Read The Hungry Girl Diet: Big Portions. Big Results. Drop 10 Pounds in 4 Weeks Online
Authors: Lisa Lillien
The Hungry Girl Diet: Big Portions. Big Results. Drop 10 Pounds in 4 Weeks (16 page)
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine tomato, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, salt and, if you like, chili powder. Mix well.
Cut packet to release steam before opening entirely.
Top tortillas with chicken-veggie mixture and tomato-avocado mixture. Yum!
Toaster Oven and Skillet Alternative!
Toast tortillas in a toaster oven until lightly browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Add sliced mushroom, pepper, and onion. Cook and stir until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add chicken, seasoning mix, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook and stir until chicken is cooked through and veggies have softened, about 5 minutes.
Leftover Tortilla Tip:
Make
D.I.Y. Tortilla Chips
!
Balsamic BBQ Chicken with Side Salad
337 calories, 7g fat, 467mg sodium, 37.5g carbs, 6g fiber, 20.5g sugars, 31g protein
Foil Pack
2 tablespoons BBQ sauce with about 45 calories per 2-tablespoon serving
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ cup small broccoli florets
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup frozen sweet corn kernels
One 4-ounce raw boneless skinless chicken breast cutlet, pounded to ½-inch thickness
½ teaspoon salt-free seasoning mix
Side Salad
1 cup lettuce
1 cup cucumber, mushrooms, or other
high-volume veggies
2 teaspoons vinegar (balsamic, red wine, white wine, rice, or cider)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay a large piece of heavy-duty foil on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray.
In a small bowl, mix BBQ sauce with balsamic vinegar.
Place broccoli, onion, and corn on the center of the foil. Season chicken with seasoning mix, and place over the veggies. Drizzle with BBQ-balsamic mixture. Cover with another large piece of foil.
Fold together and seal all four edges of the foil pieces, forming a well-sealed packet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.
Cut packet to release steam before opening entirely.
Toss salad ingredients in a medium bowl, and serve with chicken and veggies.
Skillet Alternative!
In a small bowl, mix BBQ sauce with balsamic vinegar. Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Add broccoli, onion, and corn to one half of the skillet, and add chicken to the other half. Cook until veggies have softened and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes, stirring veggies often and flipping chicken halfway through. Sprinkle chicken with salt-free seasoning, and drizzle with BBQ-balsamic mixture.
Fruity Fish & Potato Foil Pack with Side Salad
329 calories, 7g fat, 334mg sodium, 35.5g carbs, 6g fiber, 12.5g sugars, 31g protein
Foil Pack
3 ounces baby red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 ounces raw tilapia, cod, or sea bass
¼ teaspoon each garlic powder and chili powder
½ cup sliced red onion
¼ cup pineapple or mango salsa
Salad
1 cup lettuce
1 cup cucumber, mushrooms, or other
high-volume veggies
2 teaspoons vinegar (balsamic, red wine, white wine, rice, or cider)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay a large piece of heavy-duty foil on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine potatoes and 1 tablespoon water. Cover and microwave for 2 minutes, or until slightly softened. Drain excess water.
Place fish in the center of the foil, and surround with potatoes. Sprinkle with garlic powder and chili powder. Top fish with onion and salsa. Cover with another large piece of foil.
Fold together and seal all four edges of the foil pieces, forming a well-sealed packet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until fish and potatoes are cooked through.
Cut packet to release steam before opening entirely.
Toss salad ingredients in a medium bowl, and serve with fish and potatoes.
HG Tip!
If your fish fillet is on the thin side, check it at 10 minutes.
For more tools for success—including an app that lets you create custom shopping lists and track your food—visit
hungry-girl.com/diet
!
Faux-Fried Chicken Strips with Side Salad
347 calories, 8g fat, 472mg sodium, 34g carbs, 16.5g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 46.5g protein
Chicken Strips
½ cup Fiber One Original bran cereal
1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning mix
¼ cup egg whites or fat-free liquid egg substitute
6 ounces raw boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 6 strips
1 tablespoon mustard
Side Salad
1 cup lettuce
1 cup cucumber, mushrooms, or other
high-volume veggies
2 teaspoons vinegar (balsamic, red wine, white wine, rice, or cider)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
In a small blender or food processor, grind cereal into crumbs. (Or crush cereal with a meat mallet through a baggie.) Transfer to a wide bowl, and mix in seasoning mix.
Place egg whites or substitute in another wide bowl. One at a time, dunk chicken strips in egg, shake to remove excess, and coat with crumbs. Evenly lay on the baking sheet.
Bake for 8 minutes. Flip chicken. Bake until cooked through and crispy, about 6 minutes.
Toss salad ingredients in another medium bowl. Serve with chicken strips and mustard for dipping.
Fiber One 101 …
Fiber One is sweetened with aspartame. If you prefer a high-fiber cereal made without artificial sweeteners, use All-Bran Original.
If you have a small blender or food processor, use it. If not, crush your cereal in a sealable bag. Place it in the bag, squeeze out the air, and seal. Using the flat end of a meat mallet, pound the cereal through the bag on a flat surface. No mallet? A rolling pin or any heavy kitchen utensil with a flat surface will do.
Chicken Parm with Saucy Pasta Swap
352 calories, 6g fat, 676mg sodium, 37g carbs, 16g fiber, 11g sugars, 43g protein
½ cup canned crushed tomatoes with basil
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
3 cups bagged broccoli cole slaw
¼ cup Fiber One Original bran cereal, finely crushed
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons egg whites or fat-free liquid egg substitute
One 4-ounce raw boneless skinless chicken breast cutlet, pounded to ½-inch thickness
3 tablespoons shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Season tomatoes with
1
/
8
teaspoon garlic powder and
1
/
8
teaspoon onion powder (or more to taste).
Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add broccoli slaw and ½ cup water. Cover and cook until fully softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Uncover and, if needed, cook and stir until water has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl, stir in ¾ths of the seasoned tomatoes, and cover to keep warm.
In a wide bowl, mix crushed cereal with Italian seasoning, remaining
1
/
8
teaspoon garlic powder, and remaining
1
/
8
teaspoon onion powder.
Place egg whites or substitute in another wide bowl. Coat chicken with egg, shake to remove excess, and coat with crumbs.
Re-spray skillet and return to medium heat. Cook chicken for 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
Top chicken with remaining tomatoes, and sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
If needed, reheat saucy slaw in the microwave.
HG Alternative:
Save time by steaming the slaw. Place it in a microwave-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons water. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes, or until soft. Drain excess liquid. Stir in the seasoned tomatoes, and microwave for 1 minute, or until hot. Cover to keep warm!
HG Tip!
If you can’t find canned crushed tomatoes with basil, just use regular canned crushed tomatoes and add a little basil.
SNACKS
Savvy Snackin’!
There are so many snacks to choose from! CRAVING-BUSTERS, PROTEIN POWERHOUSES, DESSERT FIXES, HUGE PORTIONS … Experiment a little to find the ones that are most satisfying for YOU.
Each of these snacks has 100 calories or less. And you get THREE per day. Each snack also has less than 300mg sodium. To keep your overall daily sodium intake in check, mix ’n match sodium-free options like fruits and vegetables with other snacks.
One of my favorite daily snack lineups? 2¼ cups chopped watermelon + 100-calorie bag of 94% fat-free microwave popcorn + 3 cups sugar snap peas. Yum! (But not all at once!)
Check out the
supplemental snacks
if you are 75 or more pounds overweight, have a vigorous exercise routine, or find the approximate 1,300-calorie level too aggressive for you.
And here’s a great tip. ALWAYS keep a stash of smart snacks at home, at work, and when you’re on the go. Click
Emergency Snack 101 section
for a helpful guide.
Now turn the page … Happy snacking!
HG’s Fruit Chart: 100-Calorie Portions!
HG’s Veggie Chart: 100-Calorie Portions!
HG’s Mix ’n Match Veggies & Dips
Sweet ’n Tangy Tomato Dip/Dressing
Big Batch of Sweet ’n Tangy Tomato Dip/Dressing
Big Batch of Creamy Cilantro Dip/Dressing
Big Batch of Creamy Balsamic Dip/Dressing
Chocolate-Chip-Stuffed Strawberries
GRAB-N-GO SNACKS
*
100 calories’ worth of fruit
(see
HG’s Fruit Chart
)
*
100 calories’ worth of veggies
(see
HG’s Veggie Chart
)
*
60 calories’ worth of veggies with 40 calories’ worth of dip
(see
HG’s Mix ’n Match Veggies & Dips
)
*
½ ounce almonds or pistachios
(about 12 almonds or 24 pistachios)
*
1 stick light string cheese with ¼ ounce almonds or pistachios
(about 6 almonds or 12 pistachios)
*
1 stick light string cheese with
half
a 100-calorie serving of fruit
(see
HG’s Fruit Chart
)
Try the string cheese at room temperature as opposed to straight out of the fridge … It’s much better this way!
*
2 ounces (about 4 slices) no-salt-added turkey breast with 2 small cucumbers cut into spears
PROTEIN POWERHOUSE!
*
100-calorie bag of 94% fat-free microwave popcorn
HUGE PORTION!
Jolly Time Healthy Pop, Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop!, Pop Secret 100 Calorie Pop
*
Vitalicious VitaTop DESSERT FIX!
VitaTops are all-natural, high-fiber, low-fat muffin tops with just 100 calories (or less) each. I love these! You can find the Deep Chocolate and a few other flavors at select markets (in the freezer aisle). You can also order online at
Vitalicious.com
.
*
Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownie or dessert bar CRAVING-BUSTER!
*
6 ounces fat-free plain Greek yogurt PROTEIN POWERHOUSE!
Fage Total 0%, Chobani 0%, Oikos 0%
*Add 1 no-calorie sweetener packet, if you like.
*
6 ounces fat-free flavored yogurt
Yoplait Light (and Yoplait Greek 100)
Dannon Light & Fit (and Light & Fit Greek)
*
100-calorie bag (or 1 cup) freeze-dried fruit
Funky Monkey, Just Tomatoes, Etc!
*
4 ounces fat-free flavored yogurt with
1
/
3
cup freeze-dried fruit
*
Low-fat frozen fudge pop or fruit bar with 100 calories or less DESSERT FIX!