A-Z Fiber Foods, Omega Rich, Fatty Acid Fat Burners

I've lost almost 100 pounds and dropped nine sizes. I burned excess belly fat and trimmed other body fat. How? By swapping saturated and hydrogenated fat, starch, refined sugar and flour for high-fiber, fatty acids foods. Ironically, good fats--omega oils, MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) plus fiber are natural bad fat burners. Fiber and fatty acids work together to purge fat, especially belly fat. Many fiber-rich foods are high in fatty acids and also low in saturated fats. Here's an A-Z list of good-fat, high-fiber foods.   

Weight loss is about portion and calorie control, but it's not so much about eating less as eating

differently. Carbohydrates and fat, long thought to be the enemies of weight loss are enjoying a new

vogue in the ketogenic and high carb diet. Ketogenic good fats and unsaturated fatty acids are found

to burn fat (that bad, white adipose fat that sags from bellies, buttocks, arms and legs, that is). And a

high carb diet, rich in soluable fiber and insoluable resistant starch fiber, helps you feel full and lose

weight. Good carbs burn slow and keep your body busy digesting and burning calories while feeling

satisfied. That's important because weight loss fails when the dieter is constantly hungry and

obsessed with food. So here are high carb diet breakfast recipes with foods chockful of good fats,

resistant starch fiber and protein.

High fiber sandwich breakfast recipes: Spread one tablespoon almond butter on light whole grain

bread (35 calories per slice). Or mix PB2 peanut powder with Greek yogurt and spread on bread.

Slice one barely ripe medium banana and place on whole grain bread. Sprinkle with cacao nibs,

flaxseed, chia seed and sliced strawberries.

Superfood whole grain weight loss oatmeal: This is called oatmeal, but actually it's a wondrous blend

of good carbs, good fats, resistant starch fiber, protein and antioxidant superfoods. Use Bob's Red Mill

10-Grain cereal but don't cook it. High carb diet dishes are best served cold. If you must have hot

cereal, don't cook it to mush. You can also use Cheerios. Add berries, chia seed, cacao nibs, pumpkin

seeds, walnuts and almonds. Blend cashew, flaxseed or almond milk with berry juice to sweeten.

Slice barely ripe banana on top. Serve with milk.

High carb diet potato salad. Did you miss potatoes on your old diet? Well now you can have 'em!

Cold potatoes are a great source of resistant starch fiber. Dice leftover cold cooked potatoes, yams

and/or carrots. Add fresh sliced celery, green pepper,scallion or onion. Season with Himalayan pink

salt, cracked pepper, celery seed and dill. Blend with light olive oil mayonnaise. Or mix avocado,

Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar and olive oil. If you're up for it, add high fiber good fats like

pumpkin seeds and chia seeds.

Roasted plantain breakfast recipes. Saute peeled plantain in non-stick cooking spray. Or bake

plantain in it's own skin till tender. Serve with Greek yogurt or lowfat sour cream. Serve with cold

beans and rice for super resistant starch fiber breakfast recipes. Mix white, red or garbanzo beans

and brown rice with chopped cilantro, tomatoes, green peppers and onions. Add chopped mangoes

or pineapple if desired. Season with cumin, salt and pepper.

High carb diet pancakes for weight loss. Start these breakfast recipes with oat or whole grain

pancake mix or Bob's Red Mill 7-Grain Pancake Mix. Add in your choice of: good quality granola,

cranberries, pomegranate seeds, blueberries or strawberries, oat bran, sliced bananas, cooked corn,

almonds, walnuts, chia seeds or flaxseed. Serve with pure maple syrup and light butter.

Bean and banana or plantain "burgers." Mix white or red beans or mashed garbanzo beans with

mashed plantain or banana. Form into balls and flatten like burgers. Fry in non-stick cooking spray.

Serve with Greek yogurt for good fats.

Homemade granola: Blend dried oatmeal, walnuts, millet, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia

seeds and flaxseed. Add unsweetened coconut or cacao nibs if desired. Blend and PB2 peanut

powder, almond or cashew milk and blue agave syrup. Pour over grain blend to coat. Spread in one

layer and toast on low till crunchy. Serve with sliced bananas, chopped apples, strawberries or

blueberries.

Healthy Easter Snacks, Bunny-Themed Treats Recipes

Holidays involve way too much candy and too many sweets. But what's an Easter basket without jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, and candy eggs? A lot healthier. With one in three kids overweight or obese, says KidsHealth, it's time to rethink our sweets craze. I've been dieting and lost 96 pounds by substituting sweets with healthy alternatives. Here are good-for-you Easter treat and snack recipes. 

