Blueberry Zucchini Muffins

3 eggs
1/4 C canola oil
3/4 C no sugar added applesauce
1 C splenda
1 C sugar
3 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon
2 C peeled, grated zucchini
3 tsp vanilla or lemon extract
2 C blueberries
1 C chocolate chips (opt)

Mix all ingredients together and evenly divide among 24 muffin cups.  I like to spray the muffin tin instead of using paper liners.  Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until set.  These are great for a snack or with breakfast.  You would never know they have zucchini!

Each muffin w/o the chocolate chips has 122 calories, 3.5g protein, 24g carbs, 3g fat, and 3g fiber.
Each muffin w/ the chocolate chips has 156 calories, 3.5g protein, 29g carbs, 5g fat, and 3g fiber.  If you use lemon extract, don't add the chocolate chips. 

Turkey Enchiladas

This is a favorite at our house.

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
5 tsp taco seasoning (salt free is best)
onion, to taste (dehydrated or fresh)
1 can black beans, rinsed
1/3 C. greek yogurt, fat-free
15 oz can Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
10 oz can Red Enchilada Sauce
10 whole wheat tortillas (I like Maya brand, 70 cals/piece)
4 oz 75% reduced sharp Cabot cheese, finely grated (Wal-mart)

Brown the turkey with the taco seasoning and onion.  Stir in the black beans.  In a separate bowl, mix the green and red enchilada sauce with the greek yogurt.  Place 2 large spoon-fulls of sauce mix with the meat mix.  Evenly distribute the meat mix among the 10 tortillas, using about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture in each tortilla.  Roll up and place in a lightly greased 9x13 pan, with 8 in a row and 2 on the side.  Pour remaining sauce on top and sprinkle cheese over all of it.  Place in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted.  About 265 calories for 1 enchilada.  Serve with a salad and some veggies for a complete meal.  This freezes well in individual portions for lunches.  If you get the larger cans of enchilada sauce you can add the extra if desired.

Oatmeal Cake

Cake:
1 1/2 c. boiling water
1 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. applesauce
1 c. unpacked brown sugar
1 c. splenda
4 egg whites
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Place oats and boiling water in a bowl and let stand until cool.  Cream applesauce, sugars, and egg whites together.  Add all other dry ingredients and oats. Pour into a 9x13 pan, that has been lightly sprayed with pam or olive oil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until edges are browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, a few crumbs are okay.  Immediately spread topping on hot cake and put under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. 

Topping:
3 Tbsp butter
1 c. unpacked brown sugar
1/3 c. 1% milk
1 c. coconut
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter and mix all other ingredients together.  Pour on hot cake and place under broiler 1-2 minutes.

Makes 15 servings, 207 calories.  This recipe was adapted from the Lion House Cookbook.  The original calorie count was 400 calories per slice.  You can add nuts to your topping if you desire, just remember, nuts are calorie dense.

Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

This recipe is fast and easy to make.

4 oz rice noodles (I like A Taste of Thai thin, straight cut noodles @ Macey's)
1 tsp olive or sesame oil
1 lb boneless, skinless, trimmed chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
6 cups frozen stir fry vegetables
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp Simply Boulder Truly Teriyaki Sauce (can be found at Harmon's)

Place rice noodles in a bowl and cover with very hot water.  Let soak for 15-20 minutes until soft.  Meanwhile, place oil and chicken in a hot wok or large skillet.  Cook until done.  Add the frozen veggies teriyaki sauce, and noodles and heat through.  Serve immediately.  Makes 4 generous servings, 370 calories a serving.

You can eliminate the rice noodles and 1 Tbsp of the Teriyaki sauce.  It will cut out 105 calories a serving.

Fruit Smoothie Recipe

1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup 1% milk
8 medium strawberries
1 medium peach
1 packet Truvia (optional)

Mix in a blender and serve.  Makes 2 servings.  Per serving: 153 calories, 15g protein, 18g carbs, 1g fat, 2g fiber.

