If you're hungry and you know it...

Occasionally I've been having trouble with being hungry again. I know it's not helping that I'm not getting enough sleep, because when I'm tired, my body has stronger urges to eat so I have enough energy to make it through the day. I also saw an article in Men's Health that said people gained 55% more weight in their abdomen when they got fewer than six hours of sleep at night. I'll really be happy when my son starts to sleep through the night! He'll do it when he's ready but I hope it will be soon.

So, to alleviate my hunger pangs, I started thinking of more creative ways to use my dairy/protein servings. I miss soups, which are usually very high in fat and sodium, so I found a way to make one of my favourites NS friendly. Nutrisystem has several Asian inspired entrees, and this would be a perfect appetizer to go along with one or just as a yummy snack during the day.


Egg Drop Soup (Powerfuel):


2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 egg
1 chopped green onion
1 tsp cornstarch blended with cold water until smooth
1 drop dark soy sauce (optional)

Heat the chicken broth until boiling on the stove, then stir in the cornstarch and allow soup to thicken. Crack your egg in a bowl and stir gently with a fork but no need to blend. Pour the egg into the broth and stir. Turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for a few minutes before pouring it into a bowl and topping with green onions. If desired, add a tiny bit of dark soy sauce- that stuff is powerful so you really don't need much! This counts as a Powerfuel plus free foods. It is packed with protein and low calorie so it will definitely curb those hunger pangs, not to mention being so quick and easy to make.

Orange Chicken Breast with Vegetables & Rice (Dinner):


The soup was delicious as an appetizer for this meal, but I wasn't really a big fan of the orange chicken. Unlike most NS rice entrees, though, there was lots of it in this meal which was nice. I just didn't really care for the sauce. It was filling and edible but not one of my favourite meals.


Fettuccine Alfredo (Lunch):


With all the other yummy lunches out there, I've been kind of avoiding the 9 fettuccine alfredos I have sitting in my cupboard. I really liked this at first but I've found so many meals I like better that this one had kind of fallen by the wayside. Today I tried a recipe I found on the NS boards to jazz it up a bit and I think I'll be eating it a little more often again! It's not very photogenic but it sure tastes good!

Beef Stroganoff:

1 pkg Fettuccine Alfredo
1 pkg Flame Broiled Beef Patty
low sodium beef broth (to fill line)
2 tbsp fat free sour cream
cremini mushrooms, chopped
onions, chopped
garlic to taste
chives to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Boil the beef broth and use it instead of water to make the Fettuccine Alfredo; cover and set aside. Rehydrate the Flame Broiled Beef Patty (I used the remaining broth for this as well) and set aside. Spray a pan with PAM and fry the mushrooms, onions, and garlic until tender. Dice the Beef Patty into little pieces and add to the vegetable pan. Pour in the sour cream and stir in the chives (I use freeze dried). Add the Fettuccine Alfredo and stir until blended; allow to thicken. If desired, top with a little Parmesan cheese and enjoy.

I'll admit that I used to really love Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff. Salty, fatty, but quick and delicious. This meal doesn't have quite the same flavour as the boxed one, but it has a delicious flavour all its own. I really enjoyed it.

Would you like fries with that?

Who doesn't miss McDonalds? Yes, their food is crap, but there is something comforting about biting into a greasy hamburger from there, at least for me. Maybe this explains why I'm so overweight? :)

I set out to recreate my old nemesis, the Big Mac. Surprisingly, I came pretty close!



One of the counselors at Nutrisystem sparked this idea for me. She told me that the hamburger patty can count as a protein if you don't add the bun, so for a treat I could have a double hamburger (because it does get kind of expensive to eat two entrees in one evening). Two patties made me think of a Big Mac, so it only remained to figure out the best way to make it!

I started by toasting a low calorie whole wheat hamburger bun, plus an extra bottom piece to make the third piece of bread. The rest of the idea was easy- a slice of cheese, lettuce, and onions (plus pickle if you like it but I don't). But wait- how was I going to make the Big Mac sauce? That stuff is deadly. I thought about the flavours, and took 1 tbsp of mayonnaise (my fat serving, but use fat free or reduced fat if you prefer), 2 tbsp of fat free thousand island dressing, and 1 tsp of relish. The flavour was pretty close!