Easter Fruit basket. Who says the Easter bunny must deliver candy? Why not fill it with juicy red strawberries, plump blueberries and blueberries, succulent green grapes, golden mango, yellow bananas, jolly oranges and cheery apples? Toss in a few 70-percent cacao (good for you) dark chocolate Easter candies. But you don't have to with this festive fruit rainbow. Or omit candy and give toys. 

Cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon basket. To carve melon into a basket, make two cuts down halfway into melon lengthwise, a about two inches apart. This is the handle. Continue around to meet at the other side of the handle, to carve out  a little under one quarter, on each side. Use a melon baller to remove melon or a knife to cut in chunks. Clean out the rest to form the basket. Mix melon balls or chunks with other melon balls. Add pineapple, mandarin oranges, grapes, strawberries, mango cubes, blueberries. Or whatever fruit you like in your fruit salad. 

Hunny Bunny Cookies. Skip chocolate Easter bunnies and make healthier bunny cookies. Mix half cup butter or light margarine, half cup of honey or blue agave syrup, two cups whole grain flour, one teaspoon baking soda and half teaspoon cinnamon. Roll out and cut like sugar cookies. For bunny shape, cut circle head and two small ovals for ears. Blend peanut butter, nonfat yogurt and honey for frosting. Or blend coconut sugar, yogurt and light butter for white icing. Decorate with raisin eyes, pretzel stick whiskers, raspberry or cherry nose and apple pieces for buck teeth.

Happy Bunny Basket. What would the Easter bunny like in his basket? Veggies! Make a bunny-friendly Easter basket by filling a salad bowl with lettuce and your favorite vegetable toppings: carrots, radishes, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, sprouts and, of course hard-boiled Easter eggs!

Sure it might not substitute for a candy-filled basket, but kids will love eating what the Easter Bunny eats!

Easter Egg-stravaganza. After dying hard-boiled eggs, return them to the fridge to keep fresh. Use in these yummy treats.

--Angel eggs (like deviled eggs only better!) Cut egg in half. Carefully remove yolk. Mash with celery seed, pepper, horseradish mustard, dill pickle relish and light mayonnaise. Refill yolk cavity. Sprinkle on dill and paprika.

--Healthy bunny-wiches: Spread Laughing Cow light cream cheese on slice of rye bread. Tint some cream cheese pink with berry, grape or beet juice. Cut cooked egg in half lengthwise. Remove yolk. Cut semi-circles from base of whites. Fill yolk cavity with pink cream cheese and place on bread for ears. Place cut off bits on bottom for paws (make little slits for toes). Slice yolk. Place olive slice in center of slice for eyes. Use grape tomato for nose, matchstick carrots whiskers and almonds or pumpkin seeds for teeth.

Our kids are very healthy and none has weight problems. They loved these fun Easter candy alternatives as much as sugary treats! 

Healthy Catholic Lenten Fish Recipes, Pescatarian Diet Cooking Tips

I was raised on Lake Michigan and we dined regularly on her bounty: salmon, perch, walleye, catfish, trout, whitefish. Fish in nutritious: high in protein and Omega-3 oil and low-fat. Here are fish recipes to turn you on to this super food. Even fish haters ask for these dishes.

Poached Salmon or Trout: Using fresh or fresh frozen salmon fillets (I like fillets better than the steaks), place them in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray (a good way to reduce fat intake). Pour in enough lemon juice to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the fillets with coarse pepper, dill weed, onion powder, minced garlic and salt. Cook them on low until the flesh is light pink instead of bright orange and flakes away from the skin. Serve them with rice and a green vegetable. You can pour a white sauce of mayonnaise and horseradish over them if you wish. I sprinkle mine with toasted almonds or crushed pecans.

Seafood Alfredo: Using frozen cooked shrimp, remove the tails and run under cool water to remove ice. Saute them with a stick of margarine ( I use about 3 tbsp of margarine for every 8 oz of shrimp). Add a pound of rinsed frozen broccoli after about 5 minutes. After another five minutes, add an 8oz pkg. of low fat cream cheese (not fat free), half of an 8oz container of Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, white pepper and a little milk. Stir continually until it becomes creamy. Serve over noodles (linguine, angel hair or seashell pasta). My oldest daughter (the self-proclaimed fish-hater) will do bodily harm to get this dish.

