Pork is often called the "other white meat" but, even though we enjoyed cooking and eating pork, we never thought we could include it when we were "dieting". After trying this recipe and other recipes that use pork as its meat ingredient, we could eat pork again and still count calories.
Spanish Pork (6 servings)
1 ½ lb lean pork, cut into ½ cubes 1116
1 large Onion, chopped 66
1 ½ tsp Chilli Powder
1 can crushed Tomatoes 96
¾ cup Water
1 rib Celery, chopped 10
Salt and Pepper to taste
Served with:
1 cup instant rice, cooked 678
Total Calories 1966
Calories per serving 328
1. Trim all fat from the pork
2. Brown in a large fry pan sprayed with Pam
3. Stir in prepared onion and chilli powder. Sauté until the onion pieces are soft.
4. Add tomatoes and other ingredients
5. Simmer 50 minutes or until meat is tender
6. Cook the instant rice as per the directions on the package
7. Divide the cooked rice into 6 portions and place each portion in a freezable casserole dish
8. Divide the cooked Spanish pork and sauce into 6 servings and place each amount on top of the cooked rice.
9. Freeze and enjoy.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Fish Delicious!
When we started cooking and freezing Measured Meals we found out very quickly that Meat and Fish that were cooked initially, turned into cardboard when it was frozen without some kind of sauce accompanying it. It took us a while to find meat dishes that were made with nice sauces but were within the target number of calories per serving, Here is one of the frozen dinners that disappeared very quickly from our freezer, every time we made a new batch.
Fish a la Roma (5 servings)
1/3 cup Romano Cheese, grated 63
2 slices dry whole grain bread, crumbed 122
1 lb Sole Fillets 360
2 tbsp flour 50
1 small egg 71
2 tbsp butter or margarine 200
4 oz Mozzarella cheese, sliced into 5 slices 320
1 8 oz can tomato sauce 70
Served with:
1 lb cauliflower flowerettes, steamed 48
9 oz frozen tater gems 625
Total calories 1929
Calories per serving 285
Break the small egg into a shallow bowl and beat
Place the flour into a shallow bowl
Place the bread crumbs into another shallow bowl and mix with the grated Romano cheese
Dip fish fillets first in the flour, then the beaten egg and then the bread crumbs.
Sauté the fish in the butter, turning after several minutes to brown the other side.
In a three sectioned dinner tray, layer the fish, mozza cheese and tomato sauce
Place the steamed cauliflower and frozen tater gems into the other two sections.
Freeze the 5 servings
Place in oven or Microwave (depending on the containers you are using) to warm the fish, melt the cheese and heat the tater gems
Fish a la Roma (5 servings)
1/3 cup Romano Cheese, grated 63
2 slices dry whole grain bread, crumbed 122
1 lb Sole Fillets 360
2 tbsp flour 50
1 small egg 71
2 tbsp butter or margarine 200
4 oz Mozzarella cheese, sliced into 5 slices 320
1 8 oz can tomato sauce 70
Served with:
1 lb cauliflower flowerettes, steamed 48
9 oz frozen tater gems 625
Total calories 1929
Calories per serving 285
Break the small egg into a shallow bowl and beat
Place the flour into a shallow bowl
Place the bread crumbs into another shallow bowl and mix with the grated Romano cheese
Dip fish fillets first in the flour, then the beaten egg and then the bread crumbs.
Sauté the fish in the butter, turning after several minutes to brown the other side.
In a three sectioned dinner tray, layer the fish, mozza cheese and tomato sauce
Place the steamed cauliflower and frozen tater gems into the other two sections.
Freeze the 5 servings
Place in oven or Microwave (depending on the containers you are using) to warm the fish, melt the cheese and heat the tater gems
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
How is this program different?
Make, Cook, Freeze and Eat
That is basically what Measured Meals is all about. Using the recipes that I put on this blog (there will be many more) you will actually take charge of whatever going into your mouth. These will not be expensive, frozen supermarket dinners that are often very different from the meals you make for your family. No matter what food you like to eat, meals can be broken down into calorie counted menus. Make a recipe, divide it into servings that are calorie counted, freeze the servings separately and eat the servings when you feel like having something you actually enjoy!
The great thing about this Measured Meals Program is that we can take any recipe that is given to us, do the calorie counts, decide how many servings it should be separated into, send it back to you and let you try it.
