Eating your way to a slimmer body with the 5:2 diet

Irving Berlin

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

White Christmas. Easter Parade [both from the film Holiday Inn]. Puttin’ On The Ritz. Dancing Cheek to Cheek [both from Fred Astaire films]. God Bless America. Every one of these iconic American songs was written by one man: Irving Berlin. In these days of trying to ban immigrants from our shores, let us bear in mind that Berlin was an immigrant from Russia. When he was born on May 11, 1888 somewhere in what is now Belarus, his name was Israel Beilin. Five years later, his family moved to New York City. When Israel/Irving was 11 years old, his father died, and the boy had to work to supplement the family’s income. He was a street busker, a singing waiter, and in 1907, he published his first song. In 1911, Berlin had his first hit song: Alexander’s Ragtime Band. and what a hit it was! In 1914, he wrote his first Broadway musical, “Watch Your Step”. Curiously, Irving never learned to read music or how to write in musical notation. He would compose a song on the piano and write words for it. Then he would play it for someone who could write music, and that person would turn it into sheet music. Berlin loved his new country. During World War I, he wrote songs and musical productions to raise money and to sell War Bonds. Whether he was writing for Fred Astaire or Ethel Merman; for Hollywood or Broadway, Irving Berlin seemed to understand what music people wanted and what would sell. In his long career he wrote 1000 songs, the scores for 18 movie musicals, and 19 musical plays including Annie Get Your Gun. In 1939, on the eve of World War II, Irving wrote his most famous song: God Bless America, popularized by Kate Smith. So compelling was that song, that people lobbied to establish it as our national anthem. Throughout his very successful life, Berlin was always haunted by his childhood poverty, fearful that he would be poor again. That certainly never happened, even after he stopped writing popular songs in the 1960s. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is the best-selling record of all time. Berlin lived to be 103 years old — his best-loved songs will surely last that long.

Our foods for Irving Berlin are All-American, and reminiscent of holidays: breakfast for the 4th of July, dinner for Thanksgiving.

Cornmeal Stars with Fruit Yogurt: 181 calories … 5 g fat … 5 g fiber… 10.4 g protein… 26.4 g carbs… 131 mg Calcium… NB: Food values given are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverage. PB GF Cornmeal and stars are SO American, that they fit in with any patriotic meal. Are there stars in your nation’s flag? 

Per serving: ++ 1.5 stars**++ ++ ¼ cup low-fat Vanilla yogurt ++++ 1 Tbsp ricotta chesse ++++ 2 Tbsp blueberries ++ 2 oz strawberries, sliced or diced [If frozen, they will need to be thawed and drained] ++++  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] ++

Stir yogurt and ricotta until combined. Plate the stars, slightly overlapping. Dollop dairy mixture on top, then strew with fruit.

**Cornmeal Stars:  makes 3 large stars, enough for 2 servings.  –1 egg white [1.5 Tbsp] — 1 egg yolk [1 Tbsp] stirred — 1 Tbsp white whole-wheat flour — 3 Tbsp yellow cornmeal — Whip the egg white to soft peaks. Fold in the yolk, the flour, and corn meal. Place your largest [3-4”] star-shaped cookie cutter in the center of a non-stick pan. Spray the pan and the inside of the star cutter with non-stick spray. Spoon some batter into the star, nudging it into the corners. As batter starts to set, loosen the mold from the batter and remove it. Cook the star on one side until starting to brown, then turn carefully to cook the other side. Repeat until batter is all used up. HINT: This can be done a day or so in advance, storing the stars in a plastic bag.

Pumpkin-Turkey Meatball & Pasta: 309 calories… 7.5 g fat… 7 g fiber… 20.5 g protein… 45 g carbs… 434 mg Calcium…  PB  Joy Bauer came up with this recipe, and it is dandy. Having the meatballs in the freezer is a real plus for future quickly-prepared meals.

36 meatballs, using a 2 Tbsp scoop Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
1⅓# ground turkey breast—-2 c loosely packed spinach/ 1 c frozen —-15 oz can white beans = 9 oz/¾ cup —-canned 100% pumpkin puree—-1 egg, slightly beaten—2 Tbsp unpacked brown sugar—-¼ tsp ground nutmeg—2 tsp ground cinnamon—-¼ tsp ground ginger—-½ tsp garlic powder OR 1 clove garlic, minced—-¼ tsp kosher salt—-¼ tsp ground black pepperFinely chop the spinach to yield ~1 c. OR use frozen spinach: measure 1 cup while frozen, then chop it. Drain and rinse the beans, measure out 9 oz/260 g. Run beans through the food processor or immersion blender. Mix together all these ingredients in a large bowl until it is well combined and sticky. Do not over-mix. If mixture is too sticky to use, refrigerate ~30 mins to firm it up.
Form mixture into light, fluffy golf-ball-size meatballs, ~36 total when using 2 Tbsp measure. 
Per serving: 3 meatballsBake 40 mins in middle of oven. TIP: Could freeze at this point — either cooked or uncooked.
Per serving: ¼ c marinara sauceHeat meatballs in a pot with simmering marinara. 
Per serving: 1½ oz Whole-wheat pasta/ spaghetti squashServe over spaghetti squash or whole-grain penne 

