The Minimalist Diet

You’re a Dietitian, what do you eat?

I get this question all the time. Basically, I eat what I like to call the "Minimalist Meal Plan". I despise the word diet, but I had to get your attention. Just look at the Google Trends graph for the word diet in blue vs. meal plan in red. Meal Plan is a continuous flat line. We are a "diet crazed" society.




So, the minimalist meal plan consists of these food items:

Raw fruit
Raw veggies
Beans
Filtered tap water
Whole grain breads and cereals – I love warm homemade bread
Hemp oil – Here is a good reason to use it.
Plain yogurt – you can use this in place of sour cream
Eggs – mostly egg whites but occasionally a yolk or two (I do not use egg substitute).
Poultry – marinated and grilled
Fish
Hemp milk
Parmesan cheese – a tasty low fat cheese
Avocado – I eat them plain like Mike
Vinegar – I use vinegar as my salad dressing
Club soda – This is plain carbonated water, my favorite beverage of choice
Fresh herbs – picked straight from the garden
Garlic – oil and garlic - yum
Fresh Key Lime Juice – I use lime juice for flavor

Minimalist means: Use of the barest essentials – For me that means no prepackaged convenience foods





I don’t live to eat. I eat to live. I use my food for fuel and not entertainment. I steer clear of prepackaged foods as much as possible and I prefer fresh over frozen or canned.

I do have a few weaknesses that I will not give up:

Coffee – first thing in the morning – about 2 cups with 2%milk and sugar
Butter – I mix butter with oil – makes a great product.
Draft Lite Beer – on occasion

It’s important to identify items you will absolutely not give up.
What are yours?


To give you an idea of my one day menu:

2 cups coffee with 2%milk and sugar
egg white omelet with fresh mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, and garlic
1 slice homemade bread with butter and oil mix, seasoned with fresh herbs

Club Soda
Large Green salad with shredded carrots
Topped with ½ cup tuna
Oil and vinegar
Mixed fresh fruit

Club Soda
Grilled Marinated chicken
Baked potato topped with plain yogurt
Snap beans

Oatmeal with raisins
Hemp Milk


And that’s what I call The Minimalist Meal Plan or Diet.

1200 Calorie Menu day 1

Sample 1200 Calorie Menu using Weight1Minute software:

Breakfast
Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A 1.00 cup 122
Oat bran, cooked 1.00 cup 88
Water, tap, drinking 8.00 fl oz 0

Lunch
Bananas, raw 1.00 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long) 105
Bread, whole-wheat, commercially prepared 2.00 slice 138
CARL BUDDIG, Smoked Sliced Turkey, light and dark meat 1.00 serving 2 oz 91
Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisp head types), raw 2.00 leaf, medium 2
Mayonnaise dressing, no cholesterol 1.00 tbsp 103
Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average 2.00 slice, thin/small 5
Water, tap, drinking 8.00 fl oz 0

Dinner
Carrots, raw 0.50 cup grated 23
Fish, tuna salad 0.50 cup 192
Lettuce, romaine, raw 1.00 cup shredded 8
Raisins, seedless 1.00 miniature box (.5 oz) 42
Water, tap, drinking 8.00 fl oz 0

Snack
Cereals ready-to-eat, GENERAL MILLS, WHEATIES 1.00 cup (1 NLEA serving) 110
Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A 1.00 cup 122

NUTRIENT SUMMARY
Calorie: 1151
Carbohydrate: 152.47
Protein: 63.01
Fiber: 19.17
Fat: 41.53
Saturated Fat: 12.22

50% Carbohydrate
20% Protein
30% Fat
9.5% Saturated Fat

This menu is about 50 calories below 1200. My suggestion would be to add sugar to the oat bran for breakfast. 1 heaping teaspoon provides about 20 calories or you can add 1 serving of fruit to your cereal, like blueberries, which provide about 60 calories per 3/4 cup. If you are a coffee drinker, you can add some of the 2% milk to your coffee and add sugar if desired.

NLEA Serving: An NLEA Serving is a standardized serving size that arose from the U.S. government's Nutrition Labeling and Education Act. The NLEA regulations are governed by the FDA, and restrict the typical serving size that can be claimed on a U.S. Nutrition Facts label. The intent of this regulation is to deter food manufactures from misleading the public by using serving sizes that are unrealistically small or large. Food manufacturers must now report serving sizes that are reasonably close to the NLEA standard. This standard is different for each type of food, and applies to virtually all foods except meats.

