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Published on Wednesday, April 28, 2010
By LA Daily News Staff Writer
Want to trim a few pounds before bathing suit season? You're not alone. There's no magic bullet, but some new books can help.
"Losing weight or trimming down is 50 percent attitude without a doubt," says Joy Bauer, "Today Show" nutrition and health expert and author of "Slim and Scrumptious" (William Morrow; $24.99), her eighth book. "It involves hard work and commitment but the payback is huge and well worth the effort."
The book, with 75 quick and affordable recipes, is geared not only to those wanting to lose weight, but families interested in embracing a balanced diet and cooking healthful everyday meals that are low in calories and fat on flavor, says the mother of three.
"My mission is to improve the health of the country and I think it is possible. People are interested and more motivated than before and it doesn't mean depriving yourself or suffering. It means making smart lifestyle choices - and learning how to prepare delicious food that doesn't feel deprivational and keeps you motivated."
To stay on track, "ditch the liquid calories. Get rid of sodas, frou frou coffee drinks and fruit drinks. Stick with water (jazz it up with oranges, sliced berries, lemons and cucumbers), naturally flavored seltzers (with zero calories and no artificial sweetners), iced teas and coffees (use skim or 1 percent milk and no more than 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar or honey).
"Get off the couch, turn off the TV and spend time outdoors - walking, biking, hiking.
"Eat every four to five hours throughout the day - that means three meals and one to two snacks," says Bauer. "It's really important to include some sort of protein with meals - such as lean poultry, steak, beans (black beans, kidney, edamame) lentils or nonfat yogurt - because protein helps to slightly rev your metabolism."
To take the edge off hunger, start dinner with a first course non-starchy veggie such as a salad with light dressing, a noncreamy gazpacho or cucumber soup.
"A good rule of thumb is to close the kitchen after dinner by 9 p.m.," she adds.
When it comes to snacks, keep them around 150 calories each. "I love nonfat Greek vanilla yogurt mixed with a dollop of canned pure pumpkin. It's like pumpkin pudding with a lot of protein."
Other options include a piece of fruit and a small handful (10) of almonds, pistachios, walnuts; an apple with a level tablespoon of natural peanut butter; string cheese with a piece of fruit; 1/4 cup hummus with cut-up bell pepper strips and baby carrots; or a rice cake with a thick tomato slice and 2 percent reduced fat cheese (such as Cracker Barrel sharp Cheddar or Cabot brand). Or try her frozen hot chocolate, a slimmed-down, guilt-free version of the classic served at Serendipity in Manhattan.
"Sustainability," is what gives dieters the most trouble, she adds, "often because people go to the extreme in the beginning with uber restrictive plans, detox and the like, which backfire with a vengeance. People end up obsessing with food and eating the house."
To avoid regaining weight once you've lost it, "I think that you really have to swallow the fact that these changes are permanent," emphasizes Bauer. "You can't touch home plate and then go back to your old habits. I'm a big advocate of losing weight using the same foods you are going to eat after you have lost the weight.
"No one has to be perfect 24/7. My food philosophy is 90/10 - 90 percent healthy foods and 10 percent fun foods." In her diet plan, she's adamant after the first week (of wiping out added sugars and artificial sweeteners from your taste buds and mind) about building in one 150-calorie portion control fix a day that people can look forward to, like a glass of wine, an ounce of dark chocolate (size of a credit card), a scoop of light ice cream or two small cookies.
For an on-the-go breakfast, Bauer recommends a whole wheat (70-calorie) pita bread with a smear of peanut butter; or a nonfat plain or flavored yogurt with a piece of fruit.
Bauer mostly cooks from scratch, but on occasion uses healthy canned soups, jarred marinara and other sauces (Ragu Light with no added sugar) and better versions of white chicken nuggets.
When it comes to eating out, "It's not where you eat, it's what you eat," says Bauer, adding that "you can special request anything anywhere."
Manhattan Beach resident Devin Alexander, author of "I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! Over 150 Ridiculously Easy Recipes for the Super Busy," (Broadway Books; $19.99) avoids eating out except for business or when traveling.
"If you want to slim down or lose weight, cook for yourself," she advises. "This book (her fifth) is all about the fast solution. It's not meant to be a diet book. It's a healthy lifestyle book, great for anybody who wants to lose weight," as well as those concerned with lowering cholesterol and saturated fats. The healthy and decadent recipes involve 20 minutes or less hands-on time.
Although Alexander, who has kept off 55 pounds for close to 20 years, does use some packaged items (fudge brownie mix, marinara sauce, herbs in tubes, whole wheat Boboli pizza crusts and cooked brown rice), "more than 70 percent of the recipes in the book can be made with all natural or organic ingredients."
Her philosophy of cooking boils down to "20 minutes in your kitchen can save you three hours on a treadmill. You can exercise moderately and eat the foods you love if you make them yourself."