Variation 1: instead of peach use 1/2 cup of mixed berries, 152 calories, 14g protein, 17g carbs, 1g fat, 2g fiber
Variation 2: instead of peach use 1 small banana (6-7") 160 calories, 15g protein, 25g carbs, 1g fat, 3g fiber

Strawberry Lemonade

My husband always orders some sort of lemonade when we go out to eat.  I was shocked when I found out the typical glass of restaurant lemonade has 180 calories per glass and he gets about 4 refills.  Scary.  So when I found this recipe I was thrilled.  For only 27 calories he can have a huge glass and my kids like it too. Of course as with all things sweet, drink in moderation. You can swap out the fruit for something else.  Also, we like it chunky so if you do, don't blend the strawberries all the way.


1/4 to 1/2 cup water (depending on how sweet you like it)
scant 1/2 teaspoon sugar-free lemonade powdered drink mix (or half of a 2-serving pkt) such as crystal light or wylers
1 no calorie sweetener packet, like Truvia
4 frozen unsweetened strawberries
3 to 5 ice cubes
1 cup diet lemon-lime soda, cold

In a blender add water, drink mix, sweetener, strawberries and ice.  Blend to the consistency you like pour into a tall glass and add the soda. (The original recipe tells you to put it all in a blender, but I like the soda to still have some fizz so I add it later because the blender takes all that out.)

Makes 1 serving  27 calories, 0g fat, 60mg sodium, 4.5g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g sugar
From the Hungry Girl 200 under 200 and co-developed by Weight Watchers

Baked Ziti

If your family loves spaghetti or lasagna, then this is for you.  It is easy to make and can be done before hand and put in the oven at dinner time.  Love those kind of recipes.

1 (14 1/2 oz) box fiber enriched or whole wheat Ziti or Penne
1 (15 oz) container fat-free ricotta cheese
2 large egg whites
8 oz (4 cups) finely shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
3 1/2 cups low-fat, low-sodium marinara (there is a recipe on this site for one)
2 Tablespoons reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly mist a 9x13 pan with olive oil spray.  Cook the ziti according to package directions until al dente.  Drain.  In a large mixing bowl, mix the ricotta, egg whites, and all but 1 cup of the mozzarella until well combined.  Add the garlic powder and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the cooked pasta until well combined.

Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish.  Add half of the pasta in an even layer over the sauce. Top the pasta evenly with another 1 cup sauce.  Layer the remaining pasta over the sauce.  Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 cups sauce evenly over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan over the top.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the mozzarella is melted.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

Makes 8 servings 350 calories, 22g protein, 57g carbs, 6g fat, 3g saturated, 20 mg cholesterol, 8g fiber, 429 mg sodium.  From the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook.

For me the calorie count is high so instead of bread sticks, make some roasted veggies or have fruit as a side dish.

Cherry Cheesecakes

 This are easy to make and taste so good!

Cooking spray
10 reduced-fat vanilla wafers
12 ounces fat-free cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons fat-free, artificially sweetened vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites
10 Tablespoons cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line 10 cups of a standard muffin tin with cupcake liners.  Lightly mist them with spray.  Place one vanilla wafer, flat side down, in the center of each cup (they will be slightly smaller than the diameter of the cup).  Use an electric mixer fitted with beaters to beat the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl until well combined.  Add the yogurt, vanilla, and flour and mix on low until just combined (do not over-mix).  Use an electric mixer fitted with a whisk to beat the egg whites in a small mixing bowl, on high speed until soft peaks form.  Use a spatula to gently fold the egg mixture in tow additions into the cream cheese mixture until just combined.  Divide the mixture among the muffin cups.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until set (they will puff up and the tops will crack, but this is okay).  Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.  Top each cake with 1 Tablespoon of cherry pie filling.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Makes 10 cheesecakes  99 calories per cake, 6g protein, 17g carbs, 1g fat, trace saturated, 3mg cholesterol, trace fiber, 215mg sodium.  From The Most Decadent Diet Ever by Devin Alexander

Chocolate For Breakfast!!!

