Great Diet Idea - Simple Lunch Casserole

Eating for weight loss can be a real drag sometimes. Especially if you're going the "whole healthy foods" route. Since losing 35 pounds in the last two years, I've learned to eat this way much more happily.

Here's one of my best lunch at work selections:

Preliminary Work:

1) get a "george foreman" type grill. We use a Cuisinart model.




2) go to Costco or Sam's or your own personal preference (or even Walmart or Smith's - they all have much of the same stuff) and get some bags of easy to prepare and store frozen food.

My favorites:

· Wild Alaska Salmon and Salmon Patties (avoid Chile or Atlantic)
· Mahi Mahi and Tilapia fillets
· Unbreaded Chicken Breast "tenders" or strips
· Frozen peas and corn
· Large Tub of Low-fat Cottage Cheese
· Large container of salsa

3) get some microwave containers - we like the ones that come free with sliced turkey - essentially the Glad reusable disposable thin containers.

Prepare ahead:

1) Turn on the "george" to medium for chicken or low for fish. Cook til just barely done - if you cook it too long it will be dry. I like to spray the grill surface for fish. Keep rotating meat through the "george" till you have about a weeks worth.
2) Cool, then dice the meat into 3/8" or so cubes. This makes eating much easier.
3) Lay out the microwave containers and put about an inch of meat in the bottom of each one.
4) Put about a tablespoon of salsa in each container
5) Put about 1/2 cup veggie in each container
6) Put about 1/3 cup cottage cheese in each container
7) Pop the lids on, stack, and refrigerate.

Voile! You have your food for the week all premade. Just grab one as you leave in the morning, put it in the fridge at work, then nuke it for 90 seconds with the lid loose, stir, then 90 more seconds and it's done.

In addition to this, drink one or two protein shakes. My favorite is BSN Syntha 6 protein. It tastes and mixes great. If you get it from Amazon, you get the best price I've found on the net, you can get free shipping, and if you "Subscribe and Save" you get even more of a discount (note: the list on that link has some from Amazon, some from outside vendors with outrageous shipping, and some from outside vendors storing their product in an Amazon warehouse, so you get a good price and decent shipping, just can't "Subscribe and Save").

Remember, eating a reasonable amount of good healthy balanced food is much better for you than a fad diet. It might take longer, but it's easier to keep it off afterward.