The Sugar Smart Diet: Stop Cravings and Lose Weight While Still Enjoying the Sweets You Love (32 page)

“T
hese recipes are
amazing
!” That’s the feedback we got from Robyn, one of our Sugar Smart Diet test panelists. Another tester, Colleen, confided, “My husband is always a bit worried when I go off on one of my ‘tangents,’ as he calls them, but he looked through the recipes with me and said they looked really good!”

Hearing that kind of response from Robyn, Colleen, and many other test panelists made me very happy because I wanted these recipes to be delicious and convenient. I know that I never want to cook one way for myself and another for my husband and kids, and I know that I’m not willing to sacrifice flavorful food, even in the name of health, so I would never expect you to either!
These dishes are as well suited to company as they are to family meals—and many of them take 30 minutes or less to make!

You’ll find 50 terrific meals, snacks, and yes, desserts, in this chapter. They’re organized by phase, and, as with the quick and easy meals in
Chapters 6–10
, you can always choose dishes from the phase you are currently following as well as the previous phases. Because I wanted to give you lots of options, the majority of these recipes fit into Phases 1 and 2. Enjoy these flavorful dishes!

PHASE 1

Makes 4 servings

PREP TIME:
10 minutes •
TOTAL TIME:
30 minutes

4 eggs

4 egg whites

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

1 cup quartered mushrooms

1 cup chopped zucchini

1 tablespoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups cooked quinoa

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1.
Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, and water.

2.
Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, and zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 minutes, or until soft and golden. Add the oregano, salt, pepper, and quinoa and cook for 1 minute.

3.
Add the eggs and cheese to the skillet and gently stir to just incorporate the egg. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, or until the eggs are firm.

4.
Transfer the skillet to the broiler and broil on high for 3 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Nutrition per serving:
311 calories, 19 g protein, 34 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 4 g total sugar, 11 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 514 mg sodium

PHASE 1

Makes 4 servings

PREP TIME:
5 minutes •
TOTAL TIME:
35 minutes

4 teaspoons olive oil

2 russet potatoes, cubed

½ yellow onion, finely chopped

1 bell pepper, finely chopped

4 cooked turkey sausage links, crumbled

4 eggs

1.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring every few minutes, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until soft. Add the onion and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook for 4 minutes, or until warmed through.

2.
Coat another large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes for over easy. On each of 4 plates, place 1 egg and 1½ cups of the hash.

Nutrition per serving:
317 calories, 14 g protein, 40 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 4 g total sugar, 12 g fat, 2.8 g saturated fat, 205 mg sodium

PHASE 1

Makes 12 mini quiches

PREP TIME:
10 minutes •
TOTAL TIME:
40 minutes + cooling time

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups chopped broccoli florets

½ cup chopped red bell pepper

1 can (12 ounces) low-fat 2% evaporated milk

4 eggs

2 egg whites

2
⁄
3
cup cooked quinoa

2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 minutes, or until the broccoli is slightly tender. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

2.
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and egg whites. Gently stir in the quinoa. Stir in the broccoli mixture, cheese, salt, and pepper.

3.
Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray and pour about ¼ to
1
⁄
3
cup of the mixture into each muffin cup. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the eggs are firm and a fork inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the tin. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Nutrition per serving (2 mini quiches):
271 calories, 22 g protein, 15 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 8 g total sugar, 14 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 511 mg sodium

Note:
You can serve 1 mini quiche as a snack.

PHASE 2

Makes 4 servings

PREP TIME:
5 minutes •
TOTAL TIME:
15 minutes

4 eggs

4 egg whites

2 tablespoons water

4 teaspoons olive oil

4 whole wheat tortillas (8, diameter)

½ cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

4 tablespoons no-sugar-added salsa

1.
Preheat the broiler.

2.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, egg whites, and water. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and cook, stirring gently every 30 to 40 seconds, for 5 minutes, or until set but not dry. Remove from the heat.

3.
Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

4.
Place one-quarter of the egg mixture on each tortilla and top each with 2 tablespoons cheese and 1 tablespoon salsa. Fold the tortillas in half and place on the baking sheet. Broil for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy.