Tuna Salad: The beauty of this dish is its ease and low cost. My daughter craves it. First, set 16 oz of seashell or elbow pasta to boil. Use any variety of tuna, but note: the solid white albacore has the mildest flavor. Finely chop a medium sweet onion (vidala are yummy) and slice four ribs ribs of celery. Drain and rinse the pasta. Combine the tuna, celery, onion and pasta with mayonnaise. Use your preference on the amount of mayo. I go easy on it, about a cup. Season the salad with dill weed, coarse ground pepper and salt to taste. I usually leave the salt for others to add. Refrigerate and serve within two-three days.

Fried Fish in a Flash: Use catfish, whitefish, tilapia, cod or whiting. Frozen is fine. Just thaw and rinse. Don't pat dry. In a bowl, combine (per pound of fish) 1 c. corn meal, 1/2 c. white flour, tsp. baking soda, smoked paprika, dill, lemon juice powder, garlic and onion powder, celery salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper and finely crushed bay leaf. Coat fish with corn meal mix. Melt ghee in cast iron pan. Fry fish on med-high till flesh is white and breaks apart with fork. 

Baked marlin or swordfish: These two ocean fish get our butcher's vote for the fish that tastes and looks the least like fish. Buy them as steak.; they are boneless and very solid. The flesh is dark red in color and resembles beef roast when cooked. They can be a little costly ($5-$7 per pound). Place the rinsed pieces in a baking dish sprayed with cooking oil, skin side down. Cover with enough lemon juice to cover the bottom of the pan. Slice a stick of margarine or butter into thin pieces and dot the fish and pan. Season with dill. Dill is a tasty salt substitute and cuts the fishy taste. Add pepper and paprika. Bake until fish is darker in color, firm and pulls away from the skin with a fork.

Pan-fried lake perch fillets: These small pan fish when filleted, are about the shape and size of a sandwich cut into a triangles. They are sweet and buttery and melt in your mouth. To prepare, rinse each fillet and pat dry. Prepare two bowls, one with seasoned bread crumbs or finely crushed Ritz crackers. In another beat several eggs until golden. Heat a pan or griddle and melt a stick of butter. Dip the fish in the egg, the crumbs and the sauté in the butter. The flesh will go from translucent light pink to white and pull away from the skin when done. Drain on paper towel salt and pepper them and serve immediately. You won' t be able to get them out fast enough to satisfy your family; they're delicious!

Shrimp Cocktail I serve this as a fun treat and the kids love it! Rinse 12-16 oz of frozen ready-to-eat shrimp until thawed. Hang them over a large wine glass. Fill the wine glass half full of cocktail sauce which you can purchase or make by blending prepared horseradish and ketchup. Hold the shrimp by the tail and dip in the sauce. This treat makes the kids feel very grown-up. They like to pretend my kitchen is a bistro; they come in and order the shrimp cocktail.

Seafood chowder: Using pretty much any fish you like: tilapia, trout, salmon, sole, pollock, whitefish, catfish, sauté a pound in butter or ghee with a half cup each of chopped celery and onions. Cook until fish breaks into chunks and celery and onions are tender. Meanwhile pare, dice and boil 5-6 medium white round potatoes and 5-6 carrots in 2 quarts of water. Season the water with a little thyme, dill, pepper, garlic and celery seed. When vegetables are tender, add a cup of milk and a tbsp of flour. Blend and simmer until stock is thickened (about 5 minutes). Add contents of fish mixture and blend.

These are our favorite fish recipes. They get asked for frequently. I feel very satisfied to know that my family is getting the benefits of fish and seafood. 

One-Pot Fish Tacos Casserole Recipe, Quick and Easy

I'm a penny-pincher, DIYer, health conscious, planet preserver. The kitchen is one of my favorite places combine those passions. Because home cooking saves money and reduces food waste by repurposing leftovers in tasty new meals. I call my recipes leftovers use-ups. These recipes also focus on food swaps to eat better and even lose weight. Creating diet food swap recipes is part of how I lost 100 pounds without weight loss surgery or diet drugs. 

I save money by cleaning out the fridge before shopping (funny how those kids can open six packages of shredded cheese and never finish one? Or the hubs starts three onions, leaves half behind and never can find them!) So once a week I go through, purge the refrigerator of flotsam and jetsam and make a meal of the leftovers. Today's leftover use-up recipe is fish tacos. I make them as taco casserole because it saves dishes and messy clean up. You can make regular tacos as casserole too. It's great way to repurpose ground turkey, chicken or beef. 

Leftover Use-up: One-Pot Fish Taco Casserole Recipe

We love fish tacos [;id and are eating more seafood as a way to live healthier. My husband and I are following the Mediterranean Diet, which emphasizes seafood and fresh produce. During Lent, fish and veggies are all we eat. I keep lots of fresh vegetables on hand; to keep them from spoiling, I tweak recipes to add in veggies.