One of the best calorie counted "comfort meals" we used to keep in the freezer contained a three sectioned dinner comprised of wieners, beans, mashed potatoes and corn. Okay, I can hear nutritionists groaning but the honest truth is that when you go on a long term, reduced calorie eating plan, there are times you weaken ... right? Those are the times when all the healthy meals in the world are not going to satisfy you. Celery and carrots are not going to fill you up, no matter how many you eat. But, at those times, we would defrost, warm and eat one of these comfort dinners and it would feel great - because we actually stayed on our plan and felt no guilt at all. I will be putting it in the recipes section - try it!
Of course eating salads and fresh veggies and fruits are always important in a our daily diet but if we were stuck eating only these things ... we would find ourselves "falling off the wagon" and overeating those same comfort foods we craved.
That is basically what Measured Meals is all about. Using the recipes that I put on this blog (there will be many more) you will actually take charge of whatever going into your mouth. These will not be expensive, frozen supermarket dinners that are often very different from the meals you make for your family. No matter what food you like to eat, meals can be broken down into calorie counted menus. Make a recipe, divide it into servings that are calorie counted, freeze the servings separately and eat the servings when you feel like having something you actually enjoy!
The great thing about this Measured Meals Program is that we can take any recipe that is given to us, do the calorie counts, decide how many servings it should be separated into, send it back to you and let you try it.
One of the best calorie counted "comfort meals" we used to keep in the freezer contained a three sectioned dinner comprised of wieners, beans, mashed potatoes and corn. Okay, I can hear nutritionists groaning but the honest truth is that when you go on a long term, reduced calorie eating plan, there are times you weaken ... right? Those are the times when all the healthy meals in the world are not going to satisfy you. Celery and carrots are not going to fill you up, no matter how many you eat. But, at those times, we would defrost, warm and eat one of these comfort dinners and it would feel great - because we actually stayed on our plan and felt no guilt at all. I will be putting it in the recipes section - try it!
Of course eating salads and fresh veggies and fruits are always important in a our daily diet but if we were stuck eating only these things ... we would find ourselves "falling off the wagon" and overeating those same comfort foods we craved.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Mushroom Scallopini
This recipe was one of our favourites. Use veggie broth instead of chicken and it is a great vegetarian dish!
Mushroom Scallopini (4 or 8 servings)
Ingredients
2 ½ lbs Potatoes
3 tbsp Flour, Whole Wheat
½ lb sliced White Mushrooms
Celery and onion salts to taste
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
10 oz low sodium chicken broth
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt/Pepper to taste
Total 1056 calories
Total 16 carbs
8 servings-each – 132 calories 2 carbs
4 servings-each – 264 calories – 4 carbs
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Toss sliced potatoes in flour
3. Alternate layers of potatoes and mushrooms in 4 0r 8 small baking dishes or ramekins
4. Sprinkle each layer with seasonings and parsley
5. Divide broth into four (or eight) equal amounts and pour over each dish
6. Cover and bake for about 45 minutes or until the.potatoes are soft when pieced with a fork
7. Uncover and sprinkle all 4 (or 8) equally with the cheese
8. Cover and freeze.
*This dish can be served alone (4 servings) or as a side dish (8 servings).
Mushroom Scallopini (4 or 8 servings)
Ingredients
2 ½ lbs Potatoes
3 tbsp Flour, Whole Wheat
½ lb sliced White Mushrooms
Celery and onion salts to taste
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
10 oz low sodium chicken broth
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt/Pepper to taste
Total 1056 calories
Total 16 carbs
8 servings-each – 132 calories 2 carbs
4 servings-each – 264 calories – 4 carbs
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Toss sliced potatoes in flour
3. Alternate layers of potatoes and mushrooms in 4 0r 8 small baking dishes or ramekins
4. Sprinkle each layer with seasonings and parsley
5. Divide broth into four (or eight) equal amounts and pour over each dish
6. Cover and bake for about 45 minutes or until the.potatoes are soft when pieced with a fork
7. Uncover and sprinkle all 4 (or 8) equally with the cheese
8. Cover and freeze.
*This dish can be served alone (4 servings) or as a side dish (8 servings).
Monday, November 5, 2007
How about the rest of the Family?
While we were on our Measured Meals Program we worried that our families would suffer as they usually do when the cook in the family goes on a diet, but all the family survived!
