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| .T h e L o w F a t M e n u |
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| T H E L O W F A T M E N U The dreaded diet, here is a subject that has many articles written on its behalf with thousands of books available in every book store to offer you the latest and the greatest. I do not pretend to have the ultimate solution. I do however have a few suggestions, which have worked for us. Steven comes from a family of people who enjoy food. They have a love for life and it reflects in their generous proportions. Steven was over 250 lbs when he was only 15 years old. It is just in his blood to be big boned. He was not willing to settle with that alone and decided not to just allow himself to give in to genetics. He felt his health was at risk and before he was 25 he already started showing problems with his blood pressure. He decided to take charge of his diet and his health and he began a search for a diet that would work best for him. This is what he came up with. Now please understand that this is not just an alteration of food alone. This is accompanied with an exercise program. It is a very low fat diet but it is high in carbohydrates that will convert to fat if the body stores it. So exercise must be incorporated. The formula is pretty simple. If your caloric burn exceeds your caloric intake then you will loose weight. If your caloric intake is greater than your caloric burn than you will gain weight. We have been using this diet for the past 7 years. It works for us. It is more of a life style than anything else. About every 3 months we take a break from normal foods and eat only low fat. As a result Steven has kept his weight about level. Now this is not the Gospel and I am not a health expert. I did wear a size 12, 3 years ago and I have been wearing a size 4 since I have implemented this program. I offer no promises that this is the best thing for you. |
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| T H E A L T E R N A T I V E S I have learned to make substitutions. In the beginning I hated them but now that I am used to them I actually like it. Try to always read labels. See how much fat is contained in a product and how large the serving is. Many candy bars give you the fat content but they have listed that 1 candy bar equals 2 servings. Choose snacks wisely. I am a picker. In Yiddish we call this ?NOSH?. I like to eat little things throughout the day. I still do this even when I am eating low fat. I just pay attention to what I am eating and how much of it. These are some low fat snacks other than carrot sticks. PRETZELS Read the label some of them have a higher fat content than others, especially the flavored ones. FAT FREE FROZEN YOGURT There are many flavors offered on the market. DRY CERAL Again read the label. The adult cereals are often high in fat while the sweet kiddy cereals are low fat. BAKED TORTILLA CHIPS AND SALSA DEVILS FOOD COOKIES Be sure it is the fat free type or at least the very low fat ones. BEEF JERKEY, TURKEY JERKEY CHOCOLATE MILK (skim milk and chocolate syrup) MARSHMELLOWS GUMMI BEARS HARD CANDIES JELLY BEANS There are many things out there about which you just have read labels. This is just something that we like and have been able to carry with us or make at home. On the international market we do not have a lot of choices, but when we are stateside we see many products that are in the grocery stores that are very helpful and enjoyable. |
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| M A I N D I S H E S I realize that the concept of eating beans in the southern portion of the United States is not uncommon. I offer that they can taste pretty good if you eliminate the pork fat. Yes I know that fat from that ham makes them taste better, but you can make an adjustment here and still have a hearty meal that fills and sticks to your ribs. |
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| B L A C K B E A N S A N D R I C E Now most people think of Mexican beans as being pinto beans. That holds true in the northern region of the country, but in the south it is the black bean that reigns supreme. Mexicans love their beans and they are a great source of protein. When served in this way they are anything but common. Beans of any kind should be picked over carefully many contain small pebbles and debris. Rinse them carefully and place them in cool water. Allow them to soak overnight in the fridge with 1 tbs. of baking soda per 1lb. of dried beans. Rinse them again and place them on the stove over a high heat. Do not salt them at this stage, as seasoning them too early will toughen the skin. I cook my beans in a pressure cooker and it takes me about an hour. If you do not have a pressure cooker, a regular heavy bottom stockpot works well, but increase your cooking time to about 3 hours. We like our beans to be creamy, but if you like a whole bean texture cook them for less time. It is after they are cooked that we season them for the final 30 minutes of cooking on a slow simmer. 1 lb. dried black beans 1 lg. onion 2 bay leaves 3 toes garlic crushed and minced 1 rib celery chopped Salt and pepper to taste. This dish is served over steamed white rice with a spoonful of salsa. After it has been dished up we sprinkle some chopped cilantro. Hot corn tortillas always accompany it. Again, check your labels. In Mexico corn tortillas are always very low fat, but some American companies use fat as a preservative. |
