Pepperoni Cracker Snack

Ingredients:
14 slices pepperoni (i.e. Hormel pre-sliced ready to eat)[1P]
Cheese or other topping

Directions:

Spread pepperoni slices out on 2 layers of paper towels.
Cover with two more paper towels and microwave for 25 - 45 seconds.
Flip over and let towels absorb grease.
Pepperoni will be dry and crisp and perfect for dabs of picante sauce, salsa or other 1 block carbs.


Source: http://www.the-zone-diet-recipes.com/

Mexican Soup

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey or lean venison (16P)
1 teaspoon Olive Oil (3F)
3/4 Cups Onion (1/2 C)
2 cloves of garlic
1 Taco Seasoning Package (2C)
1 Can diced Tomato (2C)
1 Can Tomato Sauce (2C)
1 Can Mexican Rotel Tomato (1C)
1 Can Black Beans (5C)
1 Can White Corn (3C)
2 Cups Water (or desired consistency)

Directions:

Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the ground meat and simmer. Next, add the taco seasoning. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour. You can use a crock pot and cook on low all day, ready to eat when you get home from work. Sprinkle your bowl with reduced fat, shredded cheddar cheese for the extra fat needed.


Source: http://www.the-zone-diet-recipes.com/

Hashbrowns

3C, 3P, 3F


Ingredients:
3 oz. cooked meat (Roast beef, ham, etc.)[3P]
1/3 cup diced cooked potato[1C]
1 cup chopped tomato[1C]
Chopped onion, green pepper, mushrooms, to taste
Salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce, to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil[3F]
1/4 cantaloupe[1C]

Directions:

In a non-stick pan, sauté onion, green pepper and mushrooms in the oil until tender.
Add cooked meat, potato, vegetables, spices and Worcestershire sauce.
Cook, stirring, until heated through.


Source: http://www.the-zone-diet-recipes.com/

Pita Pizza

Ingredients:
1 mini pita pocket, cut in half pizza-style (2 blocks carb) check package label
1 oz. reduced fat mozzarella cheese (1 block protein)
3 oz. lean Canadian bacon OR 3 oz. cooked skinless chicken breast OR 4 1/2 oz. lean ground beef, cooked and drained (3 blocks protein)
Green pepper and onion, chopped, enough to top pizza
1 large tossed salad (1 block carb)
4 teaspoons olive oil and vinegar dressing (Four blocks fat)
1 plum (1 block carb)

Directions:

In non-stick pan lightly sprayed with vegetable spray, cook bacon for one minute, turning once. (Or broil hamburger meat, drain and crumble or broil skinless chicken breast strips.) Sauté vegetables to desired degree of tenderness. Put protein, then vegetables on pita rounds. Sprinkle each with cheese. Broil until cheese melts.

I'll probably drop the plum and put a tablespoon of homemade tomato sauce on there.


Source: http://www.the-zone-diet-recipes.com/

Pineapple Chicken and Broccoli

Ingredients:
3 oz chicken breast (3 Blocks Protein)
1 tsp olive oil (3 Blocks Fat)
3/4 cup pineapple, cubed (1 1/2 Blocks Carb)
1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli (1 1/2 Blocks Carb)
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Ginger

Directions:
Heat olive oil in non-stick frying pan. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, add to olive oil and brown. Stir often. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. While chicken is cooking, prepare broccoli according to package directions. Add pineapple to chicken mixture. Sprinkle with ginger. Cook chicken mix until chicken is cooked through, pineapple has softened, and juice has thickened slightly (about 5 minutes). Create broccoli bed on serving plate, pour chicken mixture on top and serve immediately.

Variations: Cut olive oil in half and sprinkle final product with almond slivers. Add broccoli to chicken mix for more of a stir fry.

Source: http://www.the-zone-diet-recipes.com/

Black Bean Soup

2 cans black beans (drained)

12 oz. ground turkey

1 onion

1 tbs. vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cans beef stock

1 small can tomato paste

1 tbs. thyme

1 tbs. basil

1 tbs. parsley

1 bay leaf

1 avocado

Saute the ground beef in a nonstick skillet. Chop the onion. When the beef is done, remove it, drain the pan, and saute the onion and garlic in the vegetable oil until the onion is translucent. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir well to help blend the tomato paste. Simmer for 20 minutes, remove the bay leaf, garnish with slices of avocado, and serve. Serves 4.