Most of the fish tacos recipes I've found have multiple steps and use lots of dishes: I feed six to nine people at a time, so I need one-pot, step-saver recipes. Since I'm cleaning the refrigerator and using up foods as I go, I write my recipes so that they are adaptable. Don't have something on hand? Don't make a special trip to the store. That wastes time and gas money. Improvise (I'll give you tips and substitutions) or omit it. I've also included tips for dieters on watching sodium and cholesterol.

Fish taco casserole recipe

* Place frozen, fresh or leftover cooked fish in a 9x13 baking dish. Tilapia, pollock, swai, whitefish, cod, catfish or salmon work best; Walmart has been selling large bags of frozen fish fillets reasonably priced. I used the whole 4-pound bag of frozen tilapia fillets, plus any individual pieces "swimming" around in the freezer. You don't have to use this much fish, but know that it does cook down. There is no need to thaw frozen fish ahead of time.

* "Baste" with leftover mayonnaise (any variety). Use a rubber spatula to spread evenly (about two teaspoons per fillet). For diet food swaps, use low-fat varieties or substitute with olive oil.

* Drizzle with fresh squeezed lime or lemon or use lime or lemon juice (lime tastes the best). Use about 1/2 teaspoon per fish fillet. Lime juice makes a great salt substitute and works great for hypertensive diners following the DASH diet or other low-sodium diet.

* Season with ground cumin, thyme, smoked paprika, minced or onion powder, black pepper, minced or garlic powder and celery salt. Add hot pepper if desired.  Add fresh or dried cilantro (a great way to use fresh or bottled herbs).

* Use up leftover shredded or sliced cheese by sprinkling over the top. Got a few hunks of cheese laying around? Slice and layer over fish. The tastiest kind is pepper jack. Omit cheese if you are serving diners on a low-sodium or low- cholesterol diet, though. Use less on one portion for these working on weight loss. 

* Crush leftover fresh or stale tortilla chips. You can also use leftover corn tortilla shells (no need to fry them as they will get nice and tender while baking). You can substitute leftover corn too. 

  

* Pour leftover salsa or pico de gallo over casserole. You can also use up fresh or canned tomatoes chili peppers, green peppers and onions instead of salsa. If you like your tacos with a kick, add fresh or canned jalapenos. Mix and match to use up all leftovers (omit salsa for low-sodium diners).

* Bake for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees until fish is tender and flaky.

* Garnish with loads of fresh cilantro, shredded carrots, chopped onions and tomatoes and bell peppers, leftover shredded cabbage or broccoli slaw mix. 

*Serve alone or with jasmine rice. Or fill taco shells. 

Caution: this dish is so fragrant and delicious that even avowed fish haters will demand seconds. 

10 Great Tomato Snack Recipes with cancer fighting lycopene

Are you a tomato addict? Could you eat tomatoes for breakfast, snacks, appetizers, lunch and

supper? That's great because tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and lycopene (which is great for prostate

health and sexual prowess.) And, in the news, you can kick cancer butt with lycopene foods. Along

with cancer fighting lycopene, tomatoes have few calories, no fat and are satisfying. Here are the 10

best tomato recipes, tomato appetizers and healthy vegetarian breakfast recipes with tomatoes.

These cancer fighting tomato recipes help with weight loss, too.

Cancer fighting breakfast recipes of tomatoes and hummus: Mediterranean hummus, or tahini with

chickpeas, has become is a go-to protein supplement. For a snack, cut a tomato in bite-sized pieces

and dip in hummus (Greek hummus or hummus with pine nuts are the kinds). Make your own hummus

by blending chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and tahini. For low calorie weight loss hummus swap olive

oil for liquid from chickpeas.

Vegetarian breakfast recipes with grilled tomatoes: These healthy tomato recipes are filling, quick

and light. Dip tomatoes in panko crumbs seasoned with rosemary, basil, sage, garlic, onion and

thyme. Or use seasoned textured vegetable protein. Sauté or grill in olive oil, truffle oil or non-stick

cooking spray. Top with fresh basil and crumbled feta cheese.

Bread and tomato salad breakfast recipes: Chop tomatoes, onions, green peppers (or any color

peppers) and cucumbers. Add fresh basil, rosemary, sage and stale bread cubes. Dress with olive oil,

pomegranate vinegar, cracked pepper and a dash of salt. Add crumbled feta cheese or Parmesan

cheese if desired. These easy tomato recipes use up leftover bread and vegetables. It makes

delicious, healthy delicious lunch. Bread salad is low in fat and full of healthy goodness. Or make

cancer fighting tomato recipes without bread, using couscous. Add chopped mint, lemon juice and

parsley instead of basil and you'll have tabouleh.

