Non Scale Victory!

I was planning to share some more recipes with you today, but first I need you to help me celebrate a very exciting moment today.

I had a pair of jeans sitting in my closet from 2006- haven't worn them since. They're low rise and the smallest pants I own. Last night I threw in a load of laundry but somehow my usual black jeans failed to get in the washer and I couldn't wear them again without washing them because they were covered with my son's dinner from last night. We had plans to go out to dinner for a mystery shop, so I had to find something to wear!

I now weigh less than I have in longer than I remember, however my body has changed after having a baby, so I've been afraid to try on these pants. I didn't really have any other options today, though! So I decided to pull them out- I told myself the worst that could happen would be that I'd need to exercise harder.

And you know what's coming- THEY FIT! And comfortably so- it's not like I was struggling to zip them up. I am just over the moon. I can't wait until these "skinny" jeans become my fat jeans!

I've got some more great appetizers for your Super Bowl party- enjoy (in moderation)!

Dairy/Protein Ideas:



Cheesy Mozzerella Sticks:

2 light mozzerella string cheese sticks (50 calories each), cut in half
1 tbsp Egg Beaters
1 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Dip the cheese stick pieces into the Egg Beaters and then into the breadcrumbs. Bake for ten minutes or until they are cheesy and gooey. Serve immediately with salsa or your favourite FF dipping sauce.

These are AWESOME and taste exactly like the real thing! I highly recommend trying them for an afternoon snack. Count them as a dairy/protein and a free food.


Here's an appetizer platter I made at a recent party- it's not all Nutrisystem friendly but it's definitely lower calorie than the "original" versions.



You can see my Jalapeno Poppers at the bottom of the platter... next look at two of my favourites: Breaded Chicken Fingers and Faux Fried Shrimp.

Breaded Chicken Fingers & Faux Fried Shrimp:

1 pkg Nutrisystem Grilled Chicken Breast (or your own chicken breast, cut into strips)
large cocktail shrimp, tails on
Egg Beaters
seasoned bread crumbs

The Nutrisystem Grilled Chicken Breast really isn't a great choice for this recipe because the chicken flakes easily with a fork and is difficult to cut into strips- I'd recommend using your own. I didn't specify quantities otherwise because it depends how many people you want to serve.

Just like with the cheese sticks, dip the chicken strips and shrimp into the Egg Beaters and then into the breadcrumbs. Bake the chicken strips in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. I like the shrimp best either fried in 1 tsp olive oil per serving, or in PAM Olive Oil spray.

If you want to count this as a dairy/protein serving, you can use up to 100 calories of chicken or shrimp, and count the Egg Beaters and breadcrumbs as a free food. You can also choose to make this a dinner entree by using 3 lean protein servings (that would be 3oz of chicken or 6oz of shrimp), ~80 calories of breadcrumbs (so a thicker breading) as your low GI carb, and 2 tsp of olive oil to fry them in. You still need to add your 3 veggie servings to make it a complete dinner.

The last item really isn't great for Nutrisystem but your guests will probably enjoy it!

Pizza Rolls:

wonton wrappers
turkey pepperoni
shredded mozzerella cheese
pizza sauce
your favourite veggies, diced small

Squirt a little pizza sauce into each wrapper and add pepperoni, veggies, and cheese. Fold the wrappers tightly and tuck in the edges to make an egg roll shape. Heat olive oil in a pan- enough to cover the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, place the pizza rolls in a single layer in the pan. Turn when the wrapper starts to crisp up. When they are cooked on all sides, serve immediately.

Unfortunately, these really don't do well when baked or faux fried- they just don't have the same flavour and the wonton wrappers don't crisp up properly. As a result, these use too much oil to be eaten on Nutrisystem. I recommend serving these to your guests and sticking to the on plan snacks like chicken fingers and mozzerella sticks! And of course don't forget to put out a platter of fresh veggies and dip!