The New Atkins Made Easy (28 page)

W
hich statement best describes you?

• I love to cook.

• I hate to cook.

• I have no time to cook.

• I cook occasionally.

• I do my real cooking on the weekends.

Or are you a combination of several of the above, depending upon your mood, day, workload, and other commitments? If you're like me, you may enjoy cooking when entertaining friends and family but not the pressure to cook every night. Or perhaps you're worried that making food suitable for Atkins is more complicated than “regular” cooking. (If someone else does most of the cooking in your family, share this chapter with him or her.)

Regardless of your attitude toward cooking, I can assure you that it's perfectly possible to get tasty, low-carb meals suitable for the whole family on the table with a minimum of time and fuss. Whether you're looking for quick and easy recipes, no-cook meals, make-in-advance meals,
cook-while-you're-away meals, or cook-once-and-eat-twice meals, you'll find multiple solutions to the eternal problem of what to have for dinner tonight. Similar options apply to breakfast and lunch. Recipes begin on page 245 and are coded to indicate whether they contain a minimal number of ingredients, have a prep time of twenty minutes or less, are do-ahead meals, or can be made in a slow cooker.

Let's dispel one myth. There's no need to cook two separate meals, one for you and another for the rest of the family. Likewise, if you live alone, you can serve visitors the same foods you're eating without occasioning any strange looks. That's because Atkins-style cooking isn't that different from “regular” cooking. The key difference is the avoidance of certain ingredients, such as sugar, refined grains, and vegetable oil, and of breading and deep-frying food.

Basically, you simply subtract (or substitute) one or more items from the menu that the rest of the family will be eating. Here are some examples of how to feed the family while complying with your own needs with a minimum of extra work. And when a family meal is really high in carbs, Atkins products, including the frozen meals, can be a lifesaver.

*
  In Phase 2

Dinner is the most likely time that the family eats together. Your decision to go on Atkins may throw a curveball into family dynamics at first, until it becomes clear that Atkins is simply a healthy way to eat. Some advice:

• 
If you're the primary cook:
Assure your partner that his or her meal preferences will be honored. For example, if pasta or another starchy dish is a must in your partner's book, you might make grilled salmon, a salad, and pasta for dinner and simply pass on the pasta. And really, how much trouble is it to boil the water for pasta, pop some potatoes in the oven, or steam rice in a microwave packet? If it preserves domestic harmony as you lose weight, why not?

• 
If your mate is the chef:
Explain that there's not going to be any extra work. Any meal is fine as long as there is a protein source such as chicken or burgers without a starchy sauce, plus a vegetable and/or salad. If mac and cheese or another high-carb meal is on the menu, simply pop an Atkins frozen meal in the microwave for yourself. Or swap out vegetables in a starchy sauce with a salad from a salad bar.

Changing the way you eat can make your nearest and dearest uncomfortable. A conversation with your partner and/or kids can usually eliminate any concerns. And then there's the matter of your extended family. Let's take these one by one.

• 
Significant others.
If you're lucky, your partner understands your reasons for deciding to lose weight and respects your choice of Atkins. She or he may even be joining you on the program. On
the other hand, your main squeeze might feel threatened by your decision, particularly if she or he is also overweight. Or your partner may simply not understand how cutting carbs and eating healthy fats can result in dramatic weight loss. If so, suggest reading Chapter 1 of this book. Make sure not to disparage his or her weight or knowledge of nutrition. Also make it clear that you're not asking permission to do Atkins. Simply explain that you believe this is right for you and you'd appreciate understanding.

• 
Kids.
If parents are relaxed and comfortable with the offerings at mealtime, the fact that you're doing Atkins should be a nonissue. Obviously younger kids will react, if at all, differently than teens. Assure kids that family meals won't change; you just may not eat everything they eat. As long as the way you eat doesn't threaten them, kids should be fine. They might even follow your lead as they see you snacking on nuts and eating lots of veggies and simply prepared protein dishes. Never nag your children about eating too much of something or not enough of another food, and never bring up their weight in the context of a meal.

• 
Extended family.
Eating habits can carry a lot of emotional freight in some families. Your sister, mother, mother-in-law, or grandmother could feel threatened by your decision to start on Atkins, especially if she is also overweight. In cultures with strong culinary traditions, your new way of eating, sans pasta or tortillas, for example, could make your relatives feel you're rejecting family traditions. Reassure them that you're not impugning their apple pie, calzones, beef burritos, or Yorkshire pudding. Rather, losing weight is something you need to do to feel good about yourself. Explain that that's why you won't be eating a particular food (even just a taste) at the next family dinner. Make it clear that you respect their choices and trust that they will respect yours. By all means, don't act superior (a risk for new converts of any sort) or challenge their culinary approach.

Now let's get down to how to make it easier to get food on the table. We'll cover the gamut from meals you can toss together from pantry staples and leftovers to main-dish salads, quick stir-fry and slow-cooker dishes, and more. Among these choices, you're sure to find some that suit your culinary preferences and cooking style.

Your first objective is to always have Atkins-appropriate food available. You can find all the basics you'll need in a supermarket or warehouse club. If you cook regularly, you probably already have a number of those basics on hand. You don't necessarily have to have everything in the kitchen at all times. For example, if you shop weekly, you may not need more than one or two protein sources in the freezer. But once you fill your fridge, freezer, and pantry (and restock regularly) with acceptable foods, you'll never find yourself with “nothing to eat.”

Sometimes I'm just too bushed to make dinner after work, but the last thing I want to do is eat out. I'd much rather chill out at home in my sweats and slippers. I'm sure you often feel the same way. Of course, takeout is an option, but it's almost as pricey as eating at a restaurant. What to do?

