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. Simple way to lose weight and be healthier.

Who makes these things up? ‘National This and That Day‘, carried to the Nth degree! But here’s one to get behind: Plain Yogurt Day. Seems its a thing… Yogurt is good for you. That is a fact. Not true are the old claims that eating it will lengthen your lifespan, as the old TV ad used to assert. High in Calcium, low in fat, high in protein, no added sugars: you can’t beat that! Substitute it for sour cream or mayonnaise or buttermilk. Use plain yogurt in dips and salad dressing and baking. Swap it out in marinades and smoothies. I have used it in numerous recipes on Fast Days, and I’m still finding new uses! Try it yourself on its Day, and other days throughout the year. Today’s menu uses a dollop of plain yogurt as a garnish and as an ingredient, just to ease you into the flavor. Then you can move on to Smoothies [such as the one cited in the breakfast] or parfaits [see Citrus, from February]. Making your own is very simple, if you use this recipe from the NYTimes cooking column.

Tomato-Curry ScrOmelette: 154 calories 7.9 g fat 3 g fiber 11 g protein 10.5 g carbs [9 g Complex] 90 mg Calcium NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF  This recipe was loosely inspired by Fifty Breakfasts, a book by Col. A. R. K. Herbert, detailing “dishes men like” and containing many flavors redolent of his years serving the Queen in India.

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 into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week.  1/2 Tbsp curry powder 2 oz fresh tomatoes, diced and drained 1.5 oz strawberries dollop of plain, fat-free yogurt Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or lemon in hot water Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie[88 calories]

Drain the tomatoes so that they are not too juicy. Combine with the curry powder and whisk with the eggs. Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray and pour in the egg mixture. Cook to your liking. Top with a dollop of yogurt for the full effect. Prepare the beverages and plate the fruit. A rousing good start to your day.

Enchiladas Suizas: 293 calories 9.9 g fat 11.2 g fiber 31.6 g protein 43.4 g carbs 261.7 mg Calcium  PB GF Rick Bayless relates this recipe in his book  Mexico One Plate At A Time. The word ‘suizes’, meaning ‘Swiss’, refers to the dairy in the dish. Delicious and easy to prepare. Avoid assembling too far in advance, lest it turn to mush.

2 six-inch corn tortillas [50 calories each] 2 oz [½ cup] shredded cooked chicken breast ½ cup enchilada sauce: see SPICY II 12 Sept 2018 ¼ cup grated Cheddar or Monterey jack + dollop of plain, fat-free yogurt 1 oz broccoli florets + 1 oz cauliflower florets + ½ oz carrot

Heat oven to 350 F. On an ungreased heavy skillet, place the tortillas and cook them until they begin to brown on one side. Flip in the pan and continue until each tortilla is pliable and slightly fragrant. Remove to a cutting board or baking sheet. Stir the yogurt into the chicken. Distribute the chicken between the tortillas, then roll them up, and place each in an oven-proof dish, seam-side down. Spoon the sauce over and around and between the enchiladas. NB: you don’t have to use all of the sauce. Extra could be added to eggs or soup.Sprinkle with cheese and put into oven. Cook the vegetables, drain and dress with salt and a splash of red wine vinegar. So good!

ingredients for next week: 

Breakfast: single portion for Monday ………………… single portion for Thursday:

1 two-oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
1 crepe/galette + mushrooms	celery + onions
apple	bell peppers
chives + thyme	Tabasco sauce + cajun seasoning
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

Dinner: single portion for Monday: …………………………. single portion for Thursday:

6 felafel patties	1 cup ground roast beef
tomato + feta cheese	potato + low-fat beef gravy
2 portions side salad	peas or side salad with tomato
carrots + beets	cauliflower
Sparkling water	Sparkling water