Recipe: Italian Vegetable Egg Custard

Are you looking for a new weekend breakfast recipe? This is one of my favorites, particularly in the spring and summer months. It does take some preparation, but it is most certainly worth the effort! It is early for summer squash in most gardening zones, but you can find a nice selection of fresh squash at the Farmer's markets and some supermarkets.

Featured recipe from Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test, page 144.
Shared with permission, LivingAfterWLS, LLC (C) 2012.

Summer Squash

Custard doesn't have to be sweet to be delicious. This savory brunch custard makes gr  eat use of fresh summer vegetables. After you have tried it with squash and tomatoes, experiment with other fresh vegetables like peppers, mushrooms, and even diced or shredded winter squash. Explore your creative Receptiveness! See page 74 of Day 6: Beyond the 5DPT.

Italian Vegetable Egg Custard

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
4 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups summer squash, shredded
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup black olives, sliced, divided
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl beat the eggs and flour until smooth. Stir in summer squash, zucchini and 1/4 cup olives; mix well. Spread in prepared baking pan. Place in center of oven and bake until custard is set, about 10 minutes. (see note). Remove to a warm trivet.

Mix the Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning blend and garlic salt together and sprinkle evenly over the baked custard. Top evenly with tomato slices, remaining olives, sliced green onion and mozzarella cheese. Divide into four equal portions and serve warm.

Learn More: Health Benefits of Eggs

Note: To determine that the custard is done insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the center about two-thirds down. If it comes out clean the custard is done. If the custard is almost done turn the oven off and leave the oven door slightly ajar so the custard will finish cooking

Serves 4. Per serving: 232 Calories; 12g Fat; 13g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber.

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 Day 6: Beyond the 5 Day Pouch Test

Sale $19.95

Thousands of people around the world use Kaye Bailey’s 5 Day Pouch Test to stop weight gain after weight loss surgery and return to the basics prescribed by their bariatric center.  But what happens on Day 6? Kaye Bailey answers that question sharing her generous spirit of compassion and belief in others as she shares her secrets for working with the surgical weight management tool for lifetime weight maintenance. Readers quickly learn that working with the tool, not against it, brings optimum success and healthy long-term weight management. No gimmicks. No quick fixes. Just profound sensibility delivered in the powerful “you can do this” style we have come to expect from Ms. Bailey. The 66 recipes will put delicious guilt-free food on your table as you nurture your best life and health with weight loss surgery. Kaye’s Day 6 lifestyle is suitable for all bariatric procedures including gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding, gastric sleeve and others.

Learn More: Day 6

Rule #2 is Lots of Water -- But it's so boring! Help!

Don't like water - what else can I have?

Drink lots of water is the universal golden rule for dieters. But even the most devoted water sippers become bored with the flat unexciting taste of water. Fortunately there are many health-supportive was we can spruce up plain water creating a refreshing beverage with added vitamins and nutrients. Online there are countless recipes for making infused water, a fancy word for water that blended with fruits, vegetables, herbs, and/or tea. Here are a few of my go-to blends that both refresh and promote good health with an energy boost.

Using the formulas below you will make a 2-4 quart batch of refreshing infused water. Using a large pitcher or gallon jar prepare the infusion ingredients. Top the ingredients with 6 cups ice, fill the jar with water, and stir. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let flavors infuse. Best used within two days of making, but don't expect it to last that long. These refreshing beverages are delicious!

Green Tea

We've long known that green tea is beneficial to our weight loss efforts. It continues to provide health promoting benefits to those with surgery and is a pleasant alternative to water. Most nutritionists agree that herbal teas can be counted the same as water when monitoring our daily water intake. Remember our WLS rule #2 is Lots of Water. To change up your green tea (or freshen your water) try these recipes to make two quarts of refreshing flavor-infused water. 

Basic recipe: Brew two quarts of green tea using 4-6 tea bags following package directions. While it brews add the flavor ingredients to a gallon jug, top with 6-8 cups ice, add brewed tea, mix well and chill for two hours or overnight before serving. Enjoy several refreshing servings throughout the day.