My kids love this and I don't mind because I want it too.  It is easier for me to make this the night before because it has to sit for 10 minutes and I don't have time for that in the morning. You can eliminate the syrup and take off 17 calories or you can add an additional teaspoon for 17 calories. I times this by 5 because they love it so much.  The batter keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days.  And I don't preheat my oven because I make it on a large griddle and they get eaten so fast I don't have to worry about keeping them warm. Also I don't have buttermilk and oat flour on hand so I make my own.  You can grind your oatmeal in your blender.  So if you need 1/2 cup flour, grind 1/2 cup oats.  The butter milk is 1/2 Tablespoon of lemon juice per 1/2 cup of milk, stir and let sit for 5 minutes. These really do taste like a chocolate chip cookie.  YUM!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes
1 large egg white beaten
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup whole-grain oat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips
cooking spray
4 teaspoon pure maple syrup, divided

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Whisk the egg white, buttermilk, flour, baking soda, vanilla and salt in a small mixing bowl.  Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons water until well incorporated.  Then stir in the chocolate ships and let stand for 10 minutes. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  When a spritz of water causes the skillet to sizzle, working in batches and respraying between each batch, mist the skillet with spray and pour 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the skillet. Cook until there are bubbles on the top and the bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip each pancake and cook until lightly golden brown on the bottom, about another 2 minutes.  Transfer the finished pancakes to an ovenproof plate, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven until they are all cooked.  Serve immediately with 1 teaspoon maple syrup per pancake.  Makes 4 pancakes with 105 calories, 4g protein, 16g carbs, 3g fat, 1 g saturated, 2 mg cholesterol, 1g fiber, 272mg sodium.  From The Most Decadent Diet Ever by Devin Alexander. 

Fettu-Skinny Alfredo

I have adapted this recipe to meet my families needs and it has worked well for us.

2 1/2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons fat-free half and half
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons grated parmiganio Regganio cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3Tablespoon light butter
Parsley, optional
1 box (13.25 oz) Barilla Whole Grain Pasta (penne, linguine, rotini, fettuccine, whatever your family likes)

Cook pasta according to package.  Slowly whisk the half and half into the flour, stirring to remove lumps.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, put half and half mixture and 1/2 cup Parmigiano Regganio, garlic powder and salt to taste.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is as thick as a gravy, 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in the butter until it melts and is well incorporated.  Toss in the cooked pasta.  If it needs to be thickened more, just keep tossing.  Divide among 6 plates and top with a teaspoon of Parmiganio Regganio and parsley.  Serve immediately.

Makes 6 (1 cup) servings for 326 calories per serving.  You can use less butter if you like.  You can also add 3 1/2 ounces of shrimp or extra-lean grilled chicken for an additional 100 calories.  Adapted from the Most Decadent Diet ever by Devin Alexander

Grilled Chicken Parmigiano

This recipe is so cheesy and yummy you will never guess it's low in fat and calories

6 (4oz) chicken breasts, pounded thin
2 cups low-fat marinara (use the homemade one)
1 (14.5 oz) can Hunts Fire Roasted tomatoes with garlic
1 cup (4oz) reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 oz grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup Panko (I use Kikkoman brand)
Basil
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly spray a 9x13 pan.  Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly spray the chicken with olive oil.  Grill until just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.  Spread 1/3 of marinara on the bottom of the prepared dish.  Lay the chicken on top.  Spoon remaining sauce over the chicken; scatter the chopped tomatoes over the top.  Sprinkle liberally with basil. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  Bake until the cheese is melted and is beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes.  Sprinkle the panko and more basil on top if desired, and serve.
263 calories. Serves 6.  Adapted from Now Eat This by Rocco Dispirito

Spaghetti Sauce and Sausage

Spaghetti Sauce:

