Fire up the grill today as part of the great American tradition and celebrate the 4th with a reasonable number of calories. Grill some nice chicken but keep the barbecue sauce to a minimum. The sugar is a hidden calorie waster. Use hot sauces instead.
Grill veggies too. All that zucchini that’s now coming out of home gardens is a great side. Corn on the cob is an easy grill item. Trim off the silk and then soak it water before putting it on the grill for about 10 minutes. It gets smokey and steamed in the husk.
Skip the potato salad! Coleslaw or tomato & cucumber salad is really great with an easy low cal / low carb dressing of mayo and the juice from no sugar “bread & butter” sweet pickles.
Have fruit as dessert. Strawberries and blueberries will keep the theme. Use Splenda as a sweetener. Since that doesn’t make the usual sugar syrup you’ll need to add some liquid. Water will do, or try a little orange juice.
TODAY: Enjoy the picnic, just do it in moderation or your waistline will explode.
You may have some spare bites left in the fridge from eating less at each meal. Today is the day for you to have a smorgesboard of bites. It will give you a nice variety and a cheap meal. Actually, don’t let those leftovers go to waste at any time. A diet is a great way to save money and those hunks of meat and portions of veggies that you didn’t eat because you were reducing portions can be mixed together into a nice hash. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different combinations. It’s a great opportunity to experiment because if it doesn’t taste good… it’s no big loss! I find that a good spicy hot sauce, with little or no added calories, gives a nice boost and tickles your taste-buds with a new experience as well.
TODAY: MAKE A MEAL OF LEFTOVERS.
Now that you’ve got the grill fired up you don’t want to keep doing burgers. I know it tasted good, but there is a reason that chicken is the mainstay of diets. Grilled, skinless, chicken cooked quickly on a grill so it doesn’t dry out can be as flavorful as the fat filled burger. (even without the bun) It saves you a lot of calories too.
3 oz chicken breast = 140 calories, and 26.38g protein
3 oz extra lean ground beef = 224 calories, and 23g protein.
TODAY: SKIP THE BEEF.
Since we’re avoiding fried food this week, you probably are thinking of some grilled burgers. They’re great even without the bun. Unless it’s a great whole grain it actually doesn’t add a whole lot of taste anyway. So the calories and starch don’t get you much. Actually a knife and fork burger with the lettuce, tomato and pickle with ketchup and hot sauce is easier to eat than the same thing on a bun. On the bun a big sandwich like that tends to make us eat faster too. You’re trying not to end up wearing it all. As I’ve told you before you need to slow down to eat less.
TODAY: SKIP THE BURGER BUN.
The grilled offering at KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) may lead you to believe that it’s the diet choice you might make on their menu. Well the nutrition handout available at the stores tells the story differently. Surprisingly ORIGINAL RECIPE is the low cal / low fat winner. But there is a catch. The KFC Original Recipe breast has half the fat and 40 fewer calories than the new grilled version. IF you take the skin off. It seems that the skin absorbs most of the oil and the “secret herbs and spices” has a LOT of salt. As a matter of fact it reduces the salt and cholesterol by half! (Grilled had TWICE the cholesterol!) In addition taking off the skin and it’s minimal breading reduces transfat from 21 grams to just 2, carbs from 7 grams to 1 while eliminating ALL of the saturated fat.
The down side is that the skin may reduce the amount of actual food you get… but then again that’s sort of what I’ve been nagging you about.
TODAY: GO SKINLESS TO GET SKINNY.
You can skip carbs and and still enjoy “spaghetti”. Face it. It’s the meat sauce that you really taste. Skip the gluten and carb filled wheat sticks soaked in water. You won’t miss it at all. I’ve suggested this dish before. It’s one of my favorites. A nice meat sauce ladled over a plate of steamed broccoli is actually much more flavorful and definitely better for you.
No wheat and veggies too. It’s a solid double play.
TODAY: SKIP EATING PROCESSED FLOUR FOODS.
Since I was suggesting that you get the grill going, don’t forget that veggies grill well too. Nothing extra is really necessary to have a flavorful low calorie meal. Squash, peppers, mushrooms, green beans, asparagus. Toss them on the fire and they get that great flavor and don’t cook away nutrients either. Corn on the cob isn’t really low calorie, but it’s a great treat. Soak the ears in water and then cut off the silk and put them on the top shelf of the grill. Roll them every five minutes or so and in about 15 minutes it will be done perfectly. Just take it easy on the butter.
TODAY: GRILL VEGGIES FOR DINNER.
Daily Nag, Healthy Recipes | Diet Nag | 
July 4, 2010 8:09 am | 
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