Try this recipe: Stomach Soothing Thirst Quenching Lemon Ginger Iced Green Tea

Iced Peppermint Tea

Mint is known to refresh, soothe stomach aches, and suppress appetite. In place of green tea bags use peppermint tea. Add 1/4 cup chopped mint and one lemon, sliced. Mix well and chill as directed above.

Berry-Fresh Kiwi Cooler

In the gallon jug combine 3 cups halved fresh strawberries, three thinly sliced kiwis, and two thinly sliced lemons. Gently muddle all of the ingredients together. Add ice and tea, mix, chill, serve.

Sunshine Cleanse

Combine two thinly sliced lemons, two thinly sliced limes, two thinly sliced grapefruits, and two thinly sliced oranges. Gently muddle with a wooden spoon or spatula.  Add ice and tea, mix, chill, serve. (This is also good prepared with peppermint tea.)

More ideas: Simple Weight Loss Accelerator Won't Leave You Sour

Minty-Cuke Thirst Quencher

Scrunch 1/4-cup fresh mint leaves in the bottom of gallon jug to release flavor and aromatics (I love this refreshing fragrance!). Add two thinly sliced cucumbers (peeled if desired). Half two limes and squeeze juice into jug, discard halves. Thinly slice two limes and add to jug. Top with ice and tea and mix well. Chill and serve adding more ice as desired.

Reminder:  Carbonated soda cravings and why we should abstain

Struggling with WLS? Try this at your next meal and see results fast.

Check your inbox or link here to our newly published LivingAfterWLS Inspired Reminders Newsletter. Published February 22, 2017 this hot issue is all about digestion and how making one small change in your eating habits will change the way you lose weight now! Don't miss it. Link here for the archive:

Digestion Starts Here!
Why making good chyme fuels weight loss 

"Greetings!

Thank you for your time as you join me in this weekly digest from LivingAfterWLS. Recently I've found myself busy-eating or multi-tasking through meals. The result is poorly chewed food, pouch discomfort and unsatisfied hunger. I know better. We all know better, right? From our earliest school years we were taught to slow down to eat, chew our food completely, and don't talk with our mouth full. Such sensible advice that is so easy to forget.

In today's newsletter I share a section from my Protein First book that discusses the essential importance of chewing our food well and how doing so leads to improved weight loss: The disgusting reality of digestion.  I needed this refresher and I hope you find it timely as well. You will also find a terrific weeknight recipe for Skillet Parmesan Chicken and a link-summary of popular posts from the LivingAfterWLS Blog.

Thank you for your time and I wish you a distraction free, unhurried meal where you can chew your food well and enjoy the benefits of a well-digested nutritional meal."

Kaye Bailey

Check out the newsletter in our Archive: Inspired Reminders February 22, 2017

Four easy things for a perfect WLS day

Hot Off the Press! LivingAfterWLS Inspired Reminders email bulletin.

Link to check out our fresh new layout and power-packed content to support your weight loss surgery health and weight management goals. View it live in our archive or subscribe to receive this valuable information delivered free to your Inbox.

LivingAfterWLS Inspired Reminders September 8, 2016

Enjoy a perfect WLS day by doing these four easy things this morning.

Do These Four Simple Things Today!

Broken eggs and a perfect day

by Kaye Bailey

The old wisdom warns that trouble comes in threes and I've found it to be more true than not. It seems if my day gets off to a rocky start things are unlikely to improve as one problem leads to the next. Maybe, like me, you have all the desire in the world to get your day off to a great start doing what is necessary to support your WLS goals and then, as the saying goes, life happens and off track we go. In the 5 Day Pouch Test we use the metaphor of broken eggs: if we drop one egg from the carton and it breaks we don't discard the rest of the eggs. We clean the mess and move forward understanding that broken eggs happen but one broken egg is not worth spoiling the whole dozen. In the day-to-day of living we can apply the metaphor and rationalize that one oops in a day doesn't mean the entire day is a disaster. But sometimes it is easier said than done, at least for me.

