Vegetarian Somersizing

Anyone who does the same plan I'm doing (Suzanne Somers) and is a vegetarian will have a few more things to think about. You would have to eat a lot of veggies (obviously) maybe with some tofu or whole grain pasta. Vegetarians need to have more carb meals then non-vegetarians because they still need to get lots of protein and of course, fiber.

You can also cook with rice and beans - good protein sources. Use textured vegetable protein to make burgers; add it to chilis, soys and sauces. Vegans can have rice milk (not soy milk) on their carb breakfast meal.

Because I had someone ask about Vegetarian Somersizing, these recipes are for you Soni!

Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms

12 whole medium mushrooms, stems removed
1/4 cup butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 tsp seasoning salt

1. In a skillet melt margarine. Saute chopped mushroom stems and other veggies
2. Season with salt
3. Stuff mushroom caps with filling on baking sheet
   
4. Broil until bubbly

Easy Mexican Rice

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
3 cups water
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 can black (or kidney) beans, drained
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded lettuce

1. In a saucepan bring 3 cups water to a boil
   
2. Add Taco seasoning and rice and stir
3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes
4. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes
5. Stir in beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper and lettuce

Hope this helps answer some questions?!

Thanks very much to Megan, I borrowed these two recipes from her site Somersize Recipes and Gluten Free - she has SO many great recipes and ideas!

All I Needed Was a Reason

I figured out what I needed to kick start my diet into fast-track action; I scheduled a vacation and had to get my butt in gear to look beach-worthy!

Of course, our vacay to Puerta Vallarta got canceled when all this swine flu hit fever pitch (no pun intended). I fell off the wagon for a few days with depression and eating not-so-healthy food but I'm happy to say it didn't last long as we rescheduled for Vegas!

We leave in exactly 2 weeks and I'm thrilled. I haven't been there since I was about 8 years old - definitely doesn't count.

So, I started my healthy eating April 20th and am delighted to report that even with my almost week-long unhealthy binge I have lost a total of 11 pounds!! My goal was to lose 20 by vacation and another 5-7 after I got back.

I have two more weeks to be uber good and I really think I can do it!

The plan I'm doing for those who are interested is Suzanne Somers plan. It's basically a low-carb diet but you are still allowed (and encouraged) to eat whole wheat bread, fiber filled cereal and healthy whole wheat pasta. The only catch is that you have to eat any of the carbs only with vegetables.

Other then that it's all the veggies you want (other then corn and potatoes - so starchy!!) and meats, and sauces galor. I love having zucchini noodles with a yummy meatball sauce - so delicious. Or Eggplant Parmesan and a big salad. I still eat pretty much everything I want and am losing weight (do I sound like an infomercial?? Sorry I can't help it!)

A sample menu for me goes something like this:

Breaky:
Nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup fruit (although Suzanne says to try and eat fruit alone I don't seem to have a problem eating it with other foods)
A sprinkle of Fibre1 cereal

Lunch:
1 chicken breast smothered with goat cheese
Wilted spinach with cherry tomatoes

Dinner:
Roasted Pork Loin with Creamy Mushroom Gravy
Cheesy Cauliflower (recipe to follow)
Tossed Salad with balsamic vinaigrette

How can you go wrong?!

I'm going to try to be better about posting a daily food menu and a few recipes for the next couple weeks until I'm away. I'll also track my progress to follow how I'm doing!

Easy Cheesy Cauliflower:

1 med. head of cauliflower - stem removed, broken into florets
1 c mayonnaise
1 c sharp cheddar, grated
2 tbsp mustard powder (in a pinch prepared mustard is fine)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
   
2. Steam the cauliflower until slightly tender
3. In a separate bowl stir together the cheese, mayonnaise and mustard powder
4. Place the cauliflower in a casserole dish, cover with cheese sauce
5. Bake covered for 10-15 minutes until the sauce is creamy and bubbly and the cauliflower tender

It's super easy and really delicious. I like my extra creamy but if you don't, use less mayonnaise and cheese. You can add any veggies you want to this as well - it's great with brocolli!