Benefits
1. The cook was no longer grumpy around dinner time - or any other time when the word diet was mentioned
2. The rest of the family could help themselves to a meal (at about 400 calories) whenever they were hungry without having to ask. Children can operate a microwave pretty early in life.
3. On those busy nights when everyone was going somewhere in a hurry we didn't have to worry about feeding each member hurried meals - cutting down the high costs (and low nutrition) of things like take home pizza or burgers - less rush, less fuss!
4. It was a learning process for everyone so calorie counts became part of our family conversations.
5. Husbands and partners and children have a wide range of choices of what to have for dinner, if they want to eat one of the frozen dinners - and, if they are not watching their diet, they can have two or three if they want!
Benefits
1. The cook was no longer grumpy around dinner time - or any other time when the word diet was mentioned
2. The rest of the family could help themselves to a meal (at about 400 calories) whenever they were hungry without having to ask. Children can operate a microwave pretty early in life.
3. On those busy nights when everyone was going somewhere in a hurry we didn't have to worry about feeding each member hurried meals - cutting down the high costs (and low nutrition) of things like take home pizza or burgers - less rush, less fuss!
4. It was a learning process for everyone so calorie counts became part of our family conversations.
5. Husbands and partners and children have a wide range of choices of what to have for dinner, if they want to eat one of the frozen dinners - and, if they are not watching their diet, they can have two or three if they want!
Travel to Hawaii, or Cook Hawaiian Chicken!
As winter arrives, dream of warmer climates and cook this dish! I hope the recipe isn't too hard to read. My recipe was originally in a table in Word (much more understandable) but when I paste it into my blog it loses its formatting. Does anyone have any ideas?
Hawaiian Chicken (6 servings)
Ingredient / Quantity / Preparation /Approx Cal Count /Approx Carb Count
Chicken Breasts / 3 whole / Boned, skinned and halved / 858 / 0.0
Salt / ½ tsp / 0 / 0.0
Pineapple Chunks + juice / 1 19 oz can / 258 / 67.8
Mushrooms / 1 cup / sliced / 18 / 2.4
Green Pepper / 1 med / chopped / 24 / 4.5
Water / 1 cup / 0 / 0
Soy Sauce / 1 tbsp / 6 / 1.2
Chicken Bovril / 1 sachet / 10 / 2
Ground Ginger / ½ tsp / 6 /. 6
Arrowroot Powder/ / 1 tbsp / 29 / 9
Water / 2 tbsp
Total Calories /1208 / 92.9
Served with:
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (1/2 cup raw) / 1032 / 217.2
1 ½ lb chopped broccoli, steamed / 234 / 45
Each serving / 413 / 52.5
Preparation
1. Slightly flatten the 6 halved boned and skinned chicken breasts
2. In a fry pan sprayed with PAM, cook until browned well on both sides of each
3. Remove and place in a baking dish
4. Combine all other ingredients and pour over the chicken pieces
5. Bake at 250 degrees oven for 30 minutes or until the chicken breasts are tender
6. Meanwhile, cook the rice as per package directions and steam the broccoli in a small amount of water
7. Place one sixth portions of both the rice and the steamed broccoli into freezable three section trays or tupperware, or individual plastic storage bags. (never freeze together, the temptation is too strong!)
8. When the chicken is done, remove the juices and put them in a small pot on top of the stove, add arrowroot powder to thicken
9. Place a chicken half in each tray and cover with equal amounts of the thickened juices and cooked veggies
10. Freeze and enjoy
Hawaiian Chicken (6 servings)
Ingredient / Quantity / Preparation /Approx Cal Count /Approx Carb Count
Chicken Breasts / 3 whole / Boned, skinned and halved / 858 / 0.0
Salt / ½ tsp / 0 / 0.0
Pineapple Chunks + juice / 1 19 oz can / 258 / 67.8
Mushrooms / 1 cup / sliced / 18 / 2.4
Green Pepper / 1 med / chopped / 24 / 4.5
Water / 1 cup / 0 / 0
Soy Sauce / 1 tbsp / 6 / 1.2
Chicken Bovril / 1 sachet / 10 / 2
Ground Ginger / ½ tsp / 6 /. 6
Arrowroot Powder/ / 1 tbsp / 29 / 9
Water / 2 tbsp
Total Calories /1208 / 92.9
Served with:
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (1/2 cup raw) / 1032 / 217.2
1 ½ lb chopped broccoli, steamed / 234 / 45
Each serving / 413 / 52.5
Preparation
1. Slightly flatten the 6 halved boned and skinned chicken breasts
2. In a fry pan sprayed with PAM, cook until browned well on both sides of each
3. Remove and place in a baking dish
4. Combine all other ingredients and pour over the chicken pieces
5. Bake at 250 degrees oven for 30 minutes or until the chicken breasts are tender
6. Meanwhile, cook the rice as per package directions and steam the broccoli in a small amount of water
7. Place one sixth portions of both the rice and the steamed broccoli into freezable three section trays or tupperware, or individual plastic storage bags. (never freeze together, the temptation is too strong!)