What if we had a sure-fire strategy to start the day with four easy actions that support our big picture goals of weight loss and weight management using the WLS tool? If we've already accomplished four simple actions in favor of a good day won't those help shield us from the bumps and bruises of the daily "broken eggs" we are bound to encounter?

Today's Inspired Reminders Bulletin offers four easy, quick, and affordable things we can all do to prepare the way for a perfect WLS day. I invite you to try these four little actions every day for one week and just see what a wonderful world of success opens for you as you pursue the best life, Living INSPIRED After WLS.

Link to the Bulletin

Healthy Eating: Pumped-up Protein Oatmeal

On Wednesday the American Heart Association invites us to participate in National Eating Healthy Day. "Take the first step to making healthier food choices by taking part in the American Heart Association's National Eating Healthy Day on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014. On this day, Americans are encouraged to commit to healthier eating. Celebrating National Eating Healthy Day is fun and easy!"  All this week the LivingAfterWLS Blog will celebrate Eating Healthy with recipes and suggestions for meals that support our specific nutritional needs and satisfy the palate.

In general I find that people in the weight loss surgery community are dedicated to enjoying healthy foods that contribute to wellness rather than obesity. And most of us try to share this enthusiasm with our families, friends, and coworkers. There are times, perhaps, that we are challenged to eat a traditional healthy diet that is loaded with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains because our first rule of WLS is Protein First. So we must find creative ways to include complex carbohydrates in our meal plan.

Think Oatmeal!
Long revered as a nutritional powerhouse, oatmeal is a great platform for adding whole grain to our diet because it lends itself to a variety ingredients and flavors that boost protein and enhance the eating experience.  In the recipe below, Egg-White Whipped Vanilla Oatmeal provided by Quaker Oats, we add 14 grams protein per serving by whipping and cooking egg whites right into the oatmeal. The meal is further protein fortified with a topping of Greek yogurt giving this filling meal a potential of 22 grams protein! Once the technique of adding egg white in the final cooking step is mastered we can experiment with all manner of toppings to please the taste buds and meet our WLS nutritional needs.

Did you know that Quaker Oats was one of the first products to wear the American Heart Association Heart-Check Mark?

Heart Health Mark over the Years:

 "In 1997 the first food-specific health claim for oatmeal is approved by the FDA. The new heart health claim appears on Quaker Oatmeal cereals which qualify. The claim reads: "Soluble fiber from oatmeal as part of a low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet, may reduce the risk of heart disease." This was also the first year of the Smart Heart Challenge."  Quaker Oats

Give this recipe a try and introduce oatmeal back into your healthy diet!

Egg-White Whipped Vanilla Oatmeal
Recipe provided by Quaker Oats

Preparation: Begin cooking oats as usual on the stovetop. After oats have absorbed most of the water, pour in egg whites and vanilla and whip vigorously with a fork until mixture is well blended. Raise the heat to medium and stir in the butter. Continue to cook for 4 more minutes, bringing oats back to a simmer and stirring frequently. When all the water is absorbed and the egg whites have caused the oats to puff and appear creamy, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Let the oats sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir oatmeal, add toppings, and enjoy!

3/4 Cup(s) Quaker® Oats (Quick or Old Fashioned)
1 1/2 Cup(s) Water
4 egg whites, beaten with a fork until frothy
1/2 Tablespoon(s) salted butter
1/2 Teaspoon(s) Pure vanilla extract

Toppings
1/2 Cup(s) Greek yogurt
1/3 Cup(s) sliced bananas
1/3 Cup(s) walnuts
1/4 Cup(s) dried cranberries

PREPARATION:
Begin cooking oats as usual on the stovetop. After oats have absorbed most of the water, pour in egg whites and vanilla and whip vigorously with a fork until mixture is well blended. Raise the heat to medium and stir in the butter. Continue to cook for 4 more minutes, bringing oats back to a simmer and stirring frequently. When all the water is absorbed and the egg whites have caused the oats to puff and appear creamy, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Let the oats sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir oatmeal, add toppings, and enjoy!

