I had the privilege of attending a Take Shape for Life conference in Boise, Idaho, this month that featured Dr. Wayne Scott Anderson (Medical Director of Medifast and the author of the new book, Habits of Health). Dr. Anderson is very knowledgeable about how real people with real lives can greatly improve their health and quality of life. It was a very exciting and informative weekend. Some of the highlights:
>>Over 500 people attended. Many people had lost weight on the Take Shape for Life program, and signed a declaration of independence from obesity. The total weight lost by those who signed the declaration: Over 1700 pounds!!
>>Many health professionals (doctors, nurses, chiropractors) attended the conference and expressed their professional opinions that the program is a medically viable and healthy way to lose excess weight. I spoke with several physicians who regularly recommend the program to their patients-- with great results.
>>I was able to meet and talk to many people who had lost weight on the Take Shape for Life program. Several individuals stressed that the Take Shape for Life program is a great tool they used that helped them change their own lives -- including their health, their energy, their emotional state and their appearance. They also are proof that the program is very effective in helping people keep the excess weight off, since many had been able to maintain their ideal weight for 7 years and longer. The stories were amazing and inspiring.
>>I met a woman who has a masters degree in nutrition. She taught weight management courses for the county health department for several years, but could not seem to lose an extra 15 pounds she needed to lose. When her excess weight grew to 20 pounds, she tried the Take Shape for Life program on the recommendation of a friend who had been successful on the program. She lost the weight quickly and felt great. She became a Take Shape for Life health coach. She also found that the traditional weight loss/management concepts she had been teaching for years really did not work for real people in real life. She found they needed to get the weight off quickly and change their relationship with food in that process. They could then add healthy foods back into their diet that helped them maintain their ideal weight, as well as adopt a lifestyle with more movement...something they could not do if they were carrying around excess weight.
I'll discuss some more highlights from the conference in an upcoming post...
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Lean and Green Meal Ideas
Here are some lean and green meal ideas we discussed at the meetings last week. We heard some great success stories and exchanged ideas for lean and green meals. Congratulations to all those who are continuing toward their ideal weight. Many have lost over 40 pounds in about 3 months!
Lean and Green Meal Ideas
Cucumber Mint Gazpacho Soup
1 cucumber, peeled (seeded, if desired) and chopped to ¼” diced½ cup cucumber, peeled and seeded, finely diced1-2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped¼ tsp English-style dry mustard1-2 tsp sour cream (any variety, optional)
1. In a blender, puree 1 cup chopped cucumbers, dry mustard, 1 tsp sour cream and salt and pepper to taste.2. Transfer to a bowl and chill overnight (or at least 6 hours).3. Stir in finely diced cucumber and chopped mint.4. Garnish soup with 1 tsp sour cream (optional) and mint sprigs or additional chopped mint leaves.
To create a deeper shade of green for the gazpacho, replace ¼ cup of peeled, seeded cucumber (¼” diced) with ¼ cup of diced green bell pepper.
Zesty Chicken Soup – 6 oz. cooked chicken breast (grill, bake, poach or saute),cut into ½ inch pieces. Toss into saucepan with a can of chicken broth and a can of Ro-Tel (or just stewed/diced tomatoes if you don't want spicy); Add garlic & basil to taste and heat. Serve hot, topped with ¼ cup shredded, low-fat cheese (such as parmesan), 1 teaspoon diced green onion and cilantro to taste.
Ouick Chicken Caesar Salad - Pre-washed bags of romaine lettuce Dole Light Caesar Salad Kits. You can cook your own chicken breast and dice it up, or buy packaged grilled chicken strips (Costco has some very tasty options). For variety, add sun-dried tomato and occasionally raw or sautéed mushrooms. Just remember to leave off the croutons!
Tuna salad - 6oz water packed canned tuna, drained ... hard boiled 2 eggs ... remove the yolks, dice the whites ... mix together with diced dill pickles, celery, bell peppers, onion (1/2 cup of whatever low-carb veggies you like) and 2T "Carb-friendly," low-fat Miracle Whip. Serve over 2 cups of a combo salad greens & sprouts.
