Although Barry sometimes likes to have a big plate of steamed vegetables with his lunch, that’s more of a dinnertime accompaniment to me. Besides, who wants to chop vegetables in the middle of the day? Get real.
—Lynn Sears
Lunch can be the easiest or hardest meal of the day. At home it’s a snap. At work, it’s a challenge to say the least.
A complete Zone Food Block Guide is located on page 365, indicating countless combinations to use to make Zone meals. Here are a few choices to get you started.
Finding a protein choice for lunch is easy. Just follow the chart below:
Women should choose any combination that gives a total of three blocks or selections.
Men should choose any combination that gives a total of four.
- 1 ounce skinless chicken or turkey breast, or game, or lean beef
- 1½ ounces fish (including haddock, bass, cod, salmon, shrimp, scallops, or swordfish)
- 1 ounce canned tuna packed in water or tuna steak or sardines
- ¼ cup low-fat cottage cheese (chopped green onions make it taste much better)
- 1 ounce low-fat cheese or 1 piece low-fat string cheese
- 1½ ounces ground turkey or buffalo or beef (less than 10 percent fat)
- 1½ ounces deli turkey or chicken or ham
- 2 ounces firm tofu
- 3 ounces lean Canadian bacon
- Soy products, including burgers, hot dogs, and sausages. Check the label. Each protein block equals 7 grams. Also, take the carbohydrate content into account.
So all you have to do is make three (for women) or four (for men) selections from the protein list. For example, a woman can choose to eat:
- 3 ounces skinless chicken breast or
- 3 ounces deli meat and 1 piece of string cheese or
- ¾ cup of low-fat cottage cheese
A man might select:
- 4 ounces skinless chicken breast or
- 4½ ounces deli meat and 1 piece of string cheese or
- 1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese
While it might appear that it’s harder to make quick carbohydrate selections, the chart below will make such choices easy.
Women should choose any combination that gives a total of three blocks or selections.
Men should choose any combination that gives a total of four.
- ¼ cup kidney beans or chickpeas or black beans or hummus
- 1/3 cup water chestnuts
- ½ cup salsa or tomato sauce
- 1½ cups chopped onions or spaghetti squash
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce or light fruit cocktail or Mandarin oranges in water
- ½ apple or grapefruit or nectarine or orange or pear
- ½ cup blueberries or boysenberries or grapes or peaches canned in water
- 1 kiwi or peach or plum or tangerine
- 1 cup raspberries or strawberries
- 9 grams of the bad stuff (unfavorable carbohydrates) such as bread (Check the label and limit these to one block per meal. At best you should eat none.)
This means that a woman might choose:
- ¼ cup chickpeas on a small side salad and an apple or
- 1 cup blueberries and 1 slice of bread (about 9 grams) or
- A fruit salad of 1 cup grapes and 1/3 cup Mandarin oranges
A man might choose:
- ½ cup of chickpeas on a small side salad and an apple or
- 1 cup blueberries mixed with 1 sliced peach and one slice of bread or
- A fruit salad of 1 cup grapes and 2/3 cups Mandarin oranges
The final component of a Zone meal is the fat.
Women should choose any combination that gives a total of three blocks or selections.
Men should choose any combination that gives a total of four.
- 1/3 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon tahini or almond butter or natural peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon slivered almonds
- 1 macadamia nut
- 1 tablespoon avocado or guacamole
- 2 cashews
- 3 olives or pistachios
- 6 peanuts
So a woman may choose to add:
- Olive oil and vinegar dressing (1 teaspoon olive oil plus vinegar to taste) or
- 1½ teaspoons almond butter or
- 3 macadamia nuts, crushed
A man may want to have:
- Olive oil and vinegar dressing (11/3 teaspoons olive oil plus vinegar to taste) or
- 2 teaspoons almond butter or
- 4 macadamia nuts, crushed
Putting It All Together
A woman may choose to eat for lunch:
- 3 ounces of skinless chicken breast, a small side salad topped with ¼ cup chickpeas, 1 apple, and a salad dressing that consists of 1 teaspoon olive oil plus vinegar to taste or
- 3 ounces deli meat, 1 piece of string cheese, 1 piece of bread (about 9 grams), 1 cup of blueberries, and 1½ teaspoons of almond butter to spread on the bread or
- ¾ cup cottage cheese mixed with 1 cup grapes and 1/3 cup mandarin oranges and 3 macadamia nuts, crushed
A man might choose the following for lunch
- 4 ounces skinless chicken breast, 1 apple, ½ cup chickpeas on top of a side salad, and a dressing that consists of 11/3 teaspoons olive oil plus vinegar to taste or
- 4½ ounces deli meat, 1 piece of string cheese, 1 piece bread, 1 cup blueberries, 1 peach, and 2 teaspoons almond butter to spread on the bread or
- 1 cup cottage cheese mixed with 1 cup grapes, 2/3 cup mandarin oranges, and 4 macadamia nuts, crushed
Zone Salad Bar Simplified
We developed this chart on www.drsears.com, the official Zone Diet website, a couple of years ago. The chart gives a long list of different ingredients that can be used to complete the carbohydrate content of a Zone salad. It tells what to choose at the supermarket or restaurant salad bar to make sure enough carbohydrates are consumed for lunch. Since it takes two heads of iceberg lettuce to equal a block, consider it a free carbohydrate.
