Choosing The Right Diet Plan

There are many reasons why you would want to lose weight; you may have a dress you want to fit into for a special occasion, you may want to feel more self-confident or you may just want to be healthier and fitter. Whatever your reason, what you can be sure of is, you are not the first person to have tried. Thousands of methods have been tried, used and tested and scrapped, however there are a few proven weight loss plans which are actually worth the try.

One of the most detailed and air-tight diet plans I have come across recently is the Dukan diet. The “4 phase” plan that originated in France has taken the weight loss community by force in the last few years, selling well over 10 million books in 32 countries. What I love about it most, is that instead of having a strict set diet, you actually have the scope to choose from a wide variety of tasty foods. Even in the initial “Attack” phase whereby you’re limited to high protein foods in order to shed weight quickly, I still had the chance to pick from a selection of 72 high protein foods. I found myself eating foods which I had never even thought to try before, all as part of a healthy diet plan.

Out of all the diet plans that I have come across and spoken to people about, I have heard the most positive feedback from those who have tried the Dukan diet. The Dukan diet has become so popular for a series of reasons:

Dieters can expect results quickly
The diet itself is not that restrictive
There is a contingency plan; after the diet is completed you “stabilise” and admit healthier food as part of your normal diet.

The diet itself is easy to understand. It’s adjusting your lifestyle that takes the most conviction, however once you start making those positive changes, it becomes a lot easier to include extra beneficial elements into your life. For instance, it is greatly encouraged that you partake in healthy exercise as part of the Dukan diet. Since I started on my dukan diet phases, I found it easier to make time for running and cycling as part of my life, overall improving my health and fitness through exercise and diet.

For example, here is one of tasty recipes:

Divine Dukan Waffles

Preparation: 15 minutes – Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 1 Person – Phase: Cruise
Ingredients:
2 Tbs of skimmed milk powder
1 Teaspoon of honey aroma
1 Drop of vanilla flavoring
1 Tbs of liquid sweetener
1 Tbs of Baking powder
1 Egg
60g of 0% fromage frais (or cottage cheese)
2 Drops of sunflower oil

Heat the waffle iron and coat with oil using a paper towel. Mix the skim milk powder with the honey andvanilla flavoring, baking powder, sweetener and the beaten egg and fromage frais. Mix well and beat for 2 minutes. Cook the waffles and serve quickly to keep them warm.

Once you are in the right mind state to adopt a diet plan, choosing a plan that fits around your lifestyle is vital. You also need to choose a plan that reflects how much weight you want to lose in a certain period of time.

A Complete Corn Dinner

Carrie Stark grew up on her father’s farm and draws a lot of inspiration for her writing from those memories. While she moved off the farm years ago, she still maintains a small garden and loves to teach her friends how to cook sweet corn.

My family and I had gotten into a funk where all we seemed to eat was pasta with tomato sauce, fried chicken, and tacos. I have no problem with any of these foods… but having them every other day for three months, well it makes one want to start getting their nutrition without eating.

In order to save myself from going crazy, I implemented a bi-monthly themed food night. Once every two weeks my family would choose a fruit, vegetable, or grain and plan our dinner around that food. We’d do the works: appetizer, dinner, and dessert. My family is slightly food-phobic though, so I thought I’d start easy. Everyone in the family liked corn, so at least they would have nothing to complain about there.

Appetizer: Corn Salsa

This recipe is a fun and simple to make as a before dinner snack for family and friends; they can munch while dinner is in the works. My family battled their way through the batch I made and then whined to me as I was making dinner that they didn’t get enough. Annoying but flattering.

Ingredients

3 tbs olive oil.

6 ears of corn

1 can black beans

1 ½ cup chopped red pepper.

3 tbs fresh cilantro. (Note: with dry cilantro use less than 3 tbs as dry spices are stronger than fresh)

4 ½ tbs lime juice

½ to 1 ½ tsp hot pepper sauce

½ teaspoon salt

Roasting pan, knife, and bowl

Methods

* In order to start preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

* Put the ears of corn in a roasting pan and brush the corn with 1 1/2 tbs of olive oil.

* Roast Corn for 7 minutes, turn once and remove from oven when some of the kernels turn brown.

* After the corn has cooled, cut the kernels off the ears.

* In the mixing bowl blend the corn, beans, pepper, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, hot pepper sauce, and salt.

Dinner: Cajun Chicken and Corn Dinner

Dinner was chicken. In know not a long deviation from fried chicken, but it’s amazing what new seasoning transforms something boring and used into something new.

Ingredients

2 pounds of chicken legs and thighs (It can also be made with chicken breasts for a slightly healthier meal.)

1 cup sliced red bell pepper

1 cup sliced green bell pepper

1 sliced large onion

1 sliced celery rib, horizontal slices

4 ears of corn

½ tsp salt

1 tbs vegetable oil

2 tsp Cajun seasoning

Knife and skillet

Methods

* Slice the red and green peppers, the onion and the celery.

* Season the chicken with ¼ tsp of salt and 1 tsp of Cajun Seasoning.

* Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Do not add the chicken until oil is hot.

* Once the oil is hot, sauté chicken in oil for about 10 minutes. Turn the chicken once during this period. Chicken should be browned when finished.

* Add in peppers, onion, and celery. Stir and then turn the heat to medium, cover the skillet and then allow to cook for 5 minutes.

* Add corn and the sprinkle 1 tsp Cajun seasoning and ¼ teaspoon salt.

* Stir, cover and then let cook for another 10 minutes.

* Remove from heat once vegetables and chicken is cooked.

Dessert: Corn Pudding

The corn pudding was a resounding success. I had a collection of chopped fruit that the kids could choose to put on their corn pudding. I’m a strawberry kinda gal myself although I won’t say no to powdered sugar if it’s within my grasp…thankfully it wasn’t as this recipe already has ¾ cups of sugar that immediately invaded my hips.

Ingredients

9 ears of sweet corn, kernels cut off corn cob (6 cups)

6 large eggs

¾ cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 tbs salt

3 tbs baking powder

4 ½ tbs flour

4 ½ tbs sour cream

4 tbs melted butter or other non-stick spray

Topping of your choice: strawberries, raspberries or powdered sugar are solid choices.

Baking pan and food processor

Methods

* Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

* In the food processor combine 4 cups corn kernels, eggs, sugar, cream, salt, baking powder, flour, and sour cream.

* Stir in the remaining kernels.

* Butter or spray the baking pan

* Pour the batter in the baking dish and place it into the oven.

* Should take 45-50 minutes to bake and will be finished when the top of the corn pudding turns golden brown.

* After the corn pudding has cooled, place the strawberry pieces, raspberries or powdered sugar on top of the corn pudding pieces.

And there you have it three recipes, one main ingredient, and a bunch of whinny kids that made this process more difficult than it should have been. Overall I’d give the whole dinner experience 4 ½ stars out of 5. Next week I’ll do carrots and shoot for less whining. I’ve never made a carrot cake, so that should be interesting.

As for you, good luck making any or all of these tasty treats. If you like the idea of a themed meal, but would prefer a different recipe more sweet corn recipe can be found on the web or in cookbooks.

Oven Fried Chicken Without The Calories

Everyone love fried chicken. Now you can enjoy the irresistible taste of fried chicken without the extra calories of deep frying. This recipe is great either hot or cold and is great for taking to work as well. Oven fried chicken is an excellent choice for those who want the great taste of fried chicken but want to lose or maintain their weight.

Long term weight loss Is not about hunger, misery and crash diet. It’s all about a whole new way of learning to prepare nutritious food that your body needs and enjoys. We have selected a range of hunger fighting, low fat recipes to help you keep your weight under control. These irresistible, no-hassle meals will help you reach your weight-loss goals – while making your meal time a real treat.

Diversity is an essential component of any successful health plan. Whenever you get bored with foods, you are a lot more likely to give up on your health plan altogether. Each main meal should be accompanied by an exciting range of colorful vegetables.

Ingredients For Oven Fried Chicken (serves two)

* Vegetable oil spray
* 1 cup high fiber breakfast cereal
* 2 teaspoons 33% reduced sodium chicken bouillon
* 1 tablespoon very low sodium chicken bouillon
* Add black pepper to taste
* Add chili powder to taste
* 1 teaspoon canola oil
* 2 egg whites, slightly beaten
* 8 oz or 250g skinless chicken breast

Baking Directions

1. Preheat over to 180C (350F). Coat a cookie sheet with vegetable oil spray.
2. In a food processor, combine cereal, both types of bouillon, chili powder and pepper. Process until it is fine ‘meal’. Alternatively, crush the cereal with a rolling pin or other means. Be sure it is exceptionally fine. Place in a small, flat container.
3. In another small, flat container, whisk together the oil and egg whites.
4. Cut chicken into strips and dip into egg-oil mixture. Then dredge in cereal meal, coating each strip well.
5. Place each strip on the cookie sheet and coat tops of strips with vegetable oil spray.
6. Bake for 30 minutes.

* Nutrition Per Serve = 285 calories, carbohydrates 24g, Protein 38g, Fat 7g

Vegetarian Burger Recipes

Serve in place of meat as a main entree or place on a bun along with your favorite toppings: lettuce, onion, tomato, mayo, etc. These burgers can also be baked in an oven rather than frying as per instructions below.

Super Soy Burgers

Recipe By : Marie Oser
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:50
Categories : Legumes Vegetarian
Diner And Grill American
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
Pan spray
1 1/2 cups soybeans — cooked and mashed
3/4 cup brown rice — cooked
1 egg
3 tablespoons soy sauce
5 scallion — minced
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh mixed herbs — chopped
salt & pepper — to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Rest for 15 minutes.

3. Form mixture into 8 patties. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

NOTES : Makes 8 4-ounce patties.

Tofu Burgers
Submitted by: Silverwolf

Prep Time: approx. 40 Minutes
Cook Time: approx. 15 Minutes

Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) package firm tofu
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying

Directions
1 Place tofu in freezer 72 hours ahead of time. To thaw, fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a simmer. Leave tofu in package and place in water for about 20 minutes.

2 While tofu is thawing, heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a small skillet. Saute onion and celery until soft and lightly browned. Place in a medium bowl and set aside.

3 When tofu is thawed, squeeze out excess water. Chop tofu finely and place in bowl with onion and celery. Mix in egg, cheese, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined.

4 Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and pour in 1/2 cup vegetable oil (oil should be 1/4 inch deep). Drop tofu mixture into pan in 6 equal portions. Flatten with a spatula to form patties. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, until golden.

Makes 6 burgers

Healthy Smoothie Recipes

You want to stay healthy and fit without really depriving your cravings, right? If you want to enjoy a nice, cold drink, then smoothies are in! From school and offices to bars and restos, smoothies have conquered the menu lists all over the world. Fitness gurus and weight conscious alike are going gaga in including smoothies in their daily diet. So if you are a smoothie convert and you want to try a variety of it, here are some of the best recipes that you can try out at home.

Wake-Up Smoothie

Start your day with a glass of smoothie! Check your fridge for some fruity left overs and kick your mood with a nutritious serving of one in less than five minutes! Supplies you with vitamin C and other minerals to keep you going. You will need 1 cup orange juice, 1 banana, any fruit left over, low-fat yogurt, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Combine the ingredients in a blender. Cover and blend until creamy than add sugar.

Low-Calorie Smoothie

Low-calorie smoothie lets you splurge a glass or more of a thirst-quenching drink without really injecting those unwanted carbs in your body. For less than 350 calories, this quick and easy to prepare smoothie is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or even midnight snack! Get a cup of mix berries, banana, apple juice and yogurt, blend and they’re good to go for a nice drink. Provides you with protein and fiber while detoxifying your system leaving you feeling fresh and clean after a few days of regular drink.

Alcohol Smoothie

Perfect for get togethers, reunions, and after-dinner chitchats, this alcohol smoothie however tastes so yummy you won’t feel any alcohol at all! Prepare this with the following ingredients: 2 cups ice, 4 oz each of rum, Daiquiri mix, and Colada mix. Place everything inside the blend, cover, and blend til is becomes smooth. You may alter the amount of ingredients and substitute other alcoholic beverages as well, depending on your choice or what’s available. Anyway, a little dose of alcohol is good for the health!

Sugar-free smoothie

Cut the sugar and blend a smoothie that tastes sweet after all! Try mixing honey dew and kiwi in the blender and what a fantastic, healthy and nutritious smoothie you’ll have. Get 2 cups cubed honeydew, peel and cut one whole apple and kiwi, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and a cup of ice. Combine ingredients, blend until smooth, and serve with a slice or two of kiwi!

Oprah’s own smoothie

One of Oprah’s secrets of why she’s slimmed down was a glass or two of smoothie! One of her most favorite is the watermelon agua fresca smoothie. Perfect for a hot summer afternoon and you can do this with our without a blender! For ultimate freshness, use straight from the market ingredients. You’ll need two cups of diced watermelon, 1 cup strawberries, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and honey or sugar. Just combine all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. You may add yogurt or milk and sweeten the smoothie with sugar, honey, or agave.

So, there you have some of the smoothie inspirations that you can try out at home! Get those fresh fruits now and quench that thirst with a healthy glass or two with some of the healthiest smoothies you
can have.

About the Author – Manilyn Moreno is a writer and caterer for Better Cater. She enjoys writing about her passions which include cooking, organizing events and outdoor activities.

Get Your Protein by Eating Meatless Chinese Food

5 Ways to Get Your Protein by Eating Meatless Chinese Food

Some people think it can be difficult to get enough protein living a vegetarian lifestyle, but vegetarians are usually ingenious enough to make sure they get enough of their daily requirements into their regular diets. Dining at a Chinese restaurant with a limited choice of meatless dishes, though, can leave you wondering if you are still eating what you need. Eating these five ingredients in your meatless Chinese food can help you meet your daily protein requirements while enjoying the flavors of the Orient.

1. Eggs

Eggs are a staple of many vegetarians’ diets as a way to consume protein each day. With about six grams of protein in every one, eggs can add more than a dash of the needed muscle-building substance to your diet. Look to vegetarian fried rice that contains eggs and egg drop soup as good egg sources in Chinese food.

2. Peanuts

Peanuts are much more than peanut butter. Because of the high amount of protein in peanuts, they can be a good source of protein in meatless Chinese dishes. Try some meatless peanut pad thai which has not only peanuts, but a tangy peanut sauce as well. Some pad thai contains chicken, shrimp or other meat, so be sure to get it without those additions for a truly meatless meal.

3. Bean sprouts

Mung bean sprouts are the traditional bean sprouts used in Chinese dishes, and they contain about 20% protein. Alter the type of sprouts used and you could be looking at up to 35% protein content. Try some Buddha’s Delight or vegetarian egg rolls to get your protein fix from Chinese dishes containing bean sprouts.

4. Tofu

Tofu is such a versatile favorite of vegetarians everywhere. Just about any meat you can think of can be substituted with tofu, and the ten grams of protein in every serving can another rich source to your vegetarian diet. Look to see if your favorite Chinese restaurant carries Kung Pao Tofu or Tofu Stir Fry to add this source of protein to your diet. If not, try making traditional Chinese food dishes at home and do the substitution yourself.

5. Cashews

Like bean sprouts, cashews are comprised of about 20% protein. Perhaps best known as a component of Cashew Chicken when it comes to Chinese dishes, there are in fact Chinese dishes that contain the cashew without the chicken. Look for broccoli with cashews or a cashew stir fry to take advantage of this rich protein source when dining out for Chinese food.

It can be hard to find a wide variety of vegetarian dishes in many Chinese restaurants, but knowing what to look for can give you a good source of protein without compromising your vegetarian lifestyle. Next time your friends want to dine at a Chinese restaurant, tell them yes and look for some of these protein-rich ingredients.

Renee Varney is a freelance blogger and occasionally writes for delivery.com a site she loves using to find local Miami Delivery services using their Food Online Order directory.

Quick Easy Recipes: Burger Recipes

If  you walk into McDonald’s, you will be amazed by the different burgers they have available. In each, you have the bun and the burger but what makes each one unique are the toppings. You too can do the same thing at home and here are a few quick and easy burger recipes.

The first is called the sweet pepper burger and for that, you will need at least a pound of extra lean ground beef, some sweet red pepper relish, mustard, salt, ground black pepper and grated red onion.

Once you have all the ingredients, cook the burger for about 5 to 6 minutes on each side or the desired doneness. Heat the bread and cook the relish and red onion as well then when everything is ready, put it all together and serve.

You have probably eaten McChicken and you can make the same one at home. To do that, you will some vegetables just like you used in the sweet pepper burger and then some chicken. When you have everything, cook the chicken separately until desired and do the same for other ingredients. Once everything is finished, put the burger together and serve.

Want to combine some western and Asian cuisine into a burger? Well you can by learning how to make a peanut satay burger. The ingredients for this include ground beef, crunchy peanut butter, cumin, tomato paste, chopped onions, bread crumbs and the burger buns.

Combine the beef with the other ingredients including the peanut butter into a burger patty then grill for 5 minutes. Put these on a burger bun and together with salad and plum sauce.

If you want to make a European burger, try the German burger. To make this, you only have to add 2 tablespoons of beer, caraway seeds, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut as topping with the rest of the ingredients you normally find in a burger. You then combine everything together then serve later on with sauerkraut and melted cheese.

Do you want to try eating a sweet burger? Well here is one recipe and this is called the honey and ginger burger. To create this dish, you will need 2 teaspoons of ginger powder, a beaten egg and soy sauce as well as the other ingredients normally found in a burger.

Before you make this into a patty, mix all the ingredients together and allow the mixture to rest for about 1 to 3 hours in the refrigerator. After setting, take it out and shape this into a burger patty. If it is too sticky, coat it with some seasoned flour before cooking. Broil for about 4 minutes on each side before putting this inside the burger bun and your choice of relish.

Burgers are served in different countries and cooked in different ways. What makes each one unique is one or two ingredients that completely changes its taste. If you don’t like to use beef, you have the option of replacing this either with fish or chicken.

Don’t forget to add fries or chips and so you don’t get used to serving the same kind each time, try out the different quick and easy recipes available. After all, you don’t order the same burger each time you eat out in a hamburger joint.

Quick And Easy Recipes For Tofu Dishes

quick, easy, recipes, tofu, bean curd, dishes

Quick And Easy Recipes For Tofu Dishes

Tofu (also known as bean curd) is among the healthier foods for your dieting plan. It is high in protein and vitamins but is low in cholesterol and calories. Tofu is often used in soup. You can pan fry it, add to it a salad, combine it with meat, fish, and even make it info sandwich fillings.

There are many things that you can do with your tofu. For example, you can prepare it as a dip for your crackers and chips. just add garlic and onion, blend in a food processor and add some salt and pepper to taste. Make sure that you remove as much water as you can from the tofu, first before you mix them all up. This is a very healthy dip you can use for snacks and even for parties.

Nowadays, increasingly individuals are converting to using tofu and loving it. Tofu contains more protein and less cholesterol and is a good substitute for meat protein. And with so many recipes to cook tofu, you will not get tired of it.

Tofu dishes are often quite tasty because every seasoning or ingredient will stand out. Tofu in itself is not very tasty. So with even very little seasonings, you can create quite a tasty tofu dish. You just need to know how to prepare them.

For a treat, try combining tofu with mushrooms. Use large mushrooms for this one because you will be stuffing the hollowed part with tofu. Prepare the tofu stuffing by adding green onions, crushed garlic, a little bit of soy sauce, a little bit of oyster sauce, add salt and pepper to taste. Once you are done stuffing the mushroom, you bake them not more than 15 minutes.

Whenever you want something to spice up your meal, a chili tofu dish might do the trick. first, marinate cube tofu in a bowl of chili powder mixed with soy sauce and garlic. After marinating for 15 minutes or so place the tofu along with the marinade in a heated pan with olive oil. Cook the tofu until they are crispy on the sides. To get that excess oil out of the tofu, placing them on a kitchen towel.

Try combine your tofu dish with other combinations, such as lamp, crab meat, potatoes, noodles and even rice would go perfect with your tofu dishes.

You can even make a tofu burger. All you need is to mix tofu with flour to form the patties and fry on a pan or grill. Eat them just like a regular burger If you want to be fancy, adding barbecue sauce would be great. These are just a few of the quick and easy recipes for your tofu dishes which you can make.

Quick And Easy Meals In A Rush

Somebody phoned that they will be coming over for a visit. You are busy with kids and managing a family. What do you do? How do you find quick and easy recipes that will help you get out of such dilemma? The best thing that you can do at this instance is do not panic.

Relax… you are only human after all and you are running a household. If you cannot find quick fixes with what you have left on your refrigerator, maybe you can come up with something from what is available. This is a spontaneously thing. Nobody is expecting you to come up with chef-d’oeuvres and meals fitted for the royalties.

While you still got time, gather what materials you have around the house.

Who are your guests? They can munch on some salads with some bread or cookies that you have on your storage.

If you have children coming, you can also work on some easy desserts to be served. Ice cream, fruits in can are quick and easy. You must also check your own children’s stashed away goods to see if you can come up with easy recipes using some of their goodies. If you have to prepare meals, you can settle for easy fried chicken and potatoes chips or pasta that most kids love to eat. This will also be enjoyed by your adult guests as well.

Now that you have done the best things that you are able to, given the short notice to be able to prepare, you can surprise your guests through the presentation. Make your simple meals appear elegant by placing them on serving plates with decorations. This way, no one will notice that you rushed to fixing the foods. They will enjoy what you have for them. This way, you all could enjoy the time you’ll spend together.

After going through such experience, you must learn from it and pile up quick and easy recipes that you can pull out in emergency situations like this. You don’t had to be a good cook to be able to satisfy your guests with the food that you serve them. All you need is loads of ideas and purpose to come up with the right material even at times when there is really not enough time.