Monthly Archives: June 2009

High Protein Recipes

Chicken Canneloni

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By now you shouldn’t be surprised that this recipe has several variations and a companion recipe (to be posted tomorrow) for using the leftovers.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl mix

  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella, provolone, jack, or cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup (6 ounces) softened lo-fat cream cheese
  • 2 cups roasted red bell pepper
  • 1 small can chopped green chilies, drained
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced

Pour 1/2 cup bottled tomato pasta sauce or pureed red bell peppers into the bottom of a large baking pan .

Spoon 1/4 to 1/3 cup chicken filling onto 2 brown rice wrappers or 2 sections from a whole wheat filo sheet cut into quarters stacked on top of each other. Roll and place seam side down in the baking dish. Spoon pasta sauce in a stripe across each roll, sprinkle with more shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted.

Variations:

Substitute one of the following for the red bell pepper and green chili:

  • broccolli
  • spinach
  • cauliflower
  • onion
  • canned tomato, drained
  • eggplant
  • zucchini

Substitute diced baked tofu for the chicken.

Use leftover filling to make Giant Chicken Poppers.

 

Basic Information Starches

All About Starches

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This article is designed to educate you as to what foods are Starches (you might be surprised by some of these). Future articles will serve to guide you in planning meals, and help you to choose appropriate substitutes.

While vegetables are a carbohydrate they’re considered Neutral and can be eaten with any other food except Fruit. The only time you need to be aware of vegetables as a carbohydrate is when you’re on an extended (more than one day) Protein Binge.

Grains:

. . .
. brown rice flours: whole wheat
. barley . rye
. wild rice . buckwheat
. kasha . rice
. millet . graham
. bulger . .
. whole wheat couscous . .

Legumes:

mung beans

Seeds:

use raw, toasting or roasting destroys their digestive enzymes
. navy beans . caraway
. lima beans . poppy
. lentils . pumpkin
. black-eyed peas . sesame
. kidney beans . sunflower
. split peas

Nuts:

Nuts are a carb/protein mix so limit them – listed with lowest protein count firsttoasting or roasting destroys their digestive enzymes
. garbanzo beans . brazil
. pinto beans . macadamia, pine nuts

Pastas:


.

almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, walnuts
. whole wheat . hazelnuts, filberts, peanuts, pistachio
. buckwheat . mixed nuts, peanut butter, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
. artichoke . soybeans, cashews
. corn . coconut, almond paste

Cereals:

whole grain Brands: Grape Nuts (not flakes, they contain sugar)
. sugar-free . .
. chemical-free . .
. additive-free . .

These become starches only when cooked:

Starch Ingredients:

Use fresh potatoes. Frozen and dried potato products contain additives which make them difficult to digest. Exceptions can be found in health food stores. corn starch (use browned whole wheat or arrowroot flour instead)fructose (made from corn)

potato flour

soy sauce (wheat free can be found in health food stores)

all potatoes including sweet potatoes & yams .
peas beets
corn carrots
Recipes Starches Vegetarian

Annie’s Homegrown Mac ‘n Cheese

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I always have a couple of boxes of Annie’s Homegrown Mac ‘n Cheese in my pantry. With a few veggies stirred in they’re great for when I don’t feel like actually cooking.

Suggestions for items to stir into Annie’s Mac ‘n Cheese – we’re assuming that these are already precooked:

  • spinach or other greens
  • broccoli
  • carrot
  • onion
  • cauliflower
  • soy “dogs”

Or make up the mac n cheese according to the package directions and then stir it into one of the following types of soups:

  • tomato
  • red bell pepper
  • carrot
  • chicken or vegetable broth
High Protein Neutral Recipes Starches Vegetarian

Too Busy To Cook? Imagine’s Soups Will Save the Day

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Imagine-Butt-Qu

I love Imagine brands boxed soups. They taste so fresh, they have tons of varieties & you can add anything you might have in your fridge, pantry or freezer to change them up. Frankly I’ve been to restaurants that would have done better to chuck their soup recipe and used Imagine soup instead. I guarantee that their customers would not know they’re using boxed soup and the end product would be better than what they’re serving.