Ouick Taco Salad -Brown 1 pound ground beef and then add your favorite fresh salsa (I add the entire small container of ROJO’s salsa). When making it for 4, use 2 lbs. ground beef and a large container of salsa (about 2 -21/2 cups). Continue to cook until the liquid in the salsa is cooked out and the meat/salsa mixture is quite thick. Serve over shredded lettuce. Top with 2T. grated parmesan or other low fat cheese and sliced olives (up tot 6 olives).
Lettuce Wraps - Brown 6 oz of lean ground turkey, add pepper and minced garlic to taste. Set aside and drain. Saute chopped onion, a few slices of diced mushroom, 3 slices of red pepper and 3 of green pepper, all diced, in 1 T. of extra virgin olive oil. (for a total of about 1 1/2 c of veggies.) Add 1 T lite soy sauce. Add the turkey mixture and cook a while longer. Carefully wash and dry 3 large lettuce leaves. Fill leaves with turkey/vegetable mixture and wrap 'em up. OPTION: Use Steel's Sesame Ginger sauce on your wraps.
"Cheesy" Asparagus or Broccoli - Add 4 oz water and 2 oz. lowfat cheese to a packet of Medifast Cream of Broccoli Soup mix. Use it as a "sauce" to pour over broccoli or asparagus ... very filling.... You can then have your lean meat as a different "meal.”
Stir Fry - You can enjoy a variety of stir fry dishes for your Lean & Green meal. You can easily swap out the type of protein you use and the various types of vegetables. For oil, you can use a small amount of olive oil or try some sesame oil. If you use a non-stick pan, a little oil goes a long way. Good veggies are broccoli, green beans and some pepper and onion strips. Mushrooms always go into the mix. Don't forget the garlic! Once you heat the oil add the vegetables and stir them constantly. They are done when the colors turn bright. Add either diced and cooked chicken or shrimp and stir fry for another minute or two. Serve over a bed of lettuce.
Shrimp Stir Fry - Cook green pepper strips and onion strips in Pam and a tiny bit of olive oil in a skillet until still a bit crunchy; add fresh garlic and cherry tomatoes, cook a bit longer. Add cooked shrimp just long enough to heat. Serve over bed of greens (baby spinach is excellent). Optional: drizzle with 1T sesame salad dressing.
Chicken & Broccoli Sesame Ginger Stir-Fry –
Steam 11/2 cups broccoli crowns in the microwave,
Saute chicken breast strips in PAM,
Add 4-5 onion chunks and the steamed broccoli
Top with 2 T. Steel's Sesame Ginger Sauce.
Serve over 2 cup mixture of chopped/shredded romaine lettuce or mixed greens with steamed bean sprouts
NOTE: If you're also cooking dinner for folks not on program, simply serve their portions over steamed rice.
Crispy Chicken Bake- 1. Pulse one packet of crackers in the food processor until fine (or a rolling pin over the packet works, too). 2. Toast cracker crumbs lightly in 350 degree oven. 3. Take crumbs out of oven and season to taste (garlic powder, salt, pepper) 4. Dip 6 oz.chicken tenders or breasts VERY lightly into fat free dressing of your choice (or spritz with fat free dressing), 5. Press chicken into bread crumb mixture. Bake or broil as usual.
Stuffed Chicken Breast - 6 oz. grilled chicken breast, split and stuffed with ½ cup chopped spinach and diced bell peppers (the veggies can either be fresh and seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon pepper, or lemon juice or sauted lightly in Pam). Top with 1T shredded parmesan cheese.Serve with salad:1-11/2 cups Romaine lettuce½ cup mixed cucumbers and tomatoes2 tablespoons Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette
Greek Omelet
Whip 2 whole eggs plus 4 egg whites with 1T. water; set aside.
