We are sometimes asked whether the Menumade system is suitable for someone wanting to lose weight. The short answer is YES!

Menumade meals are based on the current recommendations for healthy eating. The amount of weight you could lose on Menumade really depends on how much your energy intake changes when you switch from your current eating pattern to Menumade.
Energy is measured in kilojoules (kJ). When we are in energy balance, our weight is stable because the energy intake from food matches that which we need to go about our daily lives and for physical activity. Weight starts to be gained when the energy from the food we eat exceeds the amount used in daily activities. A good weight loss strategy needs to look at changing both the energy intake (through what we eat) and the energy output (through physical activity and exercise) so that weight loss can be achieved.
There are four nutrients in food from which we get energy. They are carbohydrate, protein, fat and alcohol. In terms of energy in kJ per gram of each nutrient, carbohydrate and protein are similar at 16 and 17kJ per gram. Alcohol gives us 29 kJ/gram but by far the richest source of kJ is fat at 37kJ/gram.

When trying to lose weight you need to eat foods that are big on taste and flavour while avoiding foods that are rich in kilojoules. To do this you need foods with plenty of complex carbohydrate (starchy vegetables like potato and kumara, bread, rice, pasta and fruit) to make sure you feel satisfied after a meal, moderate servings of lean protein foods (eg red meat, chicken, fish, eggs) but limited sugar, fat and alcohol which are all loaded with kilojoules.

Each Menumade meal fits these criteria by always including pasta, rice, couscous, "starchy" vegetables or bread. There are at least 3 servings of the 5+a Day recommended intake for vegetables and fruit and the fat content of meals is kept as low as possible. You can search for meals according to energy content by using the search function. Meals are grouped into under 2000kJ, 2000-2500kJ and over 2500kJ energy per serve. When a work plan states 'optional' avocado or light cream these ingredients should be omitted.

The other great advantage of Menumade for weight loss is in the planning. When you arrive home tired and hungry, at least you will have all the ingredients on hand and being quick to prepare, you will be able to satisfy the hunger in a healthy way without resorting to high kilojoule snacks while the meal cooks.

Of course the evening meal is only one part of the total day's food intake so to achieve best results with weight loss, these principles need to be applied to every meal and snack during the day. Consult the Eating Well page for more detailed guidelines on achieving the best eating plan you can.

Remember that while the latest fad diet may have novelty appeal and achieve rapid short term weight loss, it can be difficult to stick to many of these 'diets' for any length of time. They do not re-educate you to improve your eating habits and usually the weight lost goes right back on once 'normal' eating is resumed. Remembering that weight is usually gained slowly over a period of time, it is going to take time to lose also. A slow, steady weight loss of around 500g - 1kg per week is more likely to be successful in the long term.