Hello Everyone,
This questions is directed toward those who are following Weight Watchers (Points Plus plan). I’m currently doing the on-line program w/the e-tools. I was previously doing the Momentum Plan via the At-Home Kit prior to them revamping their points system. The problem that I”ve been having is I do not like a lot of the WW recipes nor the WW “friendly” recipes. They all taste bland, like diet food, etc. Plus they really don’t seem healthy to me. The majority of the official Weight Watcher recipes that I”ve tried I have NOT liked. I’ve also read the WW Message Boards and tried some of the user submitted recipes and haven’t cared much for those either. Some of the things that I’ve tried and not liked are .... the spaghetti sauce recipe in the getting started book, the baked chicken recipe also in the getting started book, Pumpkin Fluff recipe I found in the WW message boards, Pineapple Angel food cake that I found online somewhere (it was just okay), etc. I bought the WW Complete Cookbook as well and have tried a couple of those recipes and haven’t cared for those (i.e. Shepard’s Pie, etc.). The only WW recipe that I’ve tried and actually liked was the Oven Fried Chicken from the WW Complete Cookbook although I did feel it needs more seasoning so I’ve since found a similar recipe with a better seasoning blend. I’m wondering if there is anyone else who is following the WW plan and like me do not like the WW recipes?
Where do you find recipes that are compatible w/the plan? I know there are sites like Hungry Girl but her stuff doesn’t look very healthy to me and I can’t always find some of the product recommendations at my grocery store. Are there any good websites that are semi-healthy, yummy, and don’t depend upon finding a particular brand name product for recipe success?
I know that Food.com and Allrecipes.com have low-fat recipes, have you found that the majority of low fat recipes are compatible w/the WW plan?
Part of my membership includes the Recipe Builder feature which I admit I haven’t tinkered w/yet. Has anyone else had success in converting their existing recipes to WW friendly recipes using this feature?
Any guidance would be MOST appreciated =0) I’m trying to make this work, I have 20 lbs (post pregnancy weight) to lose, but it’s tough when the WW recipes are not working w/my taste buds.
Oh and just to give some examples of things I like and consider yummy & healthy: rotisserie chicken (no skin), baked/grilled/broiled chicken or fish with yummy, healthy marinades, lean meat/veggie skewers, dark chocolate covered strawberries, fruit w/whipped cream, oven baked fries, lean burgers, etc.
Thanks!!!
Thanks everyone for the replies! I'm glad to see that it is possible to do the WW program without having to use their recipes. I ended up entering one of our family favorite dinners and it converted over very nicely. Made a couple of little tweaks but it really didn't taste any differently and the family didn't even notice the minor changes. I'll have to play around with the Recipe Builder some more. I also went on the Allrecipes and Food.com and looked up some lowfat recipes then took the NI and plugged it into the WW calculator and found that the majority of lowfat recipes I can fit in w/the WW program so I was really excited about that! I had never heard of Myfitnesspal so thanks a ton for that tip. I went over and checked out the boards and they're busy, busy, busy. When I have more time I'll head back over there and do some more browsing. Thanks for all the books/mag suggestions as well. That gives me some more resources.
http://www.anitasrecipes.com/healthy-recipes/ByPoints.asp has good recipes. They have the recipes according to the old points values but the recipes also give the nutritional information for you to calculate using the new points plus system.
I would really give the recipe builder a try. You might be suprised at how little you have to change your own recipes in order to get the points down. That's what I did for the most part when I was on WW. I never really liked the "diet" versions of food because I'm against using low fat, no fat, light, anything. So the recipe builder really helped me to work with my own recipes to get them dialed in.
Try this site - www.kitchenparade.com. I have looked over it and it looks interesting. They has a section for weight watchers.
You can input any recipe you used pre-WW and the online tool will calculate how many points per serving. This is VERY useful, because you never have to stop eating food your normally eat AND your family can eat the same foods, too.
I use the recipe building to enter all my recipe's, even WW ones into it. I find that every brand has different nutritional information in it so my points often come out way off what WW says they are (in both directions and with the old and new plans) especially breads, I'm not sure where the WW test kitchen finds such low point rolls and stuff. The best thing about WW is that you don't have to eat what they tell you and do what they do. You make it work for you. With the new plan, they are claiming to make everything more focused on "whole foods" and what is nutritious rather then just low points. I get mixed messages on this since Hungry Girl is all about fake sugar and low point stuff, but what works for one may not work for another. Even with that, I've learned how to adjust some Hungry Girl recipes to make them healthier.
I google most of the recipes I want. I do use WW cookbooks and I'd say I get 1-2 good recipe's I would use again from their cookbooks, but that's not a lot for all the ones they have in there.
My biggest resource for good recipe's is Myfitnesspal.com (I hear sparkspeople.com is good too). It's a weight loss/health community where most of the members are there to lose weight in a healthy way and there are a few WW members on there. I got bored with WW last year and joined and although I still attended the WW meetings for support, I counted calories on that site rather then points. With the new plan I'm counting points again (got bored with calorie counting) but I still use this site to find recipes and ask for suggestions and find support and ideas. Just the other night I posted a topic asking what to do with my leftover turkey (which was a WW crock-pot recipe I'll post later, it was good) and last night I posted asking for suggestions to make panini's (which I got the idea of using my George Forman grill for panini's from Myfitnesspal.com) and got a lot of responses for both. They don't have a "recipe section" so to speak, but if you search the site you can find a recipe for almost anything and they do have a recipe message board section.
Best of luck to you on the program, I LOVE WW! I find it's a great program with a lot of flexibility.
Get a subscription to Cooking Light. My husband is a burgers kind of guy (not into low-fat food) and we've yet to find anything with CL that has been remotely disappointing. Every recipe has been a hit! I have used the WW Recipe Builder feature with their recipes and they work well within Weight Watchers guidelines. Plus, you can see the nutrition info. with their recipes and can tell immediately if they'll work (for instance, some of their recipes where they covert high fat recipes to lower-fat versions aren't always enough to be within WW standards ... however, the majority do work).
Go to their website and try a couple recipes to see what you think. I bet you that you'll sign up for a subscription.
Hi T....my first suggestion is to definitely take advantage of the recipe builder feature online. I use it all the time, and like Nancy, rarely use the WW recipes because they are not usually to my taste. For the most part, I cook as I normally do, and use the food companion and calculator to look up points values for the foods I make. Secondly, I would recommend the America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook. I got it for Christmas and love it! Every recipe has the fat, carb, protein and fiber content and it makes it very easy to look up points values. My college-aged daughter (also a WW member) really likes the Hungry Girl recipes but I don't really eat that way, so I hear what you're saying about that. It sounds as though you already like to make healthier choices about food - I think that's more than half the battle! Lots of luck to you!
I've been a lifetime member since 1988, and I almost never use their recipes. I cook all the things I like--if the recipes have too much fat or sugar for WW, I cut back or substitute. I eat whole wheat pastas and bread and cook with olive or canola oil, but that's the only real changes I made, and it's easy. You can figure your own points per serving for your favorites, and make a note in your cookbook or recipe card. Easy, peasy.