Nutrition: WLS patients will need to adjust the serving size to give you pouch fullness without overeating, something that can easily happen before we realize it when enjoying a warm soft food such as oatmeal. Use this information only as an estimate of the nutritional values in your warm delicious bowl of oatmeal:
1 pouch of Quaker Instant Oatmeal provides 160 calories, 4 grams protein, 33 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fat. Two egg whites provide 34 calories, 7 grams protein, trace amounts of carbohydrate and fat. a 1/2-cup serving of non-fat Greek Yogurt provides 60 calories, 11 grams protein, and 5 grams carbohydrate.

Good to Know: Quaker FAQs

What is the difference between Quaker® Old Fashioned Oatmeal, Quick Quaker®, Quaker® Steel Cut Oats and Instant Quaker® Oatmeal?
Quaker® Old Fashioned Oats are whole oats that are rolled to flatten them.

Quick Quaker® Oats are made the same way but are simply cut into slightly smaller pieces so they cook faster.

Steel Cut Oats are whole oats that have not been rolled into flakes. Instead, they are cut approximately into thirds. Cooking time is 30 minutes and the texture is heartier than rolled oats. Steel Cut Oats are also known as Scotch Oats, Pinhead Oats (in Great Britain because they resemble the size and shape of the head of a large pin) and Irish Oats.

Instant Quaker® Oats use the exact same oats, only they are rolled a little bit thinner and cut finer so that they cook very quickly.

All the types are equally nutritious because they supply all parts of the oat grain including the bran, endosperm and germ. It's the different size and shape of the oats that affects the cooking time and texture. Additionally, most/many varieties have some vitamins, minerals and flavoring ingredients added.

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Trick or Treat, Sugar is Sweet, But what about my WLS?

FAQ's on Sugar

by Kaye Bailey
There is so much confusing and conflicting data available about the health benefits or damages of sugar. Let's take a look at some of the most commonly asked questions about sugar and try to answer them reasonably without the hype or fear mongering that is commonly associated with foods of questionable nutritional value. Taking the best information we have available and using our personal experience I believe we can make the best food decisions for ourselves -- and save the drama for another topic.

Is Sugar Addictive?

Sugar taps into a powerful human preference for sweet taste, says Marcia Pelchat, PhD, a scientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, a basic research institute in Philadelphia.  "We're born to like sugar," she says. Scientists aren't sure if people can become physically dependent on sugar, although some animal studies suggest that such a thing is possible, she says. "There are the same kinds of changes in brain dopamine, in these animals given intermittent access to sugar, as in drug addicts."

Are some type of sugar better than others?

Celebrities and high-profile chefs have touted the benefits of replacing refined white sugar with purportedly more natural, healthier sugars, such as honey, maple syrup, or molasses. But, according to Rachel K. Johnson, RD, MPH, PhD, a professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association (AHA) there's no truth to these common misconceptions,  "In terms of something being inherently better about those sweeteners as opposed to table sugar or sucrose -- no." The bottom line: All are simple sugars. "A calorie of sugar is a calorie of sugar, so whether you're getting it from white sugar or some other type of sweetener, you're still adding empty calories to your diet," Johnson says. 

However, there may be one redeeming quality, she says. "Some of those sweeteners -- like maple syrup, molasses, honey -- may have a stronger taste, so you might be able to get the sweetness that you want with less of it, using less calories."

Does sugar cause weight gain?

Several current studies suggest a relationship between sugar intake and weight gain. What the studies do not determine is if the sugar causes the weight gain or the extra calories sugary foods provide that cause the weight gain. Seems like a moot point to me. As people with obesity - in whatever stage we are in - we know what foods we ate that contributed to our personal weight gain. For me sweets and pasta were dietary staples at the height of my morbid obesity. What was on your menu when your disease was at its worst? I suspect we all blame our "sweet tooth" for a certain amount of weight gain. Studies on infants confirm that it is human nature to prefer sweets over foods like vegetables which are an acquired taste. According to registered dietician, Kathleen M. Zelman, "We love sweets because they not only taste good, but make us feel good. Consuming simple carbohydrates (like sweets) boosts the brain chemical serotonin, which can help improve mood. Stress reduces serotonin levels, which may help explain why some people reach for sweets when they're feeling stressed."