Fortunately, with salad bars, delis, and a whole array of ready-to-serve products at the supermarket, you have another set of options. The granddaddy of such offerings is the rotisserie-roasted chicken. After a short pit stop, you'll be able to assemble a no-cook meal in minutes. A word of caution
:
many foods in delis and salad bars are full of high-carb ingredients, so ask questions, read labels, and avoid meats cured with nitrates or made with bread crumbs and other fillers, starchy sauces, and salads with added sugar.

From the Deli

• Rotisserie-roasted chicken; chicken, tuna, egg, whitefish, or shrimp salad; smoked salmon; grilled, roasted, poached, or broiled chicken; chopped liver

• Ham, pastrami, corned beef, salami,
^I
brisket, roast or smoked turkey, grilled chicken breast

• Sauerkraut, pickles, pickled green beans, pickled mushrooms, cucumber salad, coleslaw

From the Salad Bar

• Grilled, roasted, or baked turkey, salmon, tuna, and chicken; grilled or steamed shrimp; tofu; hard-boiled eggs; deviled eggs

• Grilled, braised, or steamed broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, green beans, and other foundation veggies (without problematic sauces)

• Salad greens, tomatoes, avocado, and other salad veggies

• Olives, hummus (in Phase 2), baba ganoush (eggplant dip)

• Berries and melon balls (in Phase 2); additional fruit (in Phase 3 or 4)

• Nuts, seeds, crumbled bacon, grated cheese

• Feta cheese, Cheddar cheese, etc.

• Vinaigrette, blue cheese, or ranch dressing

• 
What to avoid:
meats and fish with starchy sauces, croutons, crunchy noodles, bean salads (unless you're in Phase 2), pasta salads, and other composed salads with off-limits ingredients; imitation crab (surimi); sushi; stuffed grape leaves; crackers.

From the Supermarket

In addition to the pantry staples listed above, check out:

• Bumble Bee fully cooked salmon fillets or albacore tuna steaks, which come in convenient 4-ounce portions

• Bagged coleslaw and washed and bagged salad mixes

• Trimmed and cut-up vegetables and fruits

Put It All Together

Here are a few no-cook combos for busy nights:

• Grilled chicken with green beans and salad from the salad bar

• A bagged salad topped with a tuna steak and asparagus

• Corned beef with sauerkraut and cucumber salad

• Smoked turkey over coleslaw with ranch dressing

• Sliced panino, sliced ham, and antipasto items such as marinated artichoke hearts, roasted bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, and feta cheese

• Grated zucchini topped with a salmon steak and pesto

A robust salad can be the main attraction, rather than just an accompaniment to a meal. Plus, most salads can also be prepared in minutes. Our recipe developer has come up with five zingers, starting on page 270, all of which are suitable for all phases of Atkins:

• Chipotle Shrimp Salad

• Grilled Chicken and Marinated Kale Salad

• Buffalo Chicken Salad

• Turkey Enchilada Salad

• Crisp Lettuce Wedge with Sliced Flank Steak

You can also check
atkins.com
for more main dish salad recipes.

Next up are meals you can prepare with minimal fuss and muss, thanks to a host of products ready to heat up in the microwave or on the cooktop. You'll find such time-savers as you prowl the grocery store, starting with our own Atkins frozen meals. This new line of comfort foods includes Beef Merlot, Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy, and Crustless Chicken Pot Pie, all brimming with flavor but without the extra carbs and added sugar. (Go to atkins.com/products for a store locator.) Unfortunately, most other prepared foods often involve a trade-off between certain ingredients and convenience, so read food labels carefully.

• Skip the sea of fish sticks, fish cakes, and other battered or breaded prepared fish dishes and seek out the few acceptable alternatives, including grilled tilapia, salmon, and pollock. Gorton's Cajun Grilled Fillets (pollock) have no unacceptable ingredients, but the grilled salmon and tilapia dishes contain trace added sugars and starches. Some of Mrs. Paul's and Van de Kamp's baked and grilled fish dishes contain added sugar in marinades, which you can discard after cooking.

• You can also find several kinds of frozen fish fillets in individual-portion vacuum-sealed bags. Remove from the freezer in the morning to defrost in the fridge. Unbreaded frozen shrimp, scallops, and calamari also come in handy for quick stir-fries.

• Look for frozen tilapia, shrimp, and other fish entrées that cook in a marinade of lemon juice and other seasonings inside parchment cooking bags.

• Chicken tenders, individually packaged burgers, lamb or pork chops, and sausages are other good quick-cooking protein option. As with fish, pair with a cooked vegetable and a salad.

• Top grilled pork chops or meatballs with jarred marinara sauce. Or serve chicken, turkey breast, or veal with a jarred Alfredo sauce. Look for products without added sugar such as Amy's Family Marinara or Patsy's, Prego, or Walden Farms marinara sauces, as well as Bertolli Light, Di Giorno, and Walden Farms Alfredo sauces. (Not all products from these brands have no added sugar; read labels carefully.)

• Simmer sauces let you put together a curry in minutes. Simply heat leftover chicken or another meat, shrimp, or packaged chunks of grilled or roasted chicken or turkey in the sauce. Add some frozen veggies and serve over brown rice (or spaghetti squash, bean sprouts, or grated zucchini if you're not eating whole grains). Check out products by Trader Joe, Devya, and Simmering Secrets, among others, always staying on guard for added sugars.

• Frozen veggies in microwave steamer bags are a speedy option and eliminate having to wash another pot. Just be sure to purchase those without sauces made with starches and/or added sugar. You can also buy steamer bags and add your own mix of fresh or frozen veggies, including sauce or seasonings. Note that these bags
do not
contain BPA or phthalates.