Violet/Purple

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

“When I am an old woman, I will wear purple.” So begins the poem “Warning” by Jennie Johnson, playing on the fact that purple is often a clothing color preferred by elderly women. [Perhaps it was to match their hair, since in the 1950-60s many older women used purple hair rinses.] Violet is the seventh color of the visible spectrum, the end of the rainbow. Humans can see the color because its short wave-lengths are reflected by purple things and thus the light comes to our eyes. There are many shades of violet: from lavender and amethyst, all the way to purple. Violet has many connotations. There is the flower, Genus Viola, a cheerful sight in lawns and woodlands in springtime. Violet is an old-timey girl’s name. The color purple was once derived only from snail shells in Phoenicia. Because it was rare, it was costly, so purple clothing were worn only by patricians and emperors. Thus as the Christian Church became organized, bishops wore purple robes to denote their status. During the Liturgical Seasons of Advent and Lent, vestments and paraments in churches are purple, the color meaning majesty, sorrow, and penance. Purple has been associated with Lesbians and Gay men since the 1800s. In nature, flowers and birds are purple, but mammals never are. The color requires much energy use for the bird to produce, which is why it is not very common. As for Alice Walker’s book The Color Purple, you can draw your own conclusions about the importance of the color.

The purplest color in the vegetable garden is the eggplant. Our meals both feature the vegetable.

Mediterranean Bake: 188 calories… 5 g fat… 2 g fiber… 12.4 g protein… 10 g carbs… 65 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF Oh! Those sunny flavors!

++ one 2-oz egg ++++ 4 Tbsp Mediterranean Vegetables without chickpeas ++++ 2 Tbsp chevre cheese ++++ salt + pepper + large pinch of herbes de Provence ++++ 1.5 oz applesauce OR 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] ++

Set the toaster oven at at 350 F. Spritz a ramekin with oil or non-stick spray and spoon in the Mediterranean Vegggies. Pop the ramekin in the warming toaster oven for 30 seconds to warm the vegetables. Whisk the egg with the cheese and seasonings. Pour egg mixture over the vegetables and bake in the toaster oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Brew your optional beverage, shake and pour the optional smoothie, plate with the melon. A fine way to start the rest of your life.

Caponata & Farro: 1 cup: 264 calories… 8 g fat… 8.5 g fiber… 9.5 g protein… 43 g carbs… 57.5 mg Calcium…  PB The components of this meal are thoroughly Mediterranean. The Romans lived on farro, an ancestor of modern wheat, and caponata is beloved in Sicily. Enjoy this as a meal with fruit of your choice.  HINT: this recipe makes 2 [two] cups/servings.

++ 1 cup caponata** ++++ 1 cup cooked farro ++++ 3 oz melon ++

Combine caponata and farro, heat gently and plate with fruit for a hearty, filling meal.

**CAPONATA: makes 2 cups  My take on Jamie Oliver’s take on a Sicilian classic. 1 cup = 156 calories… 4.5 g fat… 6.5 g fiber…3 g protein… 20.4 g carbs…66.4 mg Calcium

Adaptation = 2 cupsHeat oven to 400F.
2 tsp olive oil—-2 c eggplants, in ¾” chunks —- 1 tsp dried oregano/Italian herbs —- Sea saltAdd oil to a big pan over high. Toss these to coat in oil, add more if needed. Cook 4-5 mins, stirring at whiles. OR ROAST 10 MINS. – 
½ cup red onion—-2 cloves garlic, finely sliced—½ small bunch flat-leaf parsleyFinely chop onion + parsley. Slice garlic finely.On cooktop, cook 2 mins in cooking spray.
1 Tbsp capers, drained——6 pitted black olives——
1-2 T. herb vinegar		Add these, and cook until vinegar evaporates.
16 oz ripe tomatoes, OR 1½ c. canned diced toms—–cooked eggplantRoughly chop tomatoes, add to pan with eggplant, simmer 15-20 mins until tender.

May 4 Kent State

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle. Welcome to baltimoreteacher who is now Following.

This is the most iconic photo of the Kent State killings.

Armed soldiers in the streets. Legitimate protesters out in force. Shots ring out, protesters are dead. Does this sound as if it were ripped from the current headlines? No, this was May 4, 1970, in Kent, Ohio, USA. The Viet Nam war had been going on for five years, and more and more young Americans were being pressed into the fight. Protests were frequent, especially on college campuses. Were the students being ‘woke’? No, they were being drafted to fight in an unpopular war, and they were afraid for their lives. President Richard Nixon had campaigned on a promise to end the war, and it seemed to be true. But in April, the US escalated by bombing Cambodia. On May 1, college students across the nation were out in force, protesting. At Kent State University, students went downtown that Friday night to visit the bars and relax. Somehow, things got testy: bottles were thrown, fires were started, windows got broken. The mayor closed the bars, and things got worse. The mayor consulted with the governor, and by Sunday, May 3, the campus was occupied by 1000 National Guard troops. Inflammatory words by the governor heightened the tensions. On Monday, May 4, 3000 students/protestors/observers gathered on campus to protest not the war, but the presence of the Guard who were armed with tear gas and live ammunition. The students were unarmed [OK, glass Coke bottles and rocks were available] and were planning a peaceful rally. The Guard and University officials were expecting the worst, so they announced that the rally would be canceled. The students did not disperse, however, so the Guard began marching toward the crowd. The students retreated, and the guard then marched away from them. But suddenly, 28 Guardsmen turned and fired into the crowd. Were they in danger? The nearest student to be struck was 30 feet away, some as far as 250 feet. Around 64 shots were fired in 13 seconds. Four students were killed, 11 were wounded. It became known as the Kent State Massacre. Neil Young wrote the anthem of the time in response: his song “Ohio” was played at all the marches and demonstrations that followed in May of 1970. An inquiry was held, the state of Ohio paid reparations, a statement was issued expressing regret over the incident, America was changed. In some ways, the Kent State Massacre paved the way for the Watergate Burglary and the downfall of President Nixon. That is what happened then. What will happen here and now?

