The Hungry Girl Diet: Big Portions. Big Results. Drop 10 Pounds in 4 Weeks (18 page)

Slice a stick of light string cheese into ¼-inch coins. Toss with 2 cups chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce, ¼ cup chopped tomato, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.

Parmed-Up Broccoli HUGE PORTION!

100 calories, 3g fat, 207mg sodium, 12g carbs, 4.5g fiber, 3g sugars, 9g protein

Place 2 cups broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons water. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes, or until soft. Drain excess liquid, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese.

Apple Pie in a Mug DESSERT FIX!

72 calories, <0.5g fat, 1mg sodium, 19g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 13g sugars, <0.5g protein

Place 1 cup chopped apple, ½ teaspoon cinnamon,
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teaspoon lemon juice, and 1 no-calorie sweetener packet in a microwave-safe mug sprayed with nonstick spray. Mix well. Cover and microwave for 2 minutes, or until softened.

Tuna Lettuce Wraps PROTEIN POWERHOUSE!

99 calories, 1.5g fat, 232mg sodium, 2.7g carbs, 1g fiber, 0.5g sugars, 17g protein

Mix one 2.6-ounce pouch low-sodium tuna packed in water with 2 teaspoons Dijonnaise. Divide between 2 large lettuce leaves.

Tuna-Stuffed Egg Whites PROTEIN POWERHOUSE!

82 calories, 1.5g fat, 175mg sodium, 1g carbs, <0.5g fiber, 0.5g sugars, 14.5g protein

Mix 1 ounce low-sodium tuna packed in water (drained), 1 teaspoon light mayo, and a dash each garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Slice 2 large hard-boiled eggs in half, and discard yolks. Distribute tuna among egg-white halves, and then eat.

SNACK RECIPES

Souper-Sized Soup HUGE PORTION!

¼th of recipe (about 2 cups): 93 calories, 0.5g fat, 205mg sodium, 18g carbs, 4.5g fiber, 8g sugars, 5g protein

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

6 cups low-sodium chicken, vegetable, or beef broth

3 cups chopped green cabbage

1 cup chopped green beans

1 cup chopped zucchini

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste

Bring a large nonstick pot to medium heat. Add carrots, onion, and garlic, and cook and stir until onion has softened, about 5 minutes.

Carefully add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.

Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until green beans are tender.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Double-Strawberry Smoothie DESSERT FIX!

97 calories, 0g fat, 55mg sodium, 21.5g carbs, 2.5g fiber, 14g sugars, 4g protein

3 ounces (about
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cup) fat-free strawberry yogurt

¾ cup frozen unsweetened strawberries, partly thawed

1 no-calorie sweetener packet

1 cup crushed ice
or
5 to 8 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender. Add 2 tablespoons cold water, and blend at high speed until smooth. (If needed, turn off the blender, stir, and blend again.)

Lean ’n Green Sipper HUGE PORTION!

100 calories, 0.5g fat, 25mg sodium, 24.5g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 14g sugars, 3g protein

¾ cup chopped seedless cucumber

¾ cup chopped kale

½ cup chopped Granny Smith apple

¼ cup frozen green seedless grapes

1 no-calorie sweetener packet

½ teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup crushed ice
or
5 to 8 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients with
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cup cold water, stopping and stirring if needed.

Lord of the Onion Strings CRAVING-BUSTER!

100 calories, 0.5g fat, 278mg sodium, 27g carbs, 9g fiber, 8g sugars, 5g protein

¼ cup Fiber One Original bran cereal, finely crushed

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

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teaspoon onion powder

Dash black pepper

¾ cup thinly sliced onion (a.k.a. onion strings)

2 tablespoons fat-free liquid egg substitute

1 tablespoon ketchup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, mix crushed cereal with seasonings.

Place onion strings in a bowl, top with egg substitute, and toss to coat.

Shaking off any excess egg substitute, transfer half of the onion strings to the cereal crumbs. Gently toss to coat. Transfer to the baking sheet, and spread them out a bit. Repeat with remaining onion strings.

Bake until outsides are crispy and insides are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve with ketchup for dipping.

Fiber One 101 …

Fiber One is sweetened with aspartame. If you prefer a high-fiber cereal made without artificial sweeteners, use All-Bran Original.

Crush your cereal in a sealable bag. Place it in the bag, squeeze out the air, and seal. Using the flat end of a meat mallet, pound the cereal through the bag on a flat surface. No mallet? A rolling pin or any heavy kitchen utensil with a flat surface will do.

Cheesy Faux-tato Skins CRAVING-BUSTER!

96 calories, 5g fat, 184mg sodium, 8g carbs, 2g fiber, 5g sugars, 8g protein

1 medium zucchini, stem ends removed

3 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend or cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon diced tomato

1 teaspoon chopped scallions

Pierce zucchini several times with a fork. Place on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave for 2 minutes.

Flip zucchini and microwave for 2 more minutes, or until softened.

Let cool, about 5 minutes. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out and discard the inside flesh, leaving about ¼ inch inside the skin. Thoroughly pat dry.

Sprinkle cheese in the hollowed-out zucchini halves.

Microwave for 30 seconds, or until cheese has melted.

Cut each piece in half widthwise, and sprinkle with tomato and scallions.

Snack-tastic Butternut Fries CRAVING-BUSTER!

96 calories, <0.5g fat, 294mg sodium, 24.5g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 7.5g sugars, 1.5g protein

6 ounces peeled butternut squash, cut into French-fry-shaped spears

Dash coarse salt

1 tablespoon ketchup

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Thoroughly pat dry the squash spears. Lay them on the sheet, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes.

