"Good Morning America" medical contributor Dr. David Katz has come up with a diet that promises to let people eat all their favorite foods and still lose weight.
After conducting extensive research at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, Katz found that by following flavor themes each week, dieters could reach the flavor point at which they'd feel completely satisfied and full.
Combining his medical knowledge with his wife's expertise -- she is a neuroscientist as well as a gourmet cook -- Katz has created a diet that he says will result in people eating less not because they are starving themselves but because they feel full.
You can find recipes from Day 15: Apple Day, below.
Breakfast
Apple Multigrain Pancakes with Honey Yogurt Sauce
OR
Apple-Banana Smoothie
Mid-Morning Snack
½ cup unsweetened applesauce mixed with ½ cup fat-free plain yogurt
OR
Omit the yogurt
Lunch
Apple, Fennel, Walnut and Barley Salad
Mid-Afternoon Snack
1 small apple
OR
10-ounce apple fizz (6-ounce seltzer water and 4-ounce 100 percent apple juice)
Dinner for 4
Apple-Prune Chicken
4 cups cooked bulgur wheat (page 224)
12 ounces sautéed spinach
Tossed Garden Salad
Dessert for 4 (optional)
Baked Cinnamon Apples
Daily Nutrition Facts
REGULAR
1,459 calories: 19% from fat (3% from sat fat), 17% from protein, 64% from carbohydrate; 48 g fiber, 125 mg cholesterol, 1,697 mg sodium
WEIGHT-LOSS EXPRESS
1,285 calories: 18% from fat (3% from sat fat), 15% from protein, 67% from carbohydrate; 41 g fiber, 76 mg cholesterol, 1,329 mg sodium
Apple Multigrain Pancakes with Honey Yogurt Sauce
These pancakes are light and fluffy, and just as delicious as they are nutritious -- as long as you use the recommended brand of pancake mix.
SERVES 4 *
1 apple, peeled and cored
1 cup Arrowhead Mills Multigrain Pancake and Waffle Mix
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 egg
1 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 teaspoon natural honey
Pinch of cinnamon
1. Preheat a griddle to 375°F to 400°F and coat with canola oil spray. With a vegetable peeler or grater, shave the apple into a medium bowl.
2. Add the pancake mix, milk, water, oil and egg, and stir until smooth. Add the grated apple.
3. Spoon the batter in batches onto the griddle and cook until bubbles form on the surface and the edges begin to dry. Turn and cook on the other side until golden.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, honey and cinnamon. Serve with the pancakes.
Per serving: 222 calories, 5 g fat (<1 g sat fat), 10 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 46 mg cholesterol, 319 mg sodium
*Serving size: 2 (4 inch) pancakes and 1/4 cup sauce
Apple-Banana Smoothie
Use the variations of this recipe to adapt it to the flavor theme of the day.
SERVES 1
3/4 cup 100 percent apple juice
1/2 ripe banana
1 tablespoon fat-free plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup crushed ice
Place the juice, banana, yogurt and ice in a blender, and process until smooth.
Per serving: 156 calories, 0.5 g fat (0 g sat fat), 2 g protein, 38 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 17 mg sodium
Apple, Fennel, Walnut and Barley Salad
The combination of tart apple and cooked barley creates a perfect blend. Cook the barley ahead of time and refrigerate it so you can have this lunch ready in the time it takes to chop the apple and fennel. If you like, you can substitute wheat berries for the barley.
SERVES 1
1/3 cup hulled barley
1 apple, rinsed, cored and chopped
1 bulb fennel, rinsed, trimmed, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons Newman's Own Light Italian Dressing
Fresh arugula leaves, rinsed and patted dry
1. Bring 11/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the barley and cook for 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the barley, apple, fennel, walnuts, and dressing. Mix well and serve over the arugula.
Per serving: 358 calories, 13 g fat (2 sat fat), 7 g protein, 60 g carbohydrate, 16 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 388 mg sodium
Apple-Prune Chicken
This is an absolute delight! The apples and prunes make a perfect pair.
SERVES 4
4 split chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), skin removed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Arrowhead Mills Organic Pastry Flour*
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thickly sliced
1 medium apple, rinsed and sliced
11/2 cups 100% apple juice or apple cider
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Salt lightly (use no more than 1/8 teaspoon of the salt).
2. Place the flour on a flat plate and dredge each chicken piece, coating on both sides.
3. Add 2 teaspoons of the oil to a large baking pan over medium-high heat and briefly sauté the chicken on both sides for 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly browned. (You'll be tempted to add more oil, but don't. That's all it needs, really!) Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
4. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan and sauté the garlic and apple for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add the apple juice, prunes, and the remaining salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
6. Return the chicken to the pan and spoon some of the liquid over it. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the pieces and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the sauce is thick and glistening. If you like, crush the prunes so they become part of the sauce.
Per serving: 328 calories, 7 g fat (1 g sat fat), 30 g protein, 36 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 76 mg cholesterol, 654 mg sodium
*You can also use Hodgson Mill Oat Bran Flour.
Tossed Garden Salad
Keep these ingredients on hand so you won't hesitate to throw this great salad together with dinner in a flash!
SERVES 4
SALAD
Unlimited mixed greens, baby spinach, or favorite lettuce (not iceberg)
As many raw vegetables as you can pile in a big salad bowl, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers, alfalfa sprouts, and so on. (For ease and convenience, use packaged prewashed shredded carrots, shredded cabbage-carrot coleslaw, or shredded broccoli-cabbage coleslaw.)
DRESSING
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons vinegar
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
OR
5 tablespoons (5 capfuls) Newman's Own Light Italian Dressing
Build your salad any way you like!
Per serving (on average): 96 calories, 4 g fat (<1 g sat fat), 4 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 116 mg sodium
Baked Cinnamon Apples
This dessert is as heartwarming as it is delicious.
SERVES 4
2 apples, halved and cored
2 tablespoons apple cider
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1. Preheat a toaster oven to 350°F. Line the toaster oven tray with foil and place the apples on the tray, core side up.
2. In a cup, combine the cider, brown sugar and cinnamon. Drizzle over the apples.
3. Bake for 10 minutes to 12 minutes, then broil for 1 minute, or until the top is sizzling.
Per serving: 53 calories, 0 g fat (0 g sat fat), 0 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 mg sodium
VARIATIONS
Baked Cinnamon-Almond Apples: Add 1/4 cup chopped almonds in step 2.
Per serving: 88 calories, 3 g fat (0 g sat fat), 1 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 mg sodium
Baked Cinnamon-Walnut Apples: Add 1/4 cup chopped walnuts in step 2. Per serving: 86 calories, 4 g fat (0 g sat fat), 1 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 mg sodium