Lightly saute 1 cup diced, multi-colored bell pepper in 1T. olive oil;
Add egg mixture to pan of sautéed peppers and cook on low heat until egg is no longer runny (covering helps the egg cook more evenly)
Add ½ cup choppedspinach and 6 black or green olives, sliced) on top of cooked egg; fold egg in half
Top with 1-2 t. shredded parmesan cheese
Salmon - 5 oz. salmon (smoked, baked, poached, broiled, grilled in Pam. Costco also carries some very tasty salmon burger patties that can be heated in a small frying pan sprayed with a little Pam), served over 1-½ cups julienne vegetable strips (use one or several of the following: cucumbers, zucchini, green/red/yellow peppers, tomatoes). May be served with 2 T. Martha’s Tasty Tartar Sauce (see recipe below) or your favorite salad dressing (a dill dressing is especially good).
Lobster - 7 oz. steamed Maine lobster served with1 cup sautéed zucchini (with a touch of basil)½ cup marinated tomato salad
Broiled Seafood Fillet
(makes 1 serving)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil7 oz. flounder or cod or sole1 small tomato, seeded and diced1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill or 1/2 teaspon dillweed1 teaspoon bottled capers (optional)1/2 C. fresh mushrooms, sauteed in 1 teaspoon olive oil (optional)Arrange fillet on nonstick baking sheet. Combine lemon juice and oil and brush filet with 1/4 the lemon-oil mixture. Broil 2 minutes on one side.Combine tomato and dill with the remaining lemon-oil mixture; turn over fillet, and top with the tomato mixture. Broil 3-4 minutes, until fish flakes ealily with fork. Top with capers and sauteed mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste.Serve over 11/2 cup mixed salad greens of your choice. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon buttermilk dressing (or your favorite dressing...you can use more dressing if it is very low-carb and fat free).
Fish is great to have as part of your "lean & green" meal---two to three times a week is ideal. This tartar sauce is a family favorite, and a great way to add some zest and variety.
MARTHA'S TASTY TARTAR SAUCE
Use 1 Tablespoon as a condiment...and it is not even cheating!In small bowl stir together with fork:1 C Kraft Free Mayo (or other nonfat/low carb mayonnaise)2 T. parsley flakes1 to 2 T. minced dill pickle1 to 2 T. minced onion1 T. bottled capers (lightly chopped)Mix well and refrigerate for several hours before serving so flavors can blend10 calories per tablespoon (0 from fat).
Grilled Steak and Roasted Asparagus
Steak and asparagus are great together.
Marinated steak:
Many marinades sold at the supermarket contain a lot of sugar and are high in carbs. Select a marinade with 2 grams of carbs or less and 0 fat.
Or, you can make your own beer marinade: combine 1 can (or bottle) of beer, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper and 1 T. olive oil. (The alcohol burns itself off during cooking, so you don't need to worry about the alcohol and it adds only negligible calories. Just don’t sample the beer before it cooks out…way too many calories)
Marinate meat at least 20 minutes (1-2 hours is best). Grill in pan or on barbecue.
Roasted Asparagus:
Spread out asparagus in a baking dish and drizzle with either one tablespoon olive oil or non-fat dressing (either Italian or Caesar). Toss the asparagus until evenly covered and spread out flat again. Grind some black pepper over asparagus. Roast in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your asparagus. NOTE: you can roast a variety of the lower carbohydrate vegetables this way and serve together with the meat/fish of your choice.
Lean and Green Meal Ideas
Cucumber Mint Gazpacho Soup
1 cucumber, peeled (seeded, if desired) and chopped to ¼” diced½ cup cucumber, peeled and seeded, finely diced1-2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped¼ tsp English-style dry mustard1-2 tsp sour cream (any variety, optional)
1. In a blender, puree 1 cup chopped cucumbers, dry mustard, 1 tsp sour cream and salt and pepper to taste.2. Transfer to a bowl and chill overnight (or at least 6 hours).3. Stir in finely diced cucumber and chopped mint.4. Garnish soup with 1 tsp sour cream (optional) and mint sprigs or additional chopped mint leaves.
To create a deeper shade of green for the gazpacho, replace ¼ cup of peeled, seeded cucumber (¼” diced) with ¼ cup of diced green bell pepper.