Good, simple mid-Western food soothes the soul.

Western Bake: 160 calories… 5.4 g fat… 4 g fiber… 7.4 g protein… 24.4 g carbs… 42 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the egg bake and fruit only, not the optional beverages. PB GF  My father taught me to love a good Western Sandwich. So it seemed natural to incorporate that flavor combination in a breakfast. And it’s a winner.

++1 two-oz egg ++++ 2 oz green pepper++++ 2 tsp ketchup++++ 2 oz onion ++++ 3 oz pear ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait[65 calories] ++++  Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]++  Optional: 2 tsp ketchup to top the cooked eggs ++

Chop the pepper and onions and cook: either in the microwave or by poaching in water. Drain and combine with the ketchup. Whisk with the eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Spritz an oven-proof ramekin or other dish with non-stick spray. Pour in the egg mixture and bake at 350 F. for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the fruit, pour the beverages, add more ketchup. Yee-haaw, that’s a breakfast!

Chicken Salad with Cucumber Salad: 209 calories.. 3 g fat .. 6 g fiber.. 22 g protein.. 24.6 g carbs.. 93 mg Calcium..  PB HINT: This recipe serves 2 [two].  Real home cooking, on the simple and easy side.

++2/3 cup Chicken Salad chez moi ++++ ½ cup Swedish Cucumber Salad ++++  3 Finn Crisp crackers ++++ 4 sugar snap peas +++ 2 oz sliced tomatoes OR 6 cherry tomatoes++

To the chopped chicken meat, add the ricotta, Sriracha, and cilantro. Stir to combine, adding salt and pepper to taste and more Sriracha to moisten. Heap it on the plates and add the side dishes. This is good food.

**Chicken Salad, chez moi makes 1 cup — ½ cup= 121 calories 3 g fat 0 g fiber 10 g protein 1.4 g carbs 88 mg Calcium  ++5 oz cooked chicken breast ++ 4 Tbsp part-skim ricotta ++2 tsp yellow Sriracha ++2 Tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped++ salt & pepper to taste ++ optional: 2 Tbsp minced onion ++ 2 Tbsp mined celery ++ Chop, shred or grind the chicken. Combine with the other ingredients. Taste for seasoning, adding more Sriracha if too dry.

SWEDISH CUCUMBER SALAD: 1 cup = 2 servings  PB GF

each serving = 23 calories.. 0.1 g fat .. 0.3 g fiber.. 0.4 g protein .. 5 g carbs.. 14 mg Calcium..  1 cup sliced cucumber — 1.5 tsp sugar –1 oz white wine vinegar — ½ tsp cold water — salt and freshly ground pepper –½ tsp dill

Combine sugar, vinegar, water, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Slice cucumbers, spread them out on towels and pat dry. Stir the cukes into the liquid, wetting all the slices. Chill for at least one hour.

Casey Jones

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

John Luther Jones was born in 1864, in Missouri. His life in Kentucky gave him his nickname and his death in Mississippi made him famous. When he was a child, the family moved to Cayce, Kentucky so that the children could have more opportunities. At age 15, young Jones became a telegraph operator for the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. Work on the railroad was a coveted occupation, and Jones aspired to be in the pinnacle job: engineer. Casey, as he came to be called, became a flagman, moved to Jackson, Mississippi and married Janie Brady when he was 22 years old. By 1891, he was an engineer for the Illinois Central Railroad. Jones became well-known up and down the line: when he passed through a town, he would sound the whistle of his train to make it sound like the call of a Whip-Poor-Will, so everyone would know that he was there. When he was at the helm, the train was never late — even if he had to run the train faster than might be prudent. Casey Jones was at the top of his game. On April 30, 1900, Casey made the run from Canton, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee, a 186 mile trip. Finding that the engineer who was to do the southbound return had called in sick, Jones volunteered to do a double shift to take the train to Canton. By the time he took the helm, the train was running 90 minutes behind time. Casey told his fireman, Sam Webb, to keep up a good head of steam as he barreled south at high speed. When they approached Vaughn, Mississippi, Webb pointed out that there was a passenger train stalled on the track ahead — a crash was inevitable. Jones grabbed the brake handle and the whistle, slowing the train and giving a warning, while at the same time telling Webb to jump clear of the engine. The trains collided, and all the passengers survived the crash because he had done such a good job of slowing his train. A piece of flying debris hit Jones in the neck and his was the only death, still holding on to the brake and the whistle cord. Not long afterward, Wallace Saunders, a fellow employee of the ICRR who admired Jones, wrote “The Ballad of Casey Jones” to immortalize his hero. The song was an instant hit, but often new lyrics were added that displeased Casey’s widow, Janie. For the rest of her long life she defended her husband’s memory against any slurs or attempts at comedy. One of the best known modern versions of the song was a cover by Johnny Cash. Jones is buried in Jackson, Mississippi.

brakeman. 

Casey was the product of the central Mississippi River Valley, where food is home-made and wholesome. Our meals exemplify that tradition.

Pineapple Pompeii: 205 calories… 5.4 g fat… 3 g fiber … 10 g protein… 27 g carbs… 26.6 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the plated foods only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF This is served in South-Eastern Pennsylvania as a side dish to baked ham. The fanciful name is unique to the neighbor who gave me the recipe. I put the ham in the casserole to make a complete meal. HINT: Serves 8 as breakfast.

