Ed Levine's New York Eats - edlevineeats.seriouseats.com

I don't make New Years resolutions because I just set myself up for failure. However Parmigiana is delicious on brussel sprouts!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Ed cooking good food with simple ingredients can be good and good for you. The South Beach diet has some recipes that work. The flourless chocolate cake is good with splenda. Ricotta pudding. I don't follow it to the letter but I often pull from it some recipes.
I make a great ground chicken burger which is moist by adding yogurt.
CI has a great turkey meatloaf recipe. So many choices today for eating leaner and healthier. So many on here will offer you recipes. I think we might start a thread. Recipes for Ed.
Sprinkle parmigiana on spinach that has been sauteed in half tablesppon of garlic a few twists of pepper mmmmm.

A favorite of mine is shaved parmesan on roasted, orange-fleshed squashes like kabocha and butternut. Toss the squash with evo, s & p and a splash of balsamic if you like. Shave on the parm after the squash has been roasted and out of the oven.

okay - one more thing. Spaghetti squash with parmesan and an elegant amount of extra virgin olive oil. Yum.

Yah, I have to add my 2 cents to the din about Splenda -- like all the other artificial sweeteners, they really don't know what that stuff does to you. Yes, it's "sucralose" and being marketed as a "sugar", but it was first developed by pesticide manufacturers and is, in terms of composition, more like DDT than like sugar.

Sugar has 18 calories a teaspoon. Have that if you really need the extra sweetening, but like others, I think you'll get used to the less-sweet yogurt if you give it a shot.

one of the best ways to lose weight is to prepare all of your food yourself so you know exactly what's in it.

i always pack my own lunch, and i never leave home for the day without a big container of cut up veggies: jicama, snow peas, sugar snaps, red bell pepper, fennel, carrots, kirby cukes, cherry tomatoes, or whatever looks good at the market, with a little squirt of lime juice. before i have whatever else i have brought, i will swill down the entire container's worth. it really is a great strategy to fill up on veggies before eating the more caloric portions of the meal.

i also make lots of roasted veggies for dinner -- put a thin coating of olive oil on a cookie sheet, then cut up fennel, cauliflower, broccoli, halved brussels sprouts, etc -- and bake them until they are really brown and caramelized. i make tons so that the leftovers can be a lovely tasty midnight snack or part of the next day's lunch.

beets are great wrapped in foil and baked until soft, left in the foil to steam, then peeled. i cut them up and marinate them in fresh orange juice, lemon juice, and a little sugar. {i agree with radiogrl1 about the splenda.}

if you're not struggling with blood pressure, you can try experimenting with salmon or tuna jerky, sheets of roasted laver {i buy mine at hanh ah rheum on 32nd street} or packs of dried seasoned cuttlefish -- tasty, salty, high protein and low calorie.

i absolutely adore "just fruit" freeze dried fruits, especially the mango, blackberry, and strawberry -- big taste, satisfying crunch, very low calorie. i stir them into my yogurt and granola or eat them plain.

a big bowl of popcorn made with a judicious amount of olive oil and seasoned with brewer's yeast and powdered kelp is a wonderful snack. the brewer's yeast is rich and buttery and the kelp gives it a wild, salty tang.

i love edy's fruit juice bars. at 60 calories apiece, one or two will satisfy my dessert cravings completely. i also keep bags of frozen fruit in the house and can make fantastic non dairy smoothies with raspberries, mangoes, peaches, and lemon juice.

i use blue diamond almond milk on my granola since i like the taste and it's 40 calories for 8 ounces versus 155 for whole milk.

Winter:

1. Ripe Comice or Bosc pears. Easy to find and they do ripen as some fruits do not. A great thing to eat before or with things like brownies, paired by taste, for the sense of being spoiled by something good and sweet is even heightened (rather than can be lost if one says to oneself "eat fruit it is good for you") and less of the brownie-like thing is desired.