Tomato sandwich breakfast recipes: Toast two slices of light oat grain bread. Spread with low-fat

cream cheese. Layer with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado and spinach. Season with black

pepper. Or swap bread for whole grain bagels and plain cream cheese for salmon cream cheese and

you'll have light bagels and lox. Or serve on English muffins, for eggless vegetarian Mc-Tomato

Muffins

Lycopene loaded tomatoes: Remove stem and core of tomato. Mix feta, Parmesan, shredded

mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese with pepper, chopped onion and garlic. Chop mushrooms and

mix by hand. Add shrimp for super fun breakfast recipes. Fill center of tomato. Grill or broil until

cheese is melted.

Tomato cucumber salad: For these vegetarian breakfast recipes, slice fresh cucumber and tomato

and fresh basil, sage, rosemary and red or sweet onion. Blend blend EVOO olive oil, mayonnaise, sour cream, acai vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetables. Add chopped green pepper if desired.

Pizza pasta salad breakfast recipes: Cook and drain Barilla Protein Plus pasta. Barilla Protein Plus has

fewer calories with extra protein and omega. Chop Roma or salad tomatoes or slice a quart of grape

tomatoes in half. Add chopped onion, green pepper, green and black olives and cubed Colby cheese

or feta cheese. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar or white vinegar. Add sliced

mushrooms if desired. Season with black pepper. Chill.

Fiesta vegetarian beans and rice: Blend equal portions canned (drained) beans with cooked Jasmine,

brown or wild rice. Add sliced scallions, fresh cilantro, chopped tomatoes, avocados, garlic, green

peppers, canned chilies and pineapple, mango or papaya (if desired). Season with cumin, red pepper

and chili powder. Serve topped with melted cheese. Use any canned beans but the best are adzuki,

black (or turtle) beans and black eyed peas.

Lycopene filled breakfast recipes of tomatoes in cottage cheese: Cottage cheese has been a dieter's

delight for decades. Low in fat and high in protein, cottage cheese is a healthier dairy product. You

can use Greek yogurt, too. Dice fresh tomatoes and blend with cottage cheese and pepper.

Cancer fighting breakfast smoothies. Blend chopped tomato, grapefruit, black raspberries,

strawberries, blueberries, carrots, spinach and Greek yogurt for off-the-charts lycopene tomato

recipes.

Healthy Popcorn, Caramel Corn and Cheesy Popcorn Recipes

I know and you know that plain, air-popped, unsalted popcorn without butter is a healthy snack, especially for dieters. But who wants plain popcorn? Do we have to sacrifice tasty popcorn snacks for health and weight loss? Not with these popcorn recipes! Love that buttery rich movie theater popcorn, caramel corn, cheese popcorn, chocolate drizzle popcorn (be still my heart) or the ultimate popcorn experience Chicago style popcorn? Here are delicious ways to create the tastes you love without the major calories, sugar, sodium and fat explosion.

Healthy "Caramel Corn" 

1/4 cup Olive oil margarine or Smart Balance Butter

1/4 cup natural peanut butter (or sunflower, cashew or almond butter for those with peanut allergies)

1/3 cup honey

2--3 quarts popped corn

crushed salted pecans (optional)

Combine first three ingredients in saucepan over medium heat until blended. Mix popcorn and nuts. Pour peanut butter sauce over popcorn and nuts and toss until well-coated. Spray two cookies sheet with olive oil pan spray or cover in aluminum foil and coat with pan spray. Arrange popcorn in single layer over both pans. Bake 20 minutes @ 350 degrees. Store in airtight container.

Healthy Cheese Popcorn

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon crushed oregano

1/3 cup ghee, melted 

2 quarts popped popcorn

Blend first three ingredients. Pour over popcorn and blend thoroughly to coat each popcorn kernel. Toast in oven for a few minutes. Serve warm. Popcorn is best if served several hours later.

Healthy 'Buttered' Popcorn

If you love popcorn popped in oil with butter and just can't abide air popped popcorn, here's a little secret. In your popcorn kettle, use olive oil to pop popcorn. Pour enough non-EVOO olive oil to cover the pan bottom and add one layer of popcorn. When popcorn is done, add a little salt and mix with hands. Ghee works too. Olive oil makes a healthy tasty butter substitute that tastes just as good as delicious.

For the grande Chicago popcorn, combine the first two! For chocolate drizzle popcorn, make healthy buttered popcorn. Melt 70% cacao or higher chocolate chips or bars and toss with hot popcorn. Or just mix chocolate chips with popcorn.