Hello again lovely Beach Chicks!

I'm still trying to prep for P1 again (yes I was supposed to be starting in September and here we are in November already!) and I know from my past experience that meal planning is absolutely essential for me to do P1 successfully.
I've only done it in the summer previously, so lots of salad lunches and it was a breeze, but now I'm struggling for suitable lunches to have in the cold weather.

I do like to make my own soup but I like thick creamy type soups so I always add a potato or two to thicken it. Obviously potatoes are off limits for P1 and I really don't care for thin soups. And I think I'd get bored of soups every day...I also like to get a good amount of protein at each meal otherwise I do get hungry.

Can any of you please make any suggestions for me?
Oh, if it helps any, I eat lunch at home every day except Monday when I need to take something to the office I work at.

Nice to see you back, O Goddess of the Hunt!

You can thicken soups very nicely using beans! Just add then and zap with the blender or an immersion blender. Chili is great for lunch in winter as is taco bake. I make individual servings and freeze them. You can make egg or ham salad and have it on celery sticks, peppers or cucumber slices. I often have leftovers from the night before dinner.

I'm sure there will be loads of ideas forthcoming.

chili is a favorite of mine. Also bean soups. Tonight was chicken tortilla soup (just skip the tortillas for phase 1). Rotel mixed with refried black beans is a good lunch too. You could eat it with veggies instead of a tortilla for phase 1.

Any sort of roast leftovers from dinners- with vegetables and some beans. Easy to even bring into the office and microwave there.

Artemis, do you have access to a microwave where you eat lunch? I just bring leftovers from the dinner we had the night before. It works well. Taco Bake is a fantastic winter lunch. Mmmm!

Thick soups are totally possible on Phase 1. You just need to puree the ingredients. You can use a blender, food processor, or an immersion blender to do that, and you can do it to part of the soup or all. Check out the Soups and Stews-Phase 1 thread in the Recipe forum. Here are also a couple recipes to try:

• Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Hazelnut Oil (simmer the cauli in the milk/onion mixture for 15 minutes before pureeing to make it rich and velvety.)
• Black Bean-Tomato Soup with Cilantro-Lime Cream (use turkey bacon and a drizzle of olive oil instead of regular bacon)
• Sausage, Escarole, and White Bean Ragout (exclude potatoes or sub another veggie, like zucchini, sub chicken broth for the wine)
• Show-Me-State Vegetable-Bean Soup (sub beef broth with no sugar for the wine)
• Red Lentil Stew with Yogurt Sauce (if you don't have an immersion blender, you can make this in a regular blender)
• Cauliflower-Leek Potage
• Instant Black Bean Soup
• Black Bean Soup (Crockpot)
• Creamy White Bean Pesto Soup with Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach

You also might want to try chili, since it's thick and hearty and easy to make in Phase 1. One of my favorites is the White Chili in the recipe forum under P1 Entrees.

I have to second the poster above who recommended chili - I've eaten that for lunch most days for almost a year now. It's very satisfying and filling, and especially great as the weather gets cold!

Laurie, thank you for those links! I'm going to pick up the ingredients for the Instant Black Bean Soup and the Roasted Cauliflower soup on my way home from work tonight. They both sound delicious!

Stuffed Peppers - Phase One

4 large green peppers or red peppers, seeded, cored and sliced in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup mushroom, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1-1 1/4 lb lean ground turkey (I use 93% lean)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 ounce)can SF tomato sauce
parmesan cheese or part-skim mozzarella cheese, for topping (fresh grated or shredded)
italian seasoning, for topping

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. On stovetop in a medium skillet or saucepan, sauté mushroom, onion, celery and garlic in olive oil until veggies are soft; remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl,combine ground turkey, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
4. Add sauté veggie mixture to turkey mixture; mix well.
5. Stuff peppers with turkey/veggie mix and place in an ungreased shallow casserole dish.
6. In a small bowl, combine undrained tomatoes and tomato sauce; pour over peppers to cover.
7. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings; cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes.
8. Uncover, sprinkle with mozzarella and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and browned.

I got this recipe from a friend, I don't use the tomatoes and just a small amount of sauce on each pepper. This recipe is really easy once you try it. I know it looks like alot but it really isnt. They reheat great the next day for lunch!!