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.

Tomorrow will be May The Fourth, which Star Wars Fans recognize as a day to celebrate since the words sound like “May the Force….be with you.”  Yeah, it’s a stretch.  Anyhow, since the only food you ever see anyone eat in the entire film series is the ghastly-looking blue smoothie which Aunt Beru prepares on Tatooine, I thought that today we should talk about smoothies.

Smoothie benefits:  Fruit juice alone has lots of sugar. It is like drinking a soda-pop! But when you retain the fruit’s fiber, whether from fruit or vegetable, it changes the sugar’s effect on your body. Plus, the added fruit and/or vegetables give you a much-needed serving of the same. When drinking a green smoothie, by pureeing the greens, you are making them into their most digestible form. This means that all the micro-flora in your gut will thank you and that your lower intestines will be healthier and will work better.

BREAKFAST SMOOTHIES, TO DRINK INSTEAD OF JUICE                                                            *Fruited Green Smoothie:    77 calories    0.3 g fat    1.6 g fiber      1.7 g protein     31.3 g carb    30.7 mg Calcium    PB GF     HINT: this makes enough for three 6-oz servings, so it will save you time on the next 2 breakfasts.  In the photo, the green smoothie is served with Tostada.

2 cups mixed greens – spinach, romaine, lettuce, chard – roughly chopped                                       2 oz banana, sliced                                                                                                                                                  2 oz berries                                                                                                                                                                                   ½ apple or pear                                                                                                                                                       12 oz tomato juice [such as Knudsen’s organic] 10 ice cubes

Put the fruit and greens in the blender and swirl it together on ”high” just long enough to break down the fruit and greens. Set blender to “low,” add the juice and ice cubes. Process until smooth. Put what you don’t drink today into a jar in the ‘fridge. Next time you use it, shake it well. If you think it has become too thick, feel free to thin it with water or OJ.

*M&Ms Fruit Smoothie:    80 calories      0.4 g fat       3.5 g fiber       4.2 g protein      16.2 g carb     131 mg Calcium      This recipe is from the Fast Diet book, further quantified by me.   PB GF   HINT: this makes enough for 2 servings, so reserve the rest for another breakfast which will save you time.

6” of banana [3.0 oz]                                                                                                                                                ½ cup plain, non-fat yogurt                                                                                                                                  2 oz fruit[either ½ cup mixed berries or 7 one-inch strawberries]                                                         8-10 ice cubes                                                                                                                                                            Blend at low speed at first to break up the fruit, then at higher speed to blend.  HINT: I make up ‘kits’ in advance.  Into a freezer-safe container, I place all the ingredients except the ice cubes and freeze it days to weeks in advance. The night before a Fast Day, the Smoothie Kit comes out to thaw on the counter overnight. Much simpler.  Kits shown in photo above.

*Fruit Smoothie, chez nous:      88 calories      0 g fat       0.8 g fiber      1.5 g protein      21.2 g carbs       15.2 mg Calcium PB GF          HINT: enough for 4 [four] 5-6 oz servings 2 oz banana                                                                                                                                                                             2 oz fruit [all one variety or mixed; we like raspberries, strawberries, black currants, blueberries]                                                                                                                                                                  20 oz [2.5 cups] orange juice                                                                                                                                     HINT: I make the fruits up in ‘kits’ and keep them in the freezer. They could go into the blender frozen or leave the ‘kit’ on the counter overnight to thaw. Another time-saver! Put the fruit in the blender with 4 0z of the orange juice. Run it on “High” to break up the fruit and make it all smooth. Switch setting to “Low” and add the remaining juice. Run blender to combine the liquids. Save the rest in a jar for other mornings.

*Fruit Smoothie w/ greens, ME:       74 calories        0.1 g fat         1.0 g fiber        0.5 g protein 16.5 g carbs      29.4 mg Calcium      PB GF   This is the smoothie that we have used for years, and then I added some spinach, so it is a synthesis of the 2 previous smoothies. HINT: this makes enough for several breakfasts, so make it once and use it often. A real time-saver.

 2 oz banana                                                                                                                                                                                  2 oz berries [black currants, strawberries, blueberries, red or black raspberries, blackberries – any combo] HINT: I make these up in ‘kits’ and keep them in the freezer. They could go into the blender frozen or leave the ‘kit’ on the counter overnight to thaw. Another time-saver!                                                                                                                                                                          1 cup raw spinach or Swiss chard or kale or beet greens                                                                                          1 and 1/2 cups orange juice or natural apple cider                                                                                          1 cup tomato juice

Toss the fruit and greens into the blender. Add 1/2 cup orange juice. Process on high to blend the fruits and puree the leaves. Turn down to lowest setting and add the remaining juice. Process until smooth. Keep the setting on ‘low’ at this point, unless you like your smoothie with a huge head of foam!  

 MEAL-SIZED SMOOTHIES                                                                                                                     Banana Tofu Smoothie:                                                                                                                                    1.25 cups fat-free milk                                                                                                                                                ½ cup firm tofu                                                                                                                                                         6” banana                                                                                                                                                                                     2 Tbsp sugar                                                                                                                                                                       4 ice cubes                                                                                                                                                                Put everything in the blender and wizz it on “Low” until it is all blended. Then run it at a higher speed until it is smooth.                                                                                                                         Cocoa-Banana version: add 2 Tbsp cocoa to above recipe.

*Strawberry Tofu Smoothie: Half Batch =  199 calories   3.4 g fat  3.7 g fiber   14.2 g protein    26 g carbs     360 mg Calcium   1.5 Batch=  300 calories  5.1 g fat    5.5 g fiber     21.3 g protein     39 g carbs     540 mg Calcium PB GF   HINT: Makes 2 portions as part of a meal. Or one meal serving with 1/2 cup or so left over.   To serve as a full meal, measure out 3/4 of the batch.      I used to take this to work as part of lunch.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        2  oz banana                                                                                                                                                               ½ c plain, fat free yogurt                                                                                                                                     ½ cup sliced strawberries                                                                                                                                                   2 Tbsp sugar                                                                                                                                                                        2.8 oz soft tofu, which is 1/5 of a package

Put everything in the blender and wizz it on “Low” until it is all blended. Then run it at a higher speed until it is smooth. If you want to, add another ½ cup of yogurt, or skimmed milk which will add more volume and bring the calorie count to 259. Then you might use it as an entire meal.  Dust the top with freshly-grated nutmeg.

Ingredients for next week:  breakfast

One ‘pan muffin’ [see ..Not by Bread.. II-7-’18] Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain cereal	Advice about Fasting while traveling.
1 Applegate chicken sausage	[choose your own breakfast from archives]
Raspberries, fresh or frozen
Whatever you need for your hot beverage	Whatever you need for your smoothie
Whatever you need for your smoothie	Whatever you need for your hot beverage

dinner

Hardboiled eggs [3 for two people; 1.5 for one]	Advice on coping with a dinner buffet while on the Fast diet
Onions garlic	[choose your own dinner from archives]
Garbanzo beans
Tomatoes, fresh or 1 can diced [some will be left over]
Swiss cheese or Gruyere
Sparkling water	Sparkling water