++1 piece of Pineapple Pompeii ++++ 1 oz pear OR peach OR apple ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories]++++ Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories]++

Serve with fruit and optional beverage. Freeze the pieces that you don’t use today for another meal.

8 pieces4 pieces6×10” baking pan 
1 Tbsp butter—- ¼ cup loosely-packed brown sugar 1½ tsp butter2 Tbsp loosely-packed brown sugarCream the butter and sugar together.
5 cups whole-grain bread cut in cubes
—- four 2-oz eggs 		2½ cups whole-grain bread cut in cubestwo 2-oz eggs Add bread cubes and eggs to the bowl. Stir to combine. 
20 oz crushed pineapple, drained, saving the juice —— 2/3 cup 3%-fat ham, cut in ¼” dice 10 oz crushed pineapple, drained, saving the juice 1/3 cup 3%-fat ham, cut in ¼” dice Add these. Stir to combine. Batter should be moist — add some drained pineapple juice if needed. 
Spray baking pan with non-stick spray, pour in batter. Smooth it into corners, bake 25 mins at 350F, until set and starting to brown. 

Chicken-Stuffed Tomato: 293 calories… 16 g fat… 4.5 g fiber… 25 g protein… 13 g carbs… 64.5 mg Calcium…  PB GF This is certainly a late-Summer staple of the repertoire, lightened considerably from the standard recipe.

++ 5 oz tomato, about 3” in diameter ++++ 3 oz cooked chicken meat, from thighs/breast ++++ 2 Tbsp chopped scallion ++++ 1 Tbsp mayonnaise [60 cal/Tbsp] ++++ 1 tsp capers ++++ 2 tsp caper juice ++++ 3 oz string beans, yellow + green ++

Put the chicken in the food processor and pulse it until it is shredded but not turned into a paste. There will be about 1-1/3 cups of meat. Add the scallion, mayonnaise, capers, and caper juice. Pulse two or three times to combine. Slice tomato in half and scoop out the inside -OR- Slice the tomato ‘on the latitude lines’ to produce 3 thick slices. Salt them and place on the serving plate. Steam the beans. Using a scoop or large spoon, portion the chicken salad into the tomato ‘bowl’ -OR- on the tomato slices. Arrange the cooked beans on the plate, add a sprinkle of finishing salt, and enjoy a colorful Summer repast.

Indigo

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle. Welcome to shoppexng who is now Following.

Between Blue and Violet in the color spectrum, lies Indigo, a little-known color. As you might guess, it is a purplish-blue. Just as Green is a mixture of Yellow and Blue, so Indigo is a combination pigment. On the Electromagnetic Spectrum of visible light [above], we see that the Indigo wavelengths are shorter than those of Blue. This affects how people see it. At the back of the eye are structures called ‘cones’: some see red, some green, and some blue. Many people’s blue cones are not working up to par, so they do not see subtle differences in blue tones. In fact, some people argue that indigo is not a separate color, merely a shade of blue. When Isaac Newton discovered that sunlight was made of different colors of light, he named the colors in the order that he saw them: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. He must have had all of his ‘cones’ in top condition. In his day, Indigo was an expensive commodity, used in dying fabric blue. The dye came from a few plants in the genus Indigofera which grew in tropical climates. India was the source of Indigo for the ancient Greeks and Romans, but Japan and China used it, as well as the Dogon people of Mali in central Africa. The process of preparing indigo dye was complicated, so the natural dyestuff was replaced by a synthetic in 1897. Indigo dye makes Blue Jeans and other work clothes blue. It was used as an ink for printing and writing, also as a pigment for artists. In certain cultures, the plant has been used to treat diseases. In case you were wondering, the Indigo Girls musical duo chose that name just because they liked the word.

Our foods come from two civilizations that used to produce Indigo dye: India and Japan.

Korma-Broccoli Bake: 165 calories… 9 g fat … 3.4 g fiber… 9 g protein… 13 g carbs… 71.5 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values given above are for the plated foods only, not the optional beverages. PG GF  The combination of curry and vegetables is terrific in eggs. See if you agree. Nothing blue about this breakfast!

++ One 2-oz egg ++++ 1 oz cooked broccoli ++++ ½ oz korma sauce 2 oz strawberries ++++  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] ++

Chop the cooked broccoli and place in an oven-proof dish which has been spritzed with non-stick spray. Whisk the curry sauce with the eggs and pour over the brocccoli. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Plate with the fruit and have a great day.

Shrimp Stir-fry with Udon: 267 calories… 7 g fat… 24 g protein… 33 g carbs…  PB The back of a bag of udon noodles supplied this recipe and then I adapted it. The preparation is very easy and quick and the taste is splendid. Satisfying and good to eat.

             ++ 1 oz of dry udon [or soba] noodles ++++ 3 oz raw shrimp, cut in half                                                                   across the body ++++ 2 oz carrot, peeled and sliced into coins ++++                                                 1½ oz green cabbage   ++++ 1 oz onion ++++ 1½ tsp soy sauce                                                            ++++ 1 tsp olive oil ++++ 1 oz chopped green onion ++

Put the frozen shrimp in a bowl with a little water to thaw. Cook noodles in a quart of water about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, shell, and peel the raw shrimp. Slice the shrimp across the body. Heat the oil in a wok or cast iron pan. Add the carrot, cabbage, and onion and some of the water from the thawed shrimp. Stir-fry/steam for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and any remaining liquid and cook one minute more. Toss the cooked noodles into the pan and mix to warm them. Add , salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Toss to mix ingredients. If you think this sounds complicated and long, I did it in 25 minutes and that included peeling carrots and cleaning shrimp. 

