Saturday, March 15, 2008

4th and Final Week (actually 9 days)

Day 22

Breakfast
1/2 serving Applegurt
1 scrambled egg cooked in 1 teaspoon olive oil, topped with 1 teaspoon chopped chives

Lunch:
Raspberry Chicken Salad
1/2 whole wheat bagel spread with 2 teaspoons reduced-fat cream cheese
1 orange

Dinner:
4 ounces grilled beef tenderloin
Oven Baked Parmesan French Fries
5 grilled asparagus spears
Mixed Tomato Salad: (1/2 cup cubed red tomatoes, 1/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons chopped Vidalia onion, 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil drizzled with 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar)
10 red grapes

Snacks:
1 ounce roasted unsalted cashews
1/2 cup Edamame

*Today's Takeaway Tip: Instead of frying, try baking. Oven Baked Parmesan French Fries are a perfect example of how to enjoy the crunch of fried foods without all the excess fat and calories.

Day 23
Breakfast
Pumpkin Muffins
1 cup fat-free milk

Lunch:
Crab Salad Sandwich: (mix 3 ounces cooked crabmeat with 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise, 1/4 cup chopped red pepper, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 1/2 teaspoon capers; place in a whole wheat pita pocket with spinach or lettuce leaves.)
1/2 cup reduced-sodium, low-fat tomato soup
1/2 cup sugar-free, fat-free vanilla pudding

Dinner:
Garlic Lime Chicken with Olives
1/2 cup cooked whole wheat orzo
1/2 cooked artichoke dipped in 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise mixed with 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
2 plums

Snack:
1/2 banana spread with 1 teaspoon almond butter
6 ounces sugar-free, fat-free blueberry yogurt

*Today's Takeaway Tip: Pumpkin boasts an impressive amount of beta carotene, a healthy antioxidant that may help prevent disease. Canned pumpkin, used in Pumpkin Muffins, is just as nutritious as raw.

Day 24
Breakfast
1 egg fried in 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 (one-ounce) slice rye bread
1/2 cup sliced strawberries mixed with 1/2 cup plain yogurt

Lunch:
Pumpernickel Ham and Watercress Sandwich
1/2 cup each blanched broccoli and cauliflower dipped in 2 tablespoons non-fat blue cheese dressing
1 small orange

Dinner:
Pork Au Poivre
1/2 cup sautéed spinach
1 cup tossed salad with 2 tablespoons non-fat Thousand Island dressing
Ginger Tea Cake

Snacks:
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1 ounce whole wheat pretzels

*Today's Takeaway Tip: Pomegranates are very high in vitamin C, potassium and fiber and low in calories. They also contain tannins, anthocyanins and ellagic acids, three important antioxidants that may help prevent heart disease. Look for pomegranates from September through February.

Day 25
Breakfast
1/2 cup hot seven-grain cereal
1/4 cup chopped dried apples
1 cup fat-free milk

Lunch:
Chicken Kebabs
1 small whole wheat pita bread, warmed
1/2 cup sautéed portobello mushrooms (cook in 1 teaspoon olive oil)
10 green grapes

Dinner:
3 ounces grilled salmon
Grilled Salad with Herbed Vinaigrette
1/2 cup brown rice cooked in reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 serving Banana Cream Pie

Snacks:
1 hard-boiled egg
6 ounces low-sodium tomato juice

*Today's Takeaway Tip: It’s important to keep all kinds of textures in your food plan. This low-calorie, low-fat Banana Cream Pie’s smooth creamy texture and crisp crust will make your taste buds happy, but keep your waistline trim.

Day 26
Breakfast
Strawberry and Tofu Smoothie
1 rice cake with 2 teaspoons cashew butter

Lunch:
Spicy Bean Soup
1/2 cup sliced English cucumber and1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes drizzled with 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3 whole wheat sesame breadsticks
4 dried plums

Dinner:
3 ounces baked tilapia
Seared Greens with Red Onion and Vinegar
1/2 cup barley cooked in reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup tossed salad drizzled with 1 teaspoon walnut oil and 2 teaspoons herb vinegar
1/2 cup sliced bananas topped with 1 tablespoon lite whipped topping

Snacks:
1/2 cup water-packed mixed fruit salad
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1 tablespoon toasted slivered almonds

*Today's Takeaway Tip: Think dark when it comes to choosing your greens. Light colored greens like iceberg lettuce provide little nutrition. The chard used in Seared Greens with Red Onion and Vinegar is full of fiber, beta carotene and iron.