8. When the chicken is done, remove the juices and put them in a small pot on top of the stove, add arrowroot powder to thicken
9. Place a chicken half in each tray and cover with equal amounts of the thickened juices and cooked veggies
10. Freeze and enjoy
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Tips to keep that weight on
When we made our weeks’ worth of dinners (together) we would come up with stuff to post on our kitchen refrigerators to keep us in the mode. Here are some of them – when you read them, you will realize how true they are.
Tips to help you stay overweight
1. Shop for food on an empty stomach, almost anything is tempting when you are hungry.
2. Always have high calorie foods on hand and keep them in areas where you overeat because you are not thinking.
3. Never eat on an empty stomach, in fact never have an empty stomach.
4. Eat even when you are NOT hungry. Don’t bother to wait until you need some energy, but eat until you have very little energy for anything else
5. Be sure to clean your plate. Remember when Mom made you eat everything because people were starving in other countries? Clean your plate and everyone else’s to make sure it is all gone.
6. Be compulsive about food. Whenever the urge strikes you, EAT. Don’t stop eating when you are full. Keep on eating until you are overstuffed.
7. Eat very fast. So fast that your body doesn’t have time to let you know you are full. This allows you to eat much more than you need to
8. Always count calories – but stop counting at 5000 per day as long as you continue eating
9. Concentrate on other things while you eat. Watch TV, talk on your phone, drive – keep your mind busy with other things and you’ll never realize how much you have eaten
10. Eat instead of doing other things. Substitute food for: chatting with a friend, solving a personal problem, tackling a difficult project, work, fun, socializing, facing yourself.
11. Think of “diet” as a four letter word for deprivation, starvation and depression. Go on and off diets as easily as you go on and off a bus
12. Avoid mirrors, scales and old clothes which my reveal any possible weight gains. Out of sight – out of mind
13. Always start your diet tomorrow so today you can eat as much as you want.
These “tips” were found (and adapted for our own weight problems) from a book by Fredrick Stare called Dear Dr Stare: What Should I Eat?
We would make sure they were easy to find in a place we looked at a lot - the refrigerator.
Tips to help you stay overweight
1. Shop for food on an empty stomach, almost anything is tempting when you are hungry.
2. Always have high calorie foods on hand and keep them in areas where you overeat because you are not thinking.
3. Never eat on an empty stomach, in fact never have an empty stomach.
4. Eat even when you are NOT hungry. Don’t bother to wait until you need some energy, but eat until you have very little energy for anything else
5. Be sure to clean your plate. Remember when Mom made you eat everything because people were starving in other countries? Clean your plate and everyone else’s to make sure it is all gone.
6. Be compulsive about food. Whenever the urge strikes you, EAT. Don’t stop eating when you are full. Keep on eating until you are overstuffed.
7. Eat very fast. So fast that your body doesn’t have time to let you know you are full. This allows you to eat much more than you need to
8. Always count calories – but stop counting at 5000 per day as long as you continue eating
9. Concentrate on other things while you eat. Watch TV, talk on your phone, drive – keep your mind busy with other things and you’ll never realize how much you have eaten
10. Eat instead of doing other things. Substitute food for: chatting with a friend, solving a personal problem, tackling a difficult project, work, fun, socializing, facing yourself.
11. Think of “diet” as a four letter word for deprivation, starvation and depression. Go on and off diets as easily as you go on and off a bus
12. Avoid mirrors, scales and old clothes which my reveal any possible weight gains. Out of sight – out of mind
13. Always start your diet tomorrow so today you can eat as much as you want.
These “tips” were found (and adapted for our own weight problems) from a book by Fredrick Stare called Dear Dr Stare: What Should I Eat?