Shakespeare

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

Is it Shakespeare? or Shakespear? of Shaksper? No one knows, because the most famous of all Renaissance English play writes used all those spellings. For that matter, no one today knows what he looked like. And some people debate that he actually wrote all those plays at all. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23, 1564. His father was a glover who was also prominent in town government, and he provided an education for his children at their local school. During that time, Elizabeth I was on the throne of England, re-establishing the official religion as Protestantism. It is possible that Shakespeare’s parents were closet Catholics. Some scholars think that young William was living in the household of a ‘former’ Catholic in Lancashire for a few years before his marriage to Anne Hathaway. This is a little-known factoid, since during Elizabeth’s reign it was against the law to be a Catholic, punishable by fines or death. Whatever his religion, William went to London and joined a theater company. He was an actor at first, then became the group’s writer. Shakespeare wrote two plays per year, acted in them, and possibly directed them too. His work changed the face of theater forever. Shakespeare wanted his actors to speak like normal people, not to overact or make theatrical gestures; he wrote plays with roles for women which were played by pre-pubescent boys; he wrote plays where women disguised themselves as men and even behaved like them; he wrote plays about everyday people, not only historical or classical figures. Shakespeare put 1,700 new words into use. To please the monarch [first Elizabeth I, then James I], he wrote propaganda plots, showing the Tudor kings as heroic. During his career, Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 sonnets, and longer poems. There are those who say that a glover’s son with scant schooling could not possibly have written such a splendid body of work. That’s what it means to be a genius.

Herbs were often mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, so we will put them in our breakfast. Salads were eaten in Elizabethan England, and the Bard of Avon coined the term “salad days”. Let’s have a salad for dinner.

Herb-Cottage Cheese Bake: 181 calories… 5.5 g fat … 4.6 g fiber… 10 g protein… 12.5 g carbs… 41.4 mg Calcium…  BP GF – if using GF crackers or omitting  This is a very pleasant and easy-to-prepare breakfast that takes advantage of the flavors of garden-fresh herbs.

++ One 2-oz egg ++++ 2 Tbsp fresh herbs, chopped ++++ 2 Tbsp cottage cheese ++++ 2 pinches crushed red peppers ++++ 4 oz peach ++++ 2 slices Finn Crisp crackers ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++ Optional: 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

Preheat toaster oven to 350F. Spritz an oven-safe dish with cooking spray. Whisk together the egg, herbs, cottage cheese, and red pepper. Pour into baking dish and bake 12-15 mins. Plate with peaches and pour an optional beverage. Simple and satisfying.

Springtime Shrimp Salad: 292 calories… 16.5 g fat… 4 g fiber… 23.6g protein… 21.5 g carbs … 130 mg Calcium…  PB GF This is a delightful meal-salad, with clementines from Winter joining asparagus from Spring.

++ 2 cups mesclun/baby greens ++++ 2.5 oz tiny shrimp ++++ 8 sections clementine ++++ 2 oz asparagus, cooked and cut into 1” pieces ++++ ¾ oz mango chunks ++++ 1 two-oz hardboiled egg ++++  dressing: 2 tsp plain yogurt OR mayonnaise — 1 tsp Sriracha — pinch garlic powder — 2 tsp lemon juice —

Poach shrimp, drain, cool. Slice or chop the egg. Whisk the dressing ingredients. Toss with greens in the serving bowl. Decorate with shrimp, asparagus, mango, clementine, egg.

Señor Wences

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle. Welcome to skygrooves who is now Following.

One of the treats of a 1950s childhood was watching the Ed Sullivan Show as a family on Sunday nights. This televised variety show featured some regular performers and one of our favorites was Señor Wences and his cast of supporting characters. He was born Wenceslao Moreno Centeno, in Peñaranda de Bracamonte, Spain on April 17, 1896. As a child, he would ‘throw his voice’ in school, answering ‘present’ for absent classmates when roll was called. He got into trouble for that. Although Wenceslao hoped to grow up to be a matador, his career as cut short after a bull gored him. He took up juggling to exercise his injured arm, and his brother taught him ventriloquism. Throughout the 1920s, he performed in theaters and circuses. In 1934, Moreno Centavo went to America with his wife Natalie. At that time ventriloquists performed with dummies carved from wood, like Edgar Bergen’s ‘Charlie McCarthy’. Wenceslao had a wooden dummy, ‘Pedro’, but it was so damaged in a train accident that only the head remained. It was put in a box, and part of the act was that the ventriloquist would open the box and ask, “Are you all right?” Pedro would growl “S’all right!” and the box would close. The act performed in clubs and theaters under the name Señor Wences [pronounced ‘Wen-thes’]. In 1948, at the dawn of television broadcasts, Wences appeared on the Milton Berle show, where he introduced a new character: a cheeky little boy named ‘Johnny’. The act would begin with Wences drawing a mouth and eyes on his left hand. He then suspended a small body below his hand, and placed a blond wig on top — thus Johnny was born before the audience’s eyes. The act consisted of a conversation among the smart-aleck Johnny, the gruff, laconic Pedro, the coy puppet Cecelia Chicken, and Wences. In rapid succession, the voices would talk to each other while Wences drank water, smoked cigarettes, and twirled plates — never missing a beat or a vocal inflection, and never, ever moving his lips. If this description doesn’t convey how hilarious it was, watch this clip.