Simple Ways to Cut Sugar Calories

According to Zelman, the bottom line is that if you want to control calories, you should limit added sugars of all kinds, including high-fructose corn syrup. She suggests five simple ways to cut back on sugar calories:

•     Drink fewer sweetened soft drinks.
•     Satisfy your sweet tooth with naturally sweet fruits, fresh or canned in fruit juice.
•     Buy only 100% fruit juice that is not sweetened.
•     Instead of sweetened beverages, enjoy sparkling water with lime and/or a splash of fruit juice.
•     Choose unsweetened, whole-grain cereals and cereal bar

WLS Patients: Sugar and Dumping Syndrome 

Artificial Sweeteners: What you need to know today!

The 5 Day Pouch Test: Express Study Guide

With Halloween just around the corner and the feasting holidays coming right behind now is a good time to look at sugar, artificial sweeteners and the role they play in our weight loss surgery diets. I am always nervous about the "sugar" issue because if there is one thing health conscious people have strong opinions about it is sweet foods and how they get to be sweet. There is so much information (and mis-information) about sweets in the American diet that we can find "studies" or "proof" to support just about any position we want to take. Today let's look at what the American Diabetes Association says about artificial sweeteners:

Artificial Sweeteners

Published with permission from American Diabetes Association
 
Are you struggling to control your sweet tooth?

When you have diabetes, including sweets in your diet requires careful planning. However, it can be hard to just save sweets for special occasions.

Curb Your Cravings
Foods and drinks that use artificial sweeteners are another option that may help curb your cravings for something sweet.

Sometimes artificial sweeteners are also called low-calorie sweeteners, sugar substitutes, or non-nutritive sweeteners. They can be used to sweeten food and drinks for less calories and carbohydrate when they replace sugar.

However, many foods containing artificial sweeteners still have calories and carbs, so be sure to check the nutrition facts label.

Their sweetening power is at least 100 times more intense than regular sugar, so only a small amount is needed when you use these sugar substitutes.

Also, with the exception of aspartame, all of the sweeteners listed below cannot be broken down by the body. They pass through our systems without being digested so they provide no extra calories.

FDA Approved
There are five artificial sweeteners that have been tested and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

• acesulfame potassium (Brand Names: Sunett, Sweet One)
• aspartame (Brand Names: Nutrasweet, Equal)
• saccharin (Brand Names: Sweet 'N Low, Sweet Twin, Sugar Twin:
• sucralose (Brand Name: Splenda)
• neotame (Brand Names: Best of All, A Sweet Leaf, Sun Crystals, Steviva, Truvia, PureVia)

These sweeteners are used by food companies to make diet drinks, baked goods, frozen desserts, candy, light yogurt, and chewing gum. You can buy them to use as table top sweeteners. Add them to coffee, tea, or sprinkle them on top of fruit. Some are also available in "granular" versions which can be used in cooking and baking.

What's The Deal With Stevia?
Stevia (sometimes called Rebaudioside A or rebiana) is now generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA as a food additive and table top sweetener. When something is generally recognized as safe by the FDA, it means that experts have agreed that it is safe for use by the public in appropriate amounts.

Stevia is several hundred times sweeter than sugar. It comes from the sweetest part of the stevia plant and is an ingredient in many foods that you can buy at the store.
Sugar Substitutes in the Store.

Safety Tips to Prevent Food Borne Illness This Summer

By Kaye Bailey As picnic and grilling season is upon us much of our focus is on enjoying warmer weather and outdoor dining. But now is also a good time to refresh our memories on food handling safety and illness prevention from food borne disease. We can take two approaches to protect our health from food illness: kitchen cleanliness and proper food storage and food preparation.

