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.

Saint Patrick, as we all know, is from Ireland, wears green, eats corned beef and cabbage, is attended by leprechauns, and you must kiss him because he is Irish. No, no, no — that isn’t true— although popular American culture makes it seem that way. His real name might have been Maewyn Succat, but later he took the name Padrick. Padrick was not born in Ireland. England, actually. He was kidnapped as an adolescent and enslaved in Ireland. At age 20, he escaped and returned to his family home. After a seeing a vision, Patrick became a priest, then a bishop. In 433 CE, Patrick went back to Ireland to preach the Good Word. He used the shamrock to illustrate how there can be three parts of the Christian God: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Over 40 years, Padrick converted thousands of Irish citizens and became beloved. He died on March 17. The ‘wearing o’ the green’ became a symbol of Irish Catholic resistance to British Protestant colonial rule, since their color was orange. People in Ireland don’t eat corned beef — that is an American invention. Belief in leprechauns was part of the pagan religion that he preached against, so no Little People, no pots of gold. Your conscience will be your guide as to whom to kiss on March 17.

To be an American celebrating March 17, corned beef and cabbage is de rigueur. We’ll have that at breakfast. For dinner, a more traditional Irish meal involving lamb. During his youth in Ireland, Patrick was a shepherd, so this seems appropriate.

Corned Beef & Cabbage Bake: 143 calories 6.4 g fat 4 g fiber 11.5 g protein 9.5 g carbs [8.6 g Complex] 95.6 mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF  Since this flavor combination works well at dinner, we shall have it for breakfast, too. It is delicious! Irish Breakfast Tea would be a perfect accompaniment.

one 2-oz egg ½ oz corned beef, cooked ½ cup cabbage, shredded ½ wedge Laughing Cow cheese ½ cup raspberries  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish Irish Breakfast tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]

Simmer the cabbage in water to cover, cooking until it is limp. Drain well. While cabbage is still hot, stir the cheese and stir to melt. Dice the beef and stir into the cabbage. Pile into an oil-spritzed oven-proof dish and bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the fruit.

Lamb Stew with Glazed Vegetables: 317 calories 8 g fat 6 g fiber 24 g protein 31 g carbs 62 mg Calcium The recipe is from Salute to Healthy Cooking, so you know it is good. We have enjoyed this often. If you double the recipe, then you’ll have some to freeze for another meal. Yes, the calorie count is a bit high, but it is worth it.  One serving = ¾ cup  HINT: This recipe serves two [2].

Lamb Stew for two	Need: saute pan + Dutch oven with lid + non-stick pan + oven
½ # lamb shoulder, boneless, cooking spray salt + pepper	Cut lamb in 1″ cubes. Sear cubes on all sides in a heavy pan which has been sprayed with non-stick spray or oil. Cook meat in batches so the pan doesn’t cool down. Put cooked meat in a Dutch oven and season it.
½ cup onions, chopped	Put onions in the cooking pan and saute  with enough water to make them sizzle until they are transparent.
1 oz dry red wine	Add wine to deglaze the pan, stirring brown bits up from the bottom.
	Heat the oven to 350 F.
¾ tsp white whole wheat flour water ½ Tbsp tomato paste	Sprinkle deglazed pan with flour and stir to mix. Put in Dutch oven. Add enough cold water to go to the top of the lamb but not cover it. Stir in tomato paste.
1 tsp thyme  1 bay leaf	Add herbs. Heat to a simmer on cook top over medium heat. Cover casserole and put in the oven. Bake 1 hour, check once in a while to make sure the stew is not boiling.
¾ cup carrots, cut in 2” batons	Add carrots, cover pan, bake 15 minutes.
½ cup cubed potatoes	Add potatoes, cover pan, bake 45 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
6 pearl onions 1 c/5 oz turnips, in 2” batons water ½ tsp sugar  + 1 tsp butter**	Put vegetables in a small non-stick pan with sugar and butter**. Add enough water to go half-way up the onions. Simmer 10 minutes, uncovered, shaking pan occasionally.
Salt + pepper	Add salt and pepper. Take off heat and cover until vegetables are cooked.
	Plate stew with the glazed vegetables.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs	polenta — uncooked
chicken breakfast sausage @ 35 calories/link	whole milk + yogurt
apple	uncured bacon
sage	feta cheese
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

sauerkraut + caraway seeds	1.5 two-oz eggs  + cottage cheese
collards/kale/chard + garlic powder	mushrooms + chives/scallion
applesauce, unsweetened + onion	asparagus
chicken dinner sausage @ 110 calories	wheat berries
Sparkling water	Sparkling water