Cravings seem to be most problematic for people, so Alexander has built recipes around satisfying some of them. If people crave Buffalo wing sauce for instance, there's a recipe for shrimp and vegetables with the sauce. A peppermint brownie pizza will satisfy cravings for a gooey dessert with 142 calories per serving.
Breakfast options include a chocolate banana breakfast bowl, chocolate peanut butter breakfast banana split, chocolate raspberry breakfast sundae and lemon poppy seed pancakes.
Diet guru Lisa Lillien of Encino, creator of the Hungry Girl brand and founder of hungry-girl.com , returns with her third book, "Hungry Girl 1-2-3: The Easiest, Most Delicious, Guilt-Free Recipes on the Planet," (St. Martin's Griffin; $19.99).
"There are more fresh fruits, veggies and lean protein in the recipes than ever before," she writes, adding that the focus is on low-calorie, low-fat entrees in the 200 simple dishes included in this volume. She maintains that you can eat foods you love and achieve and maintain a healthy weight if you change your lifestyle. It's all about guilt-free, but fun eating without sacrificing taste.
Other recently released volumes to peruse include "Cook Yourself Thin Faster," with Lauren Deen (Voice; $19.99) and "Eat What You Love," by Marlene Koch (Running Press; $29.95).
SHRIMP SCAMPI WITH BROCCOLI RABE AND RED PEPPER
1 (16-ounce) bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons trans-fat free, reduced-fat soft tub margarine spread
1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (OR to taste)
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil and add broccoli rabe. Return to a boil, and cook 1 minute to blanch it. Drain, let cool slightly and then squeeze moisture out; set aside.
In a large saut pan or skillet, heat margarine and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion and red pepper flakes and saut 1 minute. Add red bell pepper and saut 2 minutes or until pepper is crisp-tender. Add shrimp and saut over high heat until they are just opaque and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
Add wine and simmer until reduced by about half. Add reserved broccoli rabe and lemon juice and toss with shrimp mixture until just heated through. Remove from heat and serve. Makes 4 (2-cup) servings.
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 293 calories, 39 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams total fat, 255 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams fiber and 560 milligrams sodium.
From "Slim and Scrumptious," by Joy Bauer. FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1 cup fat-free evaporated milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 3 cups ice cubes Reduced-fat whipped topping OR dark chocolate shavings, for garnish (optional)
Combine chocolate syrup, evaporated milk, vanilla and ice in a blender and blend until completely smooth.
Pour into 4 glasses and garnish with a dollop of whipped topping or a sprinkling of chocolate shavings if desired. Makes 4 (generous 1-cup) servings. VARIATIONS
MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE: Add 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE: Substitute 1/4 teaspoon mint extract for vanilla.
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 150 calories, 5 grams protein, 32 grams carbohydrate. 0 grams total fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 0 grams fiber and 85 milligrams sodium.
From "Slim and Scrumptious," by Joy Bauer. AJ'S MAC-N-CHEEZY
1 (10-ounce) block (OR 2 1/2 cups pre-shredded) 2 percent reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (14- to 16-ounce) box whole-wheat elbow macaroni
2 1/4 cups cold nonfat OR 1 percent milk 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce 1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 to 5 drops hot sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons trans-fat-free reduced-fat soft tub margarine spread
If using block cheese, shred using large side of a box grater and set it aside to warm to room temperature. (Having the cheese closer to room temperature helps it to melt more easily.) If using pre-shredded cheese, remove the bag(s) from fridge and set on counter to warm to room temperature.
Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions for al dente pasta.
While macaroni is cooking, prepare cheese sauce: In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups milk with soy sauce, onion powder, dry mustard, paprika, bay leaf, salt, black pepper and hot sauce. Place over medium heat and cook until mixture comes to a gentle simmer.
In a small bowl or cup, mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup cold milk. Add cornstarch mixture to sauce and stir to combine. Return sauce to a simmer and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture should thicken slightly.
Remove saucepan from heat, discard bay leaf and add shredded cheese. Continue stirring until cheese is completely melted and no lumps remain. Add margarine spread to cheese sauce and stir until it is completely melted and combined.
Drain macaroni (do not rinse it) and return to pot. Pour cheese sauce over cooked macaroni and stir until everything is coated. Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid and allow macaroni and cheese to sit 5 to 10 minutes to allow sauce to thicken before serving. Makes 6 (1 1/2-cup) servings.
VARIATION: For baked macaroni and cheese with a crispy, crunchy top: After combining cheese sauce with cooked macaroni, transfer mixture to a 9 x13-inch baking dish coated with oil spray. Sprinkle top with 1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese. Place under a preheated broiler for 4 to 7 minutes, or until top is golden brown and crispy; check often to make sure the cheese does not burn
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