually make at home. The chicken was a bit dry but it was still perfectly nice and edible.

Snack: Cheese & Onion Bakes 105cal

These reminded me of regular Walkers crisps flavour-wise.

I've really enjoyed my first week of Diet Chef but I do need to make sure I don't have any more blips. I find that I'm hungry waking up in the morning but I think that's a good thing as I regularly skip breakfast. In my first week I have gone from 10st to 9st 8lbs. That's a loss of 8lbs! How is that even possible!? I can't say I'm complaining though. If the next three weeks continue the same way, I'll be at my target weight. 

(Disclaimer: I received a 4 week plan from Diet Chef free of charge to try and write about my findings. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)