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| G R I L L E D C H I C K E N A N D R I C E P I L A F I really like grilled chicken. I do not possess an outdoor grill, as we live in an apartment in the middle of a city of 15 million people. I have to use a grill pan on the stovetop, which is not as nice as an open fire grilled chicken breast. You do whatever you like according to what you have. Chicken breast with the skin removed is very low in fat, but you should not eat all you can of it. It is best to stick to just one per person. Turkey Breast is good also but contains a natural chemical, which makes you sleepy. You can use any kind of Low Fat white meat just be sure to eat in moderation. I like to wash my chicken breast and pat it dry with a paper towel. Then I season it with a dry rub. Use what ever spices you like. I like to use garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and dry parsley. Sometimes I use ginger in the mix and sometimes curry. If I use curry powder than I make a wet paste using some fat free yogurt. However it is treated I do it a few hours before cooking and I seal it in a Zip-lock bag being sure to remove all of the air. Grill the chicken well. I like to make a nice rice pilaf using basmati rice Basmati rice is a fine long grain Indian rice. 1 cup dry Basmati Rice 1 pint sliced button mushrooms 1 onion diced 2 toes garlic crushed and minced 1 tbs. chopped fresh parsley 1 finely grated carrot 2 cups chicken stock Salt and pepper to taste Place all of this in a pot and bring it to a rolling boil covering it tightly. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Serve it topped with grilled chicken. |
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| P A S T A W I T H C H I C K E N I almost always buy pasta called ?Barilla?. It is a real good pasta from Italy and can?t over cook. I really do not like pasta that is not al dente, so I choose this brand almost exclusively. You may certainly use whatever you like, only please do not overcook your pasta. Canned tomatoes are often looked down on. It is thought of as not being very nourishing. Actually the tomatoes that are canned are picked and processed at the height of their freshness and often contain more nutritional value than ones bought in the supermarket. 1 box Pasta (I like shells for this) 2 cans diced tomatoes (Italian style will be best) 3 toes crushed minced garlic Fresh torn basil leaves Parmesan cheese shavings Olive oil 2 chicken bouillon cubes 2 whole chicken breasts, skinless and boneless ½ cup red wine Salt and Pepper to taste Dice the chicken and season it with salt and pepper. Set it aside and bring a stockpot of salted water to boil your pasta. This will take only about 15 minutes, so this is a quickly cooked meal that is low in fat. In a non-stick pan heat about 2 tsp. of olive oil. When the pan is smoking hot, add chicken cubes and sear well. Add the garlic and then the wine. There will be some steam coming off of this so be careful. There may even be a quick flair up as the alcohol cooks off. It will be fast and will take no more than 2 minutes or so. Stir and add the tomatoes and the chicken bouillon cubes. Cover and simmer it for the remaining time it takes until the pasta is finished. Strain the pasta, but do not rinse it. Now add the Pasta to the simmering sauce. This is a thin sauce not a ragout. Turn off the heat, but keep it covered while you ready your bowls and your cheese. That kind of cheese that you buy in the green bottle and shake has its place in a meal but not this one. Parmesan that is nice and hard is low in fat. Any cheese in fact that is very hard will usually be lower in fats that softer cheeses. Parmesan is strong, so you only need a small amount. Buy it in small portions and keep it well wrapped in your fridge. It does smell a little, but it is really good. I like to use a vegetable peeler to shred this. They make fancy implements for this purpose and if you?re lucky enough to have one than use that. You will not want to overindulge on this. It should only be a few shavings per serving. Plate up your pasta into nice big bowls and put a few shavings of cheese and tear some basil leaves too. |
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