Day 27
Breakfast
1/2 whole wheat bagel with 1 ounce melted reduced-fat Jarlsberg cheese
1/2 cup sliced star fruit (also known as carambola)

Lunch:
3 ounces grilled shrimp
Beet and Mandarin Orange Salad with Mint
1 small whole grain roll
1 teaspoon canola margarine

Dinner:
Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese
Sautéed Green Beans and Pimento
1/2 cup sugar-free, fat-free frozen vanilla yogurt

Snacks:
2 cups air-popped popcorn
1 ounce lean turkey breast

*Today's Takeaway Tip: Beets are low in calories and provide significant amounts of folate (helpful in the prevention of heart disease), vitamin C and potassium. The carbohydrate count of beets is higher than many other vegetables, but beets are perfectly acceptable for a person with diabetes. Go ahead and enjoy the Beet and Mandarin Orange Salad with Mint, guilt-free.

Day 28
Breakfast
3 scrambled egg whites (scramble in 1 teaspoon olive oil, top with 1 tablespoon reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and 1 teaspoon chopped basil)
Blueberry Compote
1 cup fat-free milk

Lunch:
Open Face Lean Roast Beef Sandwich: (3 ounces lean roast beef, 1 romaine lettuce leaf, 1 slice tomato, 2 teaspoons Dijon honey mustard, 1 slice whole grain bread)
Carrot, Green Apple and Mint Salad

Dinner:
Wok-Sautéed Mushrooms and Tofu
1/2 cup cooked soba noodles
1/2 cup honeydew chunks sprinkled with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon minced crystallized ginger

Snacks:
2 tablespoons low-fat bean dip with 1 ounce baked tortilla chips
6 ounces sugar-free, non-fat raspberry yogurt

*Today's Takeaway Tip: Tofu adds a wonderful vegetarian option for your meal plan that's low in saturated fat and high in protein. One of the great things about tofu is its ability to absorb whatever flavors you add — in Wok-Sautéed Mushrooms and Tofu, the tofu takes on an Asian flavor.

Day 29
Breakfast
Grape Nut Parfait: (1 cup plain non-fat yogurt layered between 1/4 cup Grape Nut cereal and 1/2 sliced banana)
1 reduced-fat turkey sausage link

Lunch:
Picante Roast Beef Sandwich with Lime, Garlic and Chili
1/2 cup carrot sticks dipped into 2 tablespoons non-fat French dressing
1/4 papaya

Dinner:
Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach
1/2 cup steamed broccoli florets
1/2 cup pineapple chunks

Snacks:
6 ounces carrot juice
3 sugar-free chocolate crème sandwich cookies

*Today's Takeaway Tip: If you need help now and then getting in your daily allotment of vegetables, try a pure vegetable juice, like tomato juice. Vegetable juices will not raise your blood sugar as much as fruit juices and are lower in calories, too.

Day 30
Breakfast
Take to Work Scrambled Egg Breakfast Tortilla
1 small apple
1 cup fat-free milk

Lunch:
Honey Mustard Ham and Swiss: (2 ounces lean sliced ham, 1 ounce reduced-fat Swiss cheese, 2 slices tomato, 2 teaspoons honey mustard, 1 romaine lettuce leaf and 2 {one-ounce} slices whole wheat bread)
6 ounces low-sodium tomato juice
10 red grapes

Dinner:
Spaghetti alla Ceci
1 cup spinach leaves with 1/4 cup chopped radicchio, 1 small chopped tomato, 1/4 cup diced red onion and 2 tablespoons fat-free Italian dressing
1/2 cup sautéed zucchini (cooked with 1 teaspoon olive oil)
1/2 cup applesauce sprinkled with 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Snack:
Watermelon Snack
2 whole wheat unsalted pretzel rods

*Today's Takeaway Tip: 1 cup watermelon supplies almost one quarter of your daily vitamin C needs. But keep in mind that watermelons lose vitamin C when cut, so prepare just prior to eating.

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