I happen to like the first book best. I, too, got it from Amazon. I got the second book out of the library and read it, too. I certainly don't figure the energy density of everything, but I do think in terms of more water and more fiber and cooked grains in my diet.
I started out not counting anything and lost weight well. I just couldn't face anymore food diaries, journals etc, even though I know that stuff works. Now, I am not loosing and I believe that calorie counting is in order if I want to loose my last 15 lbs.
And, Carol, I am exactly like you. I don't want to have to be obsessed with my diet all the time. I like to cook and eat, but there are times I just want to get on to something else. I think part of the equation is to change your eating habits while loosing weight. Then when you reach goal, you will be used to eating healthy stuff and won't automatically reach for the unhealthy stuff. In theory, anyway.
I got
Everyday Food from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living out of the library. It has lots of simple recipes. I made the curried carrot soup and it is really very good, and certainly fits into a Volumetric program.
Curried Carrot Soup
2 tablespoons butter (I used cooking spray and about a tsp olive oil)
1 Cup chopped onion
1 tsp curry powder
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
2 cans (14.5 oz each) reduced sodium chicken broth (I used all fat free broth and no water)
2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
1. Heat butter in a large (4-5qt) pan over medium heat. Add the onion, curry powder, 2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the broth, carrots, and 3 cups of water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover, and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. In a blender, puree the soup in batches - be careful with the hot liquid. I used my immersion blender, which works like a charm for this sort of thing - you do it right in the pan. Transfer soup to a clean saucepan. Add more water to thin to desired consistency ( I didn't add any more water). Reheat, if necessary. Stir in the lemon juice. Serve garnished with the cilantro, if desired. I sprinkled about a tsp of my 50% less fat bacon bits on top, along with the cilantro.
Serves 4 - This recipe makes a lot of soup, so the servings must be big. You get a lot of food for little calories.
Per serving: 185 calories; 6.3 gram fat(using 2 T butter/per recipe); 5.7 gr protein; 28.3 gr carbohydrates; 4.3 gr fiber
We went to Costco and Trader Joe's yesterday. Among other things, I bought 10 lbs of carrots. What was I thinking??? Only eight more pounds to use
over your dinner, Gail -- sounds great.
Have a great day!
