Low fat recipes

I have seen more good stuff with my patients when we don't get so hung-up on fat and instead concentrate on cutting simple sugars. I am amazed to see the weight loss and improvement in lipid panels. Talk to your doc and give it a try-look into old fashioned 'sugar busters' instead of atkins or south beach. And if nothing else, don't torture yourself with restrictions-try portion control :shock:

I have seen more good stuff with my patients when we don't get so hung-up on fat and instead concentrate on cutting simple sugars. I am amazed to see the weight loss and improvement in lipid panels. Talk to your doc and give it a try-look into old fashioned 'sugar busters' instead of atkins or south beach. And if nothing else, don't torture yourself with restrictions-try portion control :shock:

Portion control??? Seriously, I hear ya. I've just found that personally, when I go low fat, I have the best luck. I'm not much for sugar really, despite what you might have read on this board..;-) ! And, south beach and atkins are just not for me, since I HATE eggs, don't love meat that much. I really think I could be a vegetarian if it weren't for pork roast (dang it Donna!) and bacon--

I have seen more good stuff with my patients when we don't get so hung-up on fat and instead concentrate on cutting simple sugars. I am amazed to see the weight loss and improvement in lipid panels. Talk to your doc and give it a try-look into old fashioned 'sugar busters' instead of atkins or south beach. And if nothing else, don't torture yourself with restrictions-try portion control :shock:

Ah, Dr. Skunkape, you are on to something! A few years ago, my doctor said the same thing about the sugar busting. Stop the "white stuff"- refined sugars, flour, potatoes, white rice- anything white and starchy. She was right- it is the only thing that works for me, and I feel much better eating this way. You get to a point where it it not hard to turn down potato chips, fast food, and sugary sweets, and I crave fresh fruits and veggies. You are right about the portion control, and also, watch the fats at least a bit- cutting sugars does not give license to a 3 egg and bacon breakfast!

I tend to follow my doctor's advice- she is a walking testament of the benefits of taking care of oneself. She is 46, is careful about what she eats, practices daily yoga, into the soy thing (I"m working on this, but it grosses me out still), has never seen the sun (yeah, right), and is more beautiful now than she was at age 25 (I knew her then too). Somehow she has found a way to incorporate wine in her regimen with only positive results. I can't seem to perfect that one!

We don't cook alot of big meals anymore either- it is too easy to fall into the eating-too-much trap there. I fix something for the kids, then we eat salads, or sandwiches on low fat whole grain bread, or a pan of roasted veggies drizzled with balsamic vinegar,etc. Last night we picked at some peel-and-eat shrimp and tuna. We certainly don't look like supermodels, but we feel better!

Our guy says the best bet is to shop only the outer areas of the supermarket, which are produce and dairy and fresh meats. All the processed food and sugar are in the middle, usually. We are having success in letting him do the shopping, finding that we save on grocery bills, have less waste, and fewer unhealthy impulse purchases as a result. Not to mention more time to go bicycling or to the gym.

Here is a delicious no-fat chocolate cake recipe that I devised some years ago. You can put this together in less than 10 minutes. The recipe has been printed twice in "Bon Appetit" magazine. Finding the recipe in the magazine, this little old lady from Sausalito used to call me every time she made it, often complaining that a family member had eaten the piece she hoped to save for herself at a later dinner. I always worried when she stopped calling and hoped that it was simply because she had finally figured out how to hide that extra slice! With all due respect to Miss Woodbury, this cake is best eaten on the day it is made. Here it is.

No-Fat Mocha Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/3 cup, plus 1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
6 large egg whites
1 and 1/3 firmly-packed brown sugar
1 cup coffee flavored non-fat yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a round cake pan with cooking spray and dust lightly with flour.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder, then set aside. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites, brown sugar, yogurt, and vanilla extract until well blended. (You don't beat the egg whites until they are fluffy.) Add the dry mixture to the egg mixture with a large spatula, folding carefully but thoroughly. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and bake in the 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cake should be somewhat "fudgy" instead of dry, not cracked on top. Allow cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes and then turn it out onto a serving platter or plate.

Sift the topping over the cake after it has cooled. You may wish to garnish the cake further with chocolate-covered espresso beans, which can be found at most candy or confectionary shops. We serve this cake with no-fat frozen vanilla yogurt, with coffee-flavored yogurt or ice cream, or with a Kahlua sauce (if you feel like gilding the lily a bit).

Serves 8.

Try my daughter's new Chicken Taco recipe on the "favorite recipes" thread. It's excellent. If you don't want the fat and calories of a taco shell, use lettuce as a base and make a taco salad out of it.

Thanks, girls!! Jdarg, will try to incorporate yours and 30Askunkape's suggestions. Hmmmm...nothing white, huh?

Donna, the cake sounds great! Maybe for a special occasion (see above).
BR....the tacos sound good too! Will try later this week and report back.

Y'all are the best!

