Costco...check....grocery store...double check...ready to go...check check check!!

So, i started my shopping today so i can start this diet hard core. And, like emily said earlier, i've got a stash of food ideas, so i know i won't go crazy. After i was on this for 6 months with my sis-in-law, we had kind of had to be creative with food so we didn't feel like we were dieting. So here's a quick list of my fav's:

1. Huevos Rancheros - scrambled egg whites, corn kernels, black beans (1/2 allowance), tortilla (stripped into pieces and toasted in a little pam on the stove in a fry pan.), salsa, and some avocado mashed like guacamole! I was ADDICTED to this.

2. Fage 0% greek yogurt, mixed with strawberries, blackberries, and a little stevia.

**my husband makes an INCREDIBLE shake with the fage, some ice, strawberries, blackberries, and some of the protein powder. so good.....

3. spicy mexican chicken dish made with quinoa, chicken, roasted red peppers, onions, spices (this is a one pot dish you cook on the stove!) I will put the recipe up soon!

4. chicken sandwich, chicken deli meat (1/2 the allowance - 2 slices), on a slice of sprouted wheat bread, with mustard, 1 slice of lowfat Jarlsberg cheese (same fat, etc., as a cheese stick!), lettuce and tomato.

5. simple tuna salad made with mustard. To cut out the high fat content, we made it with mustard as the base instead of mayonaisse. We would sometimes add 1 tbs or 1/2 tbs of veganaisse to the mix to add a little creaminess, and then for our main fat, we sliced up green olives in it, and then i would cut up some pickles to put in it. You can also skip the olives and put avocado on top! Then when you are to the next phase that allows for a carb, i would put it on toasted sprouted wheat bread! canned chicken can be substituted for the tuna if you don't like fish

6. One of my husbands favorite meals is my tin foil tilappia. I would take a large square of foil, place a small amount of olive oil in the middle, lay a frozen tilappia on top, put large rings of onion on top of that, then a thick slice of zucchini. Add a dash of salt and pepper, (you can also put a little bit of garlic in if you want), then put cherry tomatoes around it. Fold up the foil to make a airtight pocket, and place on a cookie sheet in the oven @ 400 for about 30 minutes or so. It is amazingly moist and super tasty!!!

7. Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti. This is probably the biggest winner in our house! I bake a spaghetti squash according to the instructions, then you can actually take a fork to the inside and it will come out like strings of spaghetti (with an al dente spaghetti firmness!) it's a very buttery flavored squash! Then i make homemade spaghetti sauce using diced tomatoes, ground beef, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, and a dash or two of sugar and about 1/8 cup skim milk. (the milk and sugar is to take out the sharp acidity of the tomatoes - my host mom in italy told me this tidbit!) Anyways, then pour the sauce over a plate of spaghetti squash "noodles" and bam! An amazingly healthy and super tasty dinner! My hubby says he loves the squash as much as noodles!!

8. I would take some fage, and a scoup of my chocolate (sometimes mocha flavored) protein shake, and mix them together, then put in the freezer! It makes a chocolatey creamy treat comparable to frozen yogurt AND it can be eaten anytime b/c NO sugar or fat!!

9. also, tip about the froyo. My nutritionist told me that when it comes to the froyo, the optimal and preferred choice is Dream Delite or Carbolite yogurt. i prefer dream delite b/c it is fat free and sweetened with fruit juice! The carbolite has an artificial sweetener and has a little aftertaste, but both are good! I always get a big helping of it at Studio Yogurt in studio city, and they have flavors like double chocolate, mint chocolate, chocolate raspberry, cheesecake, etc.! SOOOO GOOD!

okay, so this has gotten too long for a blog post! I will look at my other options, and get the couscous chicken recipe out this weekend to you!

I am so excited to try some of the recipes on here.