Zesty Chicken Soup – 6 oz. cooked chicken breast (grill, bake, poach or saute),cut into ½ inch pieces. Toss into saucepan with a can of chicken broth and a can of Ro-Tel (or just stewed/diced tomatoes if you don't want spicy); Add garlic & basil to taste and heat. Serve hot, topped with ¼ cup shredded, low-fat cheese (such as parmesan), 1 teaspoon diced green onion and cilantro to taste.
Ouick Chicken Caesar Salad - Pre-washed bags of romaine lettuce Dole Light Caesar Salad Kits. You can cook your own chicken breast and dice it up, or buy packaged grilled chicken strips (Costco has some very tasty options). For variety, add sun-dried tomato and occasionally raw or sautéed mushrooms. Just remember to leave off the croutons!
Tuna salad - 6oz water packed canned tuna, drained ... hard boiled 2 eggs ... remove the yolks, dice the whites ... mix together with diced dill pickles, celery, bell peppers, onion (1/2 cup of whatever low-carb veggies you like) and 2T "Carb-friendly," low-fat Miracle Whip. Serve over 2 cups of a combo salad greens & sprouts.
Ouick Taco Salad -Brown 1 pound ground beef and then add your favorite fresh salsa (I add the entire small container of ROJO’s salsa). When making it for 4, use 2 lbs. ground beef and a large container of salsa (about 2 -21/2 cups). Continue to cook until the liquid in the salsa is cooked out and the meat/salsa mixture is quite thick. Serve over shredded lettuce. Top with 2T. grated parmesan or other low fat cheese and sliced olives (up tot 6 olives).
Lettuce Wraps - Brown 6 oz of lean ground turkey, add pepper and minced garlic to taste. Set aside and drain. Saute chopped onion, a few slices of diced mushroom, 3 slices of red pepper and 3 of green pepper, all diced, in 1 T. of extra virgin olive oil. (for a total of about 1 1/2 c of veggies.) Add 1 T lite soy sauce. Add the turkey mixture and cook a while longer. Carefully wash and dry 3 large lettuce leaves. Fill leaves with turkey/vegetable mixture and wrap 'em up. OPTION: Use Steel's Sesame Ginger sauce on your wraps.
"Cheesy" Asparagus or Broccoli - Add 4 oz water and 2 oz. lowfat cheese to a packet of Medifast Cream of Broccoli Soup mix. Use it as a "sauce" to pour over broccoli or asparagus ... very filling.... You can then have your lean meat as a different "meal.”
Stir Fry - You can enjoy a variety of stir fry dishes for your Lean & Green meal. You can easily swap out the type of protein you use and the various types of vegetables. For oil, you can use a small amount of olive oil or try some sesame oil. If you use a non-stick pan, a little oil goes a long way. Good veggies are broccoli, green beans and some pepper and onion strips. Mushrooms always go into the mix. Don't forget the garlic! Once you heat the oil add the vegetables and stir them constantly. They are done when the colors turn bright. Add either diced and cooked chicken or shrimp and stir fry for another minute or two. Serve over a bed of lettuce.
Shrimp Stir Fry - Cook green pepper strips and onion strips in Pam and a tiny bit of olive oil in a skillet until still a bit crunchy; add fresh garlic and cherry tomatoes, cook a bit longer. Add cooked shrimp just long enough to heat. Serve over bed of greens (baby spinach is excellent). Optional: drizzle with 1T sesame salad dressing.
Chicken & Broccoli Sesame Ginger Stir-Fry –
Steam 11/2 cups broccoli crowns in the microwave,
Saute chicken breast strips in PAM,
Add 4-5 onion chunks and the steamed broccoli
Top with 2 T. Steel's Sesame Ginger Sauce.
Serve over 2 cup mixture of chopped/shredded romaine lettuce or mixed greens with steamed bean sprouts
NOTE: If you're also cooking dinner for folks not on program, simply serve their portions over steamed rice.
Crispy Chicken Bake- 1. Pulse one packet of crackers in the food processor until fine (or a rolling pin over the packet works, too). 2. Toast cracker crumbs lightly in 350 degree oven. 3. Take crumbs out of oven and season to taste (garlic powder, salt, pepper) 4. Dip 6 oz.chicken tenders or breasts VERY lightly into fat free dressing of your choice (or spritz with fat free dressing), 5. Press chicken into bread crumb mixture. Bake or broil as usual.
