Muscle Feeding recipes - Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle

Transcription

Copyright © 2010 Fitness Renaissance, LLC
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for the inclusion of brief
quotations in a review, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.
Published by Tom Venuto and Fitness Renaissance, LLC
in the United States of America.
Editor: Lee Allen Howard ([email protected])
Note: All third party trademarks-® and ™-are the property of their respective owners.
A WORD OF CAUTION: DISCLAIMER
This book is for reference and informational purposes only and is no way intended as medical
counseling or medical advice. The information contained herein should not be used to treat,
diagnose, or prevent a disease or medical condition without the advice of a competent medical
professional. This book deals with in-depth information on health, fitness, and nutrition. Most of
the information applies to everyone in general; however, not everyone has the same body type.
We each have different responses to exercise depending on our choice of intensity and diet.
Before making any changes in your lifestyle, you should consult with a physician to discover the
best solution for your individual body type. The author, writer, editors, and graphic designer shall
have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any damage or
injury alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book.
Tom Venuto’s Private Collection of
Muscle‐Feeding,
Fat‐Burning
Recipes
www.HolyGrailBodyTransformation.com
BURN
THE FAT
FEED
Copyright©2010FitnessRenaissance,LLC.Allrightsreserved.
WARNING:ThisebookisprotectedbyFederalcopyrightlaw.Itisillegaltore‐sell,
auction,share,orgiveawaythisebook.Violatorswillbeprosecutedtothefullest
extentofthelaw!
THE MUSCLE
Tom Venuto
Muslce‐Feeding, Fat‐Burning Recipes
Contents
Welcome! .................................................................. 3
BreakfastRecipes
PumpkinSpiceOatmeal.................................................... 5
HighProteinPumpkinPancakes(“Pumpcakes”)............................ 8
3‐MinuteHighProteinAppleCinnamonOatmeal ..........................12
Yamcakes:ABurnTheFat‐Approved“PortableMealToGo!”...............16
RichandCreamyVanillaOatmealPancakes................................21
Lunch&DinnerRecipes
Muscle‐MakingTeriyakiChickenStir‐Fry ..................................25
HealthyFriedRice ........................................................29
TurkeyandEggWhiteWrap(“Wramble”).................................32
LowCalorieRedandGreenVegetableScramble ...........................36
NuttyWildRiceandMushrooms ..........................................39
MexicanPepperandPotatoScramble .....................................44
HotBlack‐eyedPeasandRicewithLeanTenderloin.......................47
3‐MinuteBlackBeansWithSpicySalsa....................................51
ItalianStyleChickenandRicewithTomatoesandHerbs ...................55
ShrimpFraDiavoloalaVenuto............................................58
Muscle‐ManCheesyGrits..................................................62
SuperSimpleSalmonSaladSandwich .....................................69
WarmCrunchyTunaRiceWithSpinach ...................................74
MediterraneanShrimpandRice ...........................................78
BeefySpanishRice ........................................................81
AuthenticGreekSaladWithChicken.......................................85
AsianSesameCucumberSalad ............................................89
Copyright © 2010 Fitness Renaissance, LLC. WARNING: This ebook is protected
by Federal copyright law. It is illegal to re-sell, auction, share, or give away this
ebook.Violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!
www.HolyGrailBodyTransformation.com 1
Tom Venuto
SuperLeanWhiteBeanChili ..............................................93
Hot‘N’SpicyRedJambalaya ...............................................97
GarbanzoBeanTunaSalad............................................... 102
HealthyCajun“Fried”CodCakes ......................................... 106
Mega‐ProteinT.N.T.Burgers(TastyNutritiousTurkey) ................... 111
Hot‘N’SpicyGroundTurkeyScramble(orOmelet)....................... 116
Crunchy,CheesyPotatoPancakes(Croquettes) ........................... 121
QuickandEasySalmonBurgers.......................................... 127
Protein‐PackedAuthenticHealthyGreekBurgers!........................ 132
IsraeliTunaSalad:ADeliciousLeanProteinandFibrousCarbCombo!.... 138
HealthyGreekOmelets:AHigh‐Protein,Nutrient‐Dense,Flavor‐Packed
PowerMeal! ............................................................. 143
SpicyTunaBurgers!ANewBurnTheFatRecipeWithAKick!............. 148
LazyPerson’sChinese“Stir‐Fry”.......................................... 154
SuperSimpleTunaBurgers!.............................................. 158
Tom Venuto
Welcome!
WelcometomyofficialMuscle‐Feeding,Fat‐BurningRecipesbook!Thisprivate
collectionisnotyourusualrecipecollection—it’smuch,muchmore!Everyrecipehas
beencarefullyanalyzedandmodifiedfromtraditionalrecipesinordertofitinto
healthyfat‐burningandmuscle‐buildingnutritionguidelines.
Therecipesaredesignedtobequicksotheyfitintobusy,time‐strappedlifestylesand
super‐simplesothatnopreviouscookingexperienceisrequired.Notonlythat,every
recipehasbeenpersonallymadeandtaste‐testedbyTomVenuto,theauthorofBurn
theFat,FeedtheMuscle,andfounderoftheBurntheFatInnerCircle.
Youalsogetmorethanjustingredientlistsandinstructions,yougetTom’s“BurnThe
Fat”cookingandnutritiontipsaswell!
Tomisaself‐confessedformer“kitchendummy”who
usedtohatecookingandlikeseverythingplainand
simple.IfarecipehastheKitchenDummySealof
Approval,itmeansthatTomhasactuallymadethis
himself.Andifa“kitchendummy”likeTomcanmakeit,
thenanyonecan!
Now,fortherecipes...!
Tom Venuto
Breakfast
Recipes
Tom Venuto
PumpkinSpiceOatmeal
You’vehearditamilliontimesbefore:eatmorevegetables!
You’vehearditsomanytimes,you’resickofus“diet
police”naggingyouaboutit!Andyet,youknowit’strue.
Youneedtoeatmorevegetables(nag,nag).Thetroubleis,
itseemssoeasytoeatprocessedcarbslikebread,cereal,
pastaandevensugaryfoods,butitseemssohardtoadd
moreveggies—atleastinawaythattastesgood.And
thereinliesoneofthesecretstogettingmoreveggies—find
cleverwaysto“sneak”themintoyourmealsthatactually
makeyourfoodtasteevenbetter.Enterpumpkinspiceoatmeal...delish!
Yield:makes1serving
Ingredients
1/2can(212g)pumpkin
2/3cup(54g)oatmeal,dry
1scoop(26g)vanillaproteinpowder
1teaspoonvanillaextract(optional)
2teaspoonscinnamon
1teaspoonnutmeg
Sweetener(optional)
Directions
1. Scoopout2/3ofacupofnatural(unsweetened)oatmealandplaceitina
microwave‐safebowl.
2. Addwaterasperoatmealcookinginstructions,addthecannedpumpkintothe
oatmealandstir.
3. Microwaveonhighfor2minutes,oruntilcooked.
4. Forthehighproteinversion,stirinvanillaproteinpowder.
Tom Venuto
5. Addnutmeg,cinnamon,vanillaextract(optional).
6. Sweetenerisoptional.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:393
Protein:42.8g
Carbs:35.3g
Fat:11.8g
CookingandNutritionTips
Justaquickreviewonwhypumpkinisgoodforwhatailsyou.First,thebrightorange
colormeanspumpkinisloadedwithbetacarotene.Pumpkinisalsoloadedwith
potassium.There’s564mgofpotassiuminacupofmashedpumpkinandthatcup
comeswithonly100calories!(100caloriesofbanana,bycomparison,contains1/3
lesspotassium.)Thatsinglecupofpumpkinalsogivesyou8gramsoffiber.(This
entirerecipecontainsawhopping12.5gramsoffiber,almosthalfyourdailytarget!)
Bytheway,pumpkinhasaveryhighwatercontent,and
researchonenergydensityhasfoundthatfoodswithhigh
watercontent(suchasfruitsandvegetables)aremuchmore
filling,sotheyhelpkeephungeratbay.
Thisrecipecallsforhalfacupofcannedpumpkin,which
willgiveyoujust50calories,10gramsofcarbs,1gramof
proteinand4gramsoffiber.Ifyouhavethecaloriesto
spare,byallmeansfeelfreetoincreaseyourservingsize,
andyoumightlikeitwiththeextrapumpkinflavor.
Notallsupermarketshavecannedpumpkin.Ifyoucan’tlocatethisproductatyour
regulargrocerystore,thenyourlocalhealthfoodstoreshouldhaveit.Mylocalstore
carriedFarmer’sMarketbrandorganicpumpkin.IalsoknowthatTraderJoe’shas
cannedpumpkin,andthereareseveralotherwellknownbrandswell.Thesizeofmy
canwas15ounces(425grams)andIusedhalfacanforthisrecipe.
Tom Venuto
Asforoatmeal—itissimplythekingofbreakfastcarbsforfat‐burningandmuscle‐
buildingprograms.It’saGREATstarchy/complexcarbohydratesource.It’shighly
satiatingandprovideslastingenergywithoutthecrashyougetfromsugaryrefined
cereals.Personally,Inevergetboredwithoatmeal—it’showI’vestartedeverydayfor
overtwodecades.Imusthavedozensofoatmealrecipes,andthisisadeliciousone.
It’seasy.Justaddcannedpumpkintoyouroatmealandcookitinthemicrowave
(takestwominutesorso).
Cinnamonisagreatspiceforuseinyouroatmealanditjustsohappensthat
cinnamonisgreatwithpumpkintoo.Addadashofnutmegtoenhancetheflavoreven
more,orjustusepumpkinspice.Manytraditionalpumpkinrecipesusebrownsugar,
butthataddscalories,soisnotincludedinouringredientsabove.Non‐caloric
sweetenersuchasSplendaisoptional.Thosewhoprefertoavoidartificialsweetners
mightcheckoutSteviaorTruviawhichissteviaanderythritol,asugaralcohol.
Pumpkinspiceoatmealcanbemadewithouttheproteinpowder,butthevanillaflavor
proteinactuallyenhancestheoverallflavoralot.Thisrecipecallsforonescoop,andif
youwantedtobumptheproteincontentevenhigher,youcouldaddmoretomeet
yourproteinrequirement.Ifyoupreferthepumpkinoatmealwithouttheprotein
powder,theninsteadyoucouldcookupsomeeggwhites(withonewholeegg)and
eatthemalongsideyouroatsforaBurnTheFatapprovedmeal(orjustenjoythe
pumpkinandspiceoatmealbyitselfasavegetarianmeal).
Pumpkinisn’tjustforThanksgivinganymore—trythisandletmeknowwhatyou
think!
BurntheFatRecipeScorecard
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
CookingDifficultyLevel:Easy
Timerequired:1minuteprep,2–3minutescooking
BurntheFat,FeedtheMuscleProgram‐Approved:Check!
KitchenDummySealofApproval:Check!
Tom Venuto
HighProteinPumpkinPancakes(“Pumpcakes”)
Ifthere’sonebonafidesuperfoodthatisknownabout,
talkedaboutandeatentheleast—it’spumpkin!
Usually,youonlythinkofpumpkinaroundHalloween
whenJack‐O‐lanternsarebeingcarvedand
Thanksgivingwhenpumpkinpieisserved.But
pumpkincanbemadeintohealthierrecipesthanpie,
andpumpkincertainlydeservestobelistedamongthe
superfoods.Unlikepancakes,whichareflour‐heavy
andmostlycarbohydrate,mypumpcakesweredesignedtobeveryhighinprotein,
makingthemastandalonemeal.Fifteenminutesfromnowyoucanbeenjoyingthese
tastyBurnTheFat‐approvedtreats.
Yield:makes2large(5‐inchwide)pancakes
Ingredients
7.5oz(212g)ofcannedpumpkin
1/3cup(27g)oatmeal,dry
1/3cup(40g)multigrainorwholewheatpancakemix
1scoop(26g)vanilla(orplain)proteinpowder
4eggwhites
1teaspoonvanillaextract
1teaspoonnutmeg
1teaspoongroundginger
2teaspoonscinnamon
Directions
1. Combinealltheingredientsinamixingbowlandwhiskthoroughlywithafork.
Forafinelymixedbatter,puttheingredientsinablenderorfoodprocessorand
blenduntilsmooth.
2. Preheatanon‐stickskilletonmediumheat,orusealargegriddle.Pourthe
pancakemixtureontothepanorgriddletoform2largepancakes.
Tom Venuto
3. Flipeachpancakeassoonasitisfirmenoughtoflipandthebottomsideislightly
brown.Cookonmediumheatandkeepacloseeyeonthemsincetheycook
quicklyandtheoutsideburnseasily.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:507
Protein:44.1g
Carbs:69.7g
Fat:5g
Ifthere’sonebonafidesuperfoodthatisknownabout,talkedaboutandeatenthe
least—it’spumpkin!Usually,youonlythinkofpumpkinaroundHalloweenwhenJack‐
O‐lanternsarebeingcarvedandThanksgivingwhenpumpkinpieisserved.But
pumpkincanbemadeintohealthierrecipesthanpie,andpumpkincertainlydeserves
tobelistedamongthesuperfoods.
Rightfromthefirstglance,youshouldrealizethebrightorangecolormeanspumpkin
isloadedwithbetacarotene.Pumpkinisalsopackedwithpotassium.There’s564mg
ofpotassiuminacupofmashedpumpkin,andthatcuponlycomeswith100calories!
(Bycomparison,bananasonlycontain2/3theamountofpotassiumaspumpkin.)
Thatsinglecupofpumpkinalsogivesyou8gramsoffiber(thisentirerecipecontains
awhopping14.2gramsoffiber,approximatelyhalfyourdailytarget).
Thereareavarietyofneatrecipesyoucanmakewithpumpkin.Ifyou’vebeen
followingmyrecipecolumnforsometime,thenyouprobablyalreadyknowthatIlove
makingvarioustypesofpancakesbecausetheyaredeliciousaswellasportable.This
pumpkinpancakerecipeisverysimilartoourpreviousyampancakerecipe,also
knownasyamcakes(see“Yamcakes:ABurnTheFat‐Approved“PortableMealTo
Go!””onpage 16).Appropriately,I’venamedmypumpkinpancakes,“pumpcakes.”