Here’s my dirty little secret – I haunt the aisles of health food stores looking for items on sale. Many of these items are disappointing but I can’t stand to throw them away, so I generally add them to one of Imagine’s boxed soups (which I have a pantry full of) and they have yet to disappoint me. It’s magic, how something that was ho-hum, when added to one of Imagine’s soups is suddenly escalated into the “can’t stop eating it” category.

I can’t say it any better than Imagine says it: “Imagine the finest, organic vegetables, lightly simmered with fresh herbs and delicious seasonings. Imagine no more … Imagine Organic Soups and Broths are available in more than twenty varieties and are packaged in re-sealable aseptic cartons to lock in their wholesome gourmet flavor.”

 

$$$avers Tips

Dollar Saver – Clif Bars at Amazon.com

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Clif Bar Nutrition Bars are all natural, organic, high in protein, and include no trans fats. Each bar contains 23 vitamins and minerals, and is made with 70 percent organic ingredients.

UnDiet Tip: Fight off a snack attack by stashing a few bars in your bag before heading out the door. A Clif bar will fill you up and make you feel like you had dessert instead of a nutritious meal.

Dessert Recipes Uncategorized

The UnDiet Joe-Joe

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If any of you have ever had a Trader Joe’s Joe-Joe then you know the magical power they have to wreck your best intentions for eating healthy. Each 150 calorie, sugar-laden round of deliciousness is engineered to add lumps and bumps to your silohette.

One afternoon last week I decided that I would wrestle the crown of deliciousness from Joe-Joe and create my own healthy version – and here it is.

Start with as healthy of an Oreo type cookie as you can find. Go for double-cream if it’s available. I like Newman’s Own brand but any brand will do. You won’t find one that is perfectly healthy but do your best.

Melt grain-sweetened chocolate chips with a bit of butter in a microwave safe bowl. Carefully dip cookies in melted chocolate and lay out to cool on a wax paper lined plate or tray. You can stick the cookies in the fridge to cool faster.

A nice variation is to use grain-sweetened peanut butter chips in place of all or half of the chocolate chips.

POW – take THAT Joe-Joe!

 

 

Tips

Eating Out – Mexican

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If you want to cut down on your fat intake ask the waiter to refrain from bringing tortilla chips to your table. If you’re planning a Starch Meal, ask for warm corn tortillas instead. You can roll them up and dip or scoop salsa and/or guacamole.

Protein Meal

If you’re having a Protein meal and want an appetizer order a Fruit or veggie plate, or other compatible pick from the Appetizer menu.

Avoid the corn tortillas unless you’re planning a Starch Meal and of course no white flour tortillas.

Avoid the white rice dishes.

Chili Rejellenos

Fajitas (give the tortillas to someone else at your table) and use a fork.

Salad – ask the waiter to leave the beans and tortilla chips off. If that’s not possible then remove as many as you can and don’t worry about the rest.

Avoid the white flour tortillas entrees, but if you like the fillings that come with one of these dishes ask for that menu item without the tortilla and eat it as is or pile it on top of a salad.

Vegetable or beef based soups are good choices. Avoid chicken broth if possible as it’s really too acidic, but I will sometimes choose to relax this guideline when eating out as it can be difficult to find a good vegetable or beef broth soup.

Starch Meal

Avoid the white flour tortilla entrees, but if you like the fillings that come with one of these dishes ask for that menu item without the tortilla and eat it as is, with a corn tortilla or pile it on top of a salad.

Avoid the white rice dishes.

Bean dishes are fine, especially if they’re low-fat, just make sure to ask the waiter to skip the cheese. If that’s not possible it’s a small enough amount to be fine for one meal.

Tips Uncategorized

Eating Out – Road Trip

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It can be difficult to stick to your eating plan while traveling, especially while on a road trip. It’s so easy to pull into a fast food drive-thru and takes a little forethought to plan ahead how you will stick to your eating plan while on vacation.

Start with packing items that will get you through when you don’t feel like stopping or when the McDonalds arches beckon to you from a freeway billboard. Pack by putting the items for later in the day at the bottom of your cooler or food box.

Pack plenty of fresh Fruits for breakfast. You may even want to continue eating fresh Fruits until dinner time. They’re easy and will give you a chance to lose a little more weight and cleanse your system of toxins and past dietary mistakes.

