Nutrition consultant and TV personality Susan Nicholson has all your menu answers in her "7-Day Menu Planner," a practical guide for meal plans and recipes with emphasis on nutrition, budget, ease of preparation and taste -- including your leftovers!

Plan your meals a week at a time or pick and choose your favorites. Each meal comes with a handy shopping list. Bon Appetite!

THURSDAY | FRIDAY | SATURDAY

 

Family Try Atlanta cookbook author and cooking teacher Ray Overton's PORK LOIN WITH HOT PEPPER GLAZE (see recipe) for a family feast. Serve it with UNFRIED RICE. Heat a medium nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray on medium heat for 1 minute. Add 2 slightly beaten eggs and cook 3 or 4 minutes or until set, stirring often. Remove from pan; coarsely chop the eggs and set aside. In a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat, add 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice. Cook 3 or 4 minutes or until browned, stirring constantly. Stir in 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans Oriental broth (like Swanson), 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 2 medium sliced carrots. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Add 4 sliced scallions and 1 cup frozen peas. Cook 5 minutes more or until rice is done and most of liquid is absorbed. Stir in reserved eggs and heat 1 minute or until heated through. Add a GREEN SALAD and MULTIGRAIN ROLLS. Buy a deep-dish PEACH COBBLER for dessert. PLAN AHEAD: Save enough pork, rice and cobbler for Monday. To save fat and calories, you don't have to eat all of the crust of the cobbler. I asked your mother. Check out the recipe for this day!

Heat and Eat Take advantage of Sunday's leftovers and enjoy PORK WITH PEPPERS. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook 2 large sliced yellow (red or orange) bell peppers for 5 minutes or until softened. Add 1/2 cup dry white wine and 1 clove crushed garlic; bring to a boil to reduce liquid to 2 tablespoons. Add 1 cup fat-free chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Slice about 3/4 pound cooked (leftover) pork and add to mixture. Cook 2 minutes or until pork is hot and sauce thickens. Serve it over heated leftover RICE. Add a MIXED GREENS SALAD and CRUSTY BREAD. Warm the leftover COBBLER and top it with fat-free VANILLA ICE CREAM for dessert. PLAN AHEAD: Save enough ice cream for Saturday.

Kids' Lasso the kids for TEX-MEX CASSEROLE (see recipe) tonight. Tie up some JICAMA STICKS on the side. Belly up to the bar for a BERRY FLOAT for dessert. For one float: Pour 2 tablespoons strawberry syrup into a tall glass. Slowly pour in well-chilled club soda until about two-thirds full. Stir and add 2 scoops fat-free strawberry ice cream and top with fresh sliced strawberries. PLAN AHEAD: Save enough casserole and ice cream for Wednesday. Check out the recipe for this day!

Budget Let your frugal self escape and make BURRITOS CORPUS CHRISTI tonight. Spoon the heated leftover Tex-Mex casserole (chop cornbread topping and mix it in or discard the topping) down the center of warmed, burrito-size, fat-free flour tortillas; top with Mexican-blend shredded cheese and sliced jalapeno peppers. Fold over two sides and roll. Top with reduced-fat SOUR CREAM if you like. On the side, serve RICE and spoon SALSA over it. Bring out the leftover STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM for dessert.

Express Make MESQUITE MARINATED CHICKEN using McCormick (or another brand) dry marinade mix. Just follow the package directions. Serve with frozen O'BRIEN POTATOES. Add a packaged SPINACH SALAD and BREADSTICKS. FRESH FRUIT is the right dessert for tonight.

Meatless Try hearty STUFFED VEGETABLE PITAS (see recipe) for a no-meat night. Serve with SLICED CUCUMBERS AND TOMATO WEDGES in a light vinaigrette. PEARS and OATMEAL COOKIES make dessert easy. Check out the recipe for this day!

Entertaining Any guest will enjoy BAKED HALIBUT. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut 1-pound halibut steak into 4 portions. Combine 1 tablespoon each fresh lime juice and water. Brush onto fish. In a bowl, combine 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger, allspice and pepper. Rub onto fish. Place in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, 8 to 12 minutes, or until fish is opaque throughout. Brush with pan juices. Serve the fish with FRUIT SALSA. In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks, 1 each peeled, coarsely chopped kiwi and orange, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/4 cup each chopped red onion and cilantro, and 1 tablespoon each fresh lime juice and honey; mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour. Add ORZO to the meal and toss with chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. You'll want a ROMAINE SALAD and BAGUETTES. Top leftover VANILLA ICE CREAM (from Monday) with light FUDGE SAUCE.