How have you tailored Sonoma to work for you?
 

One thing RawrGirl liked most in The New Sonoma Diet was that one can tailor their meals to suit individual tastes and lifestyle...in that with a few substitutes, one need never go "off" their diet, they simply keep eating all thier favorite foods in albeit a more healthy way.

She's only been following Sonoma for a week, but since it doesn't cut out breads, she even has hubby doing it to -- and so far, no complaints! (2 years ago, RawrGirl did Atkins/Ketosis and finally made goal after 20+ years of dieting, but found it impossible even to get hubby into Ketosis, so she just tried to cut his carb intake some).

Anyway...RawrGirl has combined her wealth of knowledge from Atkins with her new-found knowledge of Sonoma's take on whole grains...and with only a slight tweak here and there, has found she can transform her and Prince Charming's diet without losing any of thier favorite foods (except for pizza and fried jalapeno poppers, of course -- these have been downgraded from weekly to monthly treats).

So...examples of RawrGirl (and Prince Charming's) tailored Sonoma diet:

Taco Salad -- Before, Prince Charming would eat with regular Tostitos, Rawr Girl ate in a bowl with no chips (unless she was "off" her diet and eating tostitos too). Last week, she made it as usual with lean ground beef, but both enjoyed it with crispy "tortilla" chips made from cheakpeas. Surprisingly very good -- even Prince Charming was quite happy.

Cheese Burgers -- now made as Patty Melts (meaning on grilled bread instead of buns). Note that RawrGirl would make burgers on buns, but she hasn't found them made from 100% whole grain yet. Anyway, she either had to eat them sans the bun before, or cheat. Now, she spritzes her 100% whole grain bread slices with olive oil and then grills them, while low fat cheese melts on one slice, then adds lean grilled lean ground beef patties (or tilapia or chicken). She admits it is not the same -- the bread "tastes" healthy instead of melting in your mouth with like a bun, with all its white-bread yumminess, would -- BUT, it does satisfy the craving for a burger...and leaves one feeling quite full.

Potato Salad -- horribly unhealthy stuff that Prince Charming loves to eat with his lunch. Without informing him, RawrGirl mixed 1/2 cup steamed cauliflower finely chopped into 1/2 cup his store bought potato salad, effectively cutting the carb count almost by half. She then added a bit of light mayo and some mustard to keep the consistency and taste the same. Plus added some boiled egg whites (protein helps balance insulin levels from the potatoes). Prince Charming NEVER even noticed. RawrGirl is quite pleased with herself. :D

Best Find Ever -- 100% Multi-Grain crackers. RawrGirl and Prince Charming ALWAYS eat a cheese and crackers snack (about 20-30) on the weekend while they watch movies for their in-home date nights Fri & Sat (if RawrGirl is "on" diet, she toasted a low carb tortilla and cut it into snack size peices; when not on diet, she ate regular yummy fried crackers). RawrGirl favors light chive cream cheese/Prince Charming eats them with thinly sliced cheddar. So finding this healthy alternative was amazing. (Example: calories in Prince's Charming crackers went from 130 for 6 to 140 for 30...RawrGirl can eat real crackers without being "bad").

RawrGirl has many other examples -- she experimented all week with various lunch and supper ideas, including making her own low-sugar baked beans now that she can eat beans without going "off" her diet -- but she doesn't want to overwhelm this post.

So what are some ways you all have transformed your favorite meals or snacks to conform more with the Sonoma diet/Mediterranean lifestyle?



RawrGirl's WeightLoss Diary: http://rawrgirlsweightlossdiary.blogspot.com/

This thread has had 151 views so far, but no comments. RawrGirl will not give up on her attempts to wake up this thread. :)

For those doing the New Sonoma Diet, what are some ways you all have transformed your favorite meals or snacks to conform more with the Sonoma diet/Mediterranean lifestyle?

As Sonoma doesn't cut out any food groups, it should be fun to transform old "bad" favorites into healhty versions that make us feel like were not even on a diet.

So what has worked for you? What are some of your favorite dishes Sonoma-style?



RawrGirl's WeightLoss Diary: http://rawrgirlsweightlossdiary.blogspot.com/