Kitchen Cleanliness: even in a spotless kitchen cross-contamination can occur. Good housekeeping practice means immediately washing anything that comes in contact with raw meat using a cleaning rag that is dedicated exclusively to clean-up of instruments and surfaces that have come in contact with raw meat or poultry. Some restaurants use pink dish rags for work in areas where raw meat is handled and white cloths in areas where cooked food is handled. It is wise to confine the handling of raw meat to as small of area as possible, such as the sink, and wipe down thoroughly after meat preparation.

A dilute mixture of warm water and chlorine bleach is an effective disinfectant for sterilizing surfaces where raw meat has been handled. For convenience keep on hand disinfecting wipes by Lysol or Clorox that kill 99% of bacteria. Use the wipes to clean counters and tools and then discard to avoid spreading bacteria and contamination from the cloth to other surfaces. I keep a spray bottle with 1/3-part chlorine to 2/3-parts water at hand to spray surfaces and wipe dry with paper toweling. Allow the chlorine mixture to set on the surface a few minutes before wiping clean and discarding the paper toweling.

Safe grilling ensures healthy summer dining.

Food Handling: Safe food handling begins at the time of purchase. In the best case meat or poultry will be used shortly after purchase, but if not should be stored between 28F and 32F in the meat compartment of the refrigerator. If the meat will not be used within two days it should be wrapped in a non-permeable plastic and stored in the freezer until use, but no longer than 6 to 12 months. Meat should only be thawed in the refrigerator, never at room temperature where bacteria, yeast, molds or viruses could develop.

E. coli is the best known of food borne bacteria and can live in meat and vegetables. In fact, any food can be contaminated with it: undercooked hamburger and roast beef, unpasteurized milk, unpasteurized cider processed from unwashed apples which fell on soil contaminated by the manure of sick cows, vegetables grown in soils fertilized with cow manure. There is no way a farmer, however careful and conscientious, can know which cow is contaminated and which is not. So it is up to the cook to prepare the foods they serve properly in accordance with safe food handling guidelines.

The US Department of Agriculture has prepared a list of Fahrenheit temperatures to which meat, poultry and eggs should be cooked in order to kill food borne bacteria. Temperatures should be measured with a clean instant-read thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the meat. Reference the table below:

• Fresh ground beef, veal, lamb, pork: 160F
• Beef, veal, lamb: roasts, steaks, chops: 145F (medium rare); 160F (medium); 170F (well done)
• Fresh pork: roasts, steaks, chops: 145F
• Ham: cook before eating: 160F
• Ham: fully cooked, to reheat: 140F
• Poultry: Ground chicken, turkey: 165F
• Poultry: whole chicken, turkey: 180F
• Poultry: breasts, roasts: 170F
• Poultry: thighs & wings: cook until juices run clear
• Stuffing: (cooked alone or in bird): 165F
• Egg dishes, casseroles: 160F
• Leftovers: 165F

For more information contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555.

Fruits and Vegetables: Raw foods, such as produce, should be washed thoroughly under cool running water in an area free from contamination from raw meat preparation. Separate utensils and cutting boards should be used for produce and meat to avoid cross contamination.

Vegetables are best stored chilled to slow deterioration. Chilling of fruits and vegetables causes all metabolic activities, including respiration, to slow down. Most fruits and vegetables are best stored at refrigerator temperatures and in conditions where oxygen is limited. Store vegetables in the crisper compartment of the refrigerator, unwashed, until the time of use.

Weekly Digest: Diet Soda is Making Us Sick!

LivingAfterWLS Weekly Digest: Diet Soda is Making Us Sick

Published July 8, 2014 - Read online in our archive.

 

"Here we are in the heart of summer and I do hope  this message finds you well and thank you so much for selecting this correspondence from the many that fill your Inbox, I appreciate the time you share with me. While summer for me offers abundant opportunity to be more active than any other season, it also poses a problem for me. High temperatures and bright sunshine spur cravings for a refreshing iced Diet Coke with a squeeze of lemon. This was my mainstay beverage before weight loss surgery and now and again I find myself indulging in that old refreshing thirst quencher.