I whole garlic bunch, minced

½ Tbsp olive oil

7 (8 oz) tomato sauce or 2 (28 oz) tomato puree

½ cup water

Salt and pepper

About 2 Tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Basil

In a pot sauté garlic in the olive oil.  Add the tomato sauce and water.  Season liberally with the basil. Add salt and pepper.  Simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until thickened.  You can add crushed red pepper for a kick, or crushed tomatoes, or onions.  Whatever you are use to. The way it’s written it makes 6½ cups and is around 50 calories per ½ cup and less than 1g fat.  I make the whole lot and then serve it with spaghetti, chicken parmesan, and lasagna.  I add sausage if it’s for spaghetti and it’s best to make your own sausage.  It has a whole lot less calories.

Sausage:

½ pound extrea-lean ground pork, pork tenderloin ground, ground turkey or chicken

1 Tbsp minced red onion

1 ½ tsp minced garlic

½ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp ground sage

¼ tsp cayenne

¼ tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp salt

Combine all.  Shape into 4 equal balls and smash between wax paper.  Freeze for a month or refrigerate for 3 days if you’re not cooking them all.  Cook in a very hot skillet sprayed with olive oil.  Cook till browned and no longer pink inside.  Can serve on a breakfast sandwich or crumble up raw and use like regular sausage in a sauce or breakfast dish.  If you are going to eat this plain, then you will need to add more salt.

72 Calories per patty and 2g fat  Biggest Loser Recipe

You can get ground tenderloin at a butcher shop.  I like Snider Bros. on 6245 Highland Drive Salt Lake City.

Luncheon

So our first luncheon went well I think and we tried some good recipes.  Here is a copy of them for those of you who couldn't make it.  We should try to set a goal to do this monthly so that we can keep passing ideas and checking up on each other in person.

Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin

2 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

1 ¼ lbs trimmed pork tenderloin

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey

1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic

Olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Use a fork to mix the paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, chili powder, and cayenne in a small bowl.  Rub the tenderloin evenly with the olive oil.  Then rub the spice mixture evenly over it until the tenderloin is thoroughly coated.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, whisk the honey and garlic in a small bowl.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  When the skillet is hot, lightly mist it with spray.  Cook the tenderloin for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until just browned on all sides.  Place the tenderloin in a roasting pan or ovenproof skillet. If one end is much thinner than the other, tuck it under to create a similar thickness throughout.  Use a pastry or basting brush to evenly coat the tenderloin with the honey mixture.  Roast, uncovered, for 16 to 18 minutes, or until it is just barely pink inside or a meat thermometer inserted in the center reaches 155 degrees.  The temperature will rise another 5 degrees while standing.

Remove from the oven, loosely cover just the tenderloin with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes.  Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board.  Holding your knife at a 45 degree angle, slice the tenderloin into thins slices.  Serve immediately.

I use this recipe with a pork sirloin tip roast.  Follow the directions but bake for longer. 1 hour to 1 ½ hours till it reaches the desired temp.  I always cook my pork to 170 degrees, probably out of paranoia.  You just don’t want to dry it out.

Makes 4 servings (4 ½ ounces each) 210 calories From the most Decadent Diet Ever by Devin Alexander

Green Beans with Roasted Red Bell Peppers

1 pound green beans, trimmed

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic

½ cup thinly sliced, drained jarred roasted red bell pepper strips

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Stovetop: place a steamer insert in a large pot and add enough water to reach just below the insert.  Place the pot over high heat, cover with a lid, and bring the water to a boil.  Add the green beans and re-cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly ajar.  Steam the beans for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are crisp-tender. Drain them well.  When the beans are almost done, place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the olive oil and garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic begins to soften.  Add the bell peppers, followed by the green beans.  Toss the mixture 1 to 2 minutes, or until it is warmed through.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

Microwave: Follow the direction above, except instead of cooking the beans in a steamer, add 2 tablespoons water and the green beans to a medium microwave-safe bowl or dish.  Cover the dish with a microwave-safe plate.  Microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the beans are crisp tender.  Drain them well.

