How this Fast Diet Lifestyle works: Eat these meals tomorrow, for a calorie total of less than 600. On another day this week, eat the meals from a different post, another day of eating 600 calories or less. Eat sensibly the other days of the week. That’s it: a simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Many people resist dieting because they think that diet = vegetables = privation = bland food. Not so!  The Fast Diet permits a great variety of foods, as long as the menus are full of protein and are low in fats and carbs. And we can eat our veggies in creative ways!

Vegetable Scramble    295 calories          PB          HINT: use left-over vegetables or prepare them the night before for a quicker preparation.

½ cup chopped green pepper     ½ cup chopped zucchini  ½ cup chopped tomato          1 ½ two-oz eggs HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume, crack 3 2-oz eggs into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week        2-3 oz apple ½ piece of 70-calorie whole-grain bread       USE GLUTEN FREE BREAD IF YOU WISH                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

Put the raw vegetables in a small saute pan with a few tablespoons of water. Simmer until vegetables are cooked and the liquid is evaporated. Pour eggs into a pan which has been sprayed briefly with cooking spray. Before the eggs set, add the cooked vegetables. Scramble to taste. Brew your beverage and take the previously-made smoothie from ‘fridge. Plate with fruit.

Minestrone Soup: 1 cup = 145.5 calories 3 g fat 5 g fiber 8 g protein 27 g carbs 86.4 mg Calcium   PB  GF [if you use GF pasta] This recipe can be doubled easily. It is a fine dinner soup for a hot Summer day or in the cold of Winter. Prepare it from leftover vegetables to reduce the cooking time.  HINT: One serving = one cup, but you could go to 1 ¼ cups each. This recipe made 4 cups for me – several future meals from one recipe!

1 tsp olive oil 1 cup onion, chopped 2/3 cup carrot, chopped  ½ cup celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped  3 slices pepperoni, chopped	Prepare all these ingredients and put into a sauce pan together. Cook over medium heat until onions begin to wilt.  NB: if using left-over cooked carrot and celery, add them in the next step.
½ cup sweet potato, cubed ½ cup zucchini, diced  ½ cup mushrooms, chopped 2 cups crushed tomatoes  ¾ cup small white beans, canned lots of sage and rosemary, chopped 1 cup water 2 cups chicken broth/stock	NB: low sodium broth is preferred Prepare the vegetables as described. Drain and rinse the canned beans. Add these to the pan, along with the water and broth. Cook at a simmer for about 20 minutes.  NB: if using left-over cooked sweet potato, zucchini, and other vegetables, add them to the broth after 10 minutes of cooking.
1 oz pasta, whole wheat is preferred to boost fiber [orzo/ dinetelli/broken spaghetti]	Add the pasta and cook until it is soft, 5-6 minutes.
2 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated  salt and pepper to taste	Add remaining seasonings and adjust to taste. TIP: Soup is always improved by letting it sit for several hours before reheating and serving hot.