Tag Archives: 1001 low carb recipes

Finally Starting on the Biggest Loser Meals!

It seems like I’ve written a lot of posts before we’ve eaten a single meal, finally we started the plan on Monday morning! It looks like a week heavy on chicken — six out of ten meals.

It’s only two full days on the program, but so far so good. The food doesn’t taste like homemade, but it’s still tasty. I’m a little hungry, but not starving. And for me the best part is not thinking about the food.

When I’ve been on diets that I’ve had to prepare and shop for the foods, I found I “thought” about it all day long. Then by the time I shopped and cooked it, I would think about it even more and get hungry. My portion sizes would vary and soon the “deck of cards” size meat portion would be the size of “two decks of cards”. With this meal plan I love that everything is prepared, in portion-control sizes and all I have to do is make a salad, heat and eat!

The company suggests heating the food pouches in boiling water, but a microwave can also be used. I didn’t see much difference in the taste of the food, but it’s easier to boil the pouches. Since I’m doing two meals at once, I haven’t quite figured out how much longer they need to be cooked. That will come with time.

The main meals of lunch and dinner have consisted of three pouches that are heated and then combined together.

^{Lunch pouches before cooking}

Tip: Be sure to drain the juices out of the veggie pouches and some of the juices out of the meat, otherwise it can turn into a soggy mess.

MONDAY
Breakfast:
Breakfast was called a Chocolate Doughnut, not really how I would describe it, more like a chocolate pastry. Actually I’m not used to eating something this sweet for breakfast, so that took some getting used to and the portion was a bit small (especially compared to other meals). I think it could almost satisfy my chocolate cravings!

Calorie Count: 90
My personal score would be a 6 out of 10.

Lunch:

My first lunch was Chicken in a Thai curry sauce over white rice w/vegetables. I thought this was pretty good. It was both filling and tasty, can’t get much better than that.

Calorie Count: 430
Personal score 7 out of 10.

^{Chicken in Thai Curry Sauce}

Dinner:

Dinner was a Chicken breast in Marsala sauce over low carb pasta. Since pasta is one of my downfalls, I was very happy to have it for the first day’s dinner. After having two fairly tasty meals, this was the first disappointment. The meal was filling, but the chicken was a little dry and tough.

Calorie count: 420
Personal score 5 out of 10

^{Chicken in Marsala Sauce}

Snacks:
One thing that would be a nice to have is a list of snacks or extras that would be a good addition to the day’s plan. On Monday I also ate an apple, 1/2 tangerine, a green salad with diet dressing and a small handful of almonds. The meals were certainly less than I would normally eat, but were satisfying. I was a little hungry, but it was manageable.

TUESDAY

Breakfast:
A Blueberry Protein Waffle didn’t look very appetizing when it came out of the package, but the addition of the sugar-free syrup helped make it yummy.

Calorie Count: 185
Personal score 7 out of 10

Lunch:
Chicken in a Bourbon Sauce with mixed vegetables and broccoli was another filling lunch that was tasty. Although this is the third chicken meal in a row, two of them were pretty good with nice sized chunks of tender meat that were identifiable (as opposed to some of the frozen meals tried in the past).

Calorie Count: 265
Personal Score: 7 out of 10

Dinner:
Finally no chicken! This meal was a Beef Pot Roast with asparagus and mixed corn. If there is one thing I can do, it’s make a mean pot roast and this didn’t compare to homemade. But it was still good and filling. The veggies were both colorful and tasty.

Calorie Count: 530
Personal Score: 8 out of 10

Tuesday’s snacks consisted of another apple, green salad with diet dressing, a few bite-size tomatoes and a handful of almonds.

Looking Forward

Now it’s onto the hump day of the week, I’ll not be able to eat the prepared lunch on Wednesday, but will still try and keep the calorie and nutritional counts about the same. Also, I won’t bore everyone with posting our daily menu, but wanted everyone to get an idea of what the foods are like. I’ll check back in over the weekend with a report on how the entire week went.

Need more? Follow along with all of Barb’s posts, read the Biggest Loser Meal Plan review or order now from Bistro MD.

Posted on May 1, 2023 by Barb

Calling all Choco-holics

If I had to dream up my ultimate dream job it would be to eat chocolate AND get paid for doing it. Well, I think I’ll be turning in my 2-weeks notice because a team of British researchers are recruiting participants for a study that involves eating chocolate daily for one full year all in the name of science. The purpose of the study is to investigate any effects gained from consuming flavenoids, the compound found in chocolate since flavenoids have been found to reduce the risk of heart disease among certain people.

Unfortunately for me, two of the requirements for the study are that you must be past menopause with type 2 diabetes. If you know of anyone who fits the profile, loves chocolate and also has the good-hearted intention of furthering medical research, check out this call for study participants.

I would be very curious to speak with these 150 ladies one year from now and see if their love of chocolate has dwindled or stayed steady. You must wonder if the guilt is taken away and the ingestion of each bar is consumed out of necessity rather than free-will, how will our brains and emotions respond to that? Will we derive the same pleasure from it? Or will our sweet, endorphin-releasing indulgence be reduced to a mere required routine that is enjoyed a bit more than the daily habit of brushing our teeth or taking our multi?

What do you predict for these ladies?

Posted on April 30, 2023 by heather

New York City Restaurants Fight City Hall

I ask you this: if chain restaurants are concerned about anything other than their bottom line, why would they avoid posting their nutritional information?

But, that’s what’s happening in New York City, as chain restaurants are fighting the mandatory nutritional posting ruling put forth by city officials.

They make highfalutin claims for their objections. For instance, The New York Restaurant Association says that the regulation violates their First Amendment rights. I’m no constitutional lawyer, but that seems like a load of bunk to me. You and I know that the only real reason they object is that, God forbid, the populace might think twice before ordering that 500-calorie, heart-stopping burger.

People will most likely continue frequenting their establishments. But at least they can make the most informed decision possible. If people demand the right to know what is being sold to them, is that so intrusive? At least some of us believe it’s not just for the common good, but for the common sense. Even when we feel like occasionally taking an off-day from healthy eating, and indulge, at least we know what we’re getting into.

The delay has only been requested for three days, so it’s not indefinite by any means. At that point, the courts will sort out the arguments.

The moral of the story is, the only thing large restaurant chains care about from a consumer perspective is that you, well, consume. I know, it’s a bit of a generalization, and not all corporate movers and shakers are evil-doers. But if they wanted consumers to make knowledgeable decisions, and stood behind their products as safe for human consumption, there should be no resistance.

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Jason

Meet the Future of Meat…

Is the idea of meat grown in giant tanks known as “bioreactors” a good thing for mankind? On the surface, you would think “NO!” Don’t mess with Mother Nature, right? But wait just one minute all you do-gooders… there may just be a little method to this madness.

The Norwegians are at it again… this time they are trying to save the planet from the environmental perils that come with raising farm animals for human consumption. There’s the methane that cattle emit. Not to mention all the carbon-producing resources that go into raising them.

Scientists are working on various procedures to cultivate meat in a lab, and while filet mignon is not considered a near-term possibility, hamburger sure is. The main benefits of such eye-raising scientific inquiry is that if you’re cultivating meat in the lab, you cut out all the environmentally-damaging procedures to get that juicy burger on your plate.

I, for one, still have reservations about eating meat grown in laboratories, but who knows… it may be the only choice for carnivores someday. Here’s more on the fascinating research.

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Jason

7 New Diet Reviews including Flat Belly Diet, Hollywood Cookie Diet and Pink Patch

There’s always something new turning up in the diet world. That’s why we’re happy to introduce seven new reviews to our more than 330- always keeping you up to date with unbiased details about each and every one. If you’ve tried one of these diets or products- please share with the other site visitors either in the comments for this post, comments for the review or talk about it in the Live Chat.

The Flat Belly Diet
A new release from Prevention magazine editors, claiming to have finally found the cure for belly fat- no exercise! The book suggests that by eating a diet rich in MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids), you can target the stomach to rid belly fat. While it has a 91% success rate- we’re not too sure of its lack of exercise.

The Pink Patch
Medicinal patches, makeway for the Pink Patch from Curb Your Cravings. The once-daily sticker contains yerba mate, a popular diet supplement that acts as an appetite suppressant. This weight loss method was made popular by its sister product, the Hoodia Patch.

Dancing with the Stars
No one anticipated the weight loss that this reality phenomenon would provide its stars- but that’s what happened and audiences have taken notice. While an actual DWTS “diet” has yet to be creative, those looking for a fun way to add in exercise should try the tango and cha-cha.

Sambazon Acai
Acai is that little berry from the Amazon that is supercharged with antioxidants and other healthy features like Omega 3, protein and fiber. No wonder its a Super Food! Sambazon is one of the leading producers of natural Acai products- like smoothies and capsules.

eDiets Deliciously Yours
Meal delivery programs have become an increasingly popular weight loss method. eDiets Deliciously Yours is their new meal delivery service promising chef-designed menus, fresh-delivered food and the freedom of choice. This new service has had a rough start due to customer service issues, but is not without its fans either.

Slim Shots
They look like the coffee creamer cups you’d find on a diner table, but instead they’re filled with a 20 calorie appetite suppressant. Taken twice a day, this hot new product is supposed to keep you from feeling hungry and ultimately shed pounds. The extra calories are no doubt attributed to the artificial vanilla flavor and sweetner.

Hollywood Cookie Diet
One diet that says go ahead- get your hand caught in the cookie jar. Hollywood celebs are chowing on cookies and losing weight. The cookies act as a meal replacement with 150 calories, 13 vitamins and minerals and 4 grams of fiber. They four flavors are delicious and filling- and keep you from grabbing a burger!

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Natalie K

I couldn’t believe it!

Being married to a Chef, I thought I knew a thing or two about cooking. Boy was I wrong!

To provide a bit of background, I was making risotto for the boys, and discovered I was out of butter. Just as a professional chef would, I usually add a tablespoon of butter at the finish to add a creamy sheen to the risotto, and bind the grains together. Without the butter, I thought to myself, this risotto is going to be inedible. My boys won’t eat it. My husband will laugh at me, etc.

Expectantly, I looked once more into the fridge, hoping a forlorn stick of butter would magically appear. Instead, what caught my eye was a container of low-fat yogurt, that I had purchased because I wanted to make yogurt cheese. For a moment, I wondered, could this work? Desperately, I added two large tablespoons of yogurt to the risotto, and stirred it in. I could not believe my eyes as the yogurt had exactly the same effect as butter, without the fat and cholesterol. I was thrilled, and hoped you would find this discovery equally wonderful.

For other great ways to use low fat yogurt, check out this awesome recipe for seafood salad dressing. With springtime fast approaching, this creamy dressing tossed with seafood, cucumber and celery is a great dinner idea for those lighter meals that we crave in warmer weather.

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Gretchen

Test Your Food Knowledge

MSNBC.com has an interesting food quiz posted online. Steak vs. salmon, apples vs. bananas… Test your knowledge of how these foods and others stack up against each other. You’re issued a score similar to a conventional school grade.

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Jason