Our foods, like Señor Wences, are from Spain. They will make you exclaim “S’all right!!”

Catalan Bikini: 231 calories… 10.4 g fat… 6.4 g fiber… 15 g protein… 29.5 g carbs… 119.5 mg Calcium…  NB: The food values are for the meal and fruit only and do not include the optional coffee. PB In Catalonia, Spain, this sandwich is called a ‘bikini’ – I know not why. Here it is, a very different breakfast, served with a slice of the region’s orchards.

++ 2 slices 60-calorie whole-grain bread ++++ 1 oz slice 3%-fat ham ++++ ½ oz grated Manchego cheese ++++ 1 oz pear OR peach OR apple ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++

Warm a heavy-bottomed fry pan on the stove. Lay the ham slice on one piece of bread, sprinkle cheese evenly on top. Align the other slice of bread on top. Spray fry pan with cooking spray or olive oil. Cook the sandwich in the pan until browned on one side. Remove from pan, re-spray with oil, cover pan, cook other side until browned. Plate with fruit.

Tapas Tuna Salad: 262 calories… 10 g fat… 6 g fiber… 29 g protein… 17 g carbs… 79 mg Calcium…  PB GF This is a Spanish-Inspired meal from the cookbook called Everyday Tapas. I took out the potatoes and substituted garbanzo beans for a more complex carb. The recipe is very simple and delicious as well – perfect to dress up with pansy blossoms to make a spring or summer day special.  HINT: enough to serve two [2].

++ 5-oz can of tuna in water OR 4oz grilled/oven-roasted tuna ++++ two hardboiled 2-oz eggs ++++ 4 oz tomato ++++ 2/3 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed ++++ 1.5 cups baby salad greens ++++ violets or pansy flowers for garnish ++ Dressing: – 1½ tsp olive oil –1 tsp white wine vinegar – 2 tsp fresh herbs, minced salt – ¼ tsp grainy mustard —

Drain tuna and flake meat into 1” pieces. Peel eggs and cut into ½” dice. Cut tomatoes into ½” dice. Whisk salad dressing and toss with lettuce. Add eggs, tomatoes, and garbanzoes to dressed lettuce, and toss gently to combine and coat with dressing. Divide between two salad plates, arrange tuna and blossoms on top of salad. Serve at room temperature.

Guy Burgess

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

April seems to be the month for traitors: Quisling earlier, and today Guy Burgess. He was born on 16 April 1911, and entered the world as Guy Francis de Moncy Burgess, heir to a family with traditions in banking and the military. An upper-middle class life of comfort and good schooling saw him educated at Eton, the British Naval Academy, and Cambridge University. Guy had a big personality and networked relentlessly, giving him a wide range of contacts. At Cambridge, he fell in with a left-leaning bunch of fellas who criticized capitalism, and they all joined the British Communist Party. Burgess’ flamboyant personality struck some as obnoxious, while others found him amusing. There were four friends who shared his views, and sometimes his sexual leanings. They were recruited by Soviet Intelligence as covert agents in the 1930s. During World War II, Guy was a correspondent for the BBC, worked for MI6, then was posted to the Foreign Office. All the while, he was feeding information to the Soviets. In his last job, Burgess was second secretary at the British Embassy in Washington, DC. He was well-placed to do a lot of damage through his selling of information, but Burgess came under suspicion. In 1951, he was recalled to England. Before he could be fired and exposed for his spying, one of his Cambridge pals tipped him off that he and another friend were in danger — so they vanished! Five years later, they were revealed to be living in Moscow, supported by the government in their retirement. Excessive drinking cause a heart attack, and Burgess died in Russia in 1963. Exactly what state secrets he sold remains unreleased, but Burgess’ duplicity, and that of the others called the “Cambridge Five” caused lasting distrust between American and British intelligence, which was not helpful during the Cold War. The unmasking of the ring in many branches of government fed an interest in spy fiction, making the careers of Ian Fleming, John le Carré, and Graham Greene.

A breakfast with British influence, a dinner from Burgess’ nation of exile.

Welsh Rabbit ScrOmelette: 152 calories… 9.5 g fat… 0.6 g fiber… 11.4 g protein… 3.4 g carbs… 97.5 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF The origional version of this recipe is served in Old Williamsburg, Virginia at Chowning’s Tavern. We love it for a homey supper, just as people did in Colonial Days and here are the same flavors in breakfast form.

++ 1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid to store in the ‘fridge for next week. ++++ ¼ oz Cheddar cheese ++++ ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce ++++ ½ tsp dry mustard ++++ 1 oz pear or strawberries ++++ Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

Grate the cheese and stir in the Worcestershire and mustard. Spritz a fry pan with olive oil or non-stick spray and heat over meduim. Whisk and pour in the eggs. Add the cheese mixture and scramble or let cook then fold as an omelette. Prep the fruit and the beverages and ponder the rebellious days of Colonial America.

Pojarski Cutlets: 294 calories… 13 g fat… 5 g fiber… 33 g protein… 15 g carbs… 82.5 mg Calcium…  PG GF – if using GF bread  From an inn between Moscow and St Petersburg, comes a recipe to turn chopped meat into cutlets. Very simple to prepare. Recipe from Craig Claiborne’s NYT International Cook Book. HINT: makes 2 cutlets, serving two [2] people.

4 oz 85%-lean ground beef—–4 oz raw skinless chicken breast —–½ ounce egg Cut meat roughly into 1” chunks. Put in a food processor with egg and process until meat is well-chopped and all is blended.
Form meat into 2 tear-drop shapes, like pork chops.
2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour—–½ oz egg [1 Tbsp]—– 1 Tbsp water —— 6 Tbsp fresh bread crumbsDust meat in flour, then brush cutlets with the egg/water. Sprinkle with the crumbs and pat crumbs down to help them stick. 
Non-stick sprayApply cooking spray to a medium-hot pan and cook the ‘cutlets’ until bowned on both sides.
3 oz asparagus or 2 oz broccoliCook vegetable and plate with the cutlets.

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

2 slices 60-calorie whole-grain bread1 two-oz egg 
slice 3%-fat ham2%-fat cottage cheese
manchego cheesefresh herbs + red pepper flakes
pear OR Peach OR applepeach + Finn Crisp crackers
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

5-oz canned tuna + 2 hard-boiled eggs + tomatobaby salad greens + tiny shrimp
herbs + baby salad greens + edible flowersclementine + asparagus + mango
olive oil + white wine vinegarhard-boiled egg + mayonnaise
canned garbanzo beans + grainy mustardsriracha + garlic powder + lemon juice
Sparkling waterSparkling water

F.W. Woolworth

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle. Welcome to asterisk1598 who is now Following.

Since the 1860s, Americans have embraced the story of the poor man who makes good through pluck and luck. Popular novels implied that the “American Dream” was attainable, and that fit into the ‘can-do’ zeitgeist in the Gilded Age. Few people exemplified that idea as well as Frank Winfield Woolworth, born April 13, 1852 in Rodman, New York State. His was a farming family, but young Frank had retail sales in mind. At age 15, he went to work at a store in the nearest large town. By night, Frank took courses in bookkeeping and commerce, and by day he performed rather poorly serving customers at the store. In those days, the shopper would give a list to the clerk, and the clerk would bring the purchases — no self-service. So Frank was put in charge of the stock room, and also of arranging items on the “Five Cent” table. He was good at those tasks, and he hatched the idea of a store that sold items at only one price: 5 cents. With a loan from his boss, Frank opened such a store, then saw it fail. He moved from upstate New York to the farm country of Eastern Pennsylvania where he opened his next store in June, 1879 — this time to great success. Frank brought his brother into the company, and expanded into more locations. Two years later, the addition of 10-cent items boosted sales even further. Two of Woolworth’s innovations were shelves of goods where customers could make their own choices and negotiating with suppliers to sell to him directly and in bulk. These were not customary practices. Instead of trying to crush the competition, Frank went into business with them: they would run their own stores, but sell his goods. By 1905, Woolworth had it made: Jennie Creighton was his wife, they had three daughters, and business was booming. A chain of stores was established in the UK [officially called 3+6, the monetary equivalent of 5+10, aka: Woollies], headed by Frank’s cousin and those succeeded too. The crowning moment came in 1912, when Woolworth decided to build a skyscraper in New York City. At 792 feet, it was the tallest building in the world. Companies clamored to rent office space in the elegant ‘The Cathedral of Commerce‘, and Woolworth quickly recouped the cost of the building — which he had paid for in cash. During WWI, Woolworth stores sold ‘savings stamps’ [Frank’s idea] to help fund the war effort. But his wife had dementia, and Frank’s health was declining. He died of blood poisoning in April of 1919, head of a chain of 1,200 stores internationally. Woolworth’s pluck was exhausted and his luck had run out. The last US store of the chain closed in the 1990s. All the ‘dollar stores’ are the descendants of the vision of F.W. Woolworth.

The Woolworth’s lunch counter was a reliable food source. Even if you were new in town and didn’t know the eateries, you could count on Woolworth’s. Eggs with sausage for a hearty breakfast, a BLT sandwich later in the day — these were typical fare at the Five ‘n’ Dime. It was at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina that black students staged an historic sit-in in 1960. There was policy in the South that Black people not be served at Whites Only restaurants, but the students sat down anyway. After a few months Woolworth’s gave in, insisting on the integration of its lunch counters.

Sausage ScrOmelette: 177 calories … 9 g fat… 2 g fiber… 14 g protein… 5 g carbs … 48 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette and fruit only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF  Sausage ‘n’ eggs are such a great combination. Enjoy often.

++ 1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ++++ 2 links [37 calories/link] chicken breakfast sausage, diced ++++ 1½ tsp oregano and parsley, chopped ++++ 2 oz apple ++++ Optional: blackish coffee  [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++  Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

Heat a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick pan and spritz it with oil or cooking spray. Add the sausage and stir to warm briefly . Whisk the eggs with the seasonings and pour over the sausage in the pan. Scramble to your favorite degree of doneness. Plate the fruit, prepare optional beverages.

BLT: 291 calories… 10 g fat … 4 g fiber… 14.4 g protein… 34 g carbs… 231 mg Calcium… PB GF – if using GF bread Until I worked out the calories, I wouldn’t have believed that this would be fit for a Fast Day. But it is! Go ahead, enjoy.

++ 2 slices whole wheat bread at 60 calories/slice ++++ 2 slices uncured bacon ++++ 1 oz lettuce ++++ 2-oz sliced tomato ++++ 1/3 cup 3-bean salad ++++ ½ button original Baby-Bel cheese ++

Lightly toast the bread. Cook the bacon until crispy. Assemble the sandwich: bread, lettuce, bacon, tomato, lettuce, bread. Plate with the salad and cheese. A real treat.

Quisling

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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. Join me in the Fasting Lifestyle.

How horrible to have your family’s good name become synonymous with being a treasonous collaborator! Here is how it happened… Vidkun Quisling was born in 1887 into a loving, close-knit family. He did very well at school and was a military attaché to Russia and Finland during WWI. Early on, Vidkun had some admiration for the Bolsheviks, sympathizing with their ideas. After the war, he accompanied his countryman, the arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen, on an humanitarian mission to Russian Ukraine which won him accolades from many countries. In late 1921, Alexandra Voronin became Mrs Quisling, but a year later, on another trip with Nansen to Ukraine, Vidkun left Alexandra for a different Russian named Marie. Oddly, he and his younger second wife ‘adopted’ Alexandra as their foster-daughter. When the couple went to Paris for a long trip, it spelled the end of Quisling’s military career. He gained name recognition by writing several articles for a Norwegian newspaper, and in 1931, he was appointed as defense minister. During that time, Quisling became an anti-communist defender of a strong central government. His political star was rising at the same time that fascism was taking over Germany, but the party that he formed never gained the power he expected. By 1936, Quisling was attending fascist rallies and conferences, condemning Jews and Marxists. Seeing which way the wind blew, he went to Germany to meet Hitler. Quisling told Hitler that Great Britain wanted to invade Norway, and that Hitler should do it first. In his heart, perhaps Quisling thought that by inviting the Germans to Norway, the country would remain an independent part of the Nazi’s new world order, instead of a conquered nation. He also hoped that he would be the head of the resulting government. On April 9, 1940, Germany invaded. The government did not collapse and Quisling was not installed as ruler, although he proclaimed himself to be the prime minister in a national radio broadcast. Dating from the end of 1940, the English press was using the term ‘quisling’ to mean ‘traitor’. Eventually, he was propped up as ‘minister president’ in charge of a puppet government. From there it was down hill. One unpopular decree followed after another: rounding up and deporting Jews, forcing all youth to join Hitler-Youth style groups, and drafting Norwegians to fight for Germany. In May of 1945, with the German surrender, Quisling was arrested. He was put on trial for treason, theft, embezzlement, and murder. Although he protested his innocence, Quisling was found guilty and was shot by a firing squad in October.

Our breakfast is Ukranian, for Quisling’s work with Nansen to aid the citizens of that nation. The dinner represents his association with the Germans, which lead to his downfall.

Ukranian Omelette: 188 calories… 8.6 g fat… 5.6 g fiber… 20 g protein… 24 g carbs… 123.5 mg Calcium…  NB: Food values shown are for the ScrOmelette only, and do not include the optional beverages. PB GF I am told that this is a popular breakfast in Ukraine. And once you eat it, you will see why.

++ 1½ two-oz eggs  HINT: If you are serving one person, crack three 2-oz eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whip up those eggs and pour half of their volume into a jar with a lid and put it in the ‘fridge for next week. ++++ ¼ cup cottage cheese, 2% fat ++++ 2 oz sliced raw mushrooms ++++ 2 Tbsp chives/scallions, minced ++++ black pepper ++++ 3 oz strawberries ++++  Optional: blackish coffee [53 calories] or blackish tea or mocha cafe au lait [65 calories] ++++   Optional: 5 oz fruit smoothie or berry-yogurt smoothie [88 calories] ++

Warm the mushrooms in a small saute pan, then add the cottage cheese and stir in the chives/scallions. Heat briefly, cover and take off heat. Spritz a non-stick pan with non-stick spray. Whisk the egg and pour into the pan. Tip the pan and lift the edge of the cooking eggs to permit uncooked egg to run underneath. When the bottom of the eggs is cooked and the top is mostly set, spoon the cheese-mushroon-chive mixture across the lower third of the eggs. Starting closest to you, roll the eggs around the cheese filling and continue until it is all rolled. Plate and eat. Very nice.

Sauerkraut and Sausage: 255 calories… 5.5 g fat… 12.6 g fiber… 21 g protein… 33.5 g carbs… 196.4 mg Calcium…  GF PB Does this meal make you picture over-weight Teutons? Brunhilde, anyone? Now check the calories and change your mind. Sauerkraut is a great choice for dieting, and sausages don’t have to be fattening. 

++ 1½ cups sauerkraut, canned or bagged or fresh ++++ 2 tsp caraway seed ++++ 2 oz applesauce, unsweetened ++++ ½ cup onions, chopped coarsely ++++ 1 cob-smoked chicken sausage with apple [OR any other sausage with 110 calories] left whole or sliced into ½” chunks ++++ 1½ cups raw collard greens OR kale OR chard, chopped or sliced cross-wise in ¼” strips [chiffonade] ++++ salt + garlic powder + pepper to taste ++

Thaw the sausage if it is frozen. Combine the sauerkraut, caraway seed, applesauce, and onions in a saucepan large enough to hold the sausage [if leaving whole]. Cook slowly, uncovered until half of the liquid is gone. Add the sausage, cover, and continue to cook until everything is hot. Meanwhile, put the collards into ½ cup water with seasonings, and cook covered until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes.

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

1.5 two-oz eggs = US large1.5 two-oz eggs 
37-calorie chicken breakfast sausageCheddar cheese
oregano + parsleyWorcestershire sauce
apple or peardry mustard + strawberries or pear
optional smoothieoptional smoothie
optional hot beverageoptional hot beverage

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

2 slices 60-calorie whole-grain breadbison meat + chicken breast
American streaky bacon + tomatofresh bread crumbs + asparagus or broccoli
lettuce + 3-bean saladone 2-oz egg [US Large]
Baby-Bel cheesewhite whole wheat flour
Sparkling waterSparkling water