Calories 475
Carb 44 grams (41%)
Protein 31 grams (29%)
Fat 16 grams (30%)


Source: www.iwantfreehealthyrecipes.com/

Chicken Salad on a Bed of Lettuce

Serving Comment: 1/2 of recipe
Servings: 2 
Calories/Serving: 383.89 
Protein - Carb - Fat Ratio: 32-41-27

CHICKEN BREAST, BONELESS, RAW - broilers or fryers, meat only 6 oz
CELERY, RAW - diced 2 cups
CHICKPEAS, CANNED (GARBANZO) - garbanzo beans, bengal gram, mature seed 1/2 cup
KIDNEY BEANS, CANNED - all types, mature seeds 1/2 cup
SALSA, RTS - ready-to-serve 1 cup
LETTUCE, COS OR ROMAINE, RAW - cos or romaine, shredded 6 cups
OLIVE OIL - salad or cooking 4 tsp
CHILI POWDER 1 tsp
GARLIC, RAW 2 cloves

In non stick sauté pan add oil, diced chicken, celery, chili powder and garlic. Cook until chicken is browned, then add chickpeas, kidney beans, and salsa. Simmer for 10 minutes; until heated through and beans have softened. While the chicken and vegetables are cooking arrange a bed of lettuce on both plates. Remove sauté pan from stove and let stand for 5 minutes to cool. Spoon chicken and vegetables over lettuce. Serve.


Source: http://adiet4health.com/sample_recipes.htm

Baked Turkey Burrito

This is from the Zone Diet. For more information about this diet, click here.


12 tortillas

4 cups frozen hash browns

3 cups onion
3 lb. ground turkey
2 14 oz. cans black beans
8 oz lowfat shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups salsa
2 tbs. fresh chopped cilantro
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper


Cook the onion & turkey together with the salt & pepper. Then cook the hash browns. Mix the turkey & onion, hash browns, beans, cheese, cilantro, cumin and half of the salsa in a large bowl. Build the burritos, then top them in the baking dish with the other half of the salsa. Cook at 350 for about 20 minutes. Makes 12 burritos.

Calories 520
Carb 51 grams (42%)
Protein 37 grams (31%)
Fat 15 grams (27%)

Source: www.iwantfreehealthyrecipes.com/

Getting Started

My freshman year in college, at 116 lbs.,  I convinced myself to take an Introduction to Weight Training class. After the first "check-in" day, I was super intimidated by the guys and their weight lifting knowledge. I emailed the professor and she said she would work with me the first day, and if I didn't like it after that I could switch, but that I should at least give it a shot. I did. And for four days I was making heads turn--not because I looked great, but because after the 45 minute leg workout, I was walking funny. Very funny.

Her name was Tiffany and by the end of the class, me and my parents paid her (almost nothing) to work with me one to two hours a week to help me stay in shape. Unfortunately, all the leg workouts aggravated a knee injury. I ended up doing about 6 months of physical therapy, spent thousands on that and doctors bills, and had to give up running--possibly forever. At one point I ended up at 135 lbs. That may not sound like my to you, but I'm only 5' 2 and twenty pounds is a lot of weight gain at that height. I was able to get down to 118, but as of today I haven't seen that in months.

Tiffany taught me so much about exercise, eating right, and maintaining and healthy weight (not all of which I've followed closely), but she said something to me one day that has stuck with me. I was complaining about a friend of mine that eats nothing but junk, never exercises, and has always been smaller than me. She responded, "Girl, you don't want to be like her. She's just skinny fat! She may look skinny, but it's just flab--she's not toned at all."

Today, if you saw me you would say: "Oh my goodness! You don't need to lose weight! Shut-up!" And you'd be right. I still wear a size 4 dress and look pretty good in a bathing suit. But, I'm skinny fat. I'm little, but it's ALL flab! It's time to get past that and become TRULY skinny.

The result: I got P90X and I'm going to start eating right. They say losing weight and getting into shape is 90% what you eat and 10% exercise. The point of this blog is to find healthy foods with miminal fat that actually taste good. Since I am not married, I'll also be looking for things that re-heat well.

For a little while, I'll just be posting recipes. Once I've tried them myself, the posts will be updated as needed, suggestions added, and comments from friends and family. Please feel free to add any of your own thoughts!

Thank you for reading, and I wish you the best of luck in getting rid of your flab and becoming a Skinny Mini!