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.

The diner is an American institution. Once upon a time, trains had ‘dining cars’ — watch old movies to see what I mean. When they were phased out, the cars themselves were taken off the tracks and sold. Some were repurposed as small restaurants; other people got the idea to build a restaurant to look like a train car — and the ‘diner’ was born. These eateries had a reputation of being places to get cheap, filling, local food, and awful coffee at any hour of the day or night. Once that reputation was established, a diner could move to become a bricks-and-mortar restaurant and still call itself a diner. “Greasy Spoon”? Maybe, but reliable and homey. So many films noir, so many cop shows had scenes in diners. Norman Rockwell and Edward Hopper, caught up in the zeitgeist, showed diners in their paintings. Very much a part of the American scene.

Today’s menus recall the diner menu: local and basic. And delicious.

Carne Bake: 138 calories 6 g fat 2 g fiber 9 g protein 6.7 g carbs [4.3 g Complex] 34 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  Carne adovado and roasted green chilis are the signature flavors of New Mexico, and they are wonderful in eggs for breakfast in every South-West diner.

1 two-oz egg 1/3 oz carne adovado ½ oz roasted green chili, canned or frozen 3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves 5 cherries    Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

If the carne or the chilis have a lot of liquid, put in a strainer and let drain overnight or for several hours. Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Spritz an oven-proof ramekin/dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. Whisk the egg with the carne/chili mixture and pour into the dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes while you pour the beverages and plate the fruit.

Meatloaf: 236 calories 11 g fat 5 g fiber 23.5 g protein 13.4 g carbs [11.4 g Complex] 40 mg Calcium Here it is – meatloaf, the kind my mother used to make and you can eat it on a FAST DAY! Who would have thought!

one 3-oz slice of meatloaf** ½ cup peas 2 Tbsp beef gravy   Prepare and bake the meatloaf. Slice into 6 pieces. Plate and enjoy one serving now, with peas of course, cool, wrap and freeze the remainder for a Slow Day or another FAST Day.

**Meatloaf one 18-oz loaf	Makes 6 slices
½ of a whisked egg [0.9 oz] 3 Tbsp milk 1/3 cup soft bread crumbs, NOT dried 2 Tbsp minced onion ½ pound [8 oz] ground beef ¼ pound [4 oz] ground veal ¼ pound [4 oz] ground lean pork 1 tsp salt + pinch of pepper	Combine the ingredients thoroughly
	Bake in a 4″x8″ pan at 350 F for 20 minutes
	Pour off any fat before removing from pan.