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.

When the American colonists rebelled against the British in 1776, not everyone was on board. The Torys were Americans with British sympathies who hoped the war would go their way. When it didn’t, they were in a pickle. The most prudent thing a family could do was to leave town before the town drove them out. Or worse. Now they called themselves Loyalists and they departed for other British colonies or returned to England. In New England, most of them went to Canada: Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island — often bringing their enslaved people with them. Those farthest away from the border lost everything except what they could carry. In far eastern Maine, Loyalists moved entire houses across the bay and set them up in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick. Two infamous Loyalists were Benedict Arnold and his wife. They removed to Campobello Island, NB, where they were told they would be feted. Arnold’s wife, socialite Peggy Shippen, hated provincial life, so they moved to England where they were scorned as traitors. Most of the Loyalists were honored in Canada and welcomed as new citizens — except for the 3000 Black Loyalists, who were promised freedom from enslavement and their own land to farm. That did not materialize, and the first ‘race riot’ in Canada was near Shelburne, Nova Scotia, where White locals tried to wipe out the Black settlers. Loyalists added to the culture. Houses with gambrel roofs were introduced from America, along with the “Federal” style of architecture. The great numbers of settlers lead to the division of Nova Scotia into two provinces — the other being New Brunswick. St John, NB became a city due to the Loyalist influx. In the Louise Penny books, the fictional town of Three Pines was settled by Loyalists in the late 1700s. New Brunswick, Canada celebrates Loyalist Day on May 18th every year.

Architecture wasn’t the only thing the Loyalists brought to a new land. Recipes from New England would have come too. Red Flannel Hash, baked beans, brown bread, Johnny Cakes — welcome foods anywhere they appear. But life in the Maritimes meant rubbing elbows with the French Acadians, and eating mussels [moules] might have rubbed off on the arriving settlers. Mussels are certainly popular there today.

Red Flannel Egg: 135 calories 5 g fat 2.5 g fiber 9 g protein 12 g carbs 48.5mg Calcium  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF  Red Flannel Hash is a fine old New England dinner recipe. Here, for breakfast, we add an egg for more flavor and nutrition.  HINT: Serves 1 [one]

2 cups cooked beets, diced ½ c onion, diced ½ oz ham, diced two 2-oz eggs 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]

Cook the ham and onion in a frying pan until ham is well-warmed. Remove the ham and dice it. Put beets in the pan with onion, and continue to cook until well warmed. In another pan, fry the egg. Plate the cooked vegetables, top with the egg, and serve with assurance. Very nice.

Moules Frites: 270 calories 5.5 g fat 2.5 g fiber 24.4 g protein 23 g carbs 110 mg Calcium PB GF In Belgium and France, folks are ga-ga over moules frites, and now it is possible to enjoy them on a Fast Day. HINT: This serves two [2], so invite a friend.

22 blue mussels in their shells, rinsed 3 Tbsp white wine ¼ c. whole milk 4 oz sweet potato 3 oz broccoli florets

Peel potato and cut into square batons, about 1/4” on a side. Spread on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes and take out of oven. Put mussels in a large pot, adding wine and ¼ cup water. Cover and cook at a boil 10 minutes, until shells are fully open and mussels look plump not stringy. Check potatoes for doneness. Salt generously. Put back in oven for 5-8 minutes if not fully cooked. Strain mussels and their liquid through a sieve, not a collander.** Put mussel liquid back into the pan and cook down to ½ cup. Add milk and simmer until thicker and reduced to 1/2 cup. Cook the broccoli to desired doneness. Divide mussels between serving bowls, pour the cream sauce over them, then top with frites and broccoli. **If you don’t want to deal with mussel shells on your plate, remove the cooked mussel meat from the shells, discard shells, and add the meat to the finished sauce.

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

1 two-oz egg	1 two-oz egg  + 1%-fat milk
low-fat ricotta cheese	1 oz kippered herring +dry mustard
raspberries or apple or grapes	white whole wheat flour + high gluten flour
Cheddar cheese	pear
optional smoothie	optional smoothie
optional hot beverage	optional hot beverage

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

5 0z tuna canned in water + celery	Finnen haddie [smoked haddock]
hard-boiled egg + 3 hot dog buns	cabbage +/or kale + nutmeg
2%-fat cottage cheese + onion	Bechamel sauce, no cheese
corn on the cob + 4-bean salad	Brie or Camembert cheese
Sparkling water	Sparkling water