Each day of the week offers a menu aimed at a different aspect of meal planning. There's a family meal, a kids' menu aimed at younger tastes, a heat-and-eat meal that recycles leftovers, a budget meal that employs a cost-cutting strategy, a meatless or "less meat" dish for people who may not be strict vegetarians but are trying to cut down on meat, an express meal that requires little or no preparation, and an entertaining menu that's quick.

Sunday/Family

For an easy family meal, prepare Honey-Soy Glazed Pork Chops (see recipe). Serve with your own mashed sweet potatoes, some frozen petite green peas and bread. For dessert, cantaloupe sundaes (see recipe) are cool.

Monday/Budget

Canned tuna is always a money-saver, and Fettuccine With Tuna and Vegetables (see recipe) proves the point. Albacore tuna is a little more expensive than other canned tuna, but you'll enjoy albacore's better flavor. Add a green salad and crusty bread for a complete meal.

Tuesday/Express

Make a quick veggie pizza skillet tonight. In a large, nonstick skillet, combine 2 2/3 cups frozen vegetable protein crumbles (available in health-food stores and some supermarkets), 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup water, 1-pound package frozen vegetable and pasta mix with herb seasoning and 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chunky pizza sauce with mushrooms. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add up to 1/4 cup additional water if too thick. Sprinkle with shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese. Serve with a packaged green salad and multigrain rolls. For dessert, look for brownies in the bakery.

Plan ahead: Save leftover brownies for Wednesday.

Wednesday/Kids

Now sing along with me: Take me out to the ball game, tra la tra la, buy me a fat-free hot dog (and Cracker Jack) on a toasted bun. Buy me ' tra la ' some canned vegetarian baked beans, with a cup of microwaved shredded carrots stirred in. If I don't get baked corn chips and leftover brownies, I'll never come back. We'll root, root, root for the fresh fruit. And it's one, two, three strikes you're out if you don't eat your vegetables before the next ball game!

Thursday/Meatless

Prepare Grape-Tabbouleh Salad (see recipe) in the morning to serve in a jiffy for supper. Serve with canned or packaged soup. Fat-free pound cake with fat-free frozen chocolate yogurt will be a welcome dessert.

Plan ahead: Save half the tabbouleh and frozen yogurt for Friday.

Friday/Leftovers

Make stuffed tabbouleh pitas using Thursday's leftover tabbouleh and whole-wheat pitas. Accompany the pitas with thinly sliced cucumbers in fat-free sour cream. Bring on the leftover fat-free chocolate yogurt and drizzle with marshmallow topping for an easy dessert.

Saturday/Entertaining

Your guests will help you fire up the grill for your own grilled grouper. Microwave corn on the cob to stay cool. On the side, your own sauteed mushrooms are perfect.

Accompany the meal with strawberry salad. Line four plates with 2 cups each lightly packed spinach leaves. Divide among the four plates: 1 cup halved strawberries, half of a 10-ounce package of frozen raspberries, thawed and well-drained, and 1 cup orange and grapefruit sections. Drizzle with Balsamic-Pepper Dressing (see recipe).

Tip: To cook corn on the cob in the microwave, place corn in husks in spoke fashion and microwave on high (100 percent power): 1 ear, 2 to 3 minutes; 2 ears, 5 to 6 minutes; 4 ears, 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand 2 or 3 minutes. Using hot pads, remove husk and silk in one easy motion.

Shopping List

What you'll need for this week's menus (consult recipes for exact amounts)

Sunday

well-trimmed pork loin chops

black pepper

honey

soy sauce

balsamic vinegar

cornstarch

garlic

scallions

sweet potatoes

frozen petite green peas

bread

frozen raspberries

low-fat vanilla ice cream

cantaloupe

Monday

fettuccine

sugar snap peas

red bell pepper

lemon

water-packed albacore tuna

olive oil

salad greens

crusty bread

Tuesday

frozen vegetable protein crumbles

onion

frozen vegetables and pasta mix with herb seasoning

canned chunky pizza sauce with mushrooms

shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

packaged green salad

multigrain rolls

brownies

Wednesday

fat-free hot dogs

Cracker Jack

hot dog buns

vegetarian baked beans

shredded carrots

baked corn chips

fresh fruit

Thursday

bulgur (cracked wheat)