We would make sure they were easy to find in a place we looked at a lot - the refrigerator.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Comfort Food Recipe
Some days – especially at the beginning of cooler winter weather we need some comfort food to get us through the day.
This recipe was developed with that in mind. A comforting, calorie counted meal is much better than high calorie snacks at these times.
Baked Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Ingredient /Quantity /Approx Cal Count /Approx Carb Count
Whole grain bread /8 slices /552 /103.2
Melted Butter /1 tbsp /100 /0.0
Prepared mustard /1 tbsp /52 /4.0
Cooked ham* /4 slices /184 /4.4
Cheese * /4 slices /456 /1.6
Eggs /3 large /220 /1.2
Skim milk /2 cups /168 /25.6
Totals: 1732 calories /140.0 Carbs
4 servings - each Sandwich 433 calories/35.0 carbs
Preparation
1. Arrange the bread for 4 sandwiches and cover the insides with the mustard
2. Cover the outsides with the melted butter (spread sparingly)
3. Make the sandwiches containing 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese
4. Place them in a square or oblong baking dish
5. Whisk the milk and eggs and pour over the sandwiches
6. Let the sandwiches sit for at least 2 hours in the milk and egg mixture
7. Bake at 350 degree oven for 40 minutes
8. When cool, wrap sandwiches individually and freeze
*Lite ham and Lite cheese slices can be used to lower the calorie and carb counts
As we developed more recipes to fit into the Measured Meals Program, we realized that counting Carbohydrates is also important to some people. So, from now on, the recipes I post will have carb counts included.
This recipe was developed with that in mind. A comforting, calorie counted meal is much better than high calorie snacks at these times.
Baked Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Ingredient /Quantity /Approx Cal Count /Approx Carb Count
Whole grain bread /8 slices /552 /103.2
Melted Butter /1 tbsp /100 /0.0
Prepared mustard /1 tbsp /52 /4.0
Cooked ham* /4 slices /184 /4.4
Cheese * /4 slices /456 /1.6
Eggs /3 large /220 /1.2
Skim milk /2 cups /168 /25.6
Totals: 1732 calories /140.0 Carbs
4 servings - each Sandwich 433 calories/35.0 carbs
Preparation
1. Arrange the bread for 4 sandwiches and cover the insides with the mustard
2. Cover the outsides with the melted butter (spread sparingly)
3. Make the sandwiches containing 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese
4. Place them in a square or oblong baking dish
5. Whisk the milk and eggs and pour over the sandwiches
6. Let the sandwiches sit for at least 2 hours in the milk and egg mixture
7. Bake at 350 degree oven for 40 minutes
8. When cool, wrap sandwiches individually and freeze
*Lite ham and Lite cheese slices can be used to lower the calorie and carb counts
As we developed more recipes to fit into the Measured Meals Program, we realized that counting Carbohydrates is also important to some people. So, from now on, the recipes I post will have carb counts included.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Hamburger Chop Suey
Hamburger Chop Suey (4 servings) Calorie Count
1 lb lean ground beef 812
1 med onion, diced 40
2 ribs celery, sliced diagonally 14
1/2 lb fresh bean sprouts 80
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced 62
1 1/2 cup water 0
1 beef boullion cube 6
2 tablespoons cornstarch 58
1/4 cup soya sauce 48
salt and pepper to taste 0
____
Total Calories 1120
Total per serving 280
1. Crumble meat and saute with diced onion and sliced celery
2. Add sprouts, mushrooms, water, boullion cube and simmer for several minutes
3. Mix cornstarch and soya sauce and stir into mixture. Cook until thickened.
4. Divide into four casserole servings, seal and freeze.
5. Before eating, thaw and either place in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or put in Microwave oven on high for 2 minutes.
1 lb lean ground beef 812
1 med onion, diced 40
2 ribs celery, sliced diagonally 14
1/2 lb fresh bean sprouts 80
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced 62
1 1/2 cup water 0
1 beef boullion cube 6
2 tablespoons cornstarch 58
1/4 cup soya sauce 48
salt and pepper to taste 0
____
Total Calories 1120
Total per serving 280
1. Crumble meat and saute with diced onion and sliced celery
2. Add sprouts, mushrooms, water, boullion cube and simmer for several minutes
3. Mix cornstarch and soya sauce and stir into mixture. Cook until thickened.
4. Divide into four casserole servings, seal and freeze.
5. Before eating, thaw and either place in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or put in Microwave oven on high for 2 minutes.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
My favourite recipe
This one of my favourite recipes. It is very simple for anyone to make. Hope you try it!