                Makes 4 servings (1 cup each) 52 calories.  From I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening by Devin Alexander

Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower

1 ½ cups (6 ounces) cauliflower florets

2 teaspoons grated reduced-fat parmesan cheese (I use Parmigiano Reggiano cheese)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine everything but oil.  Toss to mix.  Drizzle on the oil and toss again.  Transfer the mixture to a small nonstick baking dish.  Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, tossing once, or until lightly browned and crisp-tender.  Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving or 2 portions.  Each serving is 104 calories.  Biggest Loser Recipe

Chocolate Not-Only-In-Your-Dreams Cake

Butter flavored cooking spray ( I use olive oil)

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large egg whites

1 cup dark or light brown sugar, not packed

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon powdered sugar

4 raspberries, optional

Four 3 ½ inch diameter ramekins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Generously mist four 3 ½ inch diameter ramekins with spray.  Place them side by side in an 8x8 inch baking pan.  Add water to the pan until it reaches halfway to the top of the ramekins.  Use a sturdy whisk or spatula to mix the applesauce, vanilla, egg whites, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until well combined.  Add the cocoa powder and salt.  Stir until just combined and no lumps remain.  Divide evenly among the ramekins; they will be about 2/3 full.  Bake for 21 to 24 minutes, until the tops look silky and puff slightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out a bit wet.  Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the ramekins from the water bath to a cooling rack.  Cool for 5 to 10 minutes.  Then invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate. Let stand for 1 minute, and then slowly lift off the ramekin.  The cakes should come out on their own, but if they don’t run a knife around the edge of the cakes to loosen them.  Cool for another 5 to 10 minutes.  Use a fine sieve to evenly dust each cake with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar.  Place one raspberry on the center of each cake, if using.  Serve immediately.  Each cake has 203 calories.  From The Most Decadent Diet Ever by Devin Alexander

Applesauce

Applesauce is a great substitute for oil and butter in certain recipes.  I have found it works well in things that are cake-like in nature. So cakes and brownies.  Try it and save some fat.  Make sure you use naturally unsweetened applesauce.  If the recipe calls for 1/2 cup oil or butter, then use 1/2 cup of applesauce.  My family hasn't noticed a difference.

More Smoothie Recipes

Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie
 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup frozen mango cubes
1/2 cup fat-free artificially or naturally sweetened lemon or lemon chiffon yogurt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey or more to taste
4 medium ice cubes

Put all ingredients in blender.  Mix till smooth, add more honey if needed.  Serve immediately. Makes 1 (12oz) smoothie. Made with artificially sweetened yogurt: 198 cals, 7g protein, 47g carbs, <1g fat, 0g saturated fat, 3mg cholesterol, 5g fiber, 88 mg sodium.  Made with naturally sweetened yogurt: 218 cals, 6g protein, 52g carbs, <1g fat, 0g saturated fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 6g fiber, 71mg sodium.  From I can't believe it's not fattening  by Devin Alexander.

Bye Bye Blues Smoothie
1 scoop (4 Tbsp) the biggest loser blueberry protein powder
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blackberries

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor.  Blend till smooth. Pour into glass and serve immediately. Makes 1 smoothie: 120 cals, 8g protein, 26g carbs, 12g sugar, 2g fat, 0g saturated, 0mg cholesterol, 11g fiber, 60 mg sodium. From Biggest Loser: 6 weeks to a healthier you.

Raspberry Smoothie
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup fat-free Greek-style yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 packet stevia
ice cubes

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend till smooth. Pour into glass and serve immediately. Makes 1 smoothie: 160 cals, 13g protein, 21g carbs, 3g fat, 0g saturated, 0mg cholesterol, 10g fiber, 125mg sodium.  From The biggest loser cookbook.