For example, a woman, who needs 3 blocks of carbohydrates for lunch, might choose ¼ cup black beans, ¼ cup chickpeas, and ¼ cup hummus to use as a dressing. Add 3 blocks of protein, such as 3 ounces of skinless chicken breast, but don’t add any fat blocks, because hummus contains fat. Or perhaps she is in the mood for a salad with lots of vegetables on top. She could top her lettuce with 1/3 cup artichoke hearts, 1 cup broccoli florets, ½ cup sliced celery, and 1 cup chopped mushrooms. That’s 1 block. Add a piece of fruit to make it 3. Add 3 blocks of protein and a dressing of 1 teaspoon olive oil plus vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste.
A typical man needs 4 blocks of carbohydrate per meal. For his salad bar carbs, he might choose 1/3 cup water chestnuts and 2 tomatoes and have a fruit salad of ½ apple and 1/3 cup Mandarin oranges for dessert. Add 4 blocks of protein, such as 6 ounces of shrimp and a dressing of 11/3 teaspoons olive oil plus vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
| Eat 4 of the ingredients below to equal 1 carb block | Eat 1 ingredient below to equal 1 carb block |
| Artichoke, 1 medium | Black beans, ¼ cup |
| Artichoke hearts, 1/3 cup | Green beans, 1½ cups |
| Green beans, 1/3 cup | Chickpeas, ¼ cup |
| Broccoli florets, 1 cup | Kidney beans, ¼ cup |
| Cauliflower pieces, 1 cup | Hummus, ¼ cup (also count fat) |
| Bamboo shoots, 1 cup | Lentils, ¼ cup |
| Celery, sliced, ½ cup | Tomatoes, 2 |
| Cucumber, sliced, 1 cup | Water chestnuts, 1 cup |
| Pepper, chopped, ½ cup | Mandarin oranges, 1/3 cup |
| Mushrooms, chopped, 1 cup | Grapes, ½ cup |
| Onion, chopped, 1/3 cup | Apple ½ |
| Yellow squash, sliced, ½ cup | |
| Zucchini, sliced, ½ cup | |
| Snow peas, 1/3 cup | |
| Tomato, ½ |
Lunch at work will be much more Zoneful if you pack it at home. You can quickly make a lunch using the charts in this chapter. Another good tip is to cook extra protein for dinner the night before or cook a Zone soup or chili, such as the chili on page 120. Pack your lunch in plastic containers so that they can be popped into the microwave at work. The biggest benefit of packing your lunch and following the Zone eating schedule is that you won’t be so famished that you chip in for the office pizza run and then wolf down two slices. Remember, one bad carbohydrate leads to another, which means that you may be raiding the vending machine for the rest of the day.
Of course, there will be days when you don’t have time to make lunch before you leave for work. There are restaurants everywhere that allow you to stay in the Zone, especially if you know what to look for.
- Stop at a convenience store such as White Hen Pantry for a bowl of beef barley soup and a piece of skinless chicken breast or deli chicken or turkey.
- Get turkey, chicken, and ham at a homestyle chicken restaurant such as Boston Market. Eat two or three Zone sides—creamed spinach, roasted vegetables, and green beans.
- If fast-food restaurants are your only recourse, a chicken Caesar salad and a bowl of chili will keep you in the Zone.
- At Bertucci’s or similar Italian restaurants, have the chicken scaloppini and the hummus (without the pita bread).
- At a deli, try a chicken breast sandwich and throw away ½ of the bun.
- Even a pizza with a very thin crust that is loaded with chicken and cheese will do if you eat the crust of the first piece and just the toppings of the other pieces.
- At Dunkin’ Donuts choose a ham, egg, and cheese croissant and some vegetable soup.
- Kentucky Fried Chicken offers skinless chicken and green beans. (Bring an apple for dessert.)
- At Taco Bell, have one beef enchilada and a bowl of chili.
Although most frozen dinners aren’t totally Zoneful, some can be used in emergencies, such as when the boss buys pork fried rice for everyone. You’ll be better able to resist if you have something to fall back on. Here’s another “gramming” lesson to help you put a frozen dinner into the Zone.
