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. Welcome to Kucia Kodes who is now Following.

Summer demands its own sort of foods. Foods for a road trip. Foods for the barbecue. Foods for the beach. Foods for when there is no time to cook. Foods for when it is too hot to cook. Thus, Summer foods do not have a particular theme, unlike Winter’s hot soups and stews. In a way, this is free-ing: if you do a little planning, a quick pick-up meal is easy to do. Have lots of different vegetables on hand, several fruits, some meat and fish in the freezer, then many Summer meals can be prepared out of this and that.

Our breakfast is from Malta, where it is very warm in the Summer. Our dinner uses lots of veggies on the grill. Easy to prepare, quick to cook, just right for Summertime.

Maltese Bake: 130 calories 6 g fat 2 g fiber 10 g protein 10.5 g carbs 66.5 mg Calcium   NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages.  PB GF  The flavors of sunny Malta await you at breakfast.

1 two-oz egg 3 Tbsp frozen spinach ¼ oz tuna 1 filet canned anchovies, minced ¼ cup Mediterranean Vegetables, excess liquid drained off 3 oz melon   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]

Thaw the spinach the night before and place it in a sieve to drain out extra liquid. If pressed for time, thaw the spinach and squeeze it in your fist to expel liquids. Break up the tuna in a bowl and add the minced anchovy along with the Mediterranean Vegetables. Whisk the egg, then stir into the other ingredients in an oven-proof dish which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the fruit and pour the optional beverages. Good stuff.

Fish Kabobs: 236 calories 8 g fat 4 g fiber 27 g protein 22 g carbs 77 mg Calcium   PB GF Any firm fish will work for this simple meal. The Fresh Polenta is from Jacques Pepin and it is a keeper.

4 g firm fish [swordfish, tuna, halibut], cut in 1-2” cubes 1 oz eggplant cut in 1” chunks, skin left on 1 oz cherry tomatoes ¾ oz red or yellow bell pepper, cut in 1” squares 2 tsp Pimenta do Queijo or other red pepper sauce ½ cup fresh polenta* ½ cup side salad**

Combine the pepper sauce with 2 tsp water in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Toss the eggplant and bell pepper in the pepper sauce and microwave for 30 seconds. Remove the bell peppers and microwave the eggplant 45 seconds longer. Cool the vegetables and save the marinade. Prepare the polenta. 

FRESH POLENTA: 1 sv = 1/3 cup = 80 calories  PB GF  1¼ cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen 1 tsp unsalted butter freshly-ground pepper + salt Puree corn in a blender until ‘smooth’ [it will still be a bit chunky, but you shouldn’t see whole kernels]. Put butter in a warm pan, then add corn, pepper and salt. Cook about 30 seconds or until it thickens. 

Assemble the kabobs on skewers and brush with remaining marinade. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Broil 4 minutes, then turn the kabobs, brush with marinade, and broil for 4 minutes more. Prepare the side salad and plate to applause.

**SIDE SALAD:  Serves 1  36 calories   PB GF  Here is a side salad to go with any meal. 1 cup lettuce, slice into ½” strips if leaves are large ½ oz grated carrots 1 oz tomato ½ tsp olive oil, plain or flavor-infused [ex: lime] ½ tsp flavorful vinegar