14-Day Pritikin Weight-Loss Plan Day 1

All Your Meals for Day One

Breakfast 
Cook in the microwave: ½ cup whole-grain oats and 1 cup water. Top with nonfat milk or soymilk, and fruit, such as sliced strawberries and sliced bananas. By switching from a bowl of cold, dried cereal to one of hot whole-grain cereal and fruit, you’d take in approximately 100 fewer calories each day. That one simple change to your daily diet could help you drop about 10 pounds in one year. Plus, hot cereal has more “staying power.” It tends to fill you up better – and longer – than dried cereal.

1 cup tea or coffee with, if you desire, a little nonfat milk or soymilk and 1 packet of sugar substitute (a good choice is Splenda)

Mid-morning Snack
1 large navel orange or 2 tangerines

1 steamed 6-inch corn tortilla with fresh or grilled vegetables (such as onions, green bell peppers, and mushrooms) no-added-salt salsa, and one thin slice of fat-free cheese. Good fat-free cheese brands include Alpine Lace, Lifetime, and Smart Bea. Warm the tortilla between slightly moistened paper towels in the microwave for about 1 minute, then top with veggies, salsa, and cheese, and fold.

Lunch
2 cups mixed greens with 1 cup of other veggies (such as cucumbers and tomatoes), dressed with aged balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon canola oil. Canola oil is a healthier choice than olive oil, but always keep in mind that no oil, even so-called “good” ones, should be considered a weight-loss food. Coating your salad with oil can tally up as many calories as a scoop of premium ice cream.

1 or 2 cups hearty bean soup, such as the Black Lentil Soup recipe below. The soup makes 8 cups. Freeze what you don’t eat today in single-serving containers for easy-to-thaw-and-heat-up soup for later in the week.

1 ear of corn on the cob

Mid-afternoon Snack
6 ounces of nonfat plain or no-sugar-added yogurt (good choices include Dannon Light & Fit, Stonyfield Farm, and fat-free, plain Greek-style yogurts such as Oikos and Fage)

1 apple

Dinner
A gigantic Farmer’s Market-style salad with a variety of fresh seasonal produce and herbs, such as fresh baby arugula and radicchio, and red wine vinegar sassed up with a little horseradish, all topped with a few slices of avocado. Enjoy visiting your local Farmer’s Market every week and asking the vendors, “What’s new and tasty this week? What would make great ingredients for my salad?”
4 ounces of Braised Fish with Marsala, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Spinach (see recipe.) When dining out and ordering seafood, request that your seafood not be salted or basted in calorie-dense ingredients like olive oil and butter.

1 baked potato with 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream. (Contrary to popular belief, potatoes are a great food for helping you lose weight. It’s what we put on top of it – butter, cheese, and bacon bits – that turns a potato into a waistline-busting food.)

1, 2 or 3 cups (you can never go overboard on fresh veggies!) of steamed fresh vegetables, such as asparagus or broccoli, with lemon juice and sautéed garlic

Dessert
No-sugar-added frozen 100% fruit bar

Black Lentil Soup

Serves 8
Freeze the soup you don’t eat in single-serving containers for future lunches, snacks, and dinners.

1 pound dry black lentils, soaked overnight, rinsed, and drained
2 Vidalia onions, diced
¼ cup chopped fresh garlic 
½ head celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 bay leaves
1 Idaho potato, peeled and diced
1 quart water
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
¼ bunch chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Sauté lentils in large nonstick skillet with onion, garlic, and celery until hot. Add remaining ingredients, except cilantro, and cook over low heat until beans are tender. (Cooking time varies depending on age of beans.) When beans are tender, remove bay leaves, add cilantro, and serve.

Nutrition Information (per 1-cup serving): 80 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 5g protein, 5g fiber, 35mg sodium

Braised Fish with Marsala, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Spinach

This recipe works well with halibut, monkfish, cobia, or sea bass.

Serves 4

16 ounces fish, cut into 4-ounce portions
1?3 pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup sliced garlic
¼ cup sliced shallots
¼ cup Marsala wine
1 cup no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
½ teaspoon black peppercorns, ground
½ bunch basil, leaves chopped
½ bunch Italian parsley, leaves chopped
½ pound spinach leaves, cut into long, thin strips

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large nonstick skillet over high heat, sear the fish and mushrooms. When light brown, remove fish and add the garlic and shallots. 
When the garlic turns golden brown, loosen the brown bits of food on bottom of pan with the Marsala wine and reduce mixture by one-half, keeping temperature hot. 
Return fish to pan and add the tomato sauce, soy sauce, and black pepper. Place skillet in oven and bake until fish is cooked (about 3 minutes, depending on fish). 
Remove from oven and place on top of stove. Add the basil, parsley, and spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information (per serving): 177 calories, 1g fat, less than 1g saturated fat, 83mg cholesterol, 24g protein, 3g fiber, 186mg sodium

The Pritikin Edge: 10 Essential Ingredients for a Long and Delicious Life
You will find many more great food and healthy lifestyle tips in the new book The Pritikin Edge: 10 Essential Ingredients for a Long and Delicious Life, now available wherever books are sold, such as:
75 recipes for flavorful and healthful dishes
A complete guide for dining out healthfully and deliciously
Quick-fix snacks and salad dressings
Sample menu plans 
Physical activities that are most effective for weight loss and heart health
Key strategies for stepping around stress and becoming a happier, more emotionally nourishing person. 
When it comes to heart disease, your head really is connected to your heart.