Next- we can't have fries, but onion rings are a pretty good substitute. I saw this recipe on the Nutrisystem boards so I went out and bought a Spanish onion. Unfortunately when I cut into it, it was weird and did not have rings, so I decided to just make onion patties instead by cutting them into slices and breading those. Take a few spoonfuls of whole wheat breadcrumbs and spice them with your favourite seasonings (I like Italian spice) and dip the onion rings in Eggbeaters, then into the breadcrumbs. Spray with a little PAM spray, and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, and serve with the rest of the Big Mac sauce.



My husband took one look at my plate and said "That can't be OK." I wouldn't have this every day, but boy does it hit the spot if you have a fast food craving!

If you don't get an extra carb serving with dinner, I suggest having a lunch like the Chicken or Tuna Salad and putting it over veggies and saving that carb serving for the breadcrumbs and the extra piece of hamburger bun. It's worth it!

More potatoes!

Oh my goodness, I think I need to revise my auto delivery again. I wish I'd put more than three Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes for this month because there are so many things you can do with them!

I got this recipe off the Nutrisystem website and it is amazing. I love creamy soups and this one was very satisfying and it also made a huge portion. The bowl that the soup is pictured in is not a regular soup bowl. That is actually my large pasta serving bowl! I had a hard time finishing it all and I was stuffed. My husband tasted it and he liked it so much that he asked me to make him some, too.



Creamy Potato Soup

1 pkg Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 oz shredded cheese
1/2 tbsp bacon bits (optional)
If chunky soup is desired, add 1 cup steamed cauliflower mashed in a blender (but still chunky) with a tbsp of fat free sour cream and black pepper.


Add 1 cup hot water to the Potatoes, which fills the cup nearly to the brim instead of the fill line. Stir well and transfer to a large bowl. Give the potatoes a few minutes to rehydrate- this is a good time to prepare the cauliflower if you want that in your soup. Pour in 1/2 cup milk (I found I actually needed a little bit more to thin the soup to my liking), stir in cauliflower if desired, and then top with the cheese and bacon bits. Serve warm.

I looked at the nutritional stats on bacon bits and compared it to the imitation bits and to turkey bacon. 1 tbsp of real bacon bits has about 35 calories and 2.5 grams of fat, with 5 grams of protein. I am personally comfortable with a little extra fat and treating them as a partial dairy/protein serving even though they slightly exceed the program requirements- after all, we're only using half a tablespoon. If you want to adhere strictly, I suggest cooking up a slice of low fat or fat free turkey bacon and using that for your crumble or skipping it entirely if you aren't a bacon fan. You could also try fat free ham cubes or something similar.


I've also got a few other ideas to share. Last night I followed a tip I was given about the Flame Broiled Beef Patty. I must revise my opinion of it upwards yet again!

I rehydrated the patty but didn't soak it to death in that little tray so it was still fairly firm and not crumbly. Then I took my fat serving, and fried it in a pan with olive oil. Wow. It was a million times better than just eating the rehydrated patty. It tasted like a real hamburger! I had it with a serving of shredded coleslaw and Calorie Wise Kraft Coleslaw dressing. Delicious!


I've also got an idea for a dairy/protein serving. If you're like me, sometimes you get tired of the same old thing for dairy/protein. Since you have to eat three a day, it can get repetitive if you are not creative. I saw an idea on the NS website for "crustless pumpkin pie" as a dairy/protein substitute, so I had to try it.



1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 can evaporated fat free milk (12 oz)
¾ cup egg substitute (or 3 egg whites)
½ tsp. salt
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup Splenda® (or sugar), or to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth.
3. Pour into 9” pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 45 more minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cut into sixths- one sixth equals a dairy/protein serving.


I think a shallower pan would be better as my slices came out much softer than I was expecting. Perhaps I could have baked it longer but I didn't want the top to get too dry. I also think this could use a teensy bit more pumpkin pie spice and Splenda.

I like to have this for my afternoon snack dairy/protein serving. It's like having a dessert in the middle of the day! Top it with fat free Cool Whip and enjoy.

Win some, lose some

I've tried a few more new things from my box of goodies, and I've enjoyed some but been let down by others.

Creamy Tomato Soup (Lunch):


This was really my biggest disappointment. Who doesn't love a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup? I was so excited to try this that I borrowed my fat serving and my carb serving from dinner so that I could have the grilled cheese with the soup. The sandwich was delicious, but I wasn't too happy with the soup. I mean, really- how can you screw up tomato soup? It's one thing that is naturally high in sodium and low in calories anyway. Unfortunately, Campbell's this was not. It kind of had an odd, gritty taste to it. Would I eat it again? Yes. My expectations were probably too high so I was let down when I tried it. It's not bad soup, it's just not what I hoped for.