Tom Venuto
Pumpkin certainly deserves to be listed among the superfoods.
Pumpcakesarenotmadeliketraditionalpancakes—withanear‐liquidbatterthat
makessmall,flatpancakes.Instead,Iaddingredientsthatmakeaverythickbatterthat
youalmosthavetospoonontothegriddleorfrypan.Thethickerbatterallowsyouto
makelarge,thick,fluffypancakesabout5to5.5inchesindiameterand1/2to3/4of
aninchthick.
Unlikepancakes,whichareflour‐heavyandmostlycarbohydrate,mypumpcakes
weredesignedtobeveryhighinprotein,makingthemastandalonemeal.Theprotein
comesprimarilyfromthefoureggwhitesalongwithascoopofproteinpowder.
Thereisalsosomeproteininthepancakemixandoatmeal.
Ifyouwantedtobumptheproteincontentevenhigher,youcouldaddnon‐fatcottage
cheesetothisrecipe,whichcontains12gramsofproteinpercup.Ifyouwantedless
protein,youcouldskipthevanillaproteinpowderandinsteadeatahalfadozen
scrambledeggwhitesalongsideyourpancakes.
Iencourageyoutoexperimentwithyourownpumpcakevariations.Itestedfive
batcheswithdifferentrecipesbeforechoosingonefavorite.Inmyfirstbatch,Itried
buckwheatflour,butthendecidedtostickwithmultigrain(primarilymadefrom
wholewheat),sincebuckwheathasastronganddistinctiveflavorwhichdominated
therecipe,inmyopinion.ThebrandofflourIuseisamultigrainplusflaxpancake
mix.Wholewheatpancakemixoroatbranarealsooptions.
Inmyfirstcoupleofbatches,Iusedalargeramountofmultigrainpancakemix,but
thebatterconsistencywasthickandsticky,makingfordifficultypouringandflipping
(batterstucktothespatula).Ibelievethisispartofthereasonwhytraditional
pancakerecipescallforvegetableoil,butIwantedtoskiptheoiltosaveoncalories
andavoidtherefinedvegetableoilsthatareusuallyusedinpancakes.
Youcouldprobablyfixabatterthat’stoothickorstickybyaddingsomeskimmilkor
changingyourratioofflour/oatstoeggwhites,butIprefertheconsistencyofthe
Tom Venuto
battercreatedbyusingbothoatmealandwholewheatflourratherthanjusttheflour.
Youalsosavesomecaloriesthiswaybecausetheflouris40%morecaloriedenseper
unitofvolumethanoatmeal.
Choosingspiceswaseasy.Isimplylookedupatraditionalpumpkinpierecipeand
noticedthatcinnamon,nutmegandgroundgingerwerelisted,soIusedthoseand
addedateaspoonofvanillaextract.Youmightalsowanttotrypumpkinpiespice.
Afterall,ifwecouldgetthesehealthypumpcakestastingevenalittlelikepumpkinpie,
thatwouldnice,eh?
Lookingatsomepumpkinpierecipes,youmightbetemptedtoaddbrownsugarto
themix,butthere’sasurprisingsweetnesstothesepumpcakeswithoutthesugarand
there’slotsofflavorfromthespices.Somepeoplemaywanttouselowcalorie
sweetenerslikeSplenda,butthat’soptional.Ifyouwantedto,andyouhadcaloriesto
spare,youcouldtopthesewithanall‐fruitjellyorlowcaloriemaplesyrup.
EnjoythesepumpkinpancakesespeciallyaroundHalloweenandThanksgivingasa
treatforyouandyourfamily,buteatingmorepumpkinanytimeoftheyearwilldo
yourbodyawholelotofgood!
BurnTheFatGrade:B+
PortableFood:Yes
Timerequired:7minutesprep,8minutescooking
Tom Venuto
3‐MinuteHighProteinAppleCinnamonOatmeal
Withtwominutesofcookingtimeandaboutoneminuteof
preptime,thishighproteinapplecinnamonoatmealis
aboutasfastandeasyasitgets.Withoutquestion,old
fashionedoatmeal(thekindthathasnoaddedsugar)isone
ofthebestsourcesofnaturalstarchycarbsyoucaneat.
Evenifyouchoosealower‐carbnutritionapproach,ifyou
wantedtoleaveasmallamountofstarchycarbsinyour
dailymealplan,oatmealwouldbeagreatchoice.Packing
33.6gramsofprotein,there’sareasonthismealisonethatTomVenutohasbeen
eatingforyears.Enjoy!
Yield:makes1serving
Ingredients
2/3cupoldfashionedoats
1/3cupnatural(unsweetened)applesauce
1‐1/2scoopsvanillaproteinpowder
2teaspoonsgroundcinnamon
Directions
1. Scoopoutyouroatmealwithameasuringcupandplaceinamicrowave‐safebowl.
2. Add2partswaterforeach1partoatmeal(forexample,1‐1/3cupwaterfor2/3
cupoats).
3. Microwaveonhighfor2minutesoruntilwaterhasbeenabsorbedandoatmeal
hasexpandedtothickporridgeconsistency.
4. Aftercooking,addapplesauce,proteinpowderandcinnamontotaste.Stirand
servehot.
Tom Venuto
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:397
Protein:33.6g
Carbs:53.5g
Fat:7g
Withtwominutesofcookingtimeandaboutoneminuteofpreptime,thishigh
proteinapplecinnamonoatmealisaboutasfastandeasyasitgets.Withoutquestion,
oldfashionedoatmeal(thekindthathasnoaddedsugar)isoneofthebestsourcesof
naturalstarchycarbsyoucaneat.Evenifyouchoosealower‐carbnutritionapproach,
ifyouwantedtoleaveasmallamountofstarchycarbsinyourdailymealplan,oatmeal
wouldbeagreatchoice.
Old fashioned oatmeal is 100% natural, high in nutrients, high in fiber and it’s a slow‐digesting type of carb.
Oldfashionedoatmealis100%natural,highinnutrients,highinfiberandit’saslow‐
digestingtypeofcarb.It’salsoextremelyfillingandhunger‐satisfying.Anentirecup
ofoldfashionedoatscontainsonly300caloriesandmanypeople,especiallywomen,
tellmethattheycan’teveneatthatmuch.That’sagreatbangforyourbuckwhen
you’reonafatlossprogram.Atypicalservingofoatmealforafatlossprogramis
about2/3ofacupto3/4ofacup.Thisrecipecallsfor2/3ofacup,butyoucanadjust
yourservingsizeaccordingtoyourcalorieneeds.
Onecomplaintmanypeoplehavesharedwithmeisthattheydon’tlikethetasteof
oatmeal,ortheydon’tliketheconsistency.Somepeoplesaythatcookedhotoatmealis
toothickand“pasty.”Well,Ihavejustthesolutionforyou.Tryaddingunsweetened
applesauceintoyouroatmeal.Itnotonlychangestheconsistency,italsoaddsgreat
flavorandnaturalsweetness,makingadditionalsweetenersunnecessary.Then
Tom Venuto
sprinkleonsomecinnamon—theapplesandcinnamoncomplementeachother
beautifully.
Bytheway,didyouknowthateveryteaspoonofcinnamonhas1.3gramsoffiberand
thatcinnamonhasbeenproveninclinicalresearchtohelpstabilizebloodsugarand
evenlowerbloodlipids?Yup.Notonlythat,cinnamonalsocontainsbiologicallyactive
compoundssuchaspolyphenols,antioxidantsandanthocyanins.Cinnamonisgood
fordigestion(it’sreputedasagasreliever),andmayhelpwithpainandstiffnessin
joints.Thisisabonafidesuperfood,gang,andaddingsometoyourmorningoatmeal
everydaywouldgoalongwaytowardimprovingyourhealth—especiallyifyouhave
issueswithbloodsugarregulation.Noexcuses.It’seasytodo…justsprinkle.
IntheBurnTheFat,FeedTheMusclesystem,acompletemealcontainsasourceof
leanprotein.Eggsoreggwhitesareatypicalbreakfaststaple,butofcoursethattakes
extrapreptime,soaquickandeasycompletemealsuggestionwhenyou’reinahurry
istoturnyourregularoatmealinto“highproteinoatmeal”byaddingproteinpowder.
Someofourmembershaveexpressedconcernsoverdenaturingthewheyprotein
whilecookingitinthemicrowave.Whileit’snotlikelythatcookingitfortwominutes
withyouroatmealwouldcauseanymajordamagetotheaminoacidsorthevaluable
proteinsub‐fractionsinwhey,it’sjustaseasytoaddthepowderaftertheoatmealis
cooked.Juststiritinandserve.
Irecommendavanillaproteinpowder.Specifically,Iusea“vanillapraline”flavoras
I’vefounditaddsitsowndashofadditionalflavor.Ifyouprefer,youcanpurchase
unflavoredproteinpowder,andyouwon’ttasteanythingbuttheapplecinnamon
oatmeal.Asanalternative,youcanskiptheproteinpowderandcookupsomeeggsfor
yourproteinandjusthavetheoatmealasyourcarbsource.
AlotofBurnTheFatmembers,subscribersandcustomershavebeenverycurious
aboutwhatIeateverydayforburningfatandbuildingmuscle.Icantellyouthatthis
recipeisoneofthemealsIhaveeatenalmosteveryday,weekafterweek,formany
years.Ittastesgreat,it’shighinnutritionalvalue,butmostofall,youjustcan’tbeatit
forconvenience.
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
Tom Venuto
Timerequired:1minuteprep,2minutescooking
Tom Venuto
Yamcakes:ABurnTheFat‐Approved“PortableMeal
ToGo!”
AnotefromKyleBattis,InnerCircleManager:WhenTom
firsttoldmeaboutyancakes,Imustadmit,Iraisedaneyebrow
andwasabitskeptical.However,Tomhasnotledmeastray
withhisfoodadviceinthepast,soIgavetherecipeatry.
Y‐U‐M‐M‐Y!!!About20minuteslaterIbitintoawarmyamcake
andIwashooked,justasI’msureyouwillbewhenyoutrythis
BurnTheFatrecipe.Enjoy!
Yield:makes2yamcakes
Ingredients
4eggwhites
1/2cupoatmeal
1/4cupskimmilk
6ozyam,skinned,mashed
3tablespoons(approx40grams)wholewheatorflaxpancakemix
1scoopplainorvanillaflavoredproteinpowder
1teaspoonnutmeg
2teaspoonscinnamon
2teaspoonsmapleextract
Directions
1. Microwaveorbakeyouryamandthenremovetheskin.
2. Placetheyamandalltheotheringredientsinablenderorfoodprocessorand
blenduntilsmooth.Ifyoudon’thaveafoodprocessororblender,simplymixand
whiskwithaforkuntilthemixtureisassmoothaspossible.Yourmixtureshould
notbetooliquid,butratherthick.
Tom Venuto
3. Preheatanon‐stickskilletonmediumheatorbetteryet,usealargegriddle.Pour
yourmixtureontothepanorgriddletoform2smallpancakes.Flipthepancakes
assoonasthebottomsideislightlybrownandfirmenoughtoflip.Cookon
mediumheatandkeepacloseeyeonthemastheycookquicklyandtheoutside
burnseasily.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:359
Protein:26g
Carbs:52g
Fat:3.3g
The nutmeg and cinnamon complement the yam
flavor perfectly.
WhenIfirstsharedthisrecipewithafitness‐mindedfriend,shescrunchedher
eyebrowsandsaid,“Yamcake?!”Isuspectshewasthinkingalongthelinesofcarrot
cake!Loandbehold,sugar‐ladenregularcakeisnottobefoundintheBurnTheFat
program,soIsaid,“No,no,notcake,pan‐cake…yampancake.Yamcakeisthe
shorthandforyampancake!”Shegotitthen,butdidn’tseemtooexcitedabout
“healthypancakes.”Isaid,“Justwaittillyoutrythem—theymightaswellbecake,
theyarethatdeliciousandprettydarnnutritious,evenforstrictdiets.
It’snotjustthefactthatthesearesodeliciousitseemslikeyoucouldbe“cheating,”
butwhatIalsolikeaboutyamcakesisthattheyareaportablefood.Overandover
againIhearfrommyclientsandmembersthateating5or6timesadayisthehardest
thingtodowhenyou’rebusyandespeciallyifyoutravel.Overandovermyansweris
Tom Venuto
tocookportablefoodsinadvanceandtakethemwithyou.Yamcakesareyetanother
portablefoodrecipeyoucanaddtoyourarsenal.Cookthemupandtakethemwith
youwhereveryougo.Thenyoucaneatthemlikeasnack,buttheyarereallya
substantialmealinandofthemselves.
You can identify a yam by its darker orange color, pointier ends and unusual sizes and shapes.
Theyamcontainsthemajorityofthestarchycarbsinthisrecipe,andyamshappento
beoneofthetopfivebeststarchycarbchoicesontheBurnTheFatprogram.Iwould
probablyevenratethemasbeinginthetoptwo(withoatmealbeingtheothertop
starchycarbchoice).
Yamsareflavorful,all‐natural,lowincalories,andpackedwithnutrientsand
antioxidantslikebeta‐carotene,soit’snowonderyamsareafavoritecarbohydrate
amongbodybuilders,fitnesscompetitorsandhealth‐seekersalike.AccordingtoBrian
Rowley,scienceeditorforFLEXmagazine,“Bodybuildersuseyamswhencutting
bodyfatbecausetheyarelowontheglycemicindex.Waxywhitepotatoes(boilers)are
highontheglycemicindex,sotheymakeanexcellentpost‐workoutmeal,butnothing
compareswithayamtherestofthetime.”
Althoughtheglycemicindexisonlyasecondaryfactorwhenmakingcarbchoiceson
theBurnTheFatprogram,ifyou’recarbsensitiveorifyou’reonaverystrictdiet
(likeacontestdiet),thentheglycemicindexcouldbegivenmoreweightinyour
choices.