My Simple Menu

Breakfast
Whole grain Cereal of choice
1% Milk
Banana
Water

Lunch
Tuna or Egg Salad
On Whole Grain Bread
With Lettuce and Tomato
Sliced Apple
Water

Dinner
Grilled Chicken or Fish with lemon
Baked Potato topped with
Plain Yogurt as desired
Steamed Broccoli
Water

Snack
Peanut butter and Graham Crackers
Water


What's your Simple Menu?

1200 Calorie Menu Plan Week 1 Day 2

Breakfast
½ cup cooked oatmeal
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
Coffee, Tea or Water

Lunch
2 slices whole wheat bread
2 ounces low fat deli meat
Lettuce and tomato
1 teaspoon mustard
¼ cup mixed nuts
Water or Tea

Dinner
3 ounces grilled Salmon
1 small potato
1 cup cooked broccoli
1 tsp butter or butter/oil spread
½ cup pudding made with 2% milk
1 small banana

1200 Calories, 35 gm fat

These figures are based on the Exchange List System for Meal Planning which are nutritional estimates. If you would like exact figures, visit Weight1minute and log your menu plan.

1,200 Calorie Menu - Week 1 Day 1

Suggested Menu

Breakfast
1 slice whole wheat bread topped with 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1 cup low calorie yogurt
Coffee, tea, or water

Lunch
1 ½ cup mixed greens and 1 cup garbanzo beans tossed with 2 teaspoon olive oil and 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 slice whole wheat bread
1 small apple
Water, or tea

Dinner
1 cup vegetable soup
3 ounces skinless roasted chicken breast
½ sweet potato
1 orange
1 cup skim milk
water

Approximately: 1,200 Calories, 70 g protein, 35 g fat, 25 gm fiber

Free 30 Day Menu Challenge Journal For Women

For a limited time, I am offering a journal for the 30 Day Menu Challenge For Women.

All you have to do is complete the challenge and let me know how you are doing.

Contact me and I will send you a link to print the journal. menucoach@aim.com

Good Luck!

Update:

The journal is now available at http://www.lulu.com/content/1088197

Suggested Menu for the 30 day Challenge

FAQ: Can the 30 day menu challenge items be consumed at any time during the day? Yes, but I do not recommend eating everything right before bedtime. As you have heard, Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gets your metabolism going. Here is a suggested Menu Pattern:

Breakfast

8 ounces skim milk

1 egg, fried in 1 teaspoon olive oil

1 slice whole wheat toast

1 apple

16 ounces water

1 vitamin/mineral supplement

Lunch

1 1/2c cups raw vegetables with 1 t. oil and vinegar

2 ounces grilled chicken strips

6 whole wheat crackers

16 ounces water

Dinner

2 ounces grilled beef

1 potato sliced and fried in 1 t. oil

1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli

1 small banana

16 ounces water

Snack

1/2 cup unsweetened cereal

8 ounces skim milk

16 ounces water

You can do anything for 30 days.

Until next time,

TheMenuCoach

30 Day Menu Challenge

After 25 years of menu coaching, I'm just going to cut to the chase . . . Women, if you want to lose approximately 10 pounds in 30 days, take my 30 day Menu Challenge. Just follow this pattern every day for 30 days.

30 minutes aerobic exercise

1 vitamin/mineral supplement

2 cups of skim milk

2 pieces of fresh fruit

5 starch servings (1/2 cup cereal/potato/rice or 1 slice bread)

5 ounces of protein (eggs, fish, fowl, beef)

3 t. olive oil

3 cups fresh vegetables

8 cups water

That's it. Tell me how you did. You can do anything for 30 days.

Until next time,

TheMenuCoach

Paris Hilton's Prison Menu

Are you worried that Paris won't be fed enough in prison. Well, rest easy. According to state regulations all prison meals must be nourishing and appealing to the eye. Menus are based on a 2200 calorie meal pattern. California prisons cater to religious, health, and vegetarian preferences. Sources indicate that Paris' Menu is as follows: Breakfast - cold cereal, hard boiled eggs and beverage. Lunch - Sandwich, fruit, gelatin, cookies and beverage. Dinner - hot entree, vegetables, dessert and beverage. Inmates must be allowed at least 15 minutes to eat and may trade their entree for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Inmates are free to purchase snacks from the commissary using money given to them by family and friends. Still worried about Paris? If she loses any weight in prison it will be of her own doing. Well, that takes a load off my mind. Until next time, TheMenuCoach.