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.

October 28, 1886 saw the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Nothing says ‘America’ like a view of Lady Liberty. But she wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place. Frederic Auguste Bartholdi had originally envisioned a colossal statue at the entrance to the Suez Canal. But when that was shot down, he planned with a French abolitionist to offer it to the United States, now that the Civil War had ended slavery. A deal was struck: France would pay for the statue and the Americans would build a pedestal for it to stand upon. Bartholdi designed the statue, its wooden frame clad in copper sheathing. Gustave Eiffel, who knew a thing or two about constructions with iron beams, designed the interior scaffolding to hold it all in place. On July 4, 1876, the statue was ‘given’ to the US ambassador to France. Then it was taken apart, boxed, and shipped to New York. On Bedloe’s Island, there had been a star-shape fort from the 1800s. A pedestal was built inside it, designed by Richard Morris Hunt, and completed in1886. The statue, called “Liberty Enlightening the World,” was quickly assembled [by immigrant laborers] and President Grover Cleveland was on hand at the ceremony. A poem by Emma Lazarus had been used as a fund-raiser for the pedestal project. It was called The New Colossus and was soon forgotten. In 1903, the poem was rediscovered and a plaque with the sonnet’s words became part of the base of the statue. There is a 1/4-scale model of the Lady in Paris, presiding over the River Seine. It was one of Bartholdi’s models. There is a knock-off in the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Our foods are from cuisines of the ‘huddled masses’ who looked to Lady Liberty as they sailed into New York harbor and hoped for a better life. From the Jews escaping central Europe, horseradish and cheese in eggs. For the refugees of the Eastern Mediterranean, felafel, and for those from South Asia, cucumber raita.

Horseradish-Cheesy Bake: 143 calories 7.5 g fat 1 g fiber 8 g protein 7 g carbs 78.6 mg Calcium  NB: Food values given are for the Bake and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages.  PB GF  David Rosengarten’s unusual cookbook It’s All American Food takes the reader on a tour of American ethnic and regional foods, and tells you how to make those treats in your own kitchen. This recipe is from the Manhattan restaurant Barney Greengrass, where they are renowned for their breakfasts.

One 2-oz egg ½ Tbsp crushed tomato 1 Tbsp cheddar/horseradish spread*** 1 Tbsp chives, minced 2 oz apricots   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]

***Cheddar-Horseradish Spread 2 Tbsp WisPride Cheddar spread OR Kraft Old English Cheddar spread  4 [or more] tsp prepared horseradish [the kind in a jar] Cream together thoroughly. Save the rest for another day or another use.

Set the toaster oven at at 350 degrees F. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray. Vigorously whisk the egg, cheeses, and chives until well combined and pour into the ramekin. Put in the oven [it doesn’t need to be hot yet] and bake 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, brew your beverage of choice and prep the apricots. This will kick-start your day.

Felafel with Cucumber Raita: 223 calories 7.5 g fat 6 g fiber 11 g protein 22.4 g carbs  130 mg Calcium   PB GF   The felafel recipe is from Molly Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook. Having some felafel patties in the freezer makes meal prep rapid.

6 felafel patties   1 cup raw spinach ½ tsp olive oil large pinch ground nutmeg 4 oz plain, non-fat yogurt 1 scant cup cucumbers, cubed 1 tsp white wine vinegar 1½ tsp fresh mint, chopped or dried dill weed 

Thaw out 5 of those felafel patties that you have in the freezer. Heat them in the toaster oven or in a non-stick pan on the stove. Do not cook them in oil. Cut the spinach into a chiffonade [make a pile of leaves and cut thinly across their width] and put into a bowl. Cube the cucumbers. Stir together the yogurt, vinegar, and dill or mint. Add the cucumber cubes and stir gently to combine. Toss the spinach with the olive oil and nutmeg. Plate it, eat it, and love it.

Ingredients for next week: Breakfast, single portion for Monday …………………………… single portion for Thursday:

coconut dumpling: unsweetened coconut, flour, oil, butter, salt	1 two-oz egg
mango + pineapple	one 65-calorie corn tortilla
plantain	carne adovada
goat cheese	roasted green chilis + Cheddar cheese
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

Tandoori Simmer Sauce, purchased	chicken breast + thyme + canola oil
low-fat coconut milk + haddock	jalapeno pepper + roasted green chilis
broccoli florets + carrots	chicken broth + canned posole
red bell pepper + 92-calorie naan	Mexican oregano + zucchini
Sparkling water	Sparkling water