Berry Yummy Frozen Yogurt Pops
3/4 cup raspberries
3/4 cup blueberries
3/4 cup strawberries
1/3 cup Splenda
2 (7oz) containers 5% Greek yogurt
pinch of salt

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree until the mixture is smooth.  Pour the mixture into 8 freezer pop molds.  Freeze for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.  Run the freezer pop molds under warm water, if necessary, to unmold them. Each pop has 61cals, 2.8g fat, 4g protein, 7g carbs, 7mg cholesterol, 1g fiber, 60 mg sodium.

Smoothy Recipes

I have a lot of recipes but I've only tried a few because I don't like cold drinks, so if you want more, let me know.

Strawberry-Peach Paradise Smoothie
1 cup frozen peach slices
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
2/3 cup fat-free milk ( I think it needs more)
1/4 cup fat-free, sugar-free vanilla yogurt
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 pkg stevia (opt)

In a blender with ice-crushing ability, combine the peach,  strawberry, milk, yogurt, and lime juice.  make sure the lid is on thigh. Using the Puree or Ice crush setting, blend until the ingredients are relatively smooth. Then blen on the Liquefy setting or high speed a few seconds until completely smooth. Serve immediately.  Makes 1 serving if you can eat it all.
181 cals, 9g protein, 37g carbs, trace fat, 5mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 126mg sodium
From the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook

Strawberry-Limeade Smoothie
1 1/2  cups frozen strawberries
6 oz fat-free, fiber enriched key lime pie yogurt flavor
1/4 cup fat free milk
zest of 1 lime (about 1 1/2 tsp)
2 Tbsp lime juice
sugar substitute (splenda, stevia) to taste, opt

In a blender with ice crushing ability, combine the strawberries, yogurt, milk, lime zest and juice, and sugar substitute, if using.  Blend on high speed or Ice crush setting until smooth. Makes 1 serving
228 cals, 9g protein, 55g carbs, trace fat, 8mg cholesterol, 13g fiber, 134mg sodium
From Biggest Loser cookbook

Like I said, I have more so if this doesn't work for you let me know. I buy big bags of frozen fruit at costco so I can always make things like this for all those boys in my life.

Smoothie Recipe

I love the occassional fruit smoothie. My kids enjoy having fruit that way too. Does anyone have some delicious smoothie recipe they would love to share?  ~Rebecca

A week or so Menu

So I put a menu together that uses recipes we already have in our ward cookbook.  Hopefully this helps some of you.


Breakfasts
1.      Breakfast Burrito
2.      Oatmeal with fruit
3.      Egg muffin (R.S. CB pg. 200, 250 cals)
4.      Egg sandwich
5.      Egg white omelet (3 egg whites and 2 Tbsp reduced fat cheese, cubed small, 106 cals )
6.      French Toast (1 egg white and ½ to 1 Tbsp milk per slice of bread, 117 cals/slice)
7.      Yogurt Smoothie (made by Yoplait in the freezer section, just add milk and blend)
8.      Kashi GoLean Cereal (1/2 serving with an egg white omelet is very filling)
Lunches
1.      Wraps (low carb tortilla with turkey, avocado, tomato, lettuce or do ham or beef with favorite toppings.  You can even do chicken salad.  Chicken with BBQ sauce and reduced fat cheese) Be creative.
2.      Leftovers
3.      Tuna Salad Sandwich (low-fat or fat free mayo, reduced fat cheese, whole wheat bread- open face is best, dill pickle, grill under broiler if desired)
Dinners
1.      Picante Chicken(R.S. CB pg. 57, use fat free cream cheese and low fat cheese)
2.      Creamy Black Bean Salsa Chicken (R.S. CB pg. 57, crockpot recipe, I served it with chips to try and get my kids to try it, kind of worked) (use light cheese and sour cream)
3.      Tacos (You can use tortilla chips, baked preferably, or low carb tortillas by La Tortilla Factory.  I prefer ground turkey with taco seasoning or you can use extra-lean ground beef.  Add your favorite toppings like avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, black beans, reduced fat cheese, fat free sour cream, salsa, etc.)
4.      Teriyaki Beef Tenderloin (R.S. CB pg. 86)
5.      Café Rio Style Pork (R.S. CB pg. 93.  Use tenderloin roast, less fattening and comparable in calories to turkey or chicken, also use BBQ sauce with 7g carbs or less per 2 Tbsp, ketchup without high fructose corn syrup, and splenda)
6.      Maple Salmon (R.S. CB pg. 95- use reduced sodium soy sauce and homemade maple syrup made with splenda)
7.      White Chicken chili-  I’ve given this out a couple times
8.      Beef Roast (I like to put roasts in the crock pot while we are at church.  Can pour some reduced sodium beef broth over it and add veggies and onion if you like.)
9.      Lemon Pepper Chicken- the chicken recipe I posted last week using lemon pepper
10.  Mom’s New Beef Stew (R.S. CB pg.16)
Sides
1.      Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower (R.S. CB pg. 47)
2.      Veggies
3.      Brown Rice
4.      Green Salads
Snacks
1.     String cheese
2.     Almonds
3.     Fruit
4.     Raw Veggies
5.     Cottage Cheese
6.     Non-fat yogurts
 