2. I love yogurt, greek-style particularly, but do not crave it when it is cold outside. A quick hot broth (canned if stock-making is not on someone's "to-do" list) with big mouth-filling pieces of the freshest tofu that can be found sprinkled with diagonal cut tiny scallion greens fills the bill in winter.

3. Can't do bialys without butter, myself. Instead the fallback is always peanut butter toast. Yes, on white bread - Pepperidge Farm. Filling in ways to the tummy and to the heart, if one ate it happily as a child.

4. A slice of feta a handful of good black olives a crisp breadstick. 'Nuff said. Not wintry, no - but warming and classic.

5. Mint tea. Hot, no sugar required to my mind.

6. Steel cut oatmeal with maple syrup.

7. Almonds are best but Brazil nuts are really filling much more quickly so that the urge to toss back handful after handful does not occur.

8. Dried mango.

9. Soups, yes. Clear borscht (very quickly made at home), any soup made from dried legumes (layh -goom, layh - gooooom! repeat after me)
is great. A soup made on Sunday in a big pot will be gone after much love heaped upon it by the next weekend. All good stuff.

10. Veggie for winter roast broc hands down. No parm needed really. It disappears like popcorn.

11. There's another. Popcorn. Undressed of course. The popcorn, not you.

Add a teaspoon of wildflower honey to your fage.

I make various soups at home made with lean meats and veggies. I take this to work for lunch with a big veggie salad. That way I always have something nutritious to eat.

At home I make lean meats and a variety of veggies and salad ingredients. I don't keep anything with sugar in the house. This is working for me. As long as I have plenty of the "right" foods around, I'm not tempted to eat the wrong things.

Good luck!

Best wishes on your weight-loss goals! You can do it.

Here are my so-called winter Magnificent Seven:

1. A bag of Black Jewell brand microwave popcorn sprinkled w/ either parmesan, chipotle chili powder or cinnamon sugar.

2. One large sliced apple w/ 2 tblsp natural peanut butter.

3. Four Light Wasa crackers topped w/ cottage cheese and dill.

4. Cran juice cut with selzer (1:4).

5. One cup of quinoa cooked in chicken stock w/ sliced garlic or cooked in water and served w/ a little bit of maple syrup and butter.

6. One cup of plain yogurt w/ a tblspn of Splenda and a tspn of ground cardamom.

7. Pickled asparagus or kosher dill cukes.

Carrots with hummus.

Honey crisp apples.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again--roasted brussels sprouts (done in olive oil, salt and pepper) smell like popcorn after about 20 mins at 400 in the oven, and I eat them like a snack! Filling, and full of fiber and good nutrients.

Other must-have items:
Go Lean Crunch cereal (mix in yogurt and let it get a tad softer--I literally cracked a tooth on it once)
Go Lean Protein bars (I'm fond of the choc/peanut butter one)
A fridge full of roasted vegetables (for winter)--sweets (potatoes), beets, sprouts, and whatever else you like
Frozen containers of homemade soup (chicken, minestrone, LIGHT chowders)
Unsalted mini-pretzels
Almonds (I buy mine from Trader Joe's and mix their 50% salt with unsalted ones)
Apples sprinkled with cinnamon and/or eaten with p.b. are a great snack and will fill you up, too!

A few other hints:
If you MUST have something sweet, the 100-calorie packs of Lorna Doones or Oreos satisfy the craving--but I'm actually able to eat only one at a time--ymmv.
I keep a stick of butter in the fridge just for buttering toast--peel the paper back and rub it on the bread instead of cutting off a 'slab' and I promise you you'll still get plenty of butter with less calories! Keep a separate stick going for others/company--everyone else doesn't really want to see your crumb-covered butter. :-)
I also agree that you should step away from the Splenda (or any other artificial sweetner). If you need to sweeten something, use a small amt of the real stuff, or honey, or agave. Keep it natural and in moderation and your body will notice the difference in lots of good ways.
Last but not least, stick with whatever works for you, and if you get off track, don't beat yourself up or give up--just go back to your regular routine as soon as you can, and you'll be amazed by how quickly you get right back on the right route.
Good luck!

Hummus is good with anything pita is good with everything
tzatziki is good even on salad
pineapple fresh and cut up has great mouth feel and tastes good with yogurt and cottage cheese
spinach is your friend in salads, stir frys, as a side, hot or cold it is full of nutrients and mineral and vitamins
portobello mushroom burger, marinate some caps and substitute them for burgers its so good and good for you
ground chicken and turkey
I took Rachel's recipe over at Coconut and Lime http://coconutlime.blogspot.com/2007/11/buffalo-chicken-burgers.html
and adapted it to our taste. I added a few shakes of garlic tabasco 1/3 cup of beer and 3 tablespoons of Osem onion soup and seasoning mix and it is a Buffalo onion soup burger and it is good. Top this with a hummus on pita and tzatziki and its all good.
Grab some of those Trader Joes Edamame or Haricot verts which are great hot or cold.
Mushroom sauce for your whole wheat pasta. All you need is some chicken broth and good mushrooms and a swig of wine and you are good to go with some fresh herbs and then you can sprinkle that parmigiana all over it. Throw some whole tomatoes in if you feel like it.
Ok now I am hungry.

Wasa fiber rye crackers with a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese
Egg Beater omelletes with low fat cheese, asparagus spears
Boca Burgers (70 calories)
Steel cut oats...so good straight up

Good luck!

Add these to your list for quick, light, healthy and satisfying:
1) Single serving size microwave Kettle Corn popcorn
2) Fuji apple spread with reduced fat crunchy peanut butter (or get the dried 75% reduced fat peanut butter and mix with water, juice or applebutter)
3) Bowl of Kashi Go-Lean Crunch cereal with banana or blueberries, small sprinkle of chopped walnutes and low fat milk
4) Whole grain waffle topped with apple butter, 1% fat whipped cottage cheese and small sprinkle of chopped nuts or honey roasted soy nuts
5) Vanilla flavored, fat free Greek yogurt mixed with Grape Nuts Trail Mix Crunch and dried cherries (no sugar needed)
6) Glenny's single serve bag of soy crisps -- Apple Cinnamon are best-- with a cup of tea

I recommend the Parm in shavings over roasted asparagus that has been lightly brushed with olive oil. Serve with a sprinkle of fleur de sel and enjoy!

This is the perfect time of the year for all the roasted vegetables mentioned. Ed, my suggestion is to take a brisk 30 minute walk EVERY day, it really makes a difference in the foods you crave, helps your posture and keeps the waistline in check...really. Good luck and Happy New Year!

Is anyone using thedailyplate.com?

My go-to foods are always in my fridge:

Fage (or similar) fatfree yogurt
Baby carrots
Grapes (preferably the Globe ones)
Whole-grain bread or English muffins
Vegetable soup (I make big batches on the weekend)
Lowfat hummus or black bean dip
Diet Pepsi (hey, everyone gets a vice)
Salad stuff

Edamame (which others have said)
Cracker Barrel 2% Milk individually wrapped cheese sticks
Multi grain English muffins
Dannon's fat free yogurt (the one with 60 calories per serving)

I also like the Birdseye steam-in-the-bag broccoli and green beans.

I often make a big batch of brown rice to keep in the fridge at the beginning of the week. Then I can portion it out and reheat it as I go. You can also portion it out into freezer bags and keep them for a month or two. Makes it really easy to get a meal or a snack together quickly.

Miso soup with vegetables. Ricotta cheese (it's whey protein) w/ a squiggle of honey or hot salsa. Fruit (any kind). and SELTZER! Don't drink calories!

* Fage 0%, with either a spoonful of jam or grade B maple syrup (my usual breakfast)
* Crumpet (from Trader Joe's) (keep it in the freezer, just pop one straight from freezer to toaster when I have a craving for the texture of cake or bread). I eat it with 1/2 wedge of lite laughing cow cheese (for breakfast) or with a spoon of fruit perserves (if I want something sweet)
* frozen Thai Mangos from Trader Joe's (blend with plain yogurt, skim milk for a quick mango lassi if I have a frozen treat craving)
* frozen wontons - (super quick dinner) I make a huge batch of them every month or so. Or you can always buy them in chinatown

I don't usually buy the "lite" or "diet" version of drinks or food because I don't care for the taste, I would rather have less of the real thing.

I love to cook and bake, and while what I made was healthy, my problem was eating too much of it if it's lying around. So now I portion everything out (I have obscene amount of different sizes ziploc bags & boxes), freeze them whenever possible (which keeps me from grazing) or bring it to work for my co-workers to appreciate. Also a food scale helped in portion control. I started the calorie counting, and food journal (not online though, I prefer paper, pen and calculator) a year ago, along with 1/2 hr brisk walking. I lost 60 lbs, that includes vacations when I dine out everyday, trying local specialities, and NOT caring about counting calories.

I've really enjoyed reading all of these suggestions. :)

Here's one more:

My favorite snack time convenience food is Trader Joe's Eggplant Hummus. It tastes great, there's nothing scary or weird on the ingredients label and two tablespoons have a mere 35 calories. Give it a try! If you're feeling even more virtuous, enjoy it with some endive spears.

When I'm in dieting mode, I practically live (well, one meal a day) on a roasted vegetable stew I make. I roast red peppers, portobello mushrooms, eggplant, onions, garlic cloves and some kind of hot pepper, like jalepenos or red fresnos. Then chop the whole thing up and mix with Muir Farms Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, pepper. Cook it for 20 minutes or so. Finish when eating with a bit of olive oil and a few kalamata olives. It's delicious and healthy and has few calories.

Other must haves include:

Oatmeal, oatmeal, oatmeal (I love oatmeal)
Lots of Stonyfield Farms Low Fat Yogurt (I like greek, but prefer this for mixing with:
Apples
Mangoes
Whole grain breads
Brown Rice
A bit of pasta tossed with lots of broccoli, some garlic, feta, olive oil, crushed red pepper. Yum.

1. Broccolini with two slices of Turkey Bacon cut up into chunks and saute the Broccolini with the Turkey Bacon until bright green but still crisp. Top off with a little Shredded Parm-Reg and you are golden.

2. Sliced Melon with a pinch of Cypress Flake Sea Salt.

3. Watercress, Shaved Almonds, orange segments tossed together for a refreshing little salad.

4. Fage 2% with Honey.

5. Propel Fitness Water... it is just yummy and very low calorie

6. Whole fresh pear sliced and fanned out, light sprinkle of crumbled blue cheese (I like Treasure Cave for this), a pinch of chopped pecans and stick it on an oven safe plate or piece of foil under the boiler just until the cheese gets melty. So sweet and savory and really satisfying because it feels so decadent.

7. Homemade Hummus and Red Pepper Strips for dipping.

Karen Resta at 11:10AM on 01/02/08 wrote:

11. There's another. Popcorn. Undressed of course. The popcorn, not you.

You crack me up, Karen! You're right, of course, but still... :-P

Anyway, regarding "A vegetable TBD" -- why only one? They're all good for you and VERY weight-management friendly. They're all really good prepared without all the "evil" stuff, whether steamed, roasted or sauteed in a VERY small amount of olive oil. And, almost all of them benefit from a little lo-cal flavor enhancement, whether it's a sprinkle of parmigiano reggiano, a dash of vinegar, a squirt of lemon or lime, some hot sauce, or whatever.

Not to mention how handy it is to have a large supply of cut up carrots, celery, jicama, etc., on hand in zipper bags to satisfy the overwhelming urge to chew something. Anything. Especially if it's crunchy!

So, I'd say you should just edit that last go-to item to read...
"Vegetables, of all kinds and colors, healthfully prepared."

I've been thinking about using frozen wild blueberries to make a smoothie with yogurt and a banana.

Every week I roast 4 pounds of carrots at 400 degrees for 90 minutes. They sit in the refrigerator and make a delicious and filling snack with a generous sprinkling of salt.