Lean Cuisine’s Herb Roasted Chicken, for example, contains 17 grams of protein, 18 grams of carbs, and 3.5 grams of fat. For a woman the protein is close enough. Add a peach and 12 peanuts and you’ve got a Zone lunch. For men, add a a piece of string cheese, an apple, and 6 cashews.
What do you do when you have to order in for a working meeting? For one thing, don’t buy pizza for everyone. You can have a spread with deli meats, vegetables, and a healthful dip. Add some vegetable side dishes from places like Boston Market, including spinach and grilled vegetables. Order a big bowl of hummus with raw veggies and small wedges of pita bread and include a fruit plate for dessert. You’ll find your post-lunch work session more productive if everyone eats a Zone lunch.
Lunch at work can be the biggest problem facing Zoners. These simple tips and the following recipes will help solve the problem.
Lunch
Recipes
Tuna and Spinach Salad with Yogurt-Dill Dressing and Melon-Berry Smoothie
Rachel Albert-Matesz
| Prep: | 20 minutes | Yield: | 4 (4-block) meals |
For a change of taste, replace the spinach with mesclun, spring greens, endive with escarole, or romaine; replace the tuna with canned salmon, cooked chicken, or turkey breast. For further inspiration, use your favorite herbs instead of dill.
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| Yogurt Dressing | |
| 1 protein, 1 carbohydrate | 1 cup organic low-fat yogurt, such as Stonyfield Farms |
| 10 fat | 1/3 cup Nayonnaise (soy-based sandwich spread) |
| 2 carbohydrate | 4 teaspoons granulated fructose |
| 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard | |
| ¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves | |
| 1½ teaspoons minced fresh dill weed or 1/3 teaspoon dried | |
| ¼ teaspoon finely ground white or black pepper | |
| Finely ground sea salt (to taste) | |
| Tuna and Spinach Salad | |
| 1 carbohydrate | 10 cups baby spinach, washed, spun dry |
| 2 carbohydrate | 2 medium-size Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced or diced |
| 1 carbohydrate | 1 cup bottled artichoke hearts, drained |
| ½ carbohydrate | 2 cups English cucumber, peeled, quartered, thinly sliced |
| ¼ carbohydrate | 1 cup minced scallions (green onions) |
| 12 protein | 12 ounces water packed, no-salt tuna, drained |
| 6 fat | 18 lightly toasted walnut halves, coarsely chopped |
| ¼ cup capers, rinsed and chopped (optional) | |
| Melon Berry Cooler | |
| 2 carbohydrate | 2/3 cup apple juice |
| 4 carbohydrate | 3 cups cubed honeydew or cantaloupe melon |
| 2¼ carbohydrate | 1¼ cups fresh, rinsed and drained or thawed frozen blueberries |
| 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract | |
| ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon | |
| 6 ice cubes |
Instructions
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or wide-mouth 16-ounce jar and whisk or shake well.
- Layer and divide the salad ingredients among 4 large dinner plates or in 4 (1-quart) bowls with snap-on lids for pack lunches. Toss with the dressing just before serving.
- Combine the Melon Berry Cooler ingredients in a blender. Cover and process until smooth, then pour into 4 tall glasses or chill in Thermos bottles for meals to go.
Tuna and White Bean Salad
www.drsears.com
| Prep: | 15 minutes plus 30 minutes to chill | Yield: | 1 (4-block) meal |
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| 2 carbohydrate | ½ cup canned white beans |
| 4 protein | 4 ounces solid white albacore tuna, packed in water |
| ½ carbohydrate | 1 large bell pepper, chopped |
| 1 carbohydrate | ½ cup minced roasted red pepper |
| 2 large stalks celery, chopped | |
| ½ carbohydrate | ¾ cup chopped red onion |
| 4 fat | 11/3 teaspoons olive oil |
| 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar | |
| Salt, pepper, and spices (cumin is recommended), to taste |
Instructions
Drain and rinse the beans in cold water. In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients together gently so as not to crush the beans. Serve well chilled.
Tuna and White Bean Salad with Arugula, Capers, and Feta and Dill Dressing
Rachel Albert-Matesz
| Prep: | 15 minutes | Yield: | 4 (4-block) meals |
Look for small bags of prewashed baby arugula leaves (about 3 inches long) in the produce section of natural foods stores and supermarkets. They will be less peppery than long arugula leaves. If you can’t find arugula, substitute a spring salad mix or baby greens salad mix.
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| Tuna–White Bean Salad | |
| ½ carbohydrate | 5 cups baby arugula, washed, spun dry, and sliced if large |
| ½ carbohydrate | 5 cups romaine hearts, washed, dried, and thinly sliced |
| ¼ carbohydrate | 2/3 cup scallions (green onions), white part and most of green part, washed, trimmed, and minced |
| ¼ carbohydrate | ½ large yellow bell pepper, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced |
| 2 carbohydrate | 4 small Roma tomatoes, cut into small wedges |
| ½ carbohydrate | 2 cups English cucumber, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced |
| 8 carbohydrate | 2 cups unsalted cooked white beans |
| 12 protein | 12 ounces drained, water packed, tuna, preferably unsalted |
| ¼ cup bottled capers, drained | |
| 4 protein | 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled |
| Dill Dressing | |
| 16 fat | 12/3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 carbohydrate | 1/3 cup orange juice |
| 2 teaspoons Dijon or roasted garlic mustard | |
| ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or ground black pepper | |
| 2 teaspoon dried dill weed or 2 tablespoons fresh, minced | |
| 3½ carbohydrate | 1¾ cup grapes |
Instructions
- Layer and divide the tuna–white bean salad ingredients among 4 serving plates or containers with lids.
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a small jar. Cover, shake, and spoon over salads before serving, or divide among 4 small bottles, cover, and refrigerate for pack lunches.
- Serve the grapes for dessert.
Variation
Replace romaine lettuce with endive and escarole.
Tuna Waldorf Salad with Yogurt, Blue Cheese, and Chive Dressing
Rachel Albert-Matesz
| Prep: | 20 minutes | Yield: | 4 (4-block) meals |
There are probably as many Waldorf salads as there are people who make them. This one is a complete meal, perfect for a pack lunch or picnic. Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything, gets credit for the salad dressing, to which I add chives.
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| Blue Cheese Dressing | |
| 1 protein, 1 carbohydrate | ½ cup organic low-fat yogurt; 2/3 cup if yogurt does not contain nonfat dry milk |
| 6 protein | 6 ounces crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese, such as Stilton, Maytag, or Gorgonzola |
| 1 carbohydrate | 1/3 cup lemon juice |
| 2 teaspoon freeze-dried chives or 2 tablespoons minced fresh | |
| ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste | |
| ¼ teaspoon finely ground sea salt (optional) | |
| Tuna Waldorf Salad | |
| 1 carbohydrate | 10 cups endive and escarole washed, spun dry, thinly sliced |
| 9 protein | 9 ounces drained, water packed, tuna, preferably unsalted |
| 16 fat | 48 walnut halves, lightly toasted and crumbled |
| 5 carbohydrate | 2½ cups seedless grapes |
| 8 carbohydrate | 4 small tart-sweet apples, washed, cored, and diced |
| ½ carbohydrate | Juice of ½ orange |
Instructions
- To make the dressing, combine the yogurt and blue cheese in a small bowl. Mash with a fork, leaving some lumps in place. Stir in the lemon juice and chives. Add pepper and sea salt if desired.
- Divide the greens, tuna, walnuts, and grapes among 4 serving plates or containers with snap-on lids. Toss the apple slices with the orange juice and arrange them over the salads.
- Pour the blue cheese dressing over the salads just before serving or divide it among 4 small bottles, cover, and refrigerate until serving or packing in insulated lunch totes.
Variation
Replace endive and escarole with romaine lettuce.
Chickpea and Tuna Garden Salad with Yogurt-Avocado and Chipotle Dressing
Rachel Albert-Matesz
| Prep: | 25 minutes | Yield: | 4 (4-block) meals |
The idea for this main-dish salad came from The Encyclopedia of Foods and my imagination. For the yogurt avocado dressing, I made minor changes to a recipe from Mark Bittman’s culinary bible How to Cook Everything.
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| Garden Salad | |
| ¾ carbohydrate | 7½ cups romaine hearts, washed, spun dry, and thinly sliced |
| 2 carbohydrate | 4 small Roma tomatoes, cut into small wedges |
| 1 carbohydrate | 4 cups precut broccoli florets |
| 1 carbohydrate | 1 cup shredded carrot |
| ¼ carbohydrate | 1 cup thinly sliced fresh or drained, canned mushrooms |
| 8 carbohydrate | 2 cups canned, unsalted chickpeas, drained |
| 1 carbohydrate | 1½ cups red onion, cut in thin rings or half-moon slices |
| 12 protein | 12 ounces drained, water packed tuna, preferably unsalted |
| 3 protein | 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered or cut into rounds |
| Yogurt Avocado Dressing | |
| 1 protein, 1 carbohydrate | ½ cup organic low-fat yogurt; 2/3 cup if yogurt doesn’t contain nonfat milk |
| 16 fat | 1 cup cubed avocado |
| 1 carbohydrate | 1/3 cup lemon juice |
| 1 tablespoon minced shallot | |
| 1 garlic clove, chopped | |
| ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle (smoked dried jalapeño), or to taste or your favorite hot sauce | |
| ½ teaspoon finely ground sea salt (optional) |
Instructions
- Divide and layer the salad ingredients among 4 large salad plates or in 4 (quart-size) containers with snap-on lids, for packed lunches.
- Blend the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Pour the dressing over the salads just before serving or divide it among 4 small bottles, cover, and refrigerate until serving or packing in insulated lunch totes.
Variations
- Replace broccoli with cauliflower.
- Lightly steam or parboil broccoli (or cauliflower) until crisp-tender; plunge into ice water, drain, and add to salad in step 1 above.
French Onion Tuna Salad and Veggie Plate
Rachel Albert-Matesz
| Prep: | 20 minutes plus 1 hour to chill | Yield: | 4 (4-block) meals |
Look for Fantastic Foods Soup & Dip Recipe Mixes on the health food aisle in your local supermarket.
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| French Onion Dip | |
| 2½ protein, 2½ carbohydrate | 12/3 cups organic low-fat yogurt, such as Stonyfield Farms |
| 16 fat | ½ cup low-fat mayonnaise or Nayonnaise (soy-based sandwich spread) |
| 2 carbohydrate | One 1.1-ounce package Fantastic Foods Onion Soup & Dip Recipe Mix |
| 13 protein | 13 ounces drained, water-packed, no-salt tuna |
| Salad | |
| 1 carbohydrate | 10 cups baby greens salad mix, washed and spun dry |
| ½ carbohydrate | 2 cups peeled, thinly sliced cucumber |
| ½ carbohydrate | 1 cup thinly sliced red, yellow, or orange bell pepper |
| 4 carbohydrate | One 16-ounce package baby carrots |
| 6 carbohydrate | 3 cups seedless grapes |
Instructions
- Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, and onion dip mix. Stir well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Mix in the tuna.
- Divide the salad ingredients among 4 serving plates or containers with snap-on lids. Divide the tuna mixture into 4 portions and spoon over the salad vegetables. Serve immediately or transport in bowls with fitted lids. Serve the grapes for dessert.
Variation
Replace the onion dip mix with garlic herb-flavored dip mix.
Shrimp, Asparagus, and Tomato Salad with White Beans and Goat Cheese
Rachel Albert-Matesz
| Prep: | 30 minutes | Yield: | 4 (4-block) meals |
| Cooking: | 15 minutes |
I added white beans, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs to Mark Bittman’s Shrimp Salad Mediterranean Style (from How to Cook Everything) to make a complete meal.
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| Shrimp and Vegetables | |
| 4 cups salt-free chicken stock or broth | |
| 12 protein | 18 ounces medium-to-large raw shrimp, peeled |
| 1½ cups filtered water | |
| 4 carbohydrate | 48 asparagus spears, bottom 1 to 2 inches snapped off and discarded, spears cut into 1-inch pieces |
| 1 carbohydrate | 1½ cups red onion, cut into rings |
| Salad Topping | |
| 1 carbohydrate, 4 fat | 8 sun-dried tomato halves packed in olive oil, drained and thinly sliced (Mediterranean Organic brand preferred) |
| 8 carbohydrate | 2 cups drained, canned unsalted white beans |
| 6 protein | 6 ounces goat cheese, coarsely crumbled |
| ¼ cup capers, drained | |
| Dressing | |
| 1 carbohydrate | Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/3 cup) |
| 12 fat | 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil |
| 2 teaspoons dried, crumbled basil or 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil | |
| 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed | |
| 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend, crumbled | |
| Finely ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper |
Instructions
- Bring the stock to boil in large saucepan or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and immediately add the shrimp. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, uncover, cool for 10 minutes, and drain, reserving the stock for another use.
- Bring the water to boil in a 3-quart saucepan fitted with a collapsible metal steamer or pasta insert. Add the asparagus spears and tips, and onion. Cover and steam until just tender and easily pierced with a fork, 5 to 7 minutes. Plunge the vegetables into a bowl of ice water, drain well, and transfer to a large salad bowl. Add the tomatoes, beans, cheese, and capers. Top with the shrimp.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Divide the salad among 4 large serving plates and serve immediately, or cover and chill for 1 to 4 hours.
Variation
Replace the shrimp with 18 ounces of cooked salmon, or 12 ounces of tuna, turkey, or chicken breast.
Spinach Dip with Shrimp and Crudites
Rachel Albert-Matesz
| Prep: | 20 minutes | Yield: | 4 (4-block) meals |
| Cooking: | 8 minutes |
Fantastic Foods makes the health food equivalent of Lipton Cup-A-Soup and dip mixes that don’t contain MSG and other preservatives. They come in four flavors you can use to dress up all sorts of dishes. Keep your freezer stocked with frozen, precooked shrimp for convenience.
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| Spinach Yogurt Dip | |
| 4 protein, 4 carbohydrate | 2 cups low-fat organic yogurt; 22/3 cups if the yogurt does not contain nonfat dry milk |
| 16 fat | ½ cup Nayonnaise (soy-based sandwich spread) |
| 2 carbohydrate | One 1.1-ounce package Fantastic Foods Onion or Garlic-Herb Soup and Dip Recipe Mix |
| 10-ounce package frozen cut leaf spinach, thawed and drained | |
| Vegetables and Shrimp | |
| 4 carbohydrate | One 16-ounce package baby carrots |
| 1 carbohydrate | 4 cups precut raw cauliflower florets |
| 1 carbohydrate | 4 cups precut raw broccoli florets |
| ½ carbohydrate | 4 celery stalks, cut into sticks |
| 2 carbohydrate | 2 cups cherry tomatoes |
| 12 protein | 18 ounces cooked, peeled shrimp |
| 1½ carbohydrate | 1½ tangerines |
Instructions
- Combine the dip ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Add 1 inch of water to a 3-quart saucepan. Rest a metal folding steamer in the bottom; the water should come to just below the bottom of the steamer. (Alternatively, fill a stockpot with 2 inches of water and add a pasta insert.) Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Layer the carrots, then the cauliflower, cover, and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broccoli florets, cover, and cook 2 to 6 minutes more, or until the broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender.
- Plunge the cooked vegetables into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and hold the colors. Drain and arrange the vegetables in sections around the outer edges of each of 4 serving plates. Arrange the tomato, celery, and shrimp in a circle inside the vegetables on the plates.
- Divide the dip among 4 small custard cups. Place 1 custard cup in the center of each serving plate, surrounded by the vegetables and shrimp. Serve the tangerine slices for dessert.
Mediterranean-Style Shrimp and Chickpea Salad
Rachel Albert-Matesz
| Prep: | 30 minutes | Yield: | 4 (4-block) meals |
| Cooking: | 3 minutes |
Shrimp salad goes from side dish to meal in a bowl in this easy and versatile recipe. If you can’t find baby arugula leaves, which are mild in flavor and only a few inches long, use a 50/50 mixture of arugula and romaine, red-leaf, or green-leaf lettuce, or substitute an Italian salad mix (often sold as mesclun, baby, or spring greens).
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| 1 carbohydrate | 10 cups baby arugula or Italian salad mix, washed, spun dry |
| 4 cups salt-free chicken stock or broth | |
| 16 protein | 1½ pounds medium-to-large shrimp, peeled |
| Salad | |
| 8 carbohydrate | 2 cups drained, canned unsalted chickpeas |
| 2 carbohydrate | 16 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained, sliced, oil reserved |
| 2 carbohydrate | 1 cup artichoke hearts, bottled or canned, drained |
| 1 carbohydrate | Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/3 cup) |
| 16 fat | 51/3 teaspoons olive oil (from the sun-dried tomatoes) |
| ½ cup minced fresh parsley | |
| 1 small garlic clove, finely minced | |
| 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend, crumbled | |
| Finely ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| 2 carbohydrate | 1 mini pita pocket, quartered |
Instructions
- Divide the salad greens among 4 large dinner plates or quart-size bowls with snap-on lids.
- Bring the stock to boil in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the shrimp. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, uncover, and cool for 10 minutes.
- Combine the remaining salad ingredients (except the pita bread) and toss to coat.
- Drain the shrimp, reserving the stock for another use. Add the shrimp to the bean-vegetable mixture and toss to coat. Taste and add additional sea salt or pepper if desired.
- Spoon the salad over the 4 greens plates or serving bowls and top with the pita wedges. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for later.
Variation
Replace the pita pocket with 2 cups strawberries for dessert.
Chicken and Black Bean Salad with Feta, Artichoke Hearts, and Arugula
Rachel Albert-Matesz
| Prep: | 20 minutes | Yield: | 4 (4-block) meals |
Arugula adds a slightly spicy kick to green salads. If you can’t find it, substitute frisée, escarole, endive, or additional romaine. If you use prewashed salad greens, give them a good rinse, then dry them in a salad spinner.
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| Chicken and Black Bean Salad | |
| ½ carbohydrate | 5 cups baby arugula, washed and spun dry, sliced if large |
| ½ carbohydrate | 5 cups romaine hearts, washed, dried, and thinly sliced |
| ½ carbohydrate | 1 yellow bell pepper, halved, seeded, and diced |
| 2 carbohydrate | 4 small Roma tomatoes, cut into small wedges |
| ½ carbohydrate | ¾ cup red onion or sweet white onion, cut in thin rings |
| 8 carbohydrate | 2 cups no-salt-added, cooked, drained black beans |
| 1 carbohydrate | 1 cup bottled artichoke hearts, drained |
| ¼ cup drained capers | |
| 4 protein | 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled |
| 12 protein | 12 ounces cooked skinless chicken breast, cut into strips or 18 ounces deli-style chicken breast, sliced |
| Dressing | |
| 16 fat | 51/3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 carbohydrate | 1/3 cup lemon juice |
| 2 carbohydrate | 4 teaspoons granulated fructose or 1 tablespoon honey |
| ¼ cup low-sodium chicken stock or broth | |
| ¼ teaspoon guar gum or xanthan gum | |
| 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard | |
| ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or ground black pepper | |
| 2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled | |
| 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed | |
| ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or red pepper |
Instructions
- Layer and divide chicken and black bean salad ingredients among 4 serving plates or large bowls with snap-on lids.
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a small jar. Cover and shake until smooth. Spoon the dressing over the salads just before serving or divide among 4 small bottles, cover, and refrigerate for pack lunches.
Variations
Replace chicken with turkey breast or leftover cooked salmon.
Curried Chicken Waldorf Salad
Rachel Albert-Matesz
| Prep: | 20 minutes | Yield: | 4 (4-block) meals |
Look for hormone- and antibiotic-free ready-to-eat rotisserie chickens in your local natural foods store or supermarket, or roast a bird on the weekend or cook it overnight on low in a slow cooker.
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| Curried Yogurt Dressing | |
| 2 protein, 2 carbohydrate | 1 cup organic low-fat yogurt; 11/3 cups if yogurt does not contain nonfat dry milk |
| 8 fat | 8 teaspoons reduced-fat mayonnaise or 4 tablespoons Nayonnaise (soy-based sandwich spread) |
| 2 carbohydrate | 4 teaspoons granulated fructose |
| 2 teaspoons curry powder | |
| 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or cilantro | |
| Salad | |
| 1 carbohydrate | 10 cups romaine hearts, washed, spun dry, and thinly sliced |
| 14 protein | 14 ounces cooked chicken breast or combination breast and thigh meat, shredded or cut into 1-inch cubes |
| 6 carbohydrate | 3 small tart-sweet apples, cored and minced |
| ½ carbohydrate | ¾ cup minced Walla Walla Sweet or Vidalia onions |
| ½ carbohydrate | 2 cups minced celery hearts or celery sticks 8 fat 16 cashews, raw or lightly toasted, coarsely chopped |
| 4 carbohydrate | 4 tablespoons raisins |
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, fructose, curry powder, and parsley or cilantro. Stir and set aside.
- Divide the salad greens among 4 serving plates or containers with snap-on lids.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the yogurt dressing and stir to coat, then spoon over greens and serve.
Variation
Replace romaine lettuce with endive and escarole.
Mex-Chicken Chili
www.drsears.com
| Prep: | 15 minutes | Yield: | 1 (4-block) meal |
| Cooking: | 2 minutes |
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| 3 protein | 3 ounces cooked chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes |
| 1 protein | 1 ounce low-fat shredded cheese |
| 2 carbohydrates | ½ cup no-salt-added, cooked, drained black beans |
| 1 carbohydrate | ½ cup salsa |
| 4 fat | 12 black olives, chopped |
| Chili powder and/or cayenne pepper to taste | |
| 1 carbohydrate | ½ orange, sliced |
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients except the orange into a microwave-safe bowl and mix. Microwave until hot and serve.
Variation
Add fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, parsley, or cilantro for a bit of added zip.
Turkey, Three Bean, and Artichoke Salad with Ketchup and Basil Dressing
Rachel Albert-Matesz
| Prep: | 20 minutes | Yield: | 4 (4-block) servings |
The classic three-bean salad goes from side dish to main dish with the addition of diced turkey breast. The idea for the dressing comes from James Peterson’s inspiring book, Simply Salmon, which I Zoned and jazzed up with herbs and mustard.
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| Salad | |
| 16 protein | 16 ounces cooked turkey breast, cut into 1-inch cubes |
| 3 carbohydrate | ¾ cup drained, canned unsalted kidney beans |
| 3 carbohydrate | ¾ cup drained, canned unsalted chickpeas |
| 2 carbohydrate | ½ cup drained, canned unsalted navy beans |
| 1 carbohydrate | 2 cups thinly sliced celery (with tops) |
| ½ carbohydrate | ¾ cup finely minced red onion |
| 1 carbohydrate | ½ cup bottled, roasted sweet peppers, thinly sliced |
| ½ cup finely minced fresh parsley | |
| 1 carbohydrate | 1 cup artichoke hearts, bottled or canned, drained, and quartered |
| Dressing | |
| 3 carbohydrate | 6 tablespoons fruit-sweetened ketchup |
| ½ carbohydrate | 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar |
| 16 fat | 51/3 teaspoons olive oil (from the roasted pepper jar) |
| 4 teaspoons dried basil, crumbled, or ¼ cup minced fresh basil leaves | |
| 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard | |
| 1 carbohydrate | 10 cups romaine, red leaf, green leaf, or Italian salad mix, washed and spun dry |
Instructions
- Combine the salad ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Combine and whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the bean mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, if time permits.
- Just before serving, divide the salad greens among 4 large dinner plates or quart bowls with snap-on lids. Top with the bean salad and serve.
Variations
Replace turkey with chicken breast, peeled and cooked shrimp, tuna, salmon, or lean pork loin.
Zoned Hummus and Veggie Plate
Rachel Albert-Matesz
| Prep: | 20 minutes | Yield: | 4 (4-block) servings |
Chickpeas, like other beans, contain far more carbs than protein. Adding tuna creates a better protein-to-carbohydrate ratio. This protein packed dip goes well with vegetables in pack lunches.
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| Hummus | |
| 8 carbohydrate | 2 cups drained, canned, cooked chickpeas (save juice) |
| 14 protein | 14 ounces drained, canned, no-salt, water-packed tuna |
| 2 protein | 2 hard-boiled eggs |
| 16 fat | ½ cup raw or toasted, unsalted sesame tahini |
| 1 carbohydrate | 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (1 lemon) |
| ¼ cup minced fresh parsley | |
| 3 garlic cloves, minced | |
| 1 teaspoon ground cumin | |
| ½ teaspoon ground black pepper | |
| 1 cup chickpea juices or filtered water | |
| ½ teaspoon sea salt (optional) | |
| Ground paprika, for garnish | |
| Vegetables | |
| ½ carbohydrate | 5 cups romaine lettuce or baby greens salad mix |
| ½ carbohydrate | 2 cups peeled, sliced cucumber |
| 1 carbohydrate | 2 tomatoes, sliced |
| 1 carbohydrate | 2 cups celery sticks |
| 4 carbohydrate | 2 whole-wheat pita pockets, halved |
Instructions
- To make the hummus, combine the chickpeas, tuna, eggs, tahini, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, cumin, pepper, and chickpea juices or water in the work bowl of a food processor. Add sea salt if desired. Cover and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula. Add additional water as needed to blend. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Divide into 4 containers with lids, garnish with paprika, cover, and refrigerate.
- Divide the vegetables among 4 containers with lids. Place each pita bread half in a small plastic or wax paper bag. Cover and chill.
- At lunch, spoon the hummus over the lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers. Stuff a portion of this mixture in a pita half and eat the rest on the side with the celery sticks.
Variation
Replace pita bread with 1 orange and 1 small apple, quartered.
Tropical Delight Fruit Salad with Vanilla Yogurt Sauce
Rachel Albert-Matesz
| Prep: | 10 minutes | Yield: | 4 (4-block) meals |
Vanilla whey protein powder produces the creamiest texture and taste. If you use unsweetened protein powder or egg white protein, you may need to add additional stevia. Look for the strawberry, mango, and pineapple fruit blend in your supermarkets’ freezer case.
| Block Size | Ingredients |
| Vanilla Yogurt Sauce | |
| 4 protein, 4 carbohydrate | 2 cups organic low-fat yogurt; 22/3 cup if yogurt does not contain nonfat dry milk |
| 16 fat | 1 cup low-fat organic sour cream |
| 12 protein | Four 1-ounce scoops vanilla egg white protein or whey protein (about 1 cup) |
| 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract in a nonalcoholic base or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla in alcohol | |
| 2 teaspoons minced bottled ginger root or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, or to taste | |
| 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon stevia extract powder or liquid (optional) | |
| Fruit Salad | |
| 4 carbohydrate | 4 cups sliced fresh or thawed frozen strawberries |
| 4 carbohydrate | 11/3 cups fresh or thawed frozen cubed mango |
| 4 carbohydrate | 2 cups sliced fresh or thawed frozen pineapple |
| 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves (optional) |
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all the yogurt sauce ingredients except the stevia. Stir, taste, and add 1/8 teaspoon stevia if a sweeter taste is desired. Blend, taste, and adjust as needed. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight if time permits.
- In a large bowl, stir together the fruit and mint. Divide among 4 serving bowls, top with the yogurt mixture, and serve immediately.
Variation
Replace the mango with 1¼ cups drained water-packed Mandarin oranges.