Spaghetti DeLuca (6 servings) Calorie counts
Sauce (family secret)
¼ lb lean ground beef 203
1 – 6 oz can tomato paste 140
1 - 6 oz can of water 0
1 - 14 oz can tomato sauce 123
1 – 14 oz can of water 0
Season to taste with:
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Oregano
Bay leaf
Pasta
1 – 500 gm pkg Spaghetti noodles 1404
(count is based on 9 cups cooked noodles)
6 tbsp parmesan cheese 138
salt for boiling water 0
Total Calories 2008
Calories per serving 334 (based on six servings)
1. In saucepan, brown beef until all red colour is gone.
2. Add tomato paste and allow mixture to fry together for 3 minutes (watch you do not burn it)
3. Add tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.
4. Add both cans of water and all your seasoning.
5. Cook for at least 1 hour on simmer.
6. In large pot, bring almost 4 quarts of water to a boil.
7. Add two cupped handfuls of salt (the salt will be rinsed away when the spaghetti is rinsed.
8. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process.
9. Measure 1 ½ cups of spaghetti per casserole, cover with equal amounts of sauce.
10.Freeze the portions for later.
Spaghetti DeLuca (6 servings) Calorie counts
Sauce (family secret)
¼ lb lean ground beef 203
1 – 6 oz can tomato paste 140
1 - 6 oz can of water 0
1 - 14 oz can tomato sauce 123
1 – 14 oz can of water 0
Season to taste with:
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Oregano
Bay leaf
Pasta
1 – 500 gm pkg Spaghetti noodles 1404
(count is based on 9 cups cooked noodles)
6 tbsp parmesan cheese 138
salt for boiling water 0
Total Calories 2008
Calories per serving 334 (based on six servings)
1. In saucepan, brown beef until all red colour is gone.
2. Add tomato paste and allow mixture to fry together for 3 minutes (watch you do not burn it)
3. Add tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.
4. Add both cans of water and all your seasoning.
5. Cook for at least 1 hour on simmer.
6. In large pot, bring almost 4 quarts of water to a boil.
7. Add two cupped handfuls of salt (the salt will be rinsed away when the spaghetti is rinsed.
8. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process.
9. Measure 1 ½ cups of spaghetti per casserole, cover with equal amounts of sauce.
10.Freeze the portions for later.
Monday, October 29, 2007
How we did it
At the beginning, we worked together. We would plan what we would eat, looking at luscious recipes and traditional dinners, making decisions about what we wanted to cook. We did our shopping and in just over three hours we prepared and cooked calorie counted meals for the whole week making sure that no meal exceeded 400 calories. Most doctor recommended diets suggest you do not consume less that 1000 to 1200 calories a day.
We invested in TV dinner trays, plastic separated freezer containers and small aluminum casserole containers with lids and once we made the dinners we divided each recipe into the number of portions that would make them contain less than 400 calories, cook and freeze them. We had a variety of frozen dinners in the freezer and we (and the others in our family) could help ourselves without the fuss of planning and cooking when we were the most hungry.
As you may guess, the first part of our plan was labour intensive - we had to get calorie counts for every meal we wanted to make. These included our mom's traditional spaghetti recipe, and even comfort food choices.
But now we have hundreds of recipes - all calorie counted with instructions about how many portions they need to be divided into. Some were high calorie, so the portion was quite small. However, sometimes you need to splurge and it is great to have a portioned snack or dinner that never goes over 400 calories.
Okay, I can hear you saying - why not just buy frozen dinners at the grocery store?
Actually, that is what gave us the germ of the plan. can you guess why we didn't just do exactly that?
We invested in TV dinner trays, plastic separated freezer containers and small aluminum casserole containers with lids and once we made the dinners we divided each recipe into the number of portions that would make them contain less than 400 calories, cook and freeze them. We had a variety of frozen dinners in the freezer and we (and the others in our family) could help ourselves without the fuss of planning and cooking when we were the most hungry.
As you may guess, the first part of our plan was labour intensive - we had to get calorie counts for every meal we wanted to make. These included our mom's traditional spaghetti recipe, and even comfort food choices.
