14-Day Pritikin Weight-Loss Plan Day 12

All Your Meals for Day 12

Breakfast
½ whole-wheat bagel with 2 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese and 2 teaspoons fresh herbs

1 to 2 cups fresh fruit

1 cup tea or coffee with 1 tablespoon nonfat milk or soymilk and 1 packet of sugar substitute

Mid-morning Snack
Tasty, steamy butternut squash in 5 minutes. Look in your grocery store or markets like Trader Joe’s for microwaveable bags of washed and cut veggies, including butternut squash. All you do is snip off one corner of the bag and microwave on high for about 5 minutes.

Lunch
1 to 2 cups of Barley and Shiitake Soup (see recipe below). Ah, shiitakes. So much flavor. So satisfying. Enjoy!

Chicken Fajitas. Cook in 1 teaspoon canola oil 5 ounces of cubed chicken breast. (5 ounces will cook down to about 3.5 ounces). Fold cooked chicken into 6-inch whole-wheat tortilla with ¼ avocado and 2 tablespoons chimichurri sauce. For the sauce, combine 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ½ finely diced jalapeno, ¼ cup lemon juice, a pinch of salt (not more than 1/8 teaspoon), and black pepper to taste.

1 mango. Give an already sensational fruit even more flavor by breaking fresh mint leaves, squeezing out the mint oil, and rubbing it over the mango.

Mid-afternoon Snack
1 cup of nonfat, no-sugar-added vanilla yogurt topped with sliced bananas, blueberries, and raspberries.

Dinner
1 cup easy vegetable soup. Combine any leftover vegetables you have with low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth and your favorite salt-free blend of spices. Heat and serve.

1½ cups iceberg lettuce and ½ cup radicchio with 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1½ teaspoons walnut oil, and black pepper to taste.

Spaghetti and Meatless Meatballs
1 cup of whole-wheat pasta topped with Meatless Meatballs (see recipe below) and quick-fix marinara. In a skillet lightly misted with oil spray, sauté diced onion and minced garlic about 2 to 3 minutes. Add ready-made, low-sodium marinara (good brand choices are Enrico’s, Roselli’s, and Walnut Acres). Heat. For a creamier touch, stir in a tablespoon or two of fat-free sour cream before serving.

Dessert
Banana Chips. Slice and freeze bananas, 12 slices to a bag, for a cold, creamy snack or dessert.

½ ounce semi-sweet dark chocolate

Barley and Shiitake Soup
Freeze what you don’t eat today in single-serving containers for easy-to-thaw-and-heat-up soup for later in the week.

Serves 6

Oil spray
½ cup onion, minced
½ cup red bell pepper, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
3 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
¼ cup pearled barley
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped

Lightly mist bottom of soup pot with oil spray. Heat at medium temperature and sauté onion until translucent.
Add peppers, carrots, and mushrooms, and continue sautéing for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add stock and barley. Cook at medium temperature, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Add soy sauce and parsley. Serve.

Nutrition Information (per 1-cup serving): 90 calories, less than 1g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 4g protein, 4g fiber, 64mg sodium

Meatless Meatballs

Serves 4
These meatballs freeze well so make more while you’re in the kitchen and thaw for future cook-free nights.

1 pound meat substitute* 
1 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
½ teaspoon black peppercorns, ground
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, cut in thin strips or shredded
½ onion, minced
½ cup Egg Beaters

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix all ingredients together. Mold into balls. On a nonstick baking sheet, bake for 25 minutes.

Nutrition Information (per 3-meatball serving): 306 calories, 5g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 34g protein, 13g fiber, 236mg sodium

* Our chefs at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Aventura, Florida, use a meat substitute from www.abfoodsllc.com. To order, call 800-822-3100 and ask for the special “beef” blend for the Pritikin Program. Other good meat substitutes include So Soya (www.sosoya.com), TVP (textured vegetable protein), and TSP (textured soy protein).

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 by renowned cardiologist Robert A. Vogel, M.D., and Paul Tager Lehr, director of the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Aventura, Florida. The Pritikin Edge is now available wherever books are sold, and includes:
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.