* You can also use shredded chicken in place of beef or black beans. Simply throw some chicken breasts, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a Crock-Pot or slow cooker on high for about 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred the chicken with a fork before serving as part of a taco meal.
Makes 10 to 12 tacos
Ingredients for homemade salsa:
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small onion, chopped Cilantro to taste
2 jalapeños, chopped and the seeds removed Salt and pepper
Directions:
We use a mini food processor that we got for about $15. You can make the salsa or guacamole and store it in the same container. And it’s easy to clean. Put all the salsa ingredients in the food processor and mix until it reaches your desired consistency. You can serve with tacos or blue corn tortilla chips.
Ingredients for homemade guacamole
2 ripe avocados
½ cup red onion, minced
1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
½ teaspoon coarse salt
Dash black pepper
½ ripe tomato, chopped
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in your mini food processor to the desired consistency. Serve with tacos or blue corn tortilla chips.
4. Hamburgers and Fries
Ingredients for burgers:
1 pound ground turkey or chicken
1 egg white
¼ cup chopped onion
½ cup spinach
¼ cup old-fashioned oatmeal
Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together and form patties. Spray a pan with nonstick cooking spray and cook patties until done.
2. Serve with desired condiments. We suggest mustard rather than mayo and ketchup for a healthier condiment. Lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles are all great condiments to add. We also serve our burgers on whole-wheat buns or the 100-calorie flat buns, as most of the sugar and empty calories are found in white bread.
3. Serve with french fries (below).
Makes 5 burgers
Ingredients for french fries:
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into fries Nonstick cooking spray
Cayenne pepper Salt
Spray butter
Honey or sugar-free maple syrup (if desired)
Directions for french fries:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and put the sliced sweet potatoes on the sheet. Spray with spray butter and sprinkle with cayenne pepper and salt.
3. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Baking time will be determined by how thick or thin you slice your potatoes. To add a sweeter taste, drizzle a little honey or maple syrup over the top 2 minutes before you take them out of the oven. You can also substitute cinnamon for the cayenne pepper, if desired.
Makes 4 servings
5. Blueberry Protein Pancake Breakfast
Ingredients:
2 cups whole-wheat instant pancake mix
½ cup water
1 container blueberry Greek yogurt
Flaxseed and wheat germ (optional)
Turkey bacon
Directions:
1. Spray frying pan with nonstick cooking spray and cook turkey bacon. Set it to the side.
2. Spray a griddle or separate frying pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix pancake mix and water and a container of blueberry yogurt together. Sneak flaxseed and wheat germ into pancakes to make them even healthier.
3. Cook until golden brown. Serve with turkey bacon.
Makes 12 small pancakes
6. Golden Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 cup oatmeal, uncooked
6 egg whites
1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
¼ teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 packets of xylitol or stevia
Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Cook batter on a griddle sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Top with ½ cup sugar-free maple syrup
Makes 12 silver-dollar pancakes; 4 servings (3 pancakes per serving)
7. Mashed “Potatoes”
Ingredients:
1 large head of cauliflower
1 cup skim milk
1 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese (original)
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Cook cauliflower until fork tender.
2. Cut cauliflower into small pieces and mix with remaining ingredients until smooth.
* If you like garlic mashed potatoes, you can also mix in ¼ teaspoon of minced garlic.
Makes 6 ½-cup servings
8. Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients:
½ cup skim milk
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 cup cornflakes, crushed
1½ tablespoons onion powder
1½ tablespoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons red pepper, crushed
5 skinless chicken breasts (cut into nuggets or strips)
Dash (or 2) paprika
Nonstick cooking spray
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Add ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning to milk.
3. Combine other ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning and all other spices with cornflake crumbs and place in plastic bag.
4. Wash chicken and pat dry. Dip chicken into milk, shake to remove excess, then quickly shake in bag with seasoning and crumbs.
5. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. Remove from refrigerator and sprinkle lightly with paprika for color.
7. Evenly space chicken on baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
8. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and check to make sure it is cooked throughout. The size of your nuggets will determine the cooking time.
Makes 7 servings (about 4 nuggets per serving)
9. “Ice Cream” Sundae
Ingredients:
2 containers of FAGE yogurt
Xylitol or stevia sweetener
2 scoops PB2 powdered peanut butter (you can order this at www.bellplantation.com)
Strawberries, bananas, or raspberries, chopped (any fruit will do)
Almond slivers
Directions:
1. Mix yogurt with 2 packets of stevia or xylitol sweetener.
2. Add PB2 powdered peanut butter.
3. Freeze for 1 hour or until slightly firm.
4. Scoop in a container and top with fruit and nuts.
* If your children like vanilla ice cream, substitute vanilla flavoring for the PB2. You can also add whatever fruit your children like best.
Makes 4 servings
10. Individual Pizza
Ingredients:
6 English muffins
2 cups prepared pizza sauce
¼ cup green or red bell pepper, cubed
¼ cup onion
¼ cup sliced black olives
1/8 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Turkey bacon or sausage cooked and crumbled (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice English muffins in half and place them on a baking sheet.
3. Spoon pizza sauce on top of muffins.
4. Add peppers and onions.
5. Sprinkle herb seasoning on top.
6. If desired, add turkey bacon or sausage.
7. Sprinkle cheese over the top and place pizzas in oven.
8. Cook until cheese is melted and bubbly.
* I like to add some fun by making a smiley face on top of the cheese with a strip of red pepper for the mouth and black olives for the eyes.
Makes 6 servings (1 muffin per serving)
Notes
1. R.C. Whitaker and others, “Predicting Obesity in Young Adulthood from Childhood and Parental Obesity,” New England Journal of Medicine 37 (1997): 869-73.
2. D.S. Freedman and others, “Relationship of Childhood Overweight to Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors in Adulthood: The Bogalusa Heart Study,” Pediatrics 108 (2001): 712-18.
3. Ann Harding, “Obese Kids More Likely to Injure Legs, Ankles, Feet,” Reuters Health, March 1, 2010.
4. “How Does Increased Television Watching ‘Weigh Into’ Childhood Obesity?” Science Daily, October 20, 2005.
5. www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/alcoholdrug/index.htm.
For more information on how to bring “The 90-Day Fitness Challenge” live event to your area or to book Phil and Amy Parham for a speaking engagement, please contact them via their website at
www.philandamyfitness.com
Follow them on Twitter @philandamy
Become a fan on Facebook at
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Enjoy These Other Harvest House Books by Phil and Amy Parham
The 90-Day Fitness Challenge
A Proven Program for Better Health and Lasting Weight Loss
Phil and Amy Parham, contestants on NBC’s The Biggest Loser, provide a faith-based, informative, and motivational book that will encourage those facing weight challenges to permanently transform their lives and live their dreams of being healthier, happier, and more fit.
This is not a diet book for temporary change but a manual for permanent transformation. The 90-Day Fitness Challenge will
• encourage readers to embark on a 90-day program for permanent weight loss
• outline simple and practical healthy food and fitness plans
• point the way toward developing better eating habits and an active lifestyle
• incorporate Scripture and faith principles to encourage readers to make God a part of their journey
• provide motivation through heartfelt and encouraging daily readings
The Parhams know from personal experience the obstacles to fitness that overweight readers face. Having lost a combined total of 256 pounds, they come alongside readers to provide inspiration, motivation, and practical life skills on their 90-day journey toward better health and lasting weight loss.
10 Lessons from a Former Fat Girl
Living with Less of You and More of Life
Amy Parham
Amy Parham, a former fat girl who became a fit girl after losing more than 100 pounds, learned what it takes to stay fit inside and out. In 10 Lessons from a Former Fat Girl, she offers nuggets of insight for changing not only the fat-girl body but also the fat-girl mentality. Focusing on the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our relationship with food and exercise, Amy shows how readers can make this a healthy partnership that brings permanent change. Amy speaks from experience as she
• identifies with the reader struggling with a food addiction
• describes emotional pitfalls that serve as triggers for overeating
• explores the mental and emotional benefits of regular exercise
• illustrates how and why fitness must be a lifelong pursuit
• demonstrates how to transform our minds as well as our bodies
The result is a practical, proven plan that will help any reader reprogram the fat-girl mentality into fit-girl reality.
To learn more about other Harvest House books or to read sample chapters, log on to our website:
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
About the Authors
Phil and Amy Parham were contestants on Season 6 of NBC’s The Biggest Loser. Over a seven-month period, they recorded the highest percentage of weight loss of any couple in the program’s history. Their publications include The 90-Day Fitness Challenge (book and DVD) and 10 Lessons from a Former Fat Girl. Married for more than 20 years, Phil and Amy live in South Carolina with their three healthy and active boys, Austin, Pearson, and Rhett.
Phil Parham Page 20