lemons

olive oil

salt

pepper

seedless grapes

fresh spinach leaves

cucumber

fresh mint

parsley

scallions

romaine

canned or packaged soup

fat-free pound cake

fat-free frozen chocolate yogurt

Friday

whole-wheat pita bread

cucumber

fat-free sour cream

marshmallow topping

Saturday

grouper

corn on the cob, with husks intact

ingredients for your own sauteed mushrooms

spinach leaves

fresh strawberries

frozen raspberries

orange and grapefruit sections

fat-free strawberry yogurt

balsamic vinegar

honey

black pepper

Honey-Soy Glazed Pork Chops (Sunday)

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: under 15 minutes

4 (4-ounce) boneless, well-trimmed pork loin chops, 3/4 inches thick

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 clove minced garlic

2 sliced scallions

Season one side of each pork chop with black pepper. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add chops, pepper side down, and cook 4 minutes or until browned. Reduce heat to medium; turn and cook chops 6 to 8 minutes or until no longer pink. Transfer to a platter; cover with foil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix honey, soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch until smooth. Add garlic to skillet; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir honey mixture into skillet (mixture will boil) and cook 1 minute, stirring. Spoon sauce over chops. Garnish with scallions. (Adapted from "Good Housekeeping Best Recipes 1998," Time Inc., 1998, $24.95.)

Per serving: 219 calories, 25 grams protein, 6 grams fat (25 percent calories from fat), 2.1 grams saturated fat, 15 grams carbohydrate, 62 milligrams cholesterol, 511 milligrams sodium, trace fiber.

Cantaloupe Sundaes (Sunday)

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: under 5 minutes

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

1/2 of 10-ounce package frozen raspberries, thawed

2 cups low-fat vanilla ice cream

1 cantaloupe, peeled and cut into 4 wedges

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine cornstarch and water. Add raspberries; bring to boil. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute; cool. To serve, scoop 1/2 cup ice cream onto each cantaloupe wedge. Top with raspberry mixture.

Per serving: 188 calories, 5 grams protein, 2 grams fat (11 percent calories from fat), 0.6 grams saturated fat, 40 grams carbohydrate, 5 milligrams cholesterol, 63 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.

Fettuccine With Tuna and Vegetables (Monday)

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: time to cook pasta and sugar snap peas

8 ounces fettuccine

8 ounces fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed and with strings

removed (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 large red bell pepper, cut in thin strips

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 (6-ounce) cans water-packed albacore tuna, drained

1 tablespoon olive oil

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Add peas the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain and spoon into serving bowl. Add pepper strips, lemon juice, tuna and olive oil. Toss to mix and serve immediately.

Per serving: 379 calories, 26 grams protein, 7 grams fat (16 percent calories from fat), 1.2 grams saturated fat, 53 grams carbohydrate, 30 milligrams cholesterol, 332 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.

Grape-Tabbouleh Salad (Thursday)

Makes 8 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: time to boil water

Standing time: 2 to 6 hours

4 cups boiling water

1 1/2 cups uncooked bulgur (cracked wheat)

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons each: salt and grated lemon peel

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 cups red or green seedless grapes, halved

2 cups spinach leaves, thinly chopped

2 cups cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 cup each: chopped fresh mint, parsley and scallions

romaine leaves

Pour boiling water over bulgur; let stand 30 minutes. Drain well. Press out excess liquid. Add lemon juice, oil, salt, lemon peel, pepper, grapes, spinach, cucumber, mint, parsley and scallions. Let stand 2 to 6 hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve on romaine leaves.

Per serving: 178 calories, 4 grams protein, 4 grams fat (20 percent calories from fat), 0.7 grams saturated fat, 34 grams carbohydrate, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 600 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.

Balsamic-Pepper Dressing (Saturday)

Makes about 1/2 cup

Preparation time: under 5 minutes

1/2 cup fat-free strawberry yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon honey

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 31 calories, 1 gram protein, 0 grams fat, 6 grams carbohydrate, 1 milligram cholesterol, 18 milligrams sodium, 0 grams fiber.

Susan Nicholson is an Atlanta-based cookbook author an registered dietitian. She can be reached by e-mail: menuplanneindspring.com.

Pub Date: 9/20/98