Cobbler

So when I started my journey, some of my first recipe searches were for treats because I really didn't think I would be able to give up on them but I didn't want to blow my calorie budget. Here is a peach and blueberry cobbler that everyone in my family loves.

Peach and Blueberry Cobbler with Ginger and Cinnamon
Cooking spray
4 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced (about 4 cups)*
1 cup fresh blueberries*
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated splenda
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Bisquick Heart Smart baking mix
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons raw sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a 7x11-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray, and set it aside.  In a medium bowl, mix together the peaches, blueberries, the 1/4 cup splenda, and the 1 tablespoon baking mix. Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared baking dish.  In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons splenda, the remaining 3/4 cup Bisquick, and the ginger, cinnamon, and milk.  Stir until the mixture forms a soft dough.  Drop 8 spoonfuls of the dough evenly over the fruit mixture.  Sprinkle the sugar over the dough.  Bake the cobbler until the fruit is tender and the biscuit topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
*You can also use frozen fruit

This recipe comes from Now Eat This! by Rocco Dispirito
Makes 8 servings.
Per serving:  96 Calories, 1g fat, 2g protein, 22g carbs, 0mg cholesterol, 2g fiber, 158mg sodium

Recipes

So I have an easy Chicken Recipe that is very versatile.  It can be eaten plain with veggies and such as a meal or you can shred it and put it in salads, on sandwiches, or in a quesadillas. I like to use this chicken or a rotisserie one and shred it (3 oz cooked), put it on a low-carb tortilla (La Tortilla Factory), add some low carb BBQ sauce (I like Stubs- 7g of carbs or less per 2 Tbsp), add some low-fat cheese and melt in the microwave.  It is very filling.

Simple Grilled Chicken
4 (4 oz) trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breast
Olive oil in sprayer (not-store bought spray)
2 tsp salt-free garlic and herb seasoning (Mrs. Dash)- I like to use lemon pepper seasoning
Salt to taste

Preheat grill to high heat.  Lightly mist the chicken breast with olive oil.  Rub the seasoning all over each breast and lightly season with salt.  Grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.  Serve immediately or store in an airtight plastic container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Per serving: 127 Cals, 26g protein, 0g carbs, 2g fat, 66mg cholesterol, 0g fiber, 74mg sodium
From the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook

It is important to use salt-free seasonings and add our own salt sparingly if needed.  Too much salt interferes with our weight loss.  Also, buy a food grade spray bottle and put some olive oil (first cold press is best) in it.  Use it as you would Pam.  This way you are not getting the propellants that are in things like Pam and with spraying instead of dumping you are saving yourself a ton of calories.