Flip spears and bake until mostly tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, about 6 minutes.

Serve with ketchup for dipping!

HG Squash Tips!

* Choose a squash that’s mostly long and narrow with a short round section. The round part is hollow and full of seeds; the long section is solid squash, perfect for cutting into spears.

* If the squash is too firm to cut, pop it in the microwave for a minute to soften it.

* Consider cutting up the entire squash at once. Then store the remaining spears in a covered container in the fridge.

Easy Baked Carrot Fries CRAVING-BUSTER!

100 calories, 0.5g fat, 298mg sodium, 23.5g carbs, 5.5g fiber, 13g sugars, 1.5g protein

7 ounces peeled carrots (about 1½ large carrots), cut into French-fry-shaped spears

1 tablespoon ketchup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Lay spears on the sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Flip spears. Bake until tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside, about 10 more minutes.

Serve with ketchup for dipping!

Perfect Pizza-bella CRAVING-BUSTER!

100 calories, 3g fat, 263mg sodium, 8.5g carbs, 2.5g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 10.5g protein

1 stick light string cheese 1 portabella mushroom, stem removed and reserved

2 tablespoons canned crushed tomatoes

Seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Break string cheese stick into thirds and place in a blender or food processor; blend at high speed until shredded. (Or pull into shreds and roughly chop.)

Place mushroom cap on the sheet, rounded side down. Bake until slightly tender, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, finely chop mushroom stem. In a small bowl, stir into crushed tomatoes.

Remove sheet, but leave oven on. Blot away excess moisture from mushroom cap.

Evenly top mushroom cap with crushed tomato mixture, and season with spices. Sprinkle with cheese and, if you like, additional spices.

Bake until mushroom is tender, tomatoes are hot, and cheese has melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

D.I.Y. Tortilla Chips CRAVING-BUSTER!

100 calories, 1.5g fat, 168mg sodium, 20.5g carbs, 2g fiber, 1g sugars, 2g protein

Two 6-inch corn tortillas

Dash salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet lightly with nonstick spray.

Cut tortillas in half. Cut each half into 3 triangles, for a total of 12 triangles.

Place tortilla triangles close together on the sheet. Spray with nonstick spray, and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 5 minutes. Carefully flip triangles and bake until crispy, 3 to 5 minutes.

Upside-Down Strawberry Pie DESSERT FIX!

100 calories, 1g fat, 41mg sodium, 28.5g carbs, 8.5g fiber, 12.5g sugars, 2g protein

1 cup chopped strawberries

1 tablespoon low-sugar strawberry preserves

3 tablespoons Fiber One Original bran cereal, lightly crushed

2 dashes cinnamon

In a medium bowl, mix strawberries with preserves.

In a small bowl, mix crushed cereal with cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture over strawberries.

Fiber One is sweetened with aspartame. If you prefer a high-fiber cereal made without artificial sweeteners, use All-Bran Original.

Cheesy Turkey Rollups PROTEIN POWERHOUSE!

94 calories, 2g fat, 219mg sodium, 3.5g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 2.5g sugars, 13.5g protein

1½ ounces (about 3 slices) no-salt-added turkey breast

1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese

6 strips red bell pepper

Spread turkey slices with cheese, and top each with pepper strips. Roll up.

HG FYI:
If you don’t see any prepackaged no-salt-added turkey, check the deli counter. I love the kind by Boar’s Head. Or just get the turkey with the lowest sodium count you can find.

Sweet ’n Crunchy Chinese Slaw SWEET & SAVORY!

¼th of recipe (1 heaping cup): 75 calories, 1g fat, 252mg sodium, 14.5g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 9g sugars, 2.5g protein

One 12-ounce bag (about 4 cups) broccoli cole slaw

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cup low-fat sesame ginger dressing

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cup mandarin orange segments packed in juice, drained and chopped

½ cup canned sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped

¼ cup chopped scallions

Toss slaw with dressing, and stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Magical Margarita Light CRAVING-BUSTER!

99 calories, 0g fat, 89mg sodium, 2.5g carbs, 0g fiber, 0.5g sugars, 0.5g protein

This one is more of a special-occasion, adults-only treat than a snack …

6 ounces (¾ cup) diet lemon-lime soda

1¼ ounces (2½ tablespoons) tequila

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) lime juice

One single-serving or two-serving packet (makes 16 ounces lemonade) sugar-free lemonade powdered drink mix

1 cup crushed ice
or
5 to 8 ice cubes

Optional garnish: lime slice

In a glass or shaker, combine all ingredients
except
ice. Stir until drink mix has dissolved.

Fill a margarita glass with ice, pour, and enjoy! (Or blend it all in a blender.)

This cocktail can be made with natural ingredients! Look for stevia-sweetened soda and drink mix, like Blue Sky Zero Soda and True Lemonade.

Don’t miss the
Happy Hour
section, for more plan-friendly cocktails!

Chocolate-Chip-Stuffed Strawberries DESSERT FIX!

96 calories, 3.5g fat, 42mg sodium, 14g carbs, 2g fiber, 9.5g sugars, 3.5g protein

5 large strawberries

2 tablespoons light/low-fat ricotta cheese

1 no-calorie sweetener packet

1 drop vanilla extract

1½ teaspoons mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Slice the stem ends off the strawberries, about ½ inch, revealing an opening in each berry. Use a narrow spoon to remove about half of the flesh inside each berry, allowing room for filling.

In a small bowl, mix ricotta, sweetener, and vanilla extract until uniform.

Spoon ricotta mixture into a bottom corner of a plastic bag; snip off the tip of that corner to create a small hole, and pipe the mixture through the hole into the strawberries. Top with chocolate chips.