Bytheway,sweetpotatoesarenotexactlythesamethingasyams(sweetpotatoesare
slightlyhigherontheglycemicindex),butthey’reotherwisesimilar,whichalsomakes
themgoodchoicesforfatburningdiets.Youcanidentifyayambyitsdarkerorange
color,pointierendsandunusualsizesandshapes.Atypicalplainbodybuilding‐style
yammealwouldbeayamwithagreenveggie,andchickenbreastorfish.Yamcakes
areauniqueand,Idaresay,morefunwaytocookyams.
Tom Venuto
Oneofthereasonstheseyamcakestastesogoodisbecauseofthespices.Thenutmeg
andcinnamoncomplementtheyamflavorperfectly.Addcinnamonliberallyanda
littlebitlessnutmegbecausenutmegisaverystrongspiceandalittlebitgoesalong
way.Mapleextractisoptional,butitenhancesthecinnamon,nutmeg,yammixture
evenmore.YoucanaddsweetenersuchasSplendaifyoulike,butremember,yams
areacomplexcarbandassucharenaturallysweet.
Youmaywanttoexperimentwithsomevariationsonthisrecipe.Forexample,ifyou
increasethequantityofyamyouuseto8–10ounces,youwillgetaslightlydifferent
textureandofcourse,alittlemoreyamflavor(don’tforgettoaccountforthe
additionalcalories).Thepancakemixisoptional,butitaddsqualitytothebatter
texture.WhenImakethese,Iusea100%wholewheatpancakemixorbetteryeta
multigrain‐plus‐flaxseedpancakemix.(Itneverhurtstogetsomeextraomega‐3s!)If
youexperimentwithyourbattermixandfinditistoothick,youcanaddalittlemore
skimmilk.Ifitistooliquidy,addmoreyamoroats.
Try a 100% whole wheat pancake mix or better yet a multigrain plus flaxseed mix.
Theproteinpowderisoptional,althoughincludingtheproteinpowderbooststhe
proteincontenthighenoughthattheseyampancakesbecomeacompletemeal
(proteinpluscomplexcarb).Somerecipesareexclusivelyproteinmealsorcarbmeals
respectively.Forexample,someomeletsareentirelyproteinmeals,meanttobe
servedastheproteinportionofameal,andacomplexcarbsuchasoatmealorwhole
graintoastonthesideneedstobeaddedtomakeitacompletemeal.Conversely,some
pancakerecipesaremostlycarbswithoutmuchprotein,soproteinneedstobeadded
tomakeitacompletemeal.
Yamcakesareextremelylowinfat,andthisisagoodthingbecausetheyarehighin
carbsandgenerallyyoudonotwanttoeatalotoffatandcarbsinthesamemeal.If
youwish,however,youcanaddcaloriesandhealthyfatsbyusingonewholeomega‐3
eggand2–3whitesratherthan4eggwhites.
Tom Venuto
Yamcakesaredelicioushotrightoffthepanorgriddle.Theyalsomakefantastic
portablefoodsandareprettydarngoodcoldafterbeingrefrigerated.Justwrapthem
upinfoilandtakethemwithyouwhereveryougo.Althoughtheylooksmall,youwill
findthemsurprisinglyfilling.
IgiveyamcakesaveryrespectableB+nutritiongrade.Ifyoueliminatethewhole
wheatpancakemixandthemapleextract,IwouldgivetheseanAgrade,andthey
wouldevenbesuitableforbodybuildingorfitness“competitiondiets”…onyourhigh
carbdays,ofcourse!
BurnTheFatGrade:B+
PortableFood:Yes
Tom Venuto
RichandCreamyVanillaOatmealPancakes
Ijustmadethesetastyvanillapancakesformysecondbreakfast
and,WOW,weretheygood!Notonlyaretheytastybuttheyare
reallysimpletomakeandthatmakesmeahappybecauseIama
culinarydummy.Myrecommendationistogatheryour
ingredientsandputtheseonthemenufortomorrowmorning!
Yield:makes4pancakes(servingsize:2pancakes)
Ingredients
1‐1/2cupsquickoats
5eggwhites
1cupnon‐fatcottagecheese
1scoopvanillaproteinpowder
1teaspooncinnamon
1teaspoonnutmeg
1teaspoonvanillaextract
Directions
1. Putalltheingredientstogetherinamixingbowl.Stirthemixtureverythoroughly
untilithasapancake‐batter‐likeconsistency,oryoucansimplyuseablenderand
blendthemixtureuntilit’ssmooth.
2. Spraysomenon‐sticksprayonafryingpanorgriddle(orbrushlightlywitholive
oil).Splitthemixturetomakefourpancakes(approximatelyahalfcupeach).
3. Cookonmediumheat.Whenonesideislightly
brownedandsolidenoughtoflip,turnthe
pancakesoverwithaspatulaandcookthe
othersideuntillightlybrownedandfirm.
Eatyourpancakeshotoffthegriddle,wrapthem
upinfoilandtakethemwithyouonthego,or
makebigbatchesandputthemintherefrigerator
orfreezerforfutureuse!
Rich and Creamy Vanilla Oatmeal
Pancakes ready for the road!
Tom Venuto
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:392cal
Protein:37.2g
Carbs:50.2g
Fat:5.2g
Thisisgreatwaytomakehighproteinoatmeal
pancakesthatcomeoutwitharichandcreamy
consistency,byusingnonfatcottagecheeseinyour
batter.Usingthequantityofingredientslistedabove,
thisrecipemakesfoursmallpancakes(aboutahalfa
cupofbatterperpancake),andtwopancakesmakes
acompletemealforafatlossprogram
(approximately400calories).
Ifyouneedfewercaloriestoaccommodateyourpersonalnutritionplan,simply
increaseordecreasetheamountsofallingredientsproportionatelytogetthedesired
caloriecontentyouwant.(Note:Mostwomenrequire300–360caloriespermealfor
fatlossprogramsandmostmenrequire400–480caloriespermealforfatloss
programs,basedon5–6mealsperday.Maintenanceandmusclegrowthprograms
canrequiresubstantiallymorecalories.)
Thesepancakesaredeliciouswithouttheprotein
powder,butusingavanillaproteinpowderincreasesthe
proteincontentfrom28gramsperservingto37grams
perserving,whileaddingagreatvanillaflavor.Usinga
sweeteneriscompletelyoptional.Thesepancakestaste
greateitherway.
Ifyourpancakebatterconsistencyisnotright,youcan
usemoreeggwhitesoraddsomewatertomakeitthinner,oryoucanusemore
oatmealorfewereggwhitestomakeitthicker.Besuretomakeanoteofitforyour
nextbatch.
Tom Venuto
Ifyouarelactoseintolerant,thenyoumaynotbeabletoenjoythisparticularversion
oftheoatmealpancakebecausethisrecipecallsforadairyproductintheformof
cottagecheese.However,thisisonlyoneofmanywaystomakeoatmealpancakes.If
youcan’teatdairyproducts,tryapplecinnamonoatmealpancakesinstead(see“3‐
MinuteHighProteinAppleCinnamonOatmeal”onpage 12).
Thesepancakesarealsogreatforcookinginbulk,soitpaystouseagriddlefor
makinglargebatches.Remember,oneofthekeystostickingwithafat‐burning
muscle‐feedinglifestylethatrequires5or6smallmealsaday,isplanningyourmeals
inadvance.Thisisanothergreatwaytohaveportablemealsreadywhenyouneed
them.
Thisisagreattravelmealbecausethesepancakesaresmallandcompletelyportable.
Notonlythat,theyarealso“fingerfood,”andyoucaneatthemconvenientlyeven
whileyou’rebehindthewheeldriving,flyingonaplane,sittinginclassorataseminar,
hikingupinthemountains,orjustaboutanywhereelse!(Becarefulwheneating
theseonplanes!Yourseat‐matemaygetjealousandtrytostealthemfromyou!)
Thesecreamyhighproteinoatmealpancakesgetan“A‐grade,”theyareBurnTheFat
program‐approvedandthey’reeasytomake,sotheygetthe“KitchenDummySealof
Approval.”Thebestpartis,theytastesogooditalmostfeelslikeyou’re“cheating!”
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:Yes
CookingDifficultyLevel:Easy!
Tom Venuto
Lunch&Dinner
Recipes
Tom Venuto
Muscle‐MakingTeriyakiChickenStir‐Fry
Teriyakichickenstir‐fryiseasytomakebecauseit’s
simplyamixtureofrice,chicken,mixedvegetables
andteriyakisauce.Yourchoicesforvegetablesare
endless,andothertraditionalstirfryveggiesyou
mighttryincludesnowpeas,broccoli,cauliflower,
greenbeans,waterchestnuts,bokchoyorcelery.
However,thereissomethingaboutthisparticular
combination—carrots,greenpepper,mushrooms
andonions—thatisabsolutelydeliciouswithteriyaki
sauce,chickenandrice.
Yield:makes2servings
Ingredients
1‐1/2cupsbrownrice
10ozskinlesschickenbreast
4ozcarrots,(about1cup,sliced)
5ozgreenpepper,chopped(1whole,large)
1cupmushrooms(Portobelloorregular),piecesorsliced
1/2onion,chopped
Teriyakisauce,sugarfree(oryourfavoritebrandorrecipe)
Directions
1. Begincookingthericeinapotoraricecookerfirst,allowingfor30–40minutes
ricecookingtime.
2. Afterthericehasstartedcooking,preparealarge,deepsautépanorwokbylightly
coatingthesurfacewithnon‐stickcookingspray.
3. Chopchickenbreastintosmallsquaresandaddtopan.Heatonmediumuntilno
longerpink.
4. Chopandaddcarrots,greenpepper,onionandmushrooms.Simmeronmedium
heatandstirregularly.
Tom Venuto
5. Whenthevegetablesandchickenarecooked,scoopout1.5cupsofriceandaddto
thepanorwok.
6. Addteriyakisauceandstirintothemixture.Serveandenjoy.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:368
Protein:40.5g
Carbs:50g
Fat:2.1g
ThegoalwithmanyofourBurntheFatrecipesistoachievethehighestnutritional
valuepercalorie(highnutrientdensity)andthelowestpossiblecaloriespervolume
(lowcaloriedensity).
Japanesechicken,riceandvegetablestirfriesareinherentlyveryhealthymeals,but
therearesomeneatlittletricksyoucanusetomakethemevenhealthierandleaner.
Ifyoulookintraditionalcookbooksfororientalstirfryrecipes,you’lloftensee
sesameoilorpeanutoil(sometimesevenoliveoil).Byditchingtheoil,yousaveaton
ofcalories,andwithagoodteriyakisauce,there’sstillplentyofflavor.
Asmallamountofoilforflavorortextureisyourprerogative,butbesuretoaccount
fortheextracaloriesifyouaddit.Remember,alloilsarecaloricallydense,withabout
130caloriespertablespoon.Allyouneedisahighqualitynon‐sticksurfacefryingpan
coatedlightlywithcookingsprayandyouringredientswillstirjustfinewithout
sticking.
Here’scaloriedensityreducingtricknumbertwo:The“fibrouscarbs”(suchasgreen
vegetablesandmoststirfryveggies)areverylowincaloriedensityperunitofvolume.
The“starchycarbs,”althoughsomecanbehealthy(brownrice),arehighincaloric
density.Toreducethecaloricdensityofarecipebatch,allyouneedtodoisalterthe
traditionalingredientamountsbyreducingthestarchycarbservingwhileincreasing
thefibrouscarbservings.Thetastestaysalmostexactlythesame.
Tom Venuto
Forexample,mostrecipesthatwouldmakeabatchfortwowouldcallfor2cupsof
riceandmightcallforhalfacupofmushroomsandhalfagreenpepperandsoon.To
makealowercalorieversion,youcouldcuttherice(starchycarbportion)to1.5cups
oreven1cup,andincreasethevegetableportionstoacup(orevenmore!).
Regularchickenteriyakialsousuallycallsforsomekindofcookingwine,whetherthe
traditionalJapanesevarietyorsomeother.Youcandispensewiththewineaswell,
andthatwillsaveyouevenmorecalories.Don’tworry,areallygoodteriyakisauceis
allyouneedtoputontopofyourrice,chickenandveggies—thesaucewillbeyour
“splurge.”
Teriyakisauceisbasicallyjustsoysaucewhichhassweetenerandspicesaddedtoit
(andsometimesthecookingwine).It’softenusedasamarinade,butit’sterrificin
stirfry,asyouwillseewhenyoucookthis.Theonlydownfallisthehighsodium
content,whichisthecasewithallsoysauces.Ifyou’rerestrictingsodium,keepin
mindthatthere’sabout300mgofsodiumpertablespoonofregularsauce.
Youcouldmakeyourownteriyakisauce,butIwaslazyandusedthestore‐bought
variety.Ifyoushopinaregulargrocerystore,youmayfindthatthesweetenerusedis
sugarorcornsyrup.Notsogreat,butat25‐30caloriespertablespoononaverage,it’s
notallthatmuchinthebiggerschemeofthings.
Ifyoushopinahealthfoodsstore,you’llfind“natural”teriyakisauces.Insteadof
refinedsugarsyouwillfind“natural”sweetenerslikecanejuice,honeyoreven
pineapplejuice.Youcouldsaythat’sanimprovement,butdokeepinmind,calorically,
acarbisacarbat4caloriespergram.
OnethingIdidfindofinteresttosomepeopleisasugar‐freeteriyakisauce.Because
itwassweetenedwithSplenda,thatreducedtheenergycontenttoaminiscule5
caloriespertablespoon.So,ifyou’renotbotheredbySplenda(somepeoplepreferto
avoidartificialsweeteners),thenthat’syetanothercaloriesavings.
Theingredientsabovemakeanicebigbatchthatyoucansplitinhalfandservefor
two(orsaveaservingforlater).Withtheamountofvegetablesinabatch,plusthe
generousservingofchicken,youwillbeamazedhowfillingthisisfortheamountof
calories—lessthan370perserving!
Ifyou’rehighlyactiveorpursuingmusclegaingoals,youcouldeasilyincreasethe
portionsorchangetherecipetoincludemorerice.
Tom Venuto
Thisisoneofmyall‐timefavoritestirfrycombinationsforflavor.Ifwedon’tdockthis
dishforthesodiumorthetinyamountofsweetener,thisisanA‐graderecipeallthe
way,soenjoyitwithoutguilt!
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
Timerequired:5minutesprep,30‐40minutescooking
Tom Venuto
HealthyFriedRice
DoyouloveChinesefood,butareafraidofeatingit
becauseyoudon’ttrusttherestaurants?Afterall,
youjustdon’tknowhowmanyextrahiddencalories
mightbeinthere(sauces,not‐so‐leanmeats,etc.).
Youalsomightrealizethatyoudon’thaveany
controloverthesodiumcontenteither(soysauceis
likeliquidsalt).Ifso,thenwhynotmakeyourown
healthyChinese,likethishealthy“fried”rice,where
youcontroltheingredients?
Yield:makes1serving
Ingredients
1cupbrownrice
1wholeegg
4oztoproundsteak,cubedsmall(optionalforhighproteinversion)
3eggwhites
1cupmushrooms,piecesorsliced
1/2cupchoppedscallions(greenonions)
Garlicpowdertotaste
1tablespoonreduced‐sodiumsoysauce
Directions
ricecookingtime,orasperinstructions.
2. Afterthericehasstartedcooking,preparealarge,deepsautépanorawokby
lightlycoatingthesurfacewithnon‐stickcookingspray.
3. Heatpanonmediumandaddthechoppedgreenonionsandmushrooms.
4. Forthehighproteinversion,addbeefcubestothepanorwok.
Tom Venuto
5. Addtheeggsandstir.Watchcloselytoavoidburningandturnheattomedium‐low
onceeggsarecooked.
6. Whenthericeisfinished,scoopoutacupandstirthericeintothemixture.
7. Addgarlicpowderandlightsoysaucetotaste.Serveandenjoy.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:386
Protein:25.7g
Carbs:35.3
Fat:11.8g
Withleanbeef:
Calories:532
Protein:51.8g
Carbs:35.3
Fat:15.6g
ThishealthyChinese“fried”riceissupereasytomake.Iespeciallylikethisrecipe
becauseitcanbemadewithorwithoutmeat,dependingonyourtastesandwhether
youwantmediumproteinorhighprotein.
Usethericeofyourchoice,althoughIdorecommendbrownlong‐grainrices.Basmati
isoneofmyfavorites.Forinformationaboutbrownriceversuswhiterice,read“The
GreatRiceDebate”intheBurntheFatQ&Adepartment:
www.burnthefatinnercircle.com/members/608.cfm.
Thisdishpacksabout25gramsofproteininthebasicversionandmorethan50
gramsinthehighproteinbeefversion.
Irecommendonewholeeggandafeweggwhites,althoughyoucanuseallwhitesif
youwanttosavealittleoncalories.(Don’tforgetthatthereissomenutritiousstuffin
thoseyolks,includingthecarotenoidsluteinandzeaxanthin,whichhelpprotectyou
Tom Venuto
againstcataractsandmaculardegeneration.)Feelfreetousemoreeggsoreggwhites
ifyouhavecaloriestospareandyouwantmoreprotein.
TosavecaloriesandmakethisaBurntheFat‐friendlymeal,usemylowcaloriedensity
trick:keeptheservingsizeofstarchycarbsfairlysmall(therice)andmakethe
servingsizeofthefibrouscarbsandveggieslarge(uselotsofmushrooms).
Ifyouwanttokeepyoursodiumintakeincheck,youcanuseareducedsodiumsoy
sauce.Kikkomanbrand,forexample,containsalmost40%lesssodium—540mgper
tablespoonversus920mginregularsoysauce.Itstilltastesgreat,andthismealjust
wouldn’tbethesamewithoutthatextraflavor.
InfutureBurntheFatrecipes,we’llbemakingsomegreatveggie‐loadedstirfries,so
keepthatwokhandy.Butinthemeantime,enjoythisone—I’msureitwillbecomea
favoriteofyoursbecauseit’ssosimplyandeasytomake.You’llbeAMAZEDathow
fillingthisisatunder400calories!
Ifyoudon’tdockthisdishforthesodium,thisisanAgraderecipealltheway,sosavor
itwithoutguilt!
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
Timerequired:5minutesprep,30‐40minutescooking
Tom Venuto
TurkeyandEggWhiteWrap(“Wramble”)
What’sa“wramble,”youask?Simple…ascramble
insideawrap!Thiswrambleuseseggwhites(of
course),leangroundturkey,tomatoes,cilantroand
spices.It’sdeliciousandveryversatiletoo:Youcan
eatthescramblealoneforanalmostno‐carbmeal,
orwrapitupina100%wholegraintortilla—then
you’vegotaportablemealtogo!It’sveryhighin
protein,superfastandeasytomake,anddidI
mention,it’sdelicious!
Yield:makes2servings(2wrapsorscrambles)
Ingredients
2100%wholewheatwraps
1wholeegg
5eggwhites
8ozgroundturkey,99%fatfree
1small(approx4oz)tomato
1/2cupchoppedfreshcilantro
1teaspoongroundcumin
Blackpeppertotaste
Pinchofseasalt(optional)
Directions
1. Sprayyourpanwithnon‐stickcookingsprayandthenpreheatthepanon
medium.Alternately,use1/2to1tablespoonofoliveoil(accountingforcalories
added).
2. Addtheturkeyandcumin.Crumbleandstirtheturkeyasitcooksuntilit’slight
brownandthenaddtheeggwhites.Stirtheeggwhite/groundturkeymixtureas
theeggwhitescook.
Tom Venuto
3. Seasontotastewithblackpepperandsalt(optional).
4. Chopyourtomatoesintosmallpiecesanddiceyourcilantro.Addtomatoand
cilantrolast,stiragainandcookforanotherminuteortwoandremovefromheat.
5. Heatyourwrap/tortillaslightlyuntilsoftandwarm(onseparateskilletorinthe
microwave).Divideturkey/eggwhitemixtureintothewraps/tortillas,rollthe
wrapsandserve!
Tip:Completelydrainthefluidfromthepanbeforeyouscooptheturkey‐eggmixonto
thetortillaorwrap.Infact,youmayevenwanttopatitdrywithapapertowel—again,
soitdoesn’tmakeadrippymess.
NutritionInfo
Perserving(1wrap):
Calories:377
Protein:46.4g
Carbs:33.5g
Fat:6g
Scrambleonly:
Calories:217
Protein:40.4g
Carbs:4.5g
Fat:2.4g
Icallthisversatilerecipea“wramble.”That’sa
scrambleinsideawrap!
Ifyou’reonastrictfatlossprogramandyou’re
restrictingcarbs,youcouldditchthewrapandyou’d
haveanalmostno‐carbscramble(picturedhere).
Evenwithawrap(wholegraincarbs),thisisafairly
lowcarbrecipeandit’sveryhighinprotein.
Tom Venuto
Ifyou’reanathleteorbodybuilderinhardtrainingandyouneedmorecarbcalories,
youcouldspreadtheturkey/eggwhitemixtureoutintomorewrapsoreatthe
scrambleandhavethecarbsofyourchoiceonthesideinjusttheamountsyouneed.
LikeIsaid,thisrecipeisversatile!
It’salsodelicious!Thisturkey/eggwhitewrambleissuchatastehome‐run,it’soneof
thosemealsIcouldeasilyeateveryday.Imakethisonequiteoften.
ForthisrecipeIuseawrapmadefromwholewheatthatcontains160caloriesper56
gram(2oz)serving.Youcanalsouseatortilla,whichisessentiallythesamethingasa
wrap.Somewrapsmadespecificallyforsandwichesarethinner.Thetortilla‐style
wrapsareusuallythicker,whichisbetterforholdingthestuffinsidewhenit’schunky,
aswiththisscramble.
Eitherway,lookforwholegrains.Ifyoushopinahealthfoodstore,youwillprobably
findawidervarietyofhealthyoptionsthataretrue100%whole‐grainproducts.
ThesemayincludeEzekielbreadwrapsortortillasandevennon‐wheatwrapssuch
aswholespelt.Youmayalsofindreducedcalorieandreducedcarbversions.I’veseen
tortillasandwrapsinthe100‐120calorierange.Keepthatinmindincaseyouwant
tosavesomecaloriesandcarbs.
Ifyoureadmyrecipecolumnregularly,youknowI’mafanofportablefoods,which
canbepackedwithyou,takenontheroadandliterallyeatenwithyourbarehands.
That’sbecausetheBurntheFatlifestylecallsforthebodybuilder‐athleteeating
methodof5–6smallermealsaday.Ifyouchoosethisapproach,thenit’shelpfulto
havealotofportablefoodsinyourrepertoire.
WhenIfirstgottheideaforthiswrap,Ifigureditwouldbeanothergreatportable
meal.Itcertainlycanbe,butyoudohavetowrapituptightortheturkey/eggmixwill
makeamess.Picturedatthetopofthissectioniswhaticalla“roll‐up,”whichyoucan
eatwithafork,orsloppilyeatoveraplatewithyourhands.Foraproperportable
meal,youreallyneedtofoldupyourwrapniceandtight.
Note:Whenyouuselessfillinginsidethewrap,youcanmoreeasilyfoldituptight
andtakeitwithyou.Youcouldusethesameamountofeggwhite/turkeymixtureas
listedaboveanddivideitupintothreeorevenfourwraps.Justbesuretocountthose
extrawrapcalories,orchoosethelowercalorievarieties.
Tip:Completelydrainthefluidfromthepanbeforeyouscooptheturkey‐eggmixonto
thetortillaorwrap.Infact,youmayevenwanttopatitdrywithapapertowel—again,
soitdoesn’tmakeadrippymess.
Tom Venuto
Onemoreidea:Ifyoumakeafold‐overwrap,youcouldevenputyourfinishedwrap
intoaGeorgeForemanGrillratherthanheatthetortilla/wrapbeforehand.
IntheBurntheFatsystem,weconsiderwholegrainproductstotallyfairgame,
healthyfoods,butwedogivethemaBgraderatherthananAgrade.That’sbecause
wholegrainbreads,wrapsandtortillasaremostlyallnatural,butbreadproductsdon’t
growofftrees—theyareslightlyprocessed.Overall,though,wegivetheentirerecipe
aB+rating,andthisisveryquickandeasytoprepare.Enjoy!
PS:Ifyouhappentobeamasterwrap‐makerandyou’dliketoshowoffyourtalents,
shootavideoandshareyourwraptechniquewiththerestofusintherecipeforums!
BurnTheFatGrade:B+
PortableFood:Yes(ifyoudrainitandwrapituptight!)
Timerequired:5minutesprep,7‐8minutescooking.
SuperSimpleSealofApproval:Check!
Tom Venuto
LowCalorieRedandGreenVegetableScramble
Thisbreakfastrecipeissimple,tastyandlowincalories.Its
jam‐packedwithanutritiousassortmentofveggiesand
leanproteinsoit’snottootaxingonyourcaloricbudget.
WithitsA+ratinganditsfastcookingtime,it’saperfect
breakfastmealthatwillkeepyoufullforhours.Thisveggie
scramblemakesfittingmoreservingsofveggiesintoyour
dailydietasnap.
Yield:makes1serving
Ingredients
1wholeegg
5eggwhites
1smalltomato(approx4oz)
1cupspinach,chopped
1/2redbellpepper(approx1/2cup),chopped
1ozscallions(greenonions)(approx1/2cup),finelychopped
Blackpeppertotaste
Dashofseasalt(optional)
Directions
1. Onacuttingboard,chopallyourvegetablesintosmallpieces.Sprayyourpanwith
non‐stickcookingspray(suchasPAMoliveoilspray)andthenpreheatthepanon
medium.
2. Addvegetablesandcookforapproximatelythreeminutes,stirringoccasionally.
3. Addtheeggsandstiragainuntilthescrambleiscompletelycooked.Addpepperto
taste.Adashofsaltisoptional.
Tom Venuto
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:258
Protein:28.4g
Carbs:24.6g
Fat:5.4g
Intermsofbangforyourcaloricbuck,itdoesn’tgetmuchbetterthanthisgreenand
redvegetablescramble.Yougetfourdifferenttypesofvegetables:tworedandtwo
green,plusleanproteinfromeggsinamealthatisdelicious,nutritiousandextremely
filling.Thebestpartis,thisrecipeisverylowincaloriessoitwillfitintoeventhe
strictesttypesoffatlossprograms,andit’seasilyscalableformorecaloriesandcarbs
whenyouhaveroomfortheminyourcaloricbudget.
Whenyouhearhealthrecommendationssuchas“Eatatleast5or6servingsof
vegetablesperday,”itcanseemkindofintimidating.Youoftenwonderhowyou’re
goingtoeatallthoseveggiesand—ifyoudosomehowmanageit—whetheryou’re
goingtogagintheprocess.
Fearnot,becausethisveggiescramblesolvestheseproblems.Therearefewbetter
waystohelpachieveyourvegetableconsumptiongoalthanveggieomeletsor
scrambles.Thecombinationsofveggiesyoucanusearelimitless.Redpepper,
tomatoes,scallionsandspinachmakeaparticularlydeliciouscombination.
Youcanspicethisscrambleasyouplease,buttheveggiesgivesomuchflavorthatjust
adashofpepperwilldo.Apinchofsaltisoptionalforfolkswhoaren’trestricting
sodium.
Oneofthebestfeaturesofthisrecipeisthatit’sextremelylowincalories,soitmakes
anidealmealforanyfatlossprogramforanypersonofanysizeandactivitylevel.
Dependingontheservingsizesyouuse,thisscrambleclocksinatjustunder260
calories.
Tom Venuto
Ifyouwantorneedadditionalcaloriesorprotein,youcanuse
morethanoneeggyolkoradditionaleggwhites.
Ifyouwantorneedadditionalcaloriesorprotein,youcanuse
morethanoneeggyolkoradditionaleggwhites.Andofcourse,
youcanalsoservethiswithyourfavoritestarchycarbssuchas
oatmeal,wholegraintoast,wholegraintortillasorfruit.Eattheveggiescrambleby
itselfifyou’reonareducedcarbprogram.
Asmallbowlofoatmealalongwiththisscramblecanleaveyourstomachfeeling
totallysatisfied,possiblyevenstuffedwhiletakinginaremarkablysmallamountof
calories.
Withallnaturalingredientsandfourdifferenttypesofvegetables,thishealthyfatloss‐
friendlybreakfastgetsanA+ratingalltheway,anditonlytakesminutestoprepare.
Enjoy!
BurnTheFatGrade:A+
PortableFood:No
Timerequired:5minutesprep,10minutescooking.
Tom Venuto
NuttyWildRiceandMushrooms
Thisisnotalowcaloriemealcomparedtomostofour
otherBurnTheFatrecipes,butifyou’vegotsomecalories
tospare(thinkhighcarbday,post‐workoutmealormuscle
gainprograms),thisnuttywildriceandmushroomsdishis
amazing!Wildricehasanuttyflavortobeginwith,but
whenyouaddnutsandsomespices,it’saflavorexplosion!
Priortomakingthis,Iwentshoppingatmylocalhealth
foodstoreandfoundaspecialbrownandwildriceblend.Itcontainslong‐grainbrown
rice,wildrice,sweetbrownrice,Wehaniriceandblackjaponicarice(thebrandIuse
isLundbergOrganicWildBlend).
Ingredients
2cupswildandbrownriceblend,cooked
2cupsmushrooms,piecesorslices
1/2cuppinenuts
1cupscallions(greenonions),chopped
1cupchickenbroth(optional)
1–2teaspoonsbasil
1–2teaspoonsthyme
Pinchofseasalt(optional)
Directions
ricecookingtime.
2. Afterthericehasstartedcooking,preparetwosautépans,onesmallandonelarge.
Inthelargepan,lightlycoatthesurfacewithnon‐stickcookingspray.Addthe
greenonionsandmushrooms.Optionally,sautéinthebroth.Addthegarlic,
pepperandsaltandstir.
3. Inthesmallpan,addthepinenutsandtoastovermediumheatuntillightly
browned.
Tom Venuto
4. Whenthericeisfinished,scoopoutacup,stirthericeintothemixtureandserve.
Foracompletemeal,servewithleanproteinsuchasturkeybreastontheside,orcut
turkeybreastintostripsorsmallsquares,andstirintoyourricemixture.
NutritionInfo
Perserving,riceonly:
Calories:444
Protein:14.6g
Carbs:69.7g
Fat:11.8g
Ricewith4ozturkeybreast:
Calories:622
Protein:33.9g
Carbs:69.7g
Fat:11.8g
ThisisnotalowcaloriemealcomparedtomostofourotherBurnTheFatrecipes,but
ifyou’vegotsomecaloriestospare(thinkhighcarbday,post‐workoutmealormuscle
gainprograms),thisnuttywildriceandmushroomsdishisamazing!Wildricehasa
nuttyflavortobeginwith,butwhenyouaddnutsandsomespices,it’saflavor
explosion!
Priortomakingthis,Iwentshoppingatmylocalhealthfoodstoreandfoundaspecial
brownandwildriceblend.Itcontainslong‐grainbrownrice,wildrice,sweetbrown
rice,Wehaniriceandblackjaponicarice(thebrandIuseisLundbergOrganicWild
Blend).
Tom Venuto
Wild rice has a nutty flavor to begin with, but when you add nuts and some spices, this is like a flavor explosion!
Ifyoucan’tfindawildandbrownriceblendatyourlocalfoodmarket,donotfear.
Simplygetsomewildriceandmaketherecipewithhalflonggrainbrownriceand
halfwildrice.
Ididquiteabitofresearchingthroughtraditionalcookbooksandrecipewebsites
beforemakingtheBurnTheFatversionofwildriceandmushrooms.Mostofthe
traditionalwildriceandmushroomrecipesusebutter.Istronglyrecommendleaving
outthebutterbecauseitaddssomanycaloriestoanalreadycalorie‐densedish,and
thishassomuchflavorthatthebuttersimplyisnotneeded.
Manyofthetraditionalwildriceandmushroomrecipesalsousealmonds.Almonds
aregreat,butIrecommendtryingpinenuts—theycomplementthewildriceblend
perfectly,andjustwaittilyoutrythemtoasted!
Youcouldeasilyusewhiteoryellowonions,butIoptedforscallions(greenonions).
Formushrooms,takeyourpick—freshorcanned.Ifyouusecannedmushrooms,you
mightwanttodrainandrinsethemtoavoidaddingathousandormoregramsof
sodium.
Mushrooms,bytheway,areabonafidehealthfood.InAsia,mushroomshavebeen
reveredforcenturiesbecauseoftheirmedicinalproperties.Theshiitakevarietyof
mushroomcontainsfiber,vegetableprotein,vitamins,mineralsandnumerousother
phytonutrients.Theseincludeeritradene,whichhasbeenshowntolowercholesterol,
accordingtoJapaneseresearch.Mushroomsalsocontainimmuneboosting
compoundssuchaslentinan(akabeta‐1,3glucan)
Tom Venuto
Therearemanypossibilitiesforspiceshere,butIdecidedtogowiththymeandbasil.
Nottoomuch—tryjustoneteaspoonatfirst,thentastebeforeaddingmore.
Mosttraditionalwildricerecipessuggestusingchicken(orvegetable)brothtoadd
flavor.Whiletherearenocalories,theonlyconcernistheextremelyhighsodium
count.Suggestion:useasmallamountandsautéyourvegetablesinit.Ifyoupasson
thebroth,youcouldtryapinchofseasaltifthatmakesyourtastebudshappy.
Thisisessentiallyavegetariandish,yetacompleteprotein,Imightadd(nutsandrice
arecomplementary).However,forthe“meatheads”outthere(likeme),youcanserve
thiswithturkeybreastorchickenbreast.ThatmakesitacompleteBurnTheFat
“bodybuilding‐style”mealaswell,becauseBurnTheFatmealsallcontainalean
proteinsource.
Withjust4ouncesofturkeybreast,servedinadditiontotherice,thisrecipeaddsup
toagrandtotalof622caloriesand34gramsoftotalprotein.AsImentionedearlier,
it’snotalowcaloriemeal(unlessyouwanttoreallyreducetheservingsize).
Ifyouwanttosavesomecaloriestobetterfitthisintoevenastrict(lowercalorie)fat
lossmenu,justdropthepinenuts(orreducetojustasprinkleofthem).Thatwillsave
youupto160calories.Withoutthepinenuts,thisrecipecontainsafat‐lossfriendly
totalof462calories.
Alternately,youcouldreducetheamountofrice(try2/3to3/4cup)orincreasethe
vegetables(mushrooms,onions,etc.).Alsoconsideraddingadditionalvegetablessuch
asgreenpeppers.Addinglowcaloriefibrousvegetablesinplaceofsomeofthe(higher
calorie)ricecanincreasethevolumeofameal,therebykeepingyourstomachhappy,
whileactuallydecreasingtheenergydensityofthemeal.
Withcaloriesandportioncontrolinmind,thisisanAgraderecipealltheway,so
enjoy!
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
Timerequired:10minutesprep,30–40minutescooking
Tom Venuto
Tom Venuto
MexicanPepperandPotatoScramble
Muchodelicious!TheMexicanpotatoandpepperscramble
isoneofmyall‐timefavoritebreakfasts.Notonlyisit
delicious,it’ssofilling,youwillwalkawayfromthetable
feelingsatisfiedonaremarkablysmallamountofcalories.
Thetrickisinchangingthe“caloricdensityratio”ofthe
ingredients...oneofmyBurnTheFatRecipesecrets!Enjoyit
hotandspicyormildwithoneeasyingredientswitch.
Yield:makes1serving
Ingredients
6ozpotato,skinned
1wholeegg
5eggwhites
1/2mediumonion,finelychopped
1/2greenbellpepper,finelychopped
1/2redbellpepper,finelychopped
Blackpeppertotaste
Tabascosaucetotaste
1/2cupsalsa(optional)
Directions
1. Peelthepotatoandmicrowaveitforapproximately4minutesoruntilcooked.
2. Finelychopthegreenpepper,redpepperandonions.
3. Sprayafryingpanwithnon‐stickcookingspray(PAMoliveoilspray,forexample)
andthenaddthevegetables.
4. Whenthegarlicandvegetableshavebeguntocook,addthewholeeggandegg
whites.
5. Stirtheeggandvegetablemixastheeggsbegintocook.
Tom Venuto
6. Cutthepre‐cookedpotatointothinslicesandstirintothescramble.
7. AddblackpepperandTabascototaste.Trymildormediumsalsainsteadofpepper
sauceifyouprefer.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:373
Protein:29.9g
Carbs:55.3g
Fat:5.4g
IcouldeataMexicanpepperscrambleforbreakfasteveryday.It’soneofmyall‐time
favorites.Thebestpartaboutthisrecipeisthatyouwillnotbelievehowfullyouwill
feelononly373calories.Evenwithastarchycarb(thepotato),thecaloricdensityof
thisrecipeisextremelylow.
Thesecrettothehighbulkandlowcaloriesistoaltertheratioofingredients
comparedtothewayyoufindmostomeletsorscramblesintraditionalrecipebooks.
Allyouhavetodoisincreasetheportionsizesforthelow‐calorie‐densityfibrous
carbs(redpepper,greenpepperandonion)anddecreasetheservingsizesofthe
high‐calorie‐densitystarchycarbs(whitepotatoes)andthefats(eggyolkslimitedto
oneyolkandtheremainingwhites).
Infact,thecaloriesaresolowonthisrecipethatthisservingsizeissuitableforthe
averagefemaleonafatlossprogram,andmostwomenwillfindthisextremelyfilling.
Men,athletes,bodybuildersoranyhighlyactiveindividualsmayactuallyneedto
increasetheservingsizeonthepotato(ifyouwantmorecarbs)orontheeggs(ifyou
wantmoreprotein),orboth.
Alternately,youcanhaveasmallbowlofoatmealontheside,ortry100%wholegrain
toast.Awholewheattortillaworksaswell.Afterall,thisis“Mexican”scramble,you
know!
Forlowcarbdiets,increasethevegetableservingsandreduceorremovethepotato.
Tom Venuto
RegularreadersofmyrecipecolumnmaynoticethatIamfondofspicyfoodsandhot
sauces,butIrealizepersonaltastesmayvary.Thisrecipeisdeliciouswithasplashof
Tabascosauceoranyredhotpeppersauce(forexample,Trappey’sRedDevil).
However,ifyoudon’tlikeyourfoodtoohot,tryamildsalsaonthis.Itactuallychanges
thetextureabitandisquitedelicious(oruseboth—salsaandTabasco).Remember
thecaloriesinthesalsa.Salsaisalowcaloriefood,butnotcalorie‐free—about40
caloriesinahalfacup).
Thisreciperequiresonlyafewminutesofpreptimetochopupyourveggiesanda
totaloflessthan10minutesofcookingtime(youcanstartcookingyourveggiesand
eggswhileyourpotatoismicrowaving).Notquiteasfastasourlightingfast3‐minute
highproteinoatmeal,butstillaquickieandanall‐timefavoriteformethatI’vebeen
enjoyingforyears.
BurnTheFatGrade:A+
PortableFood:No
Tom Venuto
HotBlack‐eyedPeasandRicewithLeanTenderloin
Black‐eyedpeasareafabuloussourceofstarchy
carbohydrates,compatiblewithanyfat‐burningand
muscle‐buildingnutritionprogram.Fornutritionalvalue,
theyarehardtobeat.One15ozcan(1‐3/4cups),the
amountusedinthisfullbatch,givesyou315calories,21
gramsofvegetableprotein,56gramsofslow‐releasinglow‐
GIcarbsandahefty14gramsoffiber.Addrice,spices,red
hotsauceandmysecretvegetablecombo,andyouwillbe
hookedonthisone,Ipromiseyou!Easytoadaptforvegetarianstoo.
Ingredients
One15‐oz(130g)canblack‐eyedpeas(1‐3/4cups)
1cuplong‐grainbrownrice,cooked
10ozporktenderloin(uncookedweight)
1mediumonion(8oz,approx1heapingcup),chopped
1greenbellpepper(5oz,approx1cup),chopped
3celerystalks(approx6oz,1heapingcup),chopped
2tablespoonshotsauce(orashotasyoulikeit)
Blackpeppertotaste
Dashofsalt(optional)
Directions
ricecookingtime.
2. Afterthericehasstartedcooking,preparealarge,deepsautépan,andcoatthe
surfacewithnon‐stickcookingspray(oruseoliveoil).
3. Choptheonions,celeryandgreenpeppers,andsautétheminthepanuntilthey
begintosoften.
Tom Venuto
4. Choptheporktenderloinintostripsorpreferablyintosmallsquares,addtopan
andstiruntilevenlybrowned(orcookseparately).
5. Addthegarlic,pepperandsalt.Addintheblack‐eyedpeasandstir.
6. Whenthericeisfinished,scoopoutacup,stirthericeintothemixtureandserve.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:470
Protein:42.8g
Carbs:35.3g
Fat:5.9g
Ifyoulookthroughpopularcookbooksforblack‐eyedpearecipes,youwillfindmany,
rangingfromsoupstosaladstomaincourses.Manyofthetraditionalrecipes,
however,arehighinfat,starchycarbsandtotalcalories.Oneofthesecretstoadapting
conventionalrecipestofat‐burningnutritionprogramsistoreducethecaloricdensity.
Afteranalyzingtheingredientsofsome
popularblack‐eyedpeasandricedishes,I
firsttookoutcaloriedenseandhighfat
ingredientssuchasfullfatpork,sausageor
extraoil.ThenIincreasedtheportionsof
thelowcaloriefibrouscarbs(celery,onions
andgreenpepper)anddecreasedthe
portionsofthestarchycarbs—notablythe
rice.WithmyBurnTheFatmodifications,
yougetaverylargevolumeoffoodwith
fewercaloriesperunitofvolume(because
thefatisreducedandthestarchy‐to‐fibrous
carbratioisaltered).
Fordiabeticsandotherpeoplewithbloodsugarregulationconcerns,it’salsogoodto
knowthatblack‐eyedpeasarelowontheglycemicindex,whichmeansthecarbsare
digestedandreleasedintothebloodstreamslowly.AstudyfromtheUniversityof
Tom Venuto
Coloradofoundthatincarb‐sensitiveadults,eatingblack‐eyedpeashelpedtoreduce
theglycemicresponsetoanotherwisehighglycemicmeal.
Forarecipethatcontainstwostarchycarbs,thisisfairlylowincaloriedensity.You
willbeamazedhowfillingthisisatunder500caloriesaserving.Itwasasimple
matterofincreasingthequantitiesoffibrousveggiesmixedinwithyourstarchycarbs
(riceandblack‐eyedpeas).Thisisagoodtricktorememberformanyofyourrecipes:
Addmorefibrousvegetables,lessstarchorsugar,andlessfat,andyougetfewer
caloriesperunitofvolume—plusyougettoeatmore,feelfullerandstillgetleaner!
Althoughblack‐eyedpeasandriceareoftenservedasadeliciousvegetariandish,
mostBurnTheFatrecipescontaintheever‐presentleanproteinsource.Inthiscase,I
choseporktenderloininsteadofchicken.Manypeopleavoidallporkbecausethey
believeit’shighinfat.However,justlikeredmeat,thefatcontentdependsonthecut.
Infact,onecutofpork—porktenderloin—isasleanaschickenandleanerthanalmost
anycutofredmeat.(Rememberthatslogan,“Theotherwhitemeat”?Advertising,
yes,butindeedtenderloincanbeincludedontheleanproteinlist.)
Fiveounces(141grams)ofporktenderloincontainsonly154calorieswith30grams
ofprotein,3.2gramsoffatandnocarbs.Ifyoudon’tlikepork,youcansimplyuse
chickenorturkeybreastinthisrecipeforyourleanprotein.Thetenderloin,however,
goesverynicelywiththeseingredients,andit’sanicechange‐upifyouareusedto
eatingchickenbreasteveryday.
Forspices,adashofpepperandapinchofsaltdothetrick.Ifyoulike
ithot,tryahotpeppersaucelikeTrappey’sRedDevil.
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
Tom Venuto
3‐MinuteBlackBeansWithSpicySalsa
Beansareprobablyoneofthemostunder‐usedofallthe
healthystarchycarbs.Highonthestarchycarblistsfor
bodybuildersandfitnessfanaticsareusuallyoatmeal,
brownrice,yamsorsweetpotatoesandwhitepotatoes,but
poorbeansoftengetignoredandneglected.That’sashame
becausebeansareloadedwithfiberandslow‐releasing
carbs;they’regreatforyourhealthandinexpensivetoo.Not
onlythat,ifyouusecannedbeans,theydon’trequire
cooking,soyoucanliterallyhaveyourselfaninstantmeal.
Thisdeliciousdishtakesallof3minutestomake.
Ingredients
1can(15oz/425g)blackbeans
1tablespoonoliveoil
1cup(16tablespoons/264g)hotsalsa
10ozchickenbreast(uncookedweight)
2clovesgarlic(or1tablespoonchoppedgarlic)
Peppertotaste
Directions
1. CutthechickenintosmallcubesorsquaresandcookonagrillpanorGeorge
ForemanGrill.
2. Openthecanofbeansanddraintheexcessliquid(beanjuice),and/orrisewith
water,thenaddthebeanstothebowl.
3. Addoliveoil,hotsalsa,garlic,pepperanddashofsalt(optional).
4. Addchickenandmixallingredients.
5. Serveasablackbean“salad”ormicrowaveandservehot.
Tom Venuto
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:391
Protein:43g
Carbs:41g
Fat:10.9g
Whenitcomestostarchycarbs,thetopoftheA‐listforbodybuildersandfitness
fanaticsusuallyincludesoatmeal,brownrice,yams,sweetpotatoesandwhite
potatoes.Meanwhile,poorbeansoftengetignoredandneglected.
That’sashamebecausebeansareloadedwithfiberandslow‐releasingcarbohydrates
(greatforsustainedenergy).Thehealthvalueofbeansistopnotch.Studiesgoing
backdecadeshaveshownthatbeanscanlowercholesterolandaresuperbfor
glycemiccontrol(bloodsugarregulation).
Onapracticallevel,beansinthecanarealsoagreatconveniencefoodbecausecanned
beansrequirenocooking.Infact,thisrecipe,servedvegetarianstyle(withoutthe
chicken)takesallofthreeminutestoprepare.Don’tforgetthatblackbeansare
inexpensiveandhavealongshelflife,sotheywon’tbegoingbadanytimesoonafter
youpurchasethem.
Beansareavailabledried,ofcourse,andthereislittledifferenceinthenutritional
valuebetweencannedanddriedbeans.Thedifferenceisintheprepandcooking
time.Cannedbeansmaybeabitmoreexpensive,butthesavingsintimeand
convenienceisworthalittlebitextrainprice.
Somevarietiesofcannedbeansarehighinsodium,butifyouarefollowingalow
sodiumdiet,youcanshoparoundfornosodiumvarietiesofcannedbeansoryoucan
justrinsethebeansthoroughlyundercoldwaterbeforeserving.Rinsingis
recommendedanyway,becausemostfolksfindbeanjuice(andthebean“sludge”at
thebottomofthecan),somewhatunappetizing.
At15gramspercup,veryfewfoodspackthefiberpunchofblackbeans.Twenty‐five
gramsoffiberperdayisthecurrentrecommendationintheUSdietaryguidelines.An
idealdailyfiberintakemaybeapproximately30gramsforwomenandabout35
Tom Venuto
gramsformen.Oneservingofblackbeanstakesyoualongwaytowardyourdaily
fibergoals.
Beansarealsohighinprotein,with15gramspercup.Althoughtheproteininbeans
isnotacompleteprotein,thisisasignificantproteinsourceforvegetarians,andit’s
easytocombinecomplementaryvegetablesourcesofproteininmealsand
throughoutthedaytoobtainalltheessentialaminoacids.
Whatabouttheinfamoussideeffectofbeans?It’struethatbeanscanbegas‐forming
becausewecannotdigesttheoligosaccharides.Therefore,thesesugarspassthrough
theGItractintactwherebacteriainthesmallintestinebreakthemdownand,voila,
gas.However,noteveryoneisaffected,andtherearesomesolutionsintheeventthat
you’reoneofthepeoplebotheredbyintestinalsymptoms.
Rinseyourbeansthoroughly,sincesomeofthegasformingcompoundscanbe
reducedbydrainingoffthejuiceinthecanorbyreplacingthewaterthatdriedbeans
aresoakedinwithfreshwater.AccordingtohealthfoodexpertandauthorGeorge
Mateljan,thereisanecdotalevidencethatcookingbeanswithkombu(seaweed)
improvesthedigestibilityofthebeans.Incidentally,somebrandsofbeanssuchas
EdenOrganicarecannedinkombu.Ofcourse,there’salwaysBeano.
Theingredientslistedforthisrecipeamounttojustunder
800calories,sothat’stwoservings.Mostwomenrequire
300–360caloriespermealforfatlossprogramsandmost
menrequire400–480caloriespermealforfatlossprograms,
assumingyouarefollowingtheBurnTheFatstyleofeating
with5–6mealsperday(mealsizewilldependonyourbody
size,activitylevelandyourmealfrequency).
Formanyofourrecipes,Iadjustthebatchsizessothatthere
aretwoservings.Thisfacilitatesthe“mealsplitting”method,
whereyoupreparetwiceasmuchasyouneed.Youeathalf,
thenyouhavetheotherhalfforyournextmeal,whichmakesitveryeasytofollowthe
BurnTheFateatingschedule.Ofcourse,youcanalsosplityourbatchwithameal
companion,ordoubleuponthebatchestoserveyourfamily.
Don’tbeafraidtotryvariationsandexpandonthisrecipe.Ifyouhavethecaloriesto
spare,tryaddingasecondtablespoonofoliveoilforadditionalflavorandtexture.If
you’revegetarian,youmightwanttoaddriceinsteadofchicken.Ifyou’reanathlete
orbodybuilderwithhighcalorieneeds,youcantrythebeanswithriceandchicken.
Thiswillworkwithturkeyorleanbeefaswell.Ifyoureallywanttosplurge,tryyour
Tom Venuto
beansandspicysalsawrappedinatortilla,andcaloriespermitting,addsomelowfat
cheese.
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
Timerequired:3minutesbeans,10minuteswithchicken
Tom Venuto
ItalianStyleChickenandRicewithTomatoesand
Herbs
ManyyearsagoIworkedatahealthclubinNew
Yorkandtherewasahealthfoodrestaurantright
nextdoor.Itwaslike“bodybuildersheaven”
becausethemenunotonlyhadacoupledozen
healthyandmuscle‐friendlymealstochoosefrom,
theyalsohadmix‐and‐matchoptionslike“picka
starchycarb:yam,rice,potato”and“pickalean
protein:chicken,steak,bison,fish”and“picka
fibrouscarb:broccoli,asparagus,mixedveggies,
greenbeans,etc.”Oneofmyfavoritemealsatthis
muscle‐mealhavenwaschickenandricewithtomatosauce.Itwasareallysimple
dish,buttheyhaditnicelyspicedupwithsomechoppedonionsandgreenpeppers.
It’snotafancy“gourmet”recipe,butItalianstylechickenandriceisamuscle‐building
andfat‐burningprogramclassic.
Ingredients
12ozchickenbreast(uncookedweight)
1/2greenbellpepper(approx2/3cup),chopped
1/26ozonion(approx1/2cup),chopped
14.5ozcanofdicedtomatoes
1tablespoonextravirginoliveoil
1teaspoonbasil
1teaspoonoregano
Blackpeppertotaste
Garlicpowdertotaste
Tom Venuto
Directions
forcookingtime(dependingonyourcookingmethod).
2. Afteryou’vestartedtherice,preparealarge,deepsautépan,andcoatthesurface
withatablespoonofoliveoil(orsavecaloriesbyusingnon‐stickcookingspray).
3. Choptheonionsandgreenpeppers,andsautétheminthepanuntiltheybeginto
soften.
4. Chopthechickenintostripsorpreferablyintosmallsquares,stirringuntilevenly
browned.
5. Addthedicedtomatoes.Addspices(basil,oregano,blackpepperandgarlic
powder)toyourliking.
6. Whenthericeisfinished,scoopoutacup,stiritintothechicken‐vegetablemixture
andserve.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:393
Protein:42.8g
Carbs:35.3g
Fat:11.8g
ManyyearsagoIworkedatahealthclubinNewYorkandtherewasahealthfood
restaurantrightnextdoor.Itwaslike“bodybuildersheaven”becausethemenunot
onlyhadacoupledozenhealthyandmuscle‐friendlymealstochoosefrom,theyalso
hadmix‐and‐matchoptionslike“pickastarchycarb:yam,rice,potato”and“picka
leanprotein:chicken,steak,bison,fish”and“pickafibrouscarb:broccoli,asparagus,
mixedveggies,greenbeans,etc.”Iswearitwasliketheytookthe“playbook”rightout
ofBurnTheFat,FeedTheMuscle.Butthat’sbodybuilding‐stylenutritionforyou—
it’ssimpleandtheprinciplesarefairlyuniversal.
Tom Venuto
Oneofmyfavoritemealsatthismuscle‐mealhavenwaschickenandricewithtomato
sauce.Itwasareallysimpledish,buttheyhaditnicelyspicedupwithsomechopped
onionsandgreenpeppers.Idon’tknowwhatmademethinkofthisoutoftheblueso
manyyearslater,butIdecidedtoexperimentinthekitchenabittoseeifIcould
duplicateit.Well,itwaseasy.It’snotafancy“gourmet”recipe,butItalianstylechicken
andriceisamuscle‐buildingandfat‐burningprogramclassic.
ThismealissimilartoSpanishrice,exceptforthechicken,spicesandveggies.
RememberingthatIprefermySpanishricewithmoretomatoflavor,Iusedafull
14.5‐ozcanofdicedtomatoesformyItalianrice.Ifyouwantitevenmoretomato‐ey,
youcouldaddatablespoonortwooftomatopaste.Youcouldprobablyuseanytypeof
cannedtomatoesortomatosauceyoulike;however,readlabelsanddoyourbestto
avoidtheoneswithcornsyrup.Sodium‐freeversionsofcannedtomatoesarewidely
availableifyouwanttokeepyoursodiumintakedown.
Forspices,youhavequiteafewpossibilitieshereandIurgeyoutobecreative.I
simplyusedafewItalianspices:Basil,oregano,blackpepperandgarlicpowder.You
couldminceupagarliccloveortossinsomedicedgarlicfromajarifyouprefer.This
combinationofspicesturnedoutgreat,butfeelfreetospicetosuityourown
personaltastes.
WhatIreallylikeaboutthismealisthatit’sveryfillingforthenumberofcaloriesyou
get.Theingredientslistedabovemaketwoservingsatjustunder400calorieseach.
Anathleteorbodybuilderonmuscle‐growthphasemightgofor50%more(600
calories),andthatwillleaveyouveryfull!Adjusttheingredients(amountofrice,etc.)
toincreaseordecreasethecaloriesforyourneeds.
Bytheway,Iusearicecookerandalargesaucepanonthestovetop,butyoucanmake
bigbatchesofthisinacrockpotifyou’reacrockpotkindofperson.ThisisanA‐list
recipealltheway,soenjoy!
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
Tom Venuto
ShrimpFraDiavoloalaVenuto
FraDiavoloisaspicyItaliandish,madewithshrimporotherseafoodforleanprotein,
inatomatosaucewithhealthy,nutrient‐richsuperfoodvegetables.Thissurprisingly
healthydishistotallyBurnTheFat‐friendlyandperfectforfat‐burningandmuscle‐
buildingnutritionprograms.Withafewtweaks,youcaneventurnthistraditional
pastamealintoalowcarbrecipe.How’sthatforversatility?Makethisfordinner
guests,familyoryoursignificantother,andyouaresuretoimpress!
Yield:makes4servings(approx1‐1/4cups)ofsauceandshrimpperserving
Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Pasta
Ingredients
2tablespoonsextravirginoliveoil
1cupchoppedcarrots(approx4.5oz)
1cupchoppedcelery(approx2largestalks)
1cupfinelychoppedonion(approx1/2largeonion)
1tablespooncrushedgarlic(ortotaste)
1poundshrimp
3tablespoonsfinelychoppedfreshparsley
3tablespoonsfinelychoppedfreshbasil
2teaspoonsoregano
1–2teaspoonscrushedredpepperflakes(ortotaste)
Tom Venuto
Dashofseasalt
1can(14.5oz)dicedtomatoes
Directions
1. Cookpastaaccordingtopackagedirections.
2. Meanwhile,heatthe2tablespoonsofoliveoilinalarge,deepsaucepanorlarge
skilletovermedium‐highheat.Addthegarlic,carrots,celeryandonions.
3. Whenthevegetablesaresizzlingandhavestartedtosoften,addthetomatoes,
bringtoboil,thenturndownheatandletsimmer.
4. Meanwhile,inaseparateskilletovermedium‐highheat,addtheshrimp(shelled),
andcookforabout2minutespersideoruntiljustcookedevenly.(Alternately,use
pre‐cookedshrimp.)Addcookedshrimptotomatosauce.
5. Addtheherbsandspices:parsley,basil,oregano,crushedredpeppersandseasalt.
Simmer,stirringoccasionally.
6. Tasteandadjustseasoning.Ifindoubt,golightonredpepper,garlicand
seasoningsandaddmoretotaste,ifdesired.
7. Serveoverdrained,hotpasta.Mixwellandserve.
NutritionInfo
Oneservingshrimpandsauce:
Calories:259
Protein:23.3g
Carbs:14g
Fat:9.1g
Oneservingofsaucewithonecupcookedpasta(2ozdry):
Calories:469
Protein:32.3g
Carbs:56g
Fat:10.1g
Tom Venuto
FraDi‐what?That’swhatIsaidwhenIfirstreadaboutthisspicyItalianrecipe,but,
I’mcertainlygladIkeptreadingandstartedcooking.
FraDiavoloisatomato‐basedseafoodandpastadish,usuallymadewithshrimp.
Italianfor“brotherdevil,”FraDiavoloisnamedafteraSicilianguerillaleader,Michele
Pezza,whorefusedtogiveintotheFrenchoccupationofNaples.
FraDiavoloissurprisinglyhealthyandcompatiblewithfat‐burningandmuscle‐
buildingprograms.You’vegotyourvegetables(carrots,celery,onionsandtomatoes),
yourcomplexcarbs(wholewheatpasta),andyourleanprotein(shrimpistraditional,
butthisgoesgreatwithscallops,lobsterandotherseafoodaswell).
Someofthetraditionalversionsofthisrecipeuse3–4tablespoonsofoliveoiloreven
more,butyoucangetbywithjusttwo,whichwillsaveyoualotofcalories.Don’t
worryaboutthecaloriesorfatinthose2tablespoonsbecauseextravirginoliveoilis
oneofthehealthyfats.
IlookedatmanyvariationsonFraDiavoloandmostofthemdidnotincludethecelery
orcarrots.However,myvotegoestotheceleryandcarrotversionbyalandslide.
Imadethisrecipewithonlyonecanofdicedtomatoes(14.5ounces)andpreferredit
thisway,butyoucouldaddtomatopasteforamoretomatoeyflavor,oryoucoulduse
moredicedtomatoesforasaucierdish.
Onemodificationofthisrecipeisthewine.Thetraditionalrecipeincludesonecupof
drywhitewine.Toavoidthealcoholandsavesomecalories,youcanleaveoutthe
whitewineandyouwillnotlosemuchflavor.Somepeoplemightwishtoreplacethe
winewithsomethinglikechickenbrothorwhitegrapejuice,butthatisnota
necessity.Ifyouarethetraditionaltype,tryjustahalfacupofwhitewine,which
keepsthevinointhemix,butsavesyouafewcalories.Generally,you’llwanttoavoid
alcoholduringfatlossprograms,butitcancertainlybeenjoyedoccasionallyin
moderation.
Typically,FraDiavoloisservedwithlinguini,butitgoeswithjustaboutanytypeof
pasta.Iusedpenne,andIchoseawholegrainpenne,whichisaslightimprovementin
nutritionalvalueoverwhitepasta.Rememberthatalltypesofpastaarecaloriedense,
soyouhavetowatchthecalories.
FraDiavoloissupposedtobeapastadish,butIfoundthatyoucouldturnthisintoa
lowcarbrecipebyleavingoutthepastaandincreasingtheseafood(tryshrimpand
Tom Venuto
scallops)andincreasingthevegetables.FraDiavoloisalsonicewithagreensaladon
theside,epseciallyFraDiavololowcarb.
Low carb Fra Diavolo with shrimp and scallops
Thisdishisalotspicierthanyoumightthinkjustbylookingattheingredientslist,so
Irecommendgoinglightonthespicesatfirst,especiallytheredpepper,thenadding
moretotaste.Iover‐pepperedonmyfirstbatch,andalthoughIenjoyveryspicyfood,
IimaginethatifIservedthatfirstbatchtoguests,Iwouldhaveseensmokecoming
outoftheirears!
Actuallyitdoesn’ttakethatlongtocook(andyoucanusepre‐cookedshrimptoo).But
ifyouletthesaucesimmerabitlonger,itwillbringouttheflavorsmore.Thisrecipe
takesabitofpreptimeandcookingtime,butit’sdefinitelyworththeeffort.Servethis
mealtoyourdinnerguests,familyorsignificantother,andyouaresuretoimpress!
Buonappetito!
BurnTheFatGrade:B+withpasta,Awithoutpasta
PortableFood:No
Tom Venuto
Muscle‐ManCheesyGrits
Ifyou’refromtheSouth,thengritsneednointroduction.
GritsaretoSouthernerswhatpastaistoItalians.Butare
gritsamuscle‐andfitness‐friendlyfood?Findouthow
TomVenutoturnstraditionalsoutherngritsinto
bodybuilding,muscle‐building,mouth‐watering,high‐
proteincheesygrits!
Yield:makesone“muscle‐man”‐sizedserving
Ingredients
1/2cupquick‐cookinggrits
1‐1/2cupsskimmilk(orwater)
1/2cuplowfatcheddarcheese
1wholeomega‐3egg
1tablespoonlightbutterspread(suchasSmartBalance)
1/2cupchoppedscallions(greenonions)
Dashofpepper
Dashofpaprika
Dashofseasalt(optional)
Directions
1. Measuredrygritsandpourthemintoabowl.
2. Addskimmilk,orusewaterifyouwanttoreducethecaloriesforafatloss
program.
3. Addahalfacupofshreddedlowfatcheddarcheese,orgratedblockcheese.
4. Stirinonewholeegg.
5. Addadashofpepperandpaprika.
Tom Venuto
6. Cookapproximately3–4minutesinmicrowave,oronstovetop(stovetoptakes
longer).Stirduringcookingtopreventclumping.
7. Letyourgritsstandtocoolforafewminutes,addadashofseasalttotaste
(optional)andenjoy.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:640
Protein:41g
Carbs:77g
Fat:13.5g
Ifyou’refromtheSouthernUnitedStates,thengritsneednointroduction.Gritsareto
SouthernerswhatpastaistoItalians.Ifyou’refromtheNorthorWest,youmaynot
eatgrits.Infactyoumightnotevenknowwhatgritsare.Inthelattercase,letme
introduceyou.Andevenifyou’reagrits‐a‐holic,letmeshowyouhowtomakegritsas
muscle‐andfitness‐friendlyastheycanbe!
Whataregrits?
Gritsaresimplycoarselymilledcorn.Iftheyweremilledfurther,theywouldbecome
cornmealorcornflour.Thereisaslightproblemwiththis.Byprocessingthecorn,
evenlightly,wedropthenutritiongradefromAtoB.Duringthemillingprocessthe
cornlosesthegermandthebransotechnicallyonceitmakesitintothegritshot
cerealform,it’snolongerawholegrain.Wholegraingritsdoexist,buttheyaremuch
lesscommon—youprobablywon’tfindtheminyourlocalgrocerystore.Usuallythey
gounder“stonegroundgrits”andyoucanfindtheminhealthfoodstoresandbymail
order.Wholegraingritsretainsomeofthegerm.Theymaytakelongertocookand
mayrequirerefrigeration.
Incidentally,manypeoplearguethatcornisnotanA‐gradefoodtobeginwithand
doesn’tbelonginafat‐burningorahealth‐promotingnutritionprogram.Themajority
ofthebacklashagainstcorn,however,comesfromthelowcarbmovement.Lowcarb
dietauthorswarnustoavoidcornliketheplague.Theyremindusthatcornisnot
evenavegetable,it’sagrain,andgrainsareVERBOTENonstrictlowcarbdiets.Ilike
Tom Venuto
lowcarbdietsattimes,butmyphilosophydiffersfrominflexibleanddogmaticlow
carbersinthatIbelieveinbalanceddietsthatallownatural,unprocessedgrainsand
occasionallyevenlightlyprocessedgrains.Thatincludesgrits.
TheAfoodBfoodlecture,revisited
Twonutritionalfactsaboutcorn,however,provewhycorngritsarenotasgooda
choiceasvegetables,especiallyonfatlossprograms.Oneisthatcornisacalorie‐
densegrain.Acupofcornhas140calories.Bycomparison,acupofstrawberrieshas
46calories.Acupofbroccolihas44calories.
Second,corndoesnothavethesuperfoodantioxidantandphytonutrientdensitythat
manyfruitsandvegetableshave,althoughacupofwholecornwillgiveyou6gramsof
fiber.Thecaloricdensityofgritsisevenhigher—260caloriesinahalfacup,measured
uncooked.Comparethattoahalfacupofoatmeal,uncooked,clockinginat150
calories.
Athirdconsiderationisforthepersonwhohaslegitimatebloodsugarregulationand
carbohydratemetabolismproblems.Thecalorie‐densegrains,starchesandsugarsare
notgoodchoicesforthesecarbohydrate‐intolerantindividuals.
Thebottomlineis,cornandcornproductslikegritshaveprosandcons.Iwould
recommendoatmealorothercompletelyunprocessedcarbsasfirstchoices,along
withlotsofvegetablesandfruitsasA‐listcarbs.WithapologiestotheSoutherners,I
don’tconsidergritsadailystaplefood;Iseeitasanoccasionalchoiceforvariety.
However,thekeywordhereischoice.
I’vefoundthatbybeingalittlemorerelaxedandbylearninghowandwhenyoucan
sensiblyuselightlyprocessedcarbohydratesandgrains,youcanbroadenyourrecipe
choicesandenjoylifeawholelotmorethanifyoutakeanallornoneattitudetowards
certainfoods.WhatI’msayingisthatjustbecausegritsdon’tmakeitontheA‐list
doesn’tmeanthey’recompletelyforbidden!Infact,therearesituationswhenit’smuch
moreappropriatetouserecipeslikethisone.Takeathletesandbodybuilders,for
example,whorequiremuchlargeramountsofenergythanadieterwhoistrainingfor
fatlossandwhoneedtofuelupbeforeworkoutsandre‐fuelafterwards…
Ifit’sgoodenoughforMr.Olympia,isitgoodforyoutoo?
ThereasonIthoughtoffeaturingagritsrecipeisbecausesomeonesentmeanemail
askingaboutgritsafterthey’dwatchedaDVDofMr.OlympiaRonnieColeman.The
videographerfollowedthefamousbodybuildereverydayfromhisbreakfastathome,
tothegymandbackhomeagain.ATexanandthebiggestandmostmuscular
bodybuilderofalltime,Ronnieategritseverymorning.Thequestionwas,ifgritsare
Tom Venuto
goodforthegreatestbodybuilderofalltime,whataboutme?Theansweris,whilenot
agreatrecipeforeveryoneineverysituation,itmakesaprettygoodmealfora
bodybuilderorhighlyactiveathleteintraining.
MymissionwastolookatsometraditionalgritsrecipesandseehowIcouldmakeit
leaner,healthier,higherinproteinandmoresuitableforaBurntheFat,Feedthe
Muscle‐stylebodybuildingplan.Itwasachallenge,butIcamethroughforyou!Be
carefulthough,thisissodelicious,youmightgethooked,andremembernottolet
foodslikegritspushoutthemorenutrient‐dense,lowercaloriefoodsthatyouwilleat
themajorityofthetime.
Traditionally,gritsarenotthoughtofasahealthfood,atleastthewaytheyareusually
served.Gritscanbestovetopcookedormicrowavedandthenservedashotcereal,
likeoatmeal.Gritscanalsobemadeintootherrecipesandbakedintheoven.Most
peopledon’teatplaingrits.Theydon’thaveatremendousflavorontheirown,and
somepeoplesaytheytaste,well,“gritty.”Or,asJeanAndersonandBarbaraDeskins
wroteinTheNutritionBible,“AlthoughmostSouthernersareweanedongruelsof
grits,othersfindgritsasappealingaslibrarypaste.”That’swhytraditionalrecipes
makegritsricherbyincludingfullfatcheese,butter,heavycreamorevencream
cheese.Thentheyareoftenservedwithoralongsidebaconandwholeeggs.That’sa
lotofcaloriesandfat.
SohowdowemodifytraditionalSoutherngritsandturnthemintomuscle‐mangrits?
Firstofall,weditchthefullfatcheeseandweuselowfatorevennon‐fatcheese.
Cheddaristhefavoriteforgrits.Thelowfatcheddarsaredelicious,andthenon‐fat
varietiesaren’tallthatbadeither.(Somecheeses,likefeta,tastelikecardboardwhen
theytakeallthefatout.)Asabonus,youget18gramsofcompleteproteinin2ounces
oflowfatornon‐fatcheddar.
Next,Iwantedtoaddevenmoreproteinwhileatthesametimeaddingsomeextra
consistencyandthicknesstothe“porridge.”Forthis,Iaddedonewholeeggintothe
recipe.Ilikeomega‐3eggsandorfreerangeeggswhenIusewholeeggs.Itrieda
coupleexperimentswithonlyeggwhites,whichreducedthecaloriesandfatgrams,
butIthinktheyolkreallyaddssomethingtothis,sothat’swhyit’sincludedinthefinal
takeofmyrecipe.Use2eggwhitesifyouwanttocutfatandsavecalories.Theeggs
addanother6gramsofprotein.Youcoulduseevenmoreeggsifyouwantedtocreate
agritsandeggsrecipe(seeRonnieColemanvideo),althoughI’vefoundthat
microwavedeggsaren’tthatgreatintasteortexture.Scrambleupsomeeggsonthe
sideandmixtheminyourcookedgritsifyouchoose.
Tom Venuto
Mygoalwastomakethisrecipeacompletestandalonemealthatwashighinprotein,
soadditionalproteindidnothavetobeeatenontheside.Itwaseasy.Iusedcheese
andImadethegritswithskimmilkinsteadofwater.Oneandahalfcupsofskimmilk
addsanother12gramsofprotein,bringingtheproteintallyupto36grams,andwith
theproteiningrits,thisrecipetotals42gramsofprotein.(Itoldyouthesewere
“muscleman”grits!)Ifyouwanttosave135caloriesandyoudon’tmindhaving“only”
30gramsofprotein,usewaterinsteadofskimmilk.There’salmostnodifferencein
taste.
Thespicesincludepepper,paprikaandseasalt.Goeasyonthepaprika,usejust
enoughsoyoucantasteit.Sameforthepepper—adashwilldoya.Ihardlyever
suggestaddingsaltintoanything,astherearesomehealthconcerns,andyoucanvery
easilyacquireatasteforhighsaltfoodsthatishardtobreak.ButIhavetotellyou,a
dashofsaltmakesgritssing.Wow,whatadifference.Justuseseasaltratherthan
regularsaltsoyougettheleastprocessedvariety.Keepinmindthatsomepeopleare
sodiumsensitiveandsodiumcanincreasebloodpressure,soskipthesaltifthat’syou.
Butter:Artery‐cloggerorhealthfood?
Lastbutnotleast,IknowtheSouthernersreadingthisarethinking,“Tom,it’sjustnot
gritswithoutbutter!”Tobehonest,Ihavetoagree.Itestedthiswithbutter(light
butterproduct)andwithoutit.Itworkswithoutbutter,becausethecheeseaddsalot
offlavor,butwithbutteritmakesaworldofdifferenceintaste.Here’sthedeal.First
therewasthesaturatedfatscaresoeveryoneditchedtheirbutterandstartedusing
margarine.Thenwehadthetransfatscaresoeveryoneeitherstoppedusingbutter
andmargarinealtogetherortheywentbacktobutter.Thetransfatscarewaslegit,by
theway.Transfatsarenastystuff.
Interestingenough,someofthetopauthoritiesinthenaturalhealthmovementtoday
(suchasJohnnyBowdenandPaulChek)arenowurgingpeopletogoaheadanduse
butter.Theysaythatifthebuttercomesfromgrass‐fed,organicallyraisedcows,itis
perfectlyhealthytoeat.Thedebateisstillragingoversaturatedfat.Atthepresent
time,theprudentadviceistokeepsaturatedfatlowandwellbalancedwith
polyunsaturatedandmonounsaturatedfats,butnottocompletelydemonizesaturated
fats.Saturatesplaysomeimportantrolesinthebodyforhealthandhormone
productionandthelinktoheartdiseaseisverycontroversial.Also,asChek,Bowden
andtheircolleaguespointout,thequalityofthefatdependsalotontheanimalit
camefrom.
Still,youdon’twantsaturatedfattodominateyourtotalfatintake,andfoodslike
butterarehighcaloriefoods.Whatshouldyoudo?It’syourchoice,butyoucoulduse
Tom Venuto
butterinsmallquantitiesifyoucanfititintoyourcaloriebudget.Forsomeoneona
restrictedcaloriefatlossprogram,I’mnotconvinced,evenbythenaturalhealthgurus
whomIrespect,thatbutterisagoodwaytospendyourcalorieswhenyourcalories
arelimited.You’llhavetodecidewhethertobudgetfortheextracalories,skipthe
butteraltogetherorusealightbutteroranomega‐fortifiedbutterspreadlikeSmart
Balance.
Don’tgettooexcitedoverthehealthclaimsforomega‐fortifiedreducedcaloriebutter
flavorspreadsthough.SmartBalancehasSmartMarketing.There’sreallyverylittle
longchainessentialfattyacids(EPAandDHA)inSmartBalance—only32mg.Therest
isALAfromflax.Ifyoutakefishoiloreatfattyfish,theamountoflongchainEFAsin
SmartBalanceistriflingincomparison.Furthermore,eventhoughtheyuseolive,flax,
canolaandpalmoilsinsteadofthehydrogenatedtransfattyacidsthatareusedin
margarines,theseoilsstillmayberefined.
Flaxinparticularraisesaneyebrowinprocessedfoodsbecauseflaxseedoilissucha
delicateoil.Still,thesebutterspreads,ifyoulikethetaste,containonly50caloriesper
tablespoon,halfthecaloriesofbutter.Evenifthegoodstuffclaimedonthelabelsis
exaggerated,it’sprobablynotabadchoiceandthecaloriesavingsisaclearbenefit.
Incidentally,lightbutterisalsoavailableat50caloriespertablespoon,whichismade
withrealbutterandmorewater,withstabilizersandemulsifiersaddedtokeepit
solid.
Lastbutnotleast,therearebutterflavorsprinklessuchasButterBudsandMolly
McButter.Themainingredientismaltodextrin,whichisaquick‐absorbingcomplex
carbohydratederivedfromcorn.Notexactlyhealthfood,buttheplussideofbutter
sprinklesisyougetthatbutterflavorwithonly15caloriespertablespoon.
Cookinghintsandcalorietips
Youcancookyourgritsonthestovetop,ordowhatIdid—microwaveit.Ittakesabit
longerthanoatmeal,usuallyabout4minutes,dependingonyourpowersetting.You
maywanttostiritafter2–3minutessoitdoesn’tclumpup.Itwillbepipinghotwhen
youtakeitout,sostiritagainthoroughlyandletitstandforafewminutesuntilit’s
coolenoughtoeat.
Theservingsizelistedabovewaschosenforamalebodybuilderorathleteandis
surprisinglyfilling.Femalesusuallyrequireabout500–600fewercaloriesperday
thanmales,soafemale‐sizedservingwouldbeabout75%ofwhat’slistedabove.It’s
veryeasytoreducethecaloriesinthisrecipeifyouchoose,tomakeitfallintoafat
loss‐friendlyprogram.Simplyusewaterinsteadofskimmilk,whichreducescalories
Tom Venuto
by135,droppingthecaloriecountto505(youcouldalsousehalfwaterandhalf
milk),useeggwhitesordroptheeggs,andordropthebutterorusebutterflavor
sprinkles.Or,ofcourse,youcansimplyreducetheservingsizeofeverything.
Thishasbeenalongerrecipecolumnthanusual,butIhopemydetailedexplanationof
howtousecertaintypesofcarbsappropriatelywashelpfultoyou.Ialsohopebynow,
you’vestartedpickinguponmymethodsformakingtraditionalhighcalorie,highfat
recipeslowerincaloriesandhigherinprotein.Evenifarecipedoesn’tgetatopgrade,
rememberthatyoucanmakeoveranyrecipetoreducethecalories,increasethe
nutritionandimprovethenutritiongrade.
BurnTheFatGrade:B‐
PortableFood:No
Tom Venuto
SuperSimpleSalmonSaladSandwich
Ifyoucraveadelicious,mouth‐wateringsandwich,butyou’re
notsurewhatkindofsandwichishealthy,orifyou’rejustbored
withtunafish,thenhere’sadynamitenewrecipeforyouto
try—thesupersimplesalmonsaladsandwich.Notonlyis
salmonabonafidesuperfoodbecauseofitshighomega‐3fat
content,thisrecipetakesjustminutestoprepareandisa
convenient,portablemealyoucantakewithyouanywhereyou
go.
Yield:makes2pitapocketsandwiches
Ingredients
16‐ozcansalmon
1tablespoonlightomega‐3mayo
1/2cuponion,finelychopped
1/4cupfinelychoppedcelery
2teaspoonsdillweed,dried
2tablespoonslemonjuice
1teaspoongroundblackpepper
2100%wholewheatpitapockets
Directions
1. Putallingredientsintoabowlandmixthoroughly.
2. Spoonintoawholegrainpitapocket(orspreadontoasandwich)andenjoy!
Thatwaseasy,wasn’tit?
Tom Venuto
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:539
Protein:41g
Carbs:37.3g
Fat:20.2g
Everyonceinawhiledon’tyoujustcraveasandwich?Ido.Idon’tneedoneveryoften,
Ijustliketohavetheoption.That’sexactlywhyIdon’tlikeallornonethinkingorthe
extremesoflowcarbdiets.Someguywroteabookcalled,LifeWithoutBread.
Yechhhhh!Whatahorridthought.Sure,banishasmuchofthewhiteflour,white
bread,andwhitesugarasyoucan,andkeepthestarchycarbsinmoderationwhileon
strictfatlossprograms(havethemforbreakfastorafterworkouts,atleast).Butwhy
notallowyourselfsomewholegrainbreadsometimes,evenifit’snotyourdailystaple
food?
Soifyouwantasandwich,whatkindishealthyandfitsinwithafat‐burning
program?Irememberasceneinthemovie,AnalyzeThiswithRobertDenirowhere
GangsterOnesays,“Heywhatkindofsandwichain’ttoofattening?”GangsterTwo
says,“Halfasandwich.”Acomedy,yes,buttruerwordshaveneverbeenspoken.
Onepopularfavoriteisthetunasandwich.Butthemostbasictunasandwich—tuna
andmayo—isboring.Eventuna,lettuceandtomato,whileanimprovement,isstill
boring.SoIwasthinking,howcouldImakeamoreinterestingtunasandwich?Thenit
dawnedonme…withtheconcernsaboutmercuryintuna,andwithmostpeoplenot
gettingenoughomega‐3fats,whynotuseanevenhigheromega‐3andheavymetal‐
freesourceoffish—cannedsalmon.Bingo!ThatwasthenextrecipeIwasgoingto
make.
Onceagain,Islavedinthekitchenforhoursforyou.Iresearchedeverytunasaladand
salmonsaladrecipeIcouldfind,thenItaste‐tested5differentrecipes.TherecipeI
settledonisoneofthesimplest,withthefewestingredients.Notonlythat,it’savast
improvementovertraditionalsalmonsalad,asIditchedtheoily,highcalorie
dressings,sourcream,regularmayo,fullfatcheese,baconandotherhighcalorie
ingredientsthatappearinmanyofthetraditionalsalmonsaladrecipes.
Tom Venuto
Firstlet’stalkaboutdillweed.(NoBeavisandButtheadjokes,
please.)Dillweedisaveryversatileherb,butit’sfabulouswith
salmon.(Notetoself:Nexttimeyou’remakingbroiledsalmon
steaks,trydillweed,brushalittleoliveoilon,thenaddadashof
pepperandgarlicoronionpowder.Yum!)Dillisalsoasuperfood
initsownrightbecauseitcontainscalciummonoterpenesand
flavonoids.
Next,let’stalkaboutmayonnaise.Mayoisnotatopgradefood
choice.Mayonnaiseismadefromeggsandsoybeanoil,plusabitof
sugarandspicesorflavorings.Withtheoilcontent,rightoffthebat
youknowit’scaloricallydense.Furthermore,soybeanisnota
greatoil.Manypeoplerealizethatwhitesugarandwhiteflourarerefinedand
thereforelesshealthyfoods.Butitseldomdawnsonthemthatoilscanbeprocessed
too.Oilscanberefinedwithchemicalsandsolventstoprolongtheirshelflife.Call
them“whiteoils”ifyoulike,andlumpthemtogetherwithwhitesugarandwhite
flour.
Inaddition,highamountsofomega‐6fatswhicharefoundin
theseoilsareunhealthfulifthey’renotbalancedwithomega‐3
fats.Omega‐6fatsareessential,butmostpeoplegetfartoo
muchomega‐6andnotenoughomega‐3.Thismeansyou
shouldlookforwaystoachievethereverse:getmoreomega‐3
andnotsomuchomega‐6.What’sthesolution?Onechoiceisto
gowithacanolaoilmayo.That’sanimprovementinomega‐6to
omega‐3ratiodepartmentandcanoladoeshavesomeomega‐3
fattyacids.However,evencanolaoilhasitsdetractors.
Alsoconsiderthatregularcanolaoilmayoisstillfull‐fatandhigh
incalories—about100caloriespertablespoon.Analternativeislightmayonnaise,
whichusuallyhas35–50caloriespertablespoon,andthat’swhatIusedinthisrecipe.
Lightmayosmaybemadewithsoybeanorcanolaoil.Youcanalsochooseproducts
suchastheSmartBalancebrandofomega‐fortifiedmayonnaisewhichismadewith
canola,soy,flaxseedandoliveoils.That’sanimprovementandat50calories,it’shalf
thecaloriesofregularmayo.
Lastbutnotleast,there’sfat‐freemayo.Yes,suchananimalexists.SmartBeatisone
brandthatmakesfat‐freemayo.Howdotheydoit?Theyusethickenerssuchascorn
starchandstabilizerssuchascellulose.Italsocontainsmaltodextrinandsugar,butat
10caloriespertablespoon,it’saninsignificantamountofsugar.You’llhