Author Archives: therapysoup

Low Carb Chicken Tikka Masala

Posted on by

1

Before Thanksgiving, I was having a craving for Chicken Tikka Masala.  So, I looked up a recipe that was a  low-carb version, and I found one that was slightly changed to be low-carb, but taken from a great recipe book from the show, America’s Test Kitchen.  My husband LOVES that show and their food and he even bought one of their books.  So, I thought it was a great idea to use their recipe and change it accordingly.

I followed all of the instructions and guess what?  It was F’ING DELICIOUS!  My husband ate it, two days in a row.  I will be cooking this again!

I had to learn more about Indian ingredients than I ever knew about, but now I think I am getting it.  I had to buy the peppers from the local Mexican market, and the Indian spices were sold anywhere, except the Garam Masala.  I had to go to the local Indian Sweets and Spices store to get it.  I am sure that if you can’t find a store near you, you can find it online.  I did see it on Amazon.com.

The picture on the website was just like how mine looked when I was done.

One cup (not a lot) of regular chicken tikka masala could be about 45 carbs and the rice is another 45 carbs.  Then, if you eat naan bread, 24g of carbs for two quarters.  This one meal alone is way over 100g of carbs.  I can’t have any other carbs the rest of the day and that is near impossible.  It is just too much!

The recipe I followed takes out a lot of the carbs.  I didn’t do the pita, although if you use low carb pita, and only eat one half of it, you are looking about about 10g of carbs there.  Then, the cauliflower instead of rice is 5g of carbs.  And the chicken tikka masala revised is about half of the original amount.

So, without the bread, my low-carb chicken tikka masala is about 25g of carbs, 35g of carbs with the bread.  This is more diet worthy!

Here is what it looks like (and I swear that the cauliflower is so good that you don’t miss the rice.).


Chicken Tikka Masala, Low Carb

Serves 4 to 6

For a spicier dish, do not remove the ribs and seeds from the chile.

If you prefer to substitute for the Garam Masala, substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.

The sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container, and gently reheated before adding the hot chicken.

Separate Ingredients

 

–Serve with cauliflower.  COOK THE CAULIFLOWER for about 10-15 minutes and then grind it up (rice it) in the Cuisinart–serve.  You could cook and use a whole head for 4-6 servings.

~Making a naan substitute by lightly toasting low carb pita** in the oven then coating it with a minced garlic, sea salt and olive oil mix before toasting again to desired crispness.

Ingredients for the meal:

CHICKEN TIKKA

· 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
· 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
· 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
· 1 teaspoon table salt
· 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat
· 1 cup plain low fat Greek Yogurt
· 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
· 2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
· 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger. can be the stuff in the jar (got some at the Indian store)

MASALA SAUCE

· 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
· 1 medium onion , diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
· 2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons).  I used the crushed garlic in a jar.
· 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger  (used the stuff in the jar)
· 1 fresh serrano chile , ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced .  You keep the outer layer and throw out the insides and seeds.  Wear gloves, be careful, don’t touch your face.  BURNS!
· 1 tablespoon tomato paste
· 1 tablespoon garam masala
· 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
· 2 teaspoons SPLENDA OR ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER
· 1/2 teaspoon table salt
· 2/3 cup heavy cream
· 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. FOR THE CHICKEN:

Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

· 2. FOR THE SAUCE:

Heat oil in large Dutch oven (big pot with lid) over medium heat until shimmering.

Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

· 3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture.

Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

· 4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

This was a good meal and it was low carb.  Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Post Mortem and change to the Twice-Baked Cauliflower Recipe

Posted on by

0

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  It was nice to stay home in my pajamas.  But, I was smart and I did an hour on the elliptial too!

Now, let’s get down to business.  AND TAKE THE POLL AT THE END OF TODAY’S BLOG.

My dinner was about 15g of carbs and my dessert, which will be one of my six proteins for the day, will be about two hours after dinner for another 16g of carbs.

Not bad.  Remember, I want to keep my carbs between 50 and 100g a day.

Some people can do about 200g of carbs or more on Thanksgiving without blinking an eye.  A piece of pie is over 50g of carbs, in of itself.  The potatoes, casseroles, bread, stuffing–will kill anyone’s diet or make someone need to go on one.

My Diet Soapbox:

My belief is that Halloween starts the cycle and following guilt of over eating of sweets, and this puts people in a tailspin of weight gain.  Then,  Thanksgiving really does them in and then they say, “screw it”,  and keep up the damage with a bad Christmas dinner, parties with a lot of bad food, alcohol and candy, cookies and cakes all month long at work.

This is why the diet industry is so big.  You have to learn how to do a holiday wisely and then be ok most of the year and not mess yourself up.  The cycle of putting on the weight and then losing it half the year, not only sucks, but is hard on  your body.

Ok, enough said, so this was my T Day dinner:

Salad (not shown), sliced turkey breast and a touch of gravy with a dish of twice-baked cauliflower cheese was quite enough food.  I was stuffed.  Looking forward though to my low-carb dessert later sugar free pumpkin cheesecake flavored frozen yogurt.

The recipe that I posted for the twice-baked cauliflower needs adjustment.  In my opinion, it was missing some things.  So, here is my adjustment.  (forget the bacon bits-yeck)

MISTAKE IN THE PICTURE:  I SHOULD HAVE USED SHREDDED CHEESE, ALL OVER THE TOP.  MORE CHEESY WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH TASTIER.  It was good, but I love cheese!

Here is the picture of the two that I put back in the oven and put enough cheese on top and boy, can’t wait to eat those.  Looks like cheese souffle!

Aylene’s Twice Baked Cauliflower Recipe

1 medium head of Cauliflower

Sour Cream, 1/4 to 1/2 a cup.  Depends on how milky you want it

Chopped Chives or onion, 1 tsp

1 cup of shredded cheese (you choose the cheese.  I think Cheddar is great)

If you love bacon, cook a couple of strips and break it up in it.  I am skipping bacon.

Butter, salted, 1 tbsp

Garlic powder,  1/2  tsp
Salt, 1 dash
Pepper, black, 1 dash

Directions

Cook cauliflower until tender (10-15 min.).
Preheat oven to 400F.
Chop fine with pastry blender, potato masher or knife.
Add all ingredients together in a medium bowl, fold until mixed.
Use cooking spray on 4 seven ounce ramekins or other small oven safe dishes and spoon mixture into dishes.
**IMPORTANT**  If you want this sucker to be totally delish, you have to put extra shredded cheese on the top of the mixture so that when it bakes, it is extra cheesy on the top.  If you don’t do this, it is kind of boring.
Place all small dishes on a cookie sheet for easier handling.
Bake for 15 minutes on middle rack and then broil for a few minutes until top is golden brown.
Makes 4 servings.
Number of Servings: 4
I hope that if you did any damage, you try not to continue the damage with leftovers.  Give them away.  Be good to yourself and learn to make adjustments to meals that are better for you and you can wake up in the morning and fit into your clothes.

Happy Thanksgiving and a Thanksgiving Food/Exercise Match Up Chart

Posted on by

2

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  Remember, it is about family and fun.  It doesn’t have to be about BAD food, it can be about good food.

3 helpful blogs to help you through the holiday food issues:

1. What I recommend to eat and what I will be eating.  https://skinny-rules.com/2012/11/12/delicious-substitutions-for-thanksgiving-dinner/

2. How not to pig out at Thanksgiving.  https://skinny-rules.com/2012/11/15/8waystohelpyourselffrompiggingoutatthanksgiving/

3. How people sabotage at holiday dinners.  https://skinny-rules.com/2012/11/14/holiday-sabotage/

BUT if you do pig out, here is a chart to help you exercise off that pie and whatever other carbliicous things you ate.

 

A thought… If you skipped the pie, the marshmellow/sweet potato casserole, the bread (roll and stuffing) and the cranberry sauce, you will save yourself almost half of the calories from your meal and most of the carbs.  Your pancreas will thank you too for not having to work so hard and send out so much insulin to deal with all of that sugar!

If there are no vegetables that aren’t smothered in cream, then eat those (or eat those and wipe away the breaded onion) and eat the turkey and maybe just a little of the potato and gravy and you will be doing a lot better.

Worse case scenario, I will not be eating pie unless it is made with Splenda, but if you do, only have half of a slice.  Bring it down to 30g of carbs vs. 60 or 70g grams with a big slice.  And you could  do some exericse to burn off some of those carbs!

Happy Gobble Gobble!

IT IS ALL GREEK TO ME! Greek Yogurts!

Posted on by

0

In the past year or two, Greek Yogurt has been taking over as “the” yogurt of choice.  It is tangier, less sweet and creamier.

Is Greek Yogurt healthier?  Better for you diet?

Both Greek and regular yogurt, in their plain, nonfat or low-fat forms, can be part of a healthful diet. They are both low in calories,  and a great source of calcium and live bacterial cultures. But our Mediterranean friend—which is strained extensively to remove much of the liquid whey, lactose, and sugar, giving it its thick consistency—does have an edge.It can be about the same amount of calories (although I have noticed that regular yogurt tends to have more carbs), it can pack up to double the protein, while cutting sugar content by half.   All that, and it tastes great too.

What is so good about it?  

(The following will explain how Greek Yogurt has half the sodium, more calcium and protein and less carbohydrates than regular yogurt.)

PROTEIN:

Greek yogurt is high in protein, which helps promote fullness.

A typical 6-ounce serving contains 15 to 20 grams, the amount in 2 to 3 ounces of lean meat. That makes it particularly appealing to vegetarians, who sometimes struggle to get enough of the nutrient. An identical serving of regular yogurt, on the other hand, provides just 9 grams, meaning you may feel hunger pangs sooner.

CALCIUM:

Regular yogurt provides 30 percent of the federal government’s recommended daily amount. Greek yogurt loses some of its calcium through the straining process, but still packs a wallop. A 6-ounce cup typically supplies about 20 percent of the daily recommendation. If you’re still worried about calcium intake, load up on milk, seeds, and almonds, says Sarah Krieger, a registered dietician and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Be wary of Greek yogurt’s fat content. In just 7 ounces, Fage’s full-fat Greek yogurt packs 16 grams of saturated fat—or 80 percent of your total daily allowance if you’re on a 2,000-calorie diet. (That’s more than in three Snickers bars.) Dannon’s regular full-fat yogurt has 5 grams of saturated fat in an 8-ounce serving. Saturated fat raises total and “BAD” LDL choesterol, increasing the risk for heart disease. Read nutrition labels carefully. If you’re going Greek, stick to low-fat and fat-free versions.

SODIUM:

A serving of Greek yogurt averages 50 milligrams of sodium—about half the amount in most brands of the regular kind. (Low-sodium versions of regular yogurt are available.) Too much salt can boost blood pressure and increase the risk of other heart problems. The federal government’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines urge Americans to cap sodium at 2,300 milligrams a day or 1500 if 55 plus.

CARBOHYRATES:

 Going Greek is a smart choice for low-carb diets. It contains roughly half the carbs as the regular kind—5 to 8 grams per serving compared with 13 to 17. Plus, the straining process removes some of the milk sugar, lactose, making Greek yogurt less likely to upset the lactose-intolerant. However, some of the Greek Yogurts are flavored and do have high amounts of carbs.  Fage is a good example of different choices and different amounts of carbohydrates.  If you get the plain, non-fat, there are 7g of carbs.  But, as soon as you add a flavor, it goes up to 17g or more carbs.  http://www.fageusa.com/products/fage-total-0-percent/.

However, I like Danon Lite and Fit (get it in bulk at Costco).  It has only 8g of carbs per tub and it is flavored.

You have to look at all of the choices and look at the labels yourselves.  I noticed online that Dannon has one with less sugar for diabetics, Dannon – Diabetic Friendly Light & Fit Carb & Sugar Control Yogurt.  It is only 3g of carbs…however, the store locator said it was not selling around my house and I would have to travel 18 miles to get it.  So, for now, I am stuck with 8g of carbs until I can perhaps get my local market to order it.  http://www.dannon.com/storelocator.aspx

 

CONCLUSION:

It also has many uses.  Mix it in some berries or high-fiber granola. You can also substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream for example.  It’s an acceptable replacement for fatty ingredients like cream cheese, mayonnaise, and butter. Its texture makes it an excellent swap for mayonnaise on sandwiches, or in dishes like potato salad, egg or pasta salad, and coleslaw.

But, the great news is that it tastes great and Greek yogurt seems to have a nutritional edge over regular yogurt.  But both kinds of yogurt help you lose weight by keeping you full on fewer calories. The key is sticking to plain, nonfat, or low-fat varieties and LOOK at labels.

 

 

The Death of Hostess

Posted on by

0

Unless you have been busy, you might have heard that Hostess is going out of business.  Looks like the 85-year-old company doesn’t want to deal with union demands after much financial mismanagement, and they are just shutting the whole thing down.  There have been runs on what is left of the products in the stores and now some are for sale on Ebay.  The Twinkies seem to have a shelf life of 25 years, so people are buying them up!  Probably nostalgia or sugar-junkees.

I blogged about my experience with Hostess as a kid.  https://skinny-rules.com/2012/09/27/look-before-you-eat/

I am pretty sure that the major carbs in those things made me a heavy kid, but also, there are so many toxic things in there too.  http://globalgrind.com/music/what-is-in-twinkie-ingredients-photos-going-out-business-hostess

Trans fats?  Corn Syrup?  And things you find in soap and curl activator gel.  Yuck.

There are plenty of other disgusting (but tasty) things out there to eat, but keep in mind….you are what you eat.  If you eat a Ding Dong, well, there you go.  But, even things that sound healthy can have hidden dangerous ingredients like trans fats or corn syrup.  And some of them have tons of carbs.  Someone ite said that they love the Peets Coffee Oatmeal Apricot Scone.  A Twinkie is about 27g of carbs, but the scone is 58g of carbs.  Yes, there is oatmeal in it, but also there is a ton of unneeded sugar.  If you want to lose weight, you have to eat about 50 to 100 carbs a day.  If the scone has that many, your diet day is dead.  You might even gain if you eat more food with carbs.

Some people would even deep fry a Twinkie.  More artery clogging!

Twinkies can’t be good for you or they would not have been made famous in the murder of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. (also shown in the movie, “Milk”)  in what is known as the “Twinkie Defense.”  You binge on Twinkies and before you know it, you kill someone.  http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/behind_the_twinkie_defense_20121117/

So, watch the sweets.  They are NOT so sweet to the body!  It is kind of like a deadly but beautiful black widow.

Goodbye Hostess.  You might be responsible for murder and generations of carb and sugar freaks, but I am glad you are gone now.  I only worry that people are so addicted now, that they will just continue to find junkee replacements.

It is your birthday and you want a piece of cake, okay.  But, for daily and weekly weight maintenance or diet, go have some low-carb ice cream or cookies, make some low-carb cake, eat some low-carb Greek Yogurt or berries, where you are fitting in your carb content into your days total.  Stay away from the sugary concoctions as a daily treat.  It is not a treat to deal with weight and health issues.  It sucks.  “Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels!”

10 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Posted on by

0

It is important to boost your metabolism if you want to keep thin.  The body will burn more calories with a quicker metabolism than one that is just at rest.

So, here are 10 ways to do it:

1. BUILD MUSCLE:

Our bodies constantly burn calories, even when we’re doing nothing. This resting metabolic rate is much higher in people with more muscle. Every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories a day just to sustain itself, while each pound of fat burns only 2 calories daily. That small difference can add up over time.

2.  STEP UP YOUR WORKOUT:

Aerobic exercise may not build big muscles, but it can rev up your metabolism in the hours after a workout. The key is to push yourself.  When you are walking, burst into fast walking here and there.  Push yourself.

3.  FUEL UP WITH WATER:

The body needs water to process calories. If you are even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. In one study, adults who drank eight or more glasses of water a day burned more calories than those who drank four. To stay hydrated, drink a glass of water or other unsweetened beverage before every meal and snack. In addition, try munching on fresh fruits and vegetables, which are full of fluid, rather than pretzels or chips.

4.  ENERGY DRINKS: (low carb and low sugar!  Check the label!)

Some ingredients in energy drinks can give your metabolism a boost. They’re full of caffeine which increases the amount of energy your body uses. They sometimes have taurine, an amino acid. Taurine can speed up your metabolism and may help burn fat. But using these drinks can cause problems like high blood pressure, anxiety, and sleep issues for some people. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend them for kids and teens.

5.  SINLESS PROTEIN SNACKS BETWEEN MEALS:

Having a small protein meal or snack every 3 to 4 hours keeps your metabolism cranking, so you burn more calories over the course of a day. Several studies have also shown that people who snack regularly eat less at meal time.

6. SPICE UP YOUR MEALS:

Spicy foods contain chemical compounds that can kick the metabolism into a higher gear. Eating a tablespoon of chopped red or green chili pepper can boost your metabolic rate.  I sell Capio tablets that are made with the ingredients of spices and I take them every morning to spice up my metabolism.

7.  POWER UP WITH PROTEIN:

The body burns many more calories digesting protein as it uses for fat or carbohydrates. Although you want to eat a balanced diet, replacing some carbs with lean, protein-rich foods can boost the metabolism at mealtime. Healthy sources of protein include lean beef, turkey, fish, white meat chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy products. I, personally, do not like to eat beans unless I am going to work out.  They are high in carbs.  Nuts can be too, so you have to watch how much of them you eat.

8.  BEST NEWS IS YOU SHOULD DRINK COFFEE!

Coffee drinkers are aware of  the increased energy and concentration that follows your morning ritual. Taken in moderation, one of coffee’s benefits may be a short-term increase in your metabolic rate.

9.  GREEN TEA CAN BOOST YOUR METABOLISM:

Drinking green tea or oolong tea offers the combined benefits of caffeine and catechins, substances shown to rev up the metabolism for a couple hours. Research suggests that drinking two to four cups of either tea may push the body to burn 17% more calories than normal during moderately intense exercise for a short period of time.

10. CRASH DIETS WILL MESS UP YOUR METABOLISM:

Crash diets — those involving eating fewer than 1,000 calories a day — are disastrous for anyone hoping to quicken their metabolism. Although these diets may help you drop pounds while consuming things that are NOT good nutrition,  a high percentage of the loss comes from muscle. The lower your muscle mass, the slower your metabolism. The final result is a body that burns fewer calories (and gains weight faster) than the one you had before the diet.

Here are the foods that help boost your metabolism.  Get them into your daily diet.

A delicious dessert recipe for low carb banana chocolate chip muffins

Posted on by

0

Found this recipe for low carb (16g of carbs) Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=3740

Introduction

For a snack or dessert

Number of Servings: 16

Ingredients

1 cup bananas, mashed (about 2 1/2 medium bananas)
1 large egg
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tbsp stevia or 1/2 cup splenda
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup regular flour
1/4 cup milk, 1%
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

 

Directions

Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Fill 16 muffin tins or papers about halfway. (I used an ice cream scoop to spoon it because the dough will be thick.)
Bake 350 degrees for 20 mins.
ENJOY!

Number of Servings: 16


8 Ways to Help Yourself From Pigging Out on Carbs at Thanksgiving

Posted on by

2

How to avoid the temptation of sugary or carby holiday foods:

Rather than try to overly obsess about our food decisions, it’s better to change the environment so that it works for us rather than against us, making it easier to make decisions to eat less

1.  Let people know in advance that you are eating differently and ask them to have (or you bring) things that you can eat like meat, veggies (not smothered in sauces and soups), fruits, cheese and salad.  (If they don’t care about your diet, then you bring what you have to in order to show some self-love!)

2.  Stay away from crackers, breads, candied fruit items, pies (unless you bring your own low carb pie or ice cream dessert or they provide one for you.

3.  Drink, drink, drink– water and diet drinks a lot.  Stay away from cider and sugary things to drink.

4.  Eat some protein before you go to dinner so that you are not so hungry that you will pig out on whatever is there. (turkey, chicken, cheese, a protein bar, nuts, etc)

5.  Grab the smallest plate and fill that, rather than filling a large plate with food.  No refills, except for salad.

6.  Eat meat and veggies, limit fruits.

7.  Don’t sit close to the food buffet–avoid temptation.

8.  Don’t eat the appetizers and wait for the meal.  Most appetizers are calorie/carb laden.

BE STRONG and know that you are doing something that will make you happier the next day.

Last year, for Thanksgiving, I had a salad, fresh turkey breast, gravy, veggies and a low carb ice cream and I was not only full and happy, but I didn’t gain weight the next day and it was delish.  Can you say the same thing?  This year to spice it up, I am going to try to make twice baked cauliflower and cheese and maybe a low carb pie, not sure yet.  But one thing is for sure, I will be happy on the scale the next day and I didn’t put off my weight loss or maintenance for some lame holiday pig out excuse.  You try it too!

 

Holiday Sabotage

Posted on by

2

You are going to be surrounded by holiday candy, pumpkin bread, pies, etc.  I meet a lot of people who give up on their diet at the holidays or don’t even start with the excuse that they will start after the holidays are over.

NO!

You need to take control of your life.  You cannot have this excuse again.  You have had it for years and it is the reason you are heavy or gain the weight back.  Something has to change.  How you view food has to change.

So, it is the holidays.   You think that Mother Mary, Jesus or the Thanksgiving pilgrims thought that you should gorge yourself with carbs at the holidays for them?  NO.  The message behind these holidays is about being grateful and the celebration of a birth.  It has nothing to do with sugary carbs.  Thanksgiving was about sitting down and “breaking bread”, so to speak,  with the American Indians, in the spirit of cooperation.

WHAT THE PILGRIMS ATE:

The first Thanksgiving feast would have looked very strange to our modern eyes, consisting mainly of corn and meat. The spirit of the celebration would be easy for us to understand, because then, as now, Thanksgiving is a reminder of the bounty of the Earth and the importance of hard work and cooperation.

Cheese:

You might be surprised to know how how different the first Thanksgiving dinner was from what we enjoy today.  They might have had cheese made from goat’s milk.

A Variety of Meats

The pilgrims and the Indians had some type of fowl and venison. The pilgrims often hunted fowl for a special feast follwing the harvest. Wild turkeys are native to New England, as are pheasants. Both were enjoyed by the pilgrims and indians alike and were included in the feast. The Indians brought venison; some of the braves went hunting and brought back five deer to share. Other meats that may have been on the table include lobster, seal and swans.

The food was placed on the table, and people helped themselves to it.

Fruits, veggies without sugar, meats, and corn

Thanksgiving today includes many vegetables available, but in the 17th century, vegetables were not always plentiful. Special meals, even the Thanksgiving meal, centered around many different kinds of meat.

Common fruits and vegetables included pumpkin, peas, beans, radishes, carrots, onions, lettuce, plums and grapes. Walnuts, chestnuts and acorns were also plentiful. Though there was no pumpkin pie, the Pilgrims did make stewed pumpkin. They had cranberries, but no sugar, so they did not make cranberry sauce. Sweet potatoes were not common, so those were probably not on the thanksgiving table.

No  pies or other sweets.

They did not have an oven to bake pies, and even though they brought sugar over on the Mayflower, it had all been used by the time of the first celebration.

The Pilgrims had little in the way of grain, they only had wheat flour.

So, try to eat more like a Pilgrim than a Piggy for the holidays!  Tomorrow’s blog is about how to avoid the bad holiday foods.

Delicious Substitutions for Thanksgiving Dinner

Posted on by

2

According to Sugarstacks.com, there are a lot of sugar cubes in one traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  Do you really want to derail your diet or gain 5 pounds from one dinner, where you are eating things that are not necessarily absolute for a good Thanksgiving meal?  Did the Puritans really want you to eat these things?  Of course not!

Here is a picture of a traditional meal. This is the equivalent of almost 26 sugar cubes.

Traditional Thanksgiving Meal

Item Calories Sugar
Stuffing 160 2g
Turkey Breast, 4 oz. 142 0g
Gravy 25 1g
Sweet Potato Casserole 320 41g
Dinner Roll 110 4g
1/2 Tbsp Butter 50 0g
Cranberry Sauce (canned) 110 21g
Green Beans 30 2g
Mashed Potatoes 155 3g
Pumpkin Pie  w/ Whipped Cream 340 31g
Totals 1442 105g


(Calories from sugar:  420)

Sugarstacks breaks each item down with pictures.  http://sugarstacks.com/thanksgiving.htm

THE LOW CARB WAY TO DO THANKSGIVING:

TURKEY BREAST:  cooked instead of the whole bird or give the dark meat to the skinny guys, 4 ounces per portion

GRAVY:  A tablespoon or two of gravy won’t kill you.

LOW CARB BREAD STUFFING:  You could make stuffing with low carb bread like JulianBakery.com or even Sara Lee 45 Calorie Bread (and eat a small portion) or skip stuffing.  Do you really need it?

FRUIT:  Candied Cranberries are a bad idea.  Skip it.  Have sugar free jello instead or some delicious fresh fruit cut up and placed out in a bowl.  One serving could be about 11g of carbs.

VEGETABLES:  Go ahead, make your favorite veggies.  Don’t do the version where it is smothered in Cream of Mushroom soup.  If you absolutely must, here is a low carb recipe version of it:  http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbsidedishes/r/greenbeancasser.htm  (6 g net carbs vs. 17g per serving)

MASHED POTATOES are not the best choice, make mashed cauliflower (see recipe below).  Tastes great:  (If you must eat mashed potatoes, only a small one or two tablespoons worth)

DINNER ROLL:  Not a great idea.  Skip this or have a slice of low-carb bread like mentioned above.

PIE:  VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF CARBS unless you do a low carb pie.   Get a dessert that is low cal like low-carb ice cream (Breyers has a delicious Smart Carb Vanilla) or get a recipe for low carb pie and make that (see below for four links to low carb pie recipes).  Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries in it is also very good.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE:  Gotta be the most stupid Thanksgiving creation ever.  FORGET IT!  So many carbs, I don’t even know what to say.  Even the low carb version is 20 g  versus 40g of carbs for traditional casserole.  That is a lot.  http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbsidedishes/r/sweetpotatocass.htm

–HOWEVER:  This is a faux sweet potato casserole recipe and will be ok for your diet!  http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/low-carb-faux-sweet-potato-casserole

–ALSO, I make a really nice salad with cheese in it and serve that instead of Sweet Potato Casserole.

 

****BUT INSTEAD OF THE STUPID CASSEROLE OR MASHED CAULIFLOWER OR POTATOES, how about just this intead??? Now this looks delish.  I can’t wait to try it….****

Cyndi’s “Twice Baked” Cauliflower

 http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=499677

Submitted by: CYNDIDAVISUSA

Introduction

I got this idea from twice baked potatoes. You can cut the calories more than this if you use fat free or low fat dairy products. So good I could eat it every day. Great way to cut the potatoes out of a meal if you need to…

Minutes to Prepare: 15
Minutes to Cook: 20
Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

Cauliflower, frozen, cooked, 4 cup (1″ pieces)
Sour Cream, .25 cup
Chopped Chives, 1 tsp
Colby Cheese, .25 cup, shredded
Monterey Cheese, .25 cup, shredded
Hormel Bacon Bits, 2 tbsp
Butter, salted, 1 tbsp
Garlic powder, .5 tsp
Salt, 1 dash
Pepper, black, 1 dash

Directions

Cook cauliflower until tender [I use frozen and the microwave with NO water added for 10 minutes on high]. Preheat oven to 400F. Chop fine with pastry blender, potato masher or knife. Add all ingredients together in a medium bowl, fold until mixed. Use cooking spray on 4 seven ounce ramekins or other small oven safe dishes and spoon mixture into dishes. Place all small dishes on a cookie sheet for easier handling. Bake for 15 minutes on middle rack and then broil for a few minutes until top is golden brown. Makes 4 servings, but you may want to make extra, cuz…OMG this is good.

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CYNDIDAVISUSA.

IN CONCLUSION:

Below are the cauliflower and pie recipe information.

Please consider carefully before you subject yourself, your family or your guests to an unnecessarily high-calorie, high-carb Thanksgiving dinner.  Try the substitutions that I mentioned. Plan ahead and happy holidays!

Recipe for Surprise Mashed “Potatoes”


4 cups cauliflower florets

1 ounce I can’t believe it’s not butter

1 ounce Lake O’Lakes fat free half & half

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

 

Steam or microwave the cauliflower until soft. Puree in food

Processor, adding the butter spray and the half and half to taste. Season with salt and pepper.

 

4 servings – 60 calories, 1 ½ g fat, 3 g protein,

11g carbohydrates

Recipes for Pies:  (Pumpkin, Chocolate, Key-Lime, Pecan)–also good for diabetics.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/desserts/r/pumpkinpie.htm

http://healthyindulgences.net/2009/04/healthy-low-carb-chocolate-pie/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/key-lime-pie—low-carb-version/

Pecan Pie Recipe Perfect for Low Carb Atkins, South Beach, or Diabetics