But now we have hundreds of recipes - all calorie counted with instructions about how many portions they need to be divided into. Some were high calorie, so the portion was quite small. However, sometimes you need to splurge and it is great to have a portioned snack or dinner that never goes over 400 calories.
Okay, I can hear you saying - why not just buy frozen dinners at the grocery store?
Actually, that is what gave us the germ of the plan. can you guess why we didn't just do exactly that?
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Success followed
Neither of us have very much will power. We're human. Watching what you eat at every meal requires horrendous amounts of will power. What a way to ensure defeat.
But, this time, with what we started calling the Measured Meals Program, we had very little trouble staying "on" the program. We were eating our own food, prepared the way we like it, we started having fun with it. We both lost weight in a slow but steady way. We could talk about those wonderful foods we loved to eat because we were still eating them. Okay, you are saying by now, what the heck are you talking about? It is not possible to eat the foods you love and still lose weight ... well we did.
But, this time, with what we started calling the Measured Meals Program, we had very little trouble staying "on" the program. We were eating our own food, prepared the way we like it, we started having fun with it. We both lost weight in a slow but steady way. We could talk about those wonderful foods we loved to eat because we were still eating them. Okay, you are saying by now, what the heck are you talking about? It is not possible to eat the foods you love and still lose weight ... well we did.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
A Beginning
My sister and I are experts at gaining weight. We are both good cooks and love to eat what we cook. Every diet we've ever been on - separately or together - has been so restrictive, or expensive or boring that we've always found ourselves "falling off the wagon" and slipping back to our old eating habits very quickly.
During a coffee break, we discussed the things we had tried previously. We made a list of the aspects we liked (and didn't like) about each of the programs we had tried.
What didn't we like?
1. Anything artificial. That included diet pills. slimming milkshakes and candy filler-uppers.
2. We couldn't afford most of the never-ending payments at an expensive weight-loss clinic.
3. We didn't like preparing one meal for the rest of our family and another for ourselves, specially at a time when we were hungry and had low resistance.
4. Salads were lovely as long as we weren't condemned to eat them forever. We hated it that so many delicious foods - basic to our ethnic background and family favourites - were banned forever.
5. We didn't mind feeling hungry but constant starvation wasn't so great.
6. We were okay about some exercising but - hey ... enough is enough!
What did we like? ...
1. A proper weight scale that showed even small losses.
2. Taking responsibility for our own successes or failure rather than needing an expert to tell us.
3. The support of others who were going through the same experiences as we were.
Looking at the two lists we made up our mind to change the negatives. We made a pact to try something new, inexpensive and time freeing.
For want of a better term, we call our idea the "Measured Meals Plan" rather than a diet plan because we don't like to think about being on a diet.
We eat all the things we like - we have only taken the guess work out of our portions. It makes perfect sense to look at the calories we consumed, seeing as we felt our regular eating habits were nutritional, if overdone!
The results were fantastic! Our whole family got involved and learned a lot about calorie counts. And, the best thing of all, we began to lose weight!
During a coffee break, we discussed the things we had tried previously. We made a list of the aspects we liked (and didn't like) about each of the programs we had tried.
What didn't we like?
1. Anything artificial. That included diet pills. slimming milkshakes and candy filler-uppers.
2. We couldn't afford most of the never-ending payments at an expensive weight-loss clinic.
3. We didn't like preparing one meal for the rest of our family and another for ourselves, specially at a time when we were hungry and had low resistance.
4. Salads were lovely as long as we weren't condemned to eat them forever. We hated it that so many delicious foods - basic to our ethnic background and family favourites - were banned forever.
5. We didn't mind feeling hungry but constant starvation wasn't so great.
6. We were okay about some exercising but - hey ... enough is enough!
What did we like? ...
1. A proper weight scale that showed even small losses.
2. Taking responsibility for our own successes or failure rather than needing an expert to tell us.
3. The support of others who were going through the same experiences as we were.
Looking at the two lists we made up our mind to change the negatives. We made a pact to try something new, inexpensive and time freeing.
For want of a better term, we call our idea the "Measured Meals Plan" rather than a diet plan because we don't like to think about being on a diet.
We eat all the things we like - we have only taken the guess work out of our portions. It makes perfect sense to look at the calories we consumed, seeing as we felt our regular eating habits were nutritional, if overdone!
The results were fantastic! Our whole family got involved and learned a lot about calorie counts. And, the best thing of all, we began to lose weight!
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