Stuffed Chicken Breast - 6 oz. grilled chicken breast, split and stuffed with ½ cup chopped spinach and diced bell peppers (the veggies can either be fresh and seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon pepper, or lemon juice or sauted lightly in Pam). Top with 1T shredded parmesan cheese.Serve with salad:1-11/2 cups Romaine lettuce½ cup mixed cucumbers and tomatoes2 tablespoons Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette
Greek Omelet
Whip 2 whole eggs plus 4 egg whites with 1T. water; set aside.
Lightly saute 1 cup diced, multi-colored bell pepper in 1T. olive oil;
Add egg mixture to pan of sautéed peppers and cook on low heat until egg is no longer runny (covering helps the egg cook more evenly)
Add ½ cup choppedspinach and 6 black or green olives, sliced) on top of cooked egg; fold egg in half
Top with 1-2 t. shredded parmesan cheese
Salmon - 5 oz. salmon (smoked, baked, poached, broiled, grilled in Pam. Costco also carries some very tasty salmon burger patties that can be heated in a small frying pan sprayed with a little Pam), served over 1-½ cups julienne vegetable strips (use one or several of the following: cucumbers, zucchini, green/red/yellow peppers, tomatoes). May be served with 2 T. Martha’s Tasty Tartar Sauce (see recipe below) or your favorite salad dressing (a dill dressing is especially good).
Lobster - 7 oz. steamed Maine lobster served with1 cup sautéed zucchini (with a touch of basil)½ cup marinated tomato salad
Broiled Seafood Fillet
(makes 1 serving)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil7 oz. flounder or cod or sole1 small tomato, seeded and diced1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill or 1/2 teaspon dillweed1 teaspoon bottled capers (optional)1/2 C. fresh mushrooms, sauteed in 1 teaspoon olive oil (optional)Arrange fillet on nonstick baking sheet. Combine lemon juice and oil and brush filet with 1/4 the lemon-oil mixture. Broil 2 minutes on one side.Combine tomato and dill with the remaining lemon-oil mixture; turn over fillet, and top with the tomato mixture. Broil 3-4 minutes, until fish flakes ealily with fork. Top with capers and sauteed mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper to taste.Serve over 11/2 cup mixed salad greens of your choice. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon buttermilk dressing (or your favorite dressing...you can use more dressing if it is very low-carb and fat free).
Fish is great to have as part of your "lean & green" meal---two to three times a week is ideal. This tartar sauce is a family favorite, and a great way to add some zest and variety.
MARTHA'S TASTY TARTAR SAUCE
Use 1 Tablespoon as a condiment...and it is not even cheating!In small bowl stir together with fork:1 C Kraft Free Mayo (or other nonfat/low carb mayonnaise)2 T. parsley flakes1 to 2 T. minced dill pickle1 to 2 T. minced onion1 T. bottled capers (lightly chopped)Mix well and refrigerate for several hours before serving so flavors can blend10 calories per tablespoon (0 from fat).
Grilled Steak and Roasted Asparagus
Steak and asparagus are great together.
Marinated steak:
Many marinades sold at the supermarket contain a lot of sugar and are high in carbs. Select a marinade with 2 grams of carbs or less and 0 fat.
Or, you can make your own beer marinade: combine 1 can (or bottle) of beer, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper and 1 T. olive oil. (The alcohol burns itself off during cooking, so you don't need to worry about the alcohol and it adds only negligible calories. Just don’t sample the beer before it cooks out…way too many calories)
Marinate meat at least 20 minutes (1-2 hours is best). Grill in pan or on barbecue.
Roasted Asparagus:
Spread out asparagus in a baking dish and drizzle with either one tablespoon olive oil or non-fat dressing (either Italian or Caesar). Toss the asparagus until evenly covered and spread out flat again. Grind some black pepper over asparagus. Roast in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your asparagus. NOTE: you can roast a variety of the lower carbohydrate vegetables this way and serve together with the meat/fish of your choice.
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