Nutrition per serving:
291 calories, 18 g protein, 31 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 1.5 g total sugar, 12 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 591 mg sodium

PHASE 2

Makes 1 serving

PREP TIME:
5 minutes •
TOTAL TIME:
5 minutes + chilling time

½ medium, very ripe banana

2 teaspoons almond butter

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup fat-free milk or unsweetened soy milk

½ cup fat-free plain yogurt

1
⁄
3
cup rolled oats

1.
In a medium bowl, mash the banana with the almond butter and vanilla until smooth.

2.
In a separate bowl, stir the milk and yogurt into the oats and soak for 5 minutes. Pour into the banana mixture and stir until incorporated.

3.
Cover and let sit overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, stir and enjoy. Or, if you prefer warm oats, microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.

Nutrition per serving:
336 calories, 17 g protein, 50 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 24 g total sugar, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 172 mg sodium

Note:
This recipe can be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled.

PHASE 3

Makes 4 servings

PREP TIME:
5 minutes •
TOTAL TIME:
25 minutes

4½ cups fat-free milk

1 cup coarsely ground cornmeal

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 large apple, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons maple syrup

1.
Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan and whisk in the cornmeal. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring, for 5 to 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the vanilla, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and ¼ cup of the almonds.

2.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until golden and soft. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons almonds, maple syrup, and the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

3.
Divide the cornmeal among 4 bowls and swirl one-quarter of the apple mixture into each.

Nutrition per serving (
1
⁄
3
cups):
336 calories, 15 g protein, 50 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 22 g total sugar, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 127 mg sodium

PHASE 3

Makes 4 servings

PREP TIME:
5 minutes •
TOTAL TIME:
5 minutes + chilling time

4 cups fat-free milk or unsweetened soy milk

¾ cup chia seeds

1
⁄
3
cup unsweetened dried coconut flakes

4 teaspoons maple syrup

3 cups chopped strawberries, divided

4 teaspoons sliced almonds, divided

1.
In a large bowl, stir together the milk, chia seeds, coconut, maple syrup, and 2 cups of the strawberries. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, until the mixture is the texture of thin oatmeal.

2.
Scoop the strawberry mixture into 4 serving bowls. Top each with 1 teaspoon chopped almonds and ¼ cup strawberries.

Nutrition per serving (¼ cups):
329 calories, 15 g protein, 40 g carbs, 14 g fiber, 23 g total sugar, 14 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 111 mg sodium

PHASE 3

Makes 4 servings

PREP TIME:
10 minutes •
TOTAL TIME:
20 minutes

1 cup fat-free milk

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon maple syrup, divided

1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed blueberries

1 egg

1 tablespoon butter, melted

10 tablespoons 0% plain Greek yogurt, divided

1.
In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar.

2.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 teaspoon of the maple syrup. Gently stir in the blueberries to coat them with the flour mixture.

3.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, milk mixture, butter, and 2 tablespoons of the yogurt for 1 minute, or until smooth. Add to the blueberry mixture and stir gently to combine, until there are no dry flour patches but the batter is still slightly clumpy. Do not overmix.

4.
Coat a nonstick griddle with cooking spray and heat to 375°F or heat over medium-high heat. (Or heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.) Working in batches, depending on the size of the skillet, scoop the batter onto the griddle to form 4, circles. Cook on one side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bubbles begin to form on the surface. Flip and cook for 2 minutes, or until the pancakes are firm.

5.
Divide the pancakes among 4 plates. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons yogurt and ½ teaspoon maple syrup.

Nutrition per serving (2 pancakes with toppings):
324 calories, 16 g protein, 57 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 11 g total sugar, 6 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 283 mg sodium

PHASE 3

Makes 4 servings

PREP TIME:
5 minutes •
TOTAL TIME:
20 minutes + chilling time

6 egg whites

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1 cup fat-free milk

3½ teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

1¼ cups orange juice, divided

4 slices whole grain bread