Swedish Style Meatballs with Pasta in Sauce (Dinner):


Although the photo doesn't look very appetizing, this was good. I loved the noodles (they tasted like classic egg noodles) and they were in a thick beef sauce with the meatballs. This one is definitely on my reorder list.

Golden Pound Cake (Dessert):


I loved this! It was good all by itself, but I'm picturing it with mashed strawberries and a little fat free Cool Whip... Mmmm. It was light, but very tasty.

Banana Nut Muffin (Breakfast):


This was good but nothing special. Just an average muffin. The nuts were fairly plentiful which was nice. I preferred the blueberry one, personally.

Flame Broiled Beef Patty (Dinner):


I felt it was time to issue a revised opinion on this meal. I think I was so negative about it the first time because the appearance just revolted me. I mean, it still looks like dessicated shoe leather when it's dried up in its little tray. Not appetizing at all.



However, dress it up on a nice whole wheat bun with cheese and your favourite condiments, all of a sudden it becomes a pretty nice dinner. I usually have sweet potato "fries" with it and it definitely beats the burger and fries craving.

The appearance still sucks, but then again I love the veggie fajita and it looks like dog barf, so I am trying to be fair to the hamburger.

Blueberry Lemon Bar (Dessert):


This was delicious! I love the way the blueberry and citrus tastes are both present but not overwhelming. If you're looking for something sweet but light (and you're not in the mood for the amazing Fudge Brownie!), this will definitely do the trick.

It's not all sunshine and roses...

Well, I suppose I had to find something I didn't like eventually! Otherwise everyone would do Nutrisystem. But oh well, I just don't have to order it again. I'm hoping this blog will help show people exactly what they are getting so they have a better shot at picking foods they do like if they choose to order from Nutrisystem. At this point, I would definitely still recommend it.

Today for breakfast, I had a cranberry orange pastry that was pretty darn good. So far, all the baked goods have been scrumptious and for a carbohydrate addict like me, that's saying something.



For lunch, I chose the chicken salad. This was pretty good, although I like my chicken mayonnaise-y and that's the way this was served. It was heavy on sauce- I would have preferred a little more of the chicken and veggies. With a little black pepper though, it was enjoyable. I am not sure why Nutrisystem chose this type of package for it- it's in a plastic pouch so you pretty much have to squeeze it like a toothpaste tube to get out all the chicken salad. I would have thought a dish-type container like the lasagna tray would be better so you can actually get it all out.



For dinner, I decided to have a hamburger. Condiments are allowed on Nutrisystem in moderation, so I was picturing a nice juicy hamburger on a whole wheat bun (you provide your own) with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and relish. Sounds good in theory, doesn't it?

The hamburger comes in a box containing a little plastic tray with something I can only describe as dessicated shoe leather in a circle. To "rehydrate" the patty, you pour boiling water on it until the tray is full and let it sit for 2 minutes. Well, OK. Maybe it would magically morph into a hamburger the way those little kids' foam toys turn from tiny little things into giant animals and monsters.

My hopes were dashed when I returned from making my cauliflower and saw a wet, dessicated shoe leather type object floating in the tray. I tried to pick it up with a fork to put on my bun and it fell apart. Not very appetizing. Fortunately, when you add enough stuff to it, all you really taste is bun and condiments, so I suppose it passes the edible test (I mean, I could EAT it, I just didn't WANT to) but this is not an entree that I will ever choose again. Unfortunately I have two more in my cabinet and I will be sure to take a picture next time for your viewing pleasure!

The saving grace to the meal was my cauliflower "mashed potatoes". I'm sure a lot of you have heard that mashed cauliflower can pass as a reasonable substitute and it wasn't bad at all. I steamed the cauliflower in my Starfrit silicone steamer and then put it in the food processor with a little milk and some garlic and pepper. It wasn't exactly potatoes, but it was pretty yummy and took care of my veggies for the meal (I get bored eating salad all the time).

For dessert, I asked Dan to choose something for me and he brought me a double chocolatey almond cookie. This didn't last long enough to have a picture taken of it! It's a yummy chocolate cookie with chocolate chips and almond bits. I love soft, chewy cookies and this was perfect.

I noticed that I was less hungry today, which was nice. I didn't even eat my extra carbohydrate serving that I am allowed at dinner since I have so much weight to lose. I didn't really want one and I was already comfortably within my range for calories, carbs, etc (I track on Sparkpeople to make sure I'm eating a balanced diet and am adding the right things when I have choices) I chose not to eat it. Hopefully my body is beginning to adjust to eating less and more often.