But I know this is not a sensible choice following weight loss surgery and a recently published study confirms that partaking of diet soda is detrimental to health and weight loss efforts. I know I'm not alone in the WLS Neighborhood when I reach for an ice cold Diet Coke, so this week's bulletin is all about the "don'ts" of diet soda and carbonated beverages after WLS. It is as much a reminder for me as it may be for you. Bottom line - carbonated soda does not support our weight management with WLS.

While we can stack the evidence against carbonated beverages (diet or regular) a mile high the single most basic reason to eliminate carbonated soda from our diet is it simply has no nutritional value. It is empty. 
This truth, above all else, should be used to inspire us to make better beverage choices. Will you pledge with me to make healthy beverage choices most of time? I'll toast our good health with a refreshing glass of iced green tea with a squeeze of lemon. Join me!

Link to the digest in our archive for must know information: Weekly Digest

Recipe: Gentleman Joes on English Muffins

Shared with permission from Cooking with Kaye: Methods to Meals.  Protein First Recipes You Will Love. 

Gentleman Joes on English Muffins

Freeway Chef, family friendly,   perfect for buffet or tailgating

In a play on words I call these open faced sandwiches Gentleman Joes to avoid confusion with a distant culinary cousin called Sloppy Joe. The meaty sauce in our more genteel version is served on toasted English muffin halves and civilly enjoyed with a fork and knife. It’s not just good manners in play here, however. Studies suggest that meals eaten slowly with utensils versus quickly out of hand, create a better sensory experience and feelings of satisfaction are prolonged.

Ingredients:

½ cup ketchup

½ cup barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 (14.5-ounce) can baked beans

1 tablespoon canola oil

1½ pounds 95% lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 English Muffins, split and toasted

6 (1-ounce) slices Cheddar cheese

Directions: Combine the ketchup, barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and baked beans in a 4-quart slow cooker. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; add ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook stirring to break up meat; season beef with salt and pepper. Drain and discard excess fat. Add meat mixture to slow cooker and stir with sauce and beans to combine. Cover; set cooker to high and cook 3 hours; or set cooker to low and cook 5 hours. Serve ½ cup Gentleman Joe meat mixture on ½ toasted English muffin topped with one slice of Cheddar.

 
Nutrition: Serves 6. Each serving provides 583 calories, 25 grams protein, 13 grams fat, 40 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams dietary fiber.

Helpful Tip: Browning meat before adding it to a slow cooker adds color and flavor. But if you’re in a hurry, you can skip this step – EXCEPT for ground meat. Browning ground meat helps remove fat, keeps the pieces from clumping, and sears the meat with appetizing color. It allows unattended slow cooking because there is no need for stirring to break-up the ground meat as it cooks.

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Cooking with Kaye: Methods to Meals
Protein First Recipes You Will Love

Kaye Bailey's highly anticipated cookbook.
134 Irresistible Recipes - Tips & Hints - Nutritional Wisdom
Introducing Kaye's "Pace of Preparation"
Available Now!

Kaye Bailey's all-new highly anticipated cookbook Published Nov. 20, 2012. "Methods to Meals: Protein First Recipes You will Love" features 134 all new recipes and detailed techniques to take you beyond the meal to create recipes you and your family will love. Hard-back, comb binding, 196 pages. Must have for any WLS household. Introducing Kaye's new "Pace of Preparation" to identify recipes that meet your time schedule and serve your dietary needs. Meals for the blended household (WLS & non-WLS eaters), couples, singles, all of us. Introductory price guaranteed through December 31, 2012. Order your copy today!

Supporting your weight loss surgery health management goals one delicious meal at a time.

Introductory Price: $23.95
Complimentary "Four Rules" magnet with each order ($1.95 value)
Low Introductory Price Guaranteed through 12/31/2012
(Publishers Price: $27.95 - Save $4)
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