If however, you’d rather move up the dietary pyramid for lunch and dinner, then pack:

  • veggie sticks
  • dill pickles
  • Starch or Protein sandwiches
  • fill and roll up whole wheat tortillas or lavosh
  • cold chicken
  • cheese cubes
  • deli-sliced pastrami, proscuitto or ham rolled around spears of cantalope
  • whole grain crackers topped with sliced nondairy cheese
  • cold quiche
  • tuna or chicken salad packed on top of lettuce leaves
  • hard boiled eggs
  • sugar free jello
  • single serving yogurts
  • roasted soybeans
  • french toast made with low carb bread, topped with sugar-free jam

Use the supermarket and deli guidelines to pick up food along the way, putting any leftovers in a cooler.

Use the Eating Out – Fast Food guidelines to pick up fast food along the way.

Recipes Tips

Eating Out – Supermarkets & Deli’s

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Supermarkets and deli’s are great places to pick up a quick meal. The suggestions here are by no means a complete list but they’ll get you started. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have a favorite quick deli pick up meal or ready-to-eat supermarket meal.

Produce Section

Precut Fruits and veggies are an excellent choice for the UnDieter. Pick some up and eat straight out of the package or dip the Fruit in a container of flavored yogurt and the veggies in a small container of dressing that you pick up from the salad bar.

Salads

  • Prepackaged salads, but skip the accompanying dressing and purchase a bottle of a more favorable one or ask the deli counter to give you a small container of olive oil and another of vinegar.
  • Avail yourself of the salad bar if there is one.
  • Add chunks of any precooked meat such as ribs or roasted chicken chunks to your salad.
  • To prepackaged salad greens add any of the following: drained and rinsed beans, fresh salsa, chunks of Soymage cheese, low-fat feta cheese, precooked chicken

Black Bean Salad: drain one can of black beans, add water to the can, stir beans inside can and drain again. Toss with a purchased oil and vinegar dressing after adding one or more of the following:

  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup fresh salsa from the salad bar or purchase a container from the refrigerated section
  • cucumber from the salad bar
  • sliced olives
  • roasted red bell pepper
  • roasted vegetables from the deli

White Bean Salad: drain one can of white beans. Add water to the can, stir beans inside can and drain again.  Toss with a purchased oil and vinegar dressing and one or more of the following:

  • roasted bell peppers
  • marinated vegetables from the deli or in a jar
  • black or green olives
  • tomato from the salad bar
  • roasted vegetables from the deli
  • feta cheese

 

Sandwiches and Breads

If they have whole grain bread, bagels, or english muffins (you gotta’ read the label even when the package says “whole wheat” as that is often not true – make sure the ingredients list “whole wheat”) you can make a sandwich from the salad bar, drizzled with a little dressing. If you like you can also add a slice of soy or dairy cheese from the dairy section and/or fresh herbs from the produce section.

You could also use the bread or muffins for bruschetta. Ask the deli counter to lightly toast the bread. Then in a small disposable container mix these items from the salad bar: chopped or sliced olives, chopped tomato, oil and vinegar dressing (or ask the deli counter for a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar). Top your toasted bread with a few fresh basil leaves, then your bruschetta mixture.

Tortilla Rollups

Spread whole wheat or corn tortillas with any of the fillings below. Top spread with one or more of the suggested fillings. Roll up tight and eat as is, or cut in half and stand on end on a plate, surrounded by a fresh salad of your choice.

Tortilla Spread:

  • guacamole
  • fat-free refried beans
  • hummus

Tortilla Fillings:

  • salad from the salad bar
  • roasted vegetables from the deli
  • grilled or marinated tofu from the deli
  • sprouts from the produce section
  • egg salad
Dessert Recipes

Raisin Nut Pudding

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I like to make a double batch of this pudding to serve for dinner dessert, then again the next morning for breakfast.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In pie plate or quiche pan stir together

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or mix of cream and nondairy milk or lo-fat buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup softened butter or banana or mix of both
  • 1/2 cup unrefined sugar
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 cup broken pecans or walnuts, preferably toasted
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup mashed silken tofu

Bake for 40-50 minutes until brown on top. Chill well and serve.