I have lost over 50 lbs. in the last year and a half following the suggestions that Jen-ay and the Ape (I just love to call you this. ) have suggested. There are so many convience meals out there now dedicated to the whole grains, less sugar way of eating. If you haven't tried the new Lipton Pasta and Rice Sides made from whole grains, you should. They are very tasty and a great addition to any meal. Good Luck DD !!!!!

DD, I subscribe to Cooking Light magazine and I've had pretty good luck with their food. At the end of every recipe they print calories, fiber, fat, etc. so you always know where you stand before you start cooking and falling in love with some dish that's hopelessly calorific!

Thanks, girls!! Jdarg, will try to incorporate yours and 30Askunkape's suggestions. Hmmmm...nothing white, huh?

Donna, the cake sounds great! Maybe for a special occasion (see above).
BR....the tacos sound good too! Will try later this week and report back.

Y'all are the best!

This is another perfect example of Don't trust whitey.

I have been slimming down for the last 3 weeks and hope to keep it up for the summer! I went hard core and stopped drinking alcohol, I eat 5 small meals each day, no breads or potatoes. Basically a high protien - low fat diet.

I have been eating plenty of different things and have yet to be bored with iT. I substitute fruits, beans, corn, brown rice for my carbs. I work out with weights 3-4 times a week and have lost 11lbs. in 3 weeks! I also feel incredible!

I would be happy to give you some ideas, I have a good source of menu ideas. if you tell me what kind of foods you like to eat. You may want to go to a fitness place and pick up a meal supplement - shake. There is no way that you want to cook 5 meals a day and it is hard to eat out when your trying to do this! A shake in the middle of the day is great; ( I like to put a shot of espresso in the shake, for a pick me up)!

Good luck!
Abe

I have been slimming down for the last 3 weeks and hope to keep it up for the summer! I went hard core and stopped drinking alcohol, I eat 5 small meals each day, no breads or potatoes. Basically a high protien - low fat diet.

I have been eating plenty of different things and have yet to be bored with iT. I substitute fruits, beans, corn, brown rice for my carbs. I work out with weights 3-4 times a week and have lost 11lbs. in 3 weeks! I also feel incredible!

I would be happy to give you some ideas, I have a good source of menu ideas. if you tell me what kind of foods you like to eat. You may want to go to a fitness place and pick up a meal supplement - shake. There is no way that you want to cook 5 meals a day and it is hard to eat out when your trying to do this! A shake in the middle of the day is great; ( I like to put a shot of espresso in the shake, for a pick me up)!

Good luck!
Abe

You are looking thin and trim in that tar Abe

Try my daughter's new Chicken Taco recipe on the "favorite recipes" thread. It's excellent. If you don't want the fat and calories of a taco shell, use lettuce as a base and make a taco salad out of it.

Or you can use soft corn tortillas - so much more flavor than flour tortillas and the ones I buy are only 50 calories each with a half gram of fat. And they cost a whopping 33 cents for a package of 10!

Thanks, all of you!! I have a giant low fat cookbook, but just thought maybe some of you had some faves that you depend on. In a former life, I lost about 50 lbs as well, kdw. I know what to do, but I think I've gotten lazy in my old age and don't care for cooking as much as I used to. In another former life, I did some personal cheffing, so that probably burned me out. Plus, mr. dd is about the size of a stick--and doesn't even care if he ever eats! WTF?

Anyway, I do thank all of you for you concern and ideas.....I did good today...had a protein shake for breakfast, 8 boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce and watermelon for lunch. Had a chicken taco salad minus the shell for dinner. Banana for snack. I really like fruit, veggies and yes, bread! I've cut the bread way down though and switched to whole wheat/grain (it's like eating cardboard! imho)...
Abe...I like your suggestions....keep 'em comin!

I like to look for ideas at www.allrecipes.com - here's a recipe I printed the other day. I haven't tried this one yet but it looked really good:

Black Bean and Couscous Salad:

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2 quart or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn and beans and toss to coat.
Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.

I like to look for ideas at www.allrecipes.com - here's a recipe I printed the other day. I haven't tried this one yet but it looked really good:

Black Bean and Couscous Salad:

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2 quart or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn and beans and toss to coat.
Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.

It does sound good...will put it on my list....which is growing thanks to you guys!

I am on a bean kick- here is the latest- you have to like garlic though! I was never a bean lover until I had a really good cassoulet- but that is very fattening! This is a great side dish- last night we had grilled chicken and I cut my chicken up and mixed it with the beans.

Chop 6-8 cloves of garlic and 1 onion, saute in olive oil. Splash some white wine in and let it bubble for a few minutes. Add 2 cans of chix broth (low salt or fat or whatever you have).

Chop some fresh herbs- I used thyme, lemon thyme, oregano, and rosemary, add to pan. Drain and rinse 3 cans of Progresso cannellini beans, add to pan and stir. Let beans bubble for about an hour.

Serve with chopped Italian parsley on top. Also good with a little Parmesan. When you eat, pretend you are in Italy or France. :clap_1: