Irish Diet Page 5
This page contains Desserts, Low-fat cakes, Anne’s 7-Day Menu, plus
your Shopping list.
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DESSERTS
Enjoy your dessert anytime: i.e. after your main meal, or any time during the day.
INSTANT DESSERTS
Any low-fat yogurt
i.e. any yogurt with 0.1g of fat per 100g. (Extra hungry? Add oats or chopped/canned fruit)
Any low-fat fromage frais, or sorbet, or equivalent
i.e. any dessert with 0.1g of fat per 100g. (Extra hungry? Add chopped/canned fruit)
Any low-fat chocolate mousse
i.e. any mousse with less than 2.5g of fat per 100g.
Any low-fat ice-cream (use 1 medium scoop)
i.e. any ice-cream with 2g of fat per 100g. (Extra hungry? Add chopped/canned fruit)
Half a melon or large bowl of (any) chopped fruit
Bowl of any canned fruit (in fruit juice, not in syrup)
OTHER EASY DESSERTS
TOFFEE APPLE (Serves 1) Chop a green apple into bite-sized chunks. Place in bowl and cover with contents of 1 low-fat Toffee yogurt!
ICE-CREAM & CHOCOLATE SAUCE (Serves 1) Blend sachet of Cadbury High-lights with water and pour over scoop of low-fat ice-cream.
LEMON CHEESECAKE (Serves 4) Crumble 2 oatcakes into 4 glass dishes. Liquidise 8oz cottage cheese with 2 cartons low-fat natural yogurt; add juice & rind of 1 lemon, & 1 dessp sugar. Dissolve 3 tsp gelatine in cup very hot water & stir until dissolved. Mix well into cheese mixture & pour over crumbs. Leave in fridge, for 2-3 hours. Serve with slices of kiwi-fruit.
HOT SPICY PINEAPPLE RINGS (Serves 4) Mix 4 tbsp brown sugar, tsp ground cinnamon, grated rind and juice of 2 oranges. Put 8 pineapple rings in ovenproof dish, pour mixture over and cook in pre-heated hot oven for 20 mins. Serve with low-fat Fromage Frais.
STRAWBERRY SPONGE (Serves 4) Mash 8oz carton strawberries with 2 tsp castor sugar. Add 2 cartons low-fat vanilla yogurt and mix well. Serve with 2 sponge fingers, per person.
CRUNCHY BANANA (Serves 1) Pre-heat grill on high and line rack with tinfoil, shiny side up. Peel & cut one banana, lengthways, dip rounded side in yogurt and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Place under grill, crumb side up, and cook on low shelf for 3-4 mins, until top is crispy. Serve with vanilla/ strawberry yogurt.
ORANGE MOUSSE (Serves 4) Make up orange jelly as normal. When nearly set, whisk & fold in 1 peach yogurt. Return to fridge & allow to set. Serve by itself or with chopped fresh fruit.
CHILLED PEACH CREAMS (Serves 4) Puree 3 ripe peaches until smooth. Put 4 tbsp of puree into separate dish & mix with1tbsp peach jam. To the remaining puree add 3x100g cartons of Fromage Frais and ¼ pint skimmed milk. Spoon Fromage Frais mixture into 4 glass dishes and top with puree mixture. Chill before serving.
RASPBERRY MERINGUE (Serves 4) Drain can raspberries in juice, puree and mix with 2 cartons of low-fat vanilla yogurt. Fill 4 meringue nests with mixture, top with any sliced fruit.
STEWED FRUIT & CUSTARD (Serves 1) Stew cooking apples or rhubarb in Diet 7-Up, instead of water. Serve with custard made from skimmed milk.
BAKED APPLE WITH FRUIT (Serves 1) Core large eating apple. Fill centre with sultanas sprinkled with cinnamon. Stand in oven-proof dish and pour a little water around apple. Bake in moderate oven for 45 mins. Serve on its own or with yogurt, or custard with skimmed milk.
FRUIT WHIP (Serves 4) (Use rhubarb, apple, plums or raspberries). Put 1lb chopped fruit in pan, with ½ cup of water and sweetener to taste. Add grated rind and juice of 1 lemon and cook until smooth. When cool, whisk or blend. Chill for 1 hour in fridge. Fold in 3 stiffly beaten egg whites and serve in tall glasses topped with fresh fruit.
LOW FAT CAKES
Going insane? Then bake a delicious low-fat cake!
If you really have to eat something bad, then try making one of these delicious lower-fat cake recipes. Warning: they won’t help you to lose weight but they should stop you from eating shop-cakes or chocolates which are much more fattening.
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients: 5 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tbsp caster sugar, 5 tbsp milk, 3 large mashed bananas, 7oz soft brown sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla essence, 5 egg-whites, 3oz s/r flour, 3oz oat bran. Method: Pre-heat oven at 180° C /Gas 4. Line 8″ tin with non-stick baking paper. Blend cocoa, caster sugar and milk. Add bananas, brown sugar and vanilla essence. Lightly beat egg-whites with fork. Add chocolate mixture and beat well. Sift flour over mixture and fold in with oat bran. Pour into tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until firm. Allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes.
Banana Cake
Ingredients: 5 small ripe bananas, 3 oz soft brown sugar, 4 oz sultanas, 2 oz walnuts, 2 eggs, 8 oz self-raising flour. Method: Mash bananas, add beaten eggs, add sugar and fruit and fold in flour. Place in 2lb loaf tin and bake for 1hour in moderate oven.
Carrot Cake
Ingredients: 10oz grated carrot, 3 oz soft brown sugar, 6 oz sultanas, 4 oz raisins, grated rind of 1 orange & 1 lemon, 2 oz cherries, 1 tbsp natural yogurt, 1 tsp each nutmeg &cinnamon, 2 eggs, 8 oz self-raising flour. Method: Mix all ingredients thoroughly and bake in a moderate oven for about 1 hour.
Honey Tea-cake
Ingredients: 1 egg, 2 oz castor sugar, 1 tbsp honey, 4 tbsp skimmed milk, 4 oz s/r flour, few drops of vanilla essence. Method: Separate yolk from white & whisk white until stiff. Gradually whisk in sugar, followed by yolk. Fold in milk, essence, flour & honey. Bake in 7″ sandwich tin, 180c/gas 4 for 20-25 mins. While hot, brush top with honey & cinnamon.
QUICKTIP No 22 – LOSING WEIGHT MAKES LIFE EASIER
I want you to close your eyes and imagine that you’re 24 years of age, nice and slim, and you’ve lying on a beach, in the sun, on a beautiful tropical island. Why are you lying on this lovely beach? Because you’ve just got married and you’re on honeymoon with your husband who is tall, dark, handsome and very rich! Got the picture? Anyway, that night, he wines and dines you on your balcony, overlooking the sea. The air is warm, the stars are bright, and the mood is magical, when suddenly your husband takes your hand, looks into your eyes, and says ‘I’ve got a present for you. Stay right there and close your eyes, while I get it.’ So you close your eyes and think of all the wonderful things it could be. A diamond necklace? A string of real pearls? The keys to a brand new car? A cheque with a lot of noughts on the end? Before you decide what it can be, your husband tells you to open your eyes, and there it is – sitting on the table in front of you. What is it? A bag. A plain, plastic shoulder bag!
Well, you’re absolutely speechless. You think to yourself: ‘why on earth has he bought me a stupid bag?’ But then he tells you to look inside, and suddenly it dawns on you: ‘Of course!!! He’s hidden the present inside the bag!’ So you tear it open and then you’re even more confused, because all you find is – 14 cans of baked beans! Well what can you say? No one has ever bought you baked beans before. However, you manage to keep a straight face and you say something like: ‘Err…they’re lovely… but what am I supposed to do with them?’ So he tells you that from now on, he wants you to carry the bag – with the 14 cans of beans in it – everywhere you go. And he really means – everywhere. At home, at work, in the car, in the pub. Even in bed!
OK, that’s the story. Now answer this question: if your husband suddenly presented you with a shoulder bag and 14 cans of beans and said that he wanted you to wear it everywhere you went – how would you react? You’d tell him to drop dead, wouldn’t you? Of course you would! And yet the truth is: if you’re a stone overweight, you’re already wearing the beans! (You see, a standard (420g) can of beans weighs almost exactly 1 pound. So, for every 14 pounds we’re overweight, we’re carrying around the equivalent of 14 cans of beans.) The only difference is, you’re not carrying them around in a rucksack. You’re carrying them on your thighs, your stomach, your neck and your butt.
Take my advice: don’t waste any more of your precious time, staggering around with all this weight on your body. Get rid of it, and discover how wonderful life is, WITHOUT IT!
SUGGESTED 7-DAY MENU
Instructions
- Please follow this menu when starting the diet, or after a ‘bad’ week.
- For details of all meals listed, please see previous pages.
- Please pay close attention to Anne’s Rules on page 2.
- If you wish to substitute a different meal from the diet, please do so.
- In addition, as per the Rules on page 2, you must have 1 pint fat-free milk,
or half a pint low fat milk, plus 2 extra pieces of fruit, per day.
DAY 1
Breakfast: 2 Slices wholemeal toast with jam + ½ cup yogurt + 1 banana.
Lunch: 1½ cups vegetable soup, chicken sandwich + side-salad.
Dinner: Spicy pork chops with potato wedges, beans and grilled tomatoes.
Dessert: Raspberry Meringue & fresh fruit (or any other dessert).
DAY 2
Breakfast: 1½ cups cereal + ½ cup yogurt + 1 cup chopped apple/pear.
Lunch: 6oz Baked potato with 2oz chicken + green salad.
Dinner: Chicken Kiev with potatoes, carrots & cabbage.
Dessert: Low-fat chocolate mousse (or any other dessert).
DAY 3
Breakfast: Smoothie + ½ cup yogurt + slice of pineapple or melon.
Lunch: Tuna sandwich + vegetable salad.
Dinner: Minced beef & potato pie with potatoes, peas & turnip.
Dessert: Toffee apple (or any other dessert).
DAY 4
Breakfast: Scrambled egg on toast + ½ cup yogurt with chopped banana.
Lunch: Soup with chicken sandwich + fat-free relish.
Dinner: Pink salmon & lemon fishcakes with salad and tomatoes.
Dessert: Orange mousse (or any other dessert).
DAY 5
Breakfast: 1½ cups cereal + ½ cup yogurt + 1 cup chopped apple/pear.
Lunch: Baked potato with cottage cheese + mixed vegetable salad.
Dinner: Devil’s chicken with potato wedges, grilled tomatoes & mushrooms.
Dessert: Low-fat yogurt plus tin of pears in juice (or any other dessert).
DAY 6
Breakfast: 5oz baked beans, 1 slice toast + ½ cup yogurt + 1 cup apple & apricots.
Lunch: Sardines (in tomato sauce) on toast + green salad.
Dinner: Turkey with leeks & spring vegetables with mashed potato.
Dessert: Hot & spicy pineapple (or any other dessert).
DAY 7
Breakfast: Omelette (1 yolk, 2 egg-whites), 1 toast, ½ cup yogurt + orange.
Lunch: Bowl of soup with prawn sandwich + green salad.
Dinner: Chunky fish fillets & chips with peas, carrots & large salad.
Dessert: Fruit whip (or any other dessert).
QUICKTIP No 23 – EXERCISE FOR YOUR HEALTH, NOT YOUR WEIGHT
Although exercise is very good for your general health, don’t depend on it to lose weight! For example, in order to lose 1 pound, you need to walk for about 17½ hours.
What sort of exercise do I recommend?
It depends on your condition. If you’re very overweight, start with something very gentle but do it regularly: i.e. at least 10 minutes a day. Try walking, or do a few gentle exercises while sitting in a chair or lying on the floor. Then, as you get used to it, build up to about 20 minutes a day. If you’re less than two stone overweight, go for a daily 15 minute walk. Then, as you get used to it, gradually extend it to 30-40 minutes a day. But remember: there’s no hurry, so take it easy and don’t strain yourself. Like having sex, exercise benefits us most when we make it a regular part of our lives. It’s no good rushing out and exercising like mad for two weeks and then giving up. We must make it part of our daily routine.
SUPERMARKET SHOPPING LIST
In order to lose weight and eat sensibly you must modify your shopping habits.
For best results, please follow these guidelines:
Fruit
(To squeeze) oranges; (To chop) kiwis, apples, pears, melon, pineapple, bananas; (To add to stews) lemons; plus strawberries grapes mangoes and anything else you fancy. Buy cans of any fruit (in juice). And buy any frozen fruit.
Vegetables
Buy pre-peeled or pre-packed selections for extra convenience. Buy carrots, broccoli, spinach, onions, peppers, bean spouts, beetroot, cabbage, courgettes, garlic, ginger, potatoes and anything else you fancy.
Cereal & Muesli
Most cereal is fine. But avoid frosted brands, or those with added glucose. Ideally, choose brands with max.6% fat and 16% sugar. Most muesli is great, but check the label & choose brands with low-fat and low-sugar levels.
Bread
Don’t keep eating the same type of bread. Buy a variety of breads & rolls especially wholemeal or whole-grain varieties.
Jams/marmalades
Buy a selection. And look out for lower-sugar Fruit Spreads.
Butter/Margarine
Avoid butter. Buy low-fat spreads (I use Benecol or Flora Pro-activ) which are low in saturated or hydrogenated fats. (i.e. with less than 9% saturated fat and no hydrogenated or Trans-fats.)
Milk
Low-fat milk is OK but skimmed milk is much better. It has all the nutrition of whole milk without the fat.
Yogurt
Buy low-fat brands (less than 0.1g% fat) with ‘live’ or ‘active’ ingredients.
Cheese
Buy lower-fat cheese (max.15% fat.), low-fat cream cheese, low-fat cottage cheese.
Rice
Rice is great! Buy lots, especially brown rice – it’s much healthier and much more filling.
Pasta, Tortillas, Tacos, Pizza-bases
Pasta: Buy any sort except fresh or pre-filled brands. Tortillas/Tacos: Buy the lowest fat brands. Plain pizza-bases: are perfect – buy lots.
Pasta (or Taco) sauces
Buy tomato-based sauces with max. 3% fat.
Sauces
Choose brands with max. 5% fat (3% is best). If adding ingredients to make up the sauce, add water or skimmed milk – not butter or whole milk.
Eggs
Buy free range eggs. Eat max. of 4 yolks a week. No limit on egg-whites.
Fish (especially oily fish!)
All fish is great, so buy lots – especially oily fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring. Or buy lots of tuna in brine.
Poultry
Buy lean turkey/chicken (e.g. fillets/breasts). Want a roast? Then choose free range. It’s more expensive but much less fatty.
Meat
Buy pork fillet, or lean beef steak. If you want minced beef, choose a piece of steak, ask your butcher to remove all fat and mince it for you. (Sorry, but it’s better to leave the fat at the butcher’s than wear it.) Avoid burgers, offal, bacon, sausage bacon, lamb or beef roasts.
Pastries
All pastries are high in fat. So avoid all pies, quiches, croissants and Danish pastries!
Deli counter
Lean ham, turkey or chicken is fine. Avoid pates coleslaw, salami, or any salads with added mayo or dressing.
Frozen foods
Buy frozen vegetables, frozen fruits, oven chips with less than 5% fat, or low-fat ice-cream (i.e. with less than 2% fat).
Soups
Soup is great! Choose low-fat and avoid creamy varieties.
Dressings
Buy very low-fat brands, only.
Oils
Ideally buy fat sprays. A good choice is FRY LIGHT cooking spray. Next best is extra virgin olive oil or unprocessed vegetable oil, but remember: all oil is 100% fat so use sparingly!
Canned stuff
Buy canned fruit in juice, red beans, white beans, peas, sweetcorn, tuna (in brine), sardines (in tomato sauce). Avoid canned meats, stews, corned beef, hot dogs, frankfurters.
Desserts
Buy low-fat fromage frais, fat-free sorbet, low-fat ice-cream (less than 2% fat), any low-fat frozen dessert or treat yourself to a low-fat chocolate mousse.
Drinks
Buy any plain bottled water, 100% fruit juices (with nothing added), or diet-drinks. Cranberry juice is a great choice for women: it’s very effective against cystitis.
NB. Get into the habit of reading labels!
Check fat, esp. saturated, hydrogenated fat. Check sugar, esp. glucose. Choose foods which are low in both.
QUICKTIP No 24 – NEVER ENTER A SUPERMARKET WITHOUT A WRITTEN LIST
Supermarkets are tempting places. They are carefully designed to tempt us. For example, biscuits & chocolate bars are usually given a HUGE amount of shelf-space in order to get us to buy. The same goes for snack-foods like crisps. So in order to protect yourself (and your figure) don’t wander the shelves: you’ll only fall into temptation! Make a list before you go out and stick to it.