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.

Rudolf Steiner was a complicated and complex polymath. His parents were former servants of a noble family in Lower Austria. Leaving service, their son was born in what is now Croatia where his father was a telegrapher for the railroad. As the family moved for work opportunities, young Rudolf was partly educated at village schools, partly at home. In 1879, Steiner began studies at the Vienna Institute of Technology where he took courses in many sciences, while auditing classes in philosophy and literature. Upon graduation, Rudolf became an editor of the Goethe archive. By 1894, he had published four books of philosophy and had earned a PhD in philosophy. During that time, Steiner began to develop his ideas of anthroposophy, and he lectured widely on philosophy. His work with the Anthroposophical Society lead to the establishment of a cultural and theatrical center in Dornach, Switzerland, where he then lived with his second wife. The Goetheanum was designed by Steiner, wearing his ‘architect‘ hat. [when it burned down, he designed another model which still stands] There, he began his School of Spiritual Science. In the field of education, Steiner is best known for his Waldorf Schools, begun at the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory in Stuttgart, Germany in 1919, when the factory owner invited Steiner to speak. The Waldorf philosophy of education is employed today in 1000 schools in many countries. Although the world at that time was heading toward increasing use of technology, Steiner was afraid that chemicals used in agriculture would be the death of farming. After a series of lectured to farmers, the idea of the inter-connectedness of soil, animals, plants, and humans gave rise to biodynamic farming. It is true that many of Steiner’s ideas were based on science. But although he had no medical training, he gave medical advice about the treatment of diseases. He also wrote about the occult and mysticism as part of his ‘spiritual science.’ Steiner’s ideas on evolution and the superiority of the Aryan race caused many in Hitler’s inner circle to praise his ideas. Others in the same group vilified him as a Jew, which he was not. He died on March 30, 1925 in Switzerland.

Our breakfast is as Germanic as Rudolf Steiner himself. “Waldorf School” often makes me think of “Waldorf Salad” — which I dislike. Our dinner is a thoroughly German version of a fruit salad, with nuts and chicken for protein and some savory elements for contrast. Steiner the biodynamicist would approve of these plant-based meals.

Fruited Toast w/ Sausage:  225 calories 11.5 g fat 2.5 g fiber 10.4 g protein 20 g carbs 39 mg Calcium   PB GF – if using GF bread   Another fine Frühstück [breakfast] from Germany.

1 slice 70-calorie whole-grain bread [we like Dave’s ‘Good Seed’] 2 Tbsp small-curd cottage cheese, reduced fat ¼ c mixed berries or sliced strawberries 1½ oz Bockwurst   Optional:blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] or lemon in hot water 

If fruit is frozen, thaw in a sieve overnight. Slice sausage and braise or bake to cook thoroughly. Toast bread lightly and spread with cheese. Pile the fruit on the bread and plate with the hot sausage.

Honeydew-Chicken Salad:  264 calories 9 g fat 3 g fiber 23 g protein 23 g carbs 102 mg Calcium   PB GF  The now-gone Manhattan restaurant Luchow’s created this recipe for their Sommer Fest menu of cooler fare. True, I swapped out some original ingredients for those with a lighter impact on the waistline. That said, this is a fine meal. It makes you feel cooler just to look at it.  HINT: This serves two [2] people.

5½ oz/1 cup chicken breast meat, cut in ½” cubes 2 oz dill pickle, chopped 2 Tbsp slivered almonds 2 oz red seedless grapes, each cut in two 8 ripe olives, halved ½ tsp capers 3 Tbsp plain yogurt + 1 Tbsp whipped cream cheese 2 cups crisp lettuce, roughly cut 1¼ cup honeyew melon, cut in ½” cubes

TIP: For the chicken, I cut 5.5 oz breast meat into cubes and poached them in a little water until cooked. Place the chicken, pickle, nuts, grapes, olives, and capers in a bowl and stir to combine. Whisk the yogurt and cream cheese together and pour over the ingredients in the bowl. Gently add and mix in the lettuce. Arrange two small Romaine lettuce leaves on the plate and mound the salad atop them. Surround the salad with the honeydew. Lovely.

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

1 two-oz egg + 1 egg white = 3 oz egg	1.5 two-oz eggs
white whole wheat flour	parsley + prepared horseradish
milk + butter + high gluten flour	beets — fresh cooked or pickled
raspberries + icing sugar	unsweetened apple sauce with cinnamon
Optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

tilapia or perch + egg white	salad greens + fresh parsley
70-calorie whole-grain bread	celery + walnut halves + apple
soy sauce + sherry + scallion	hard-boiled egg + cooked lamb
walnuts + carrots + 3%-fat ham from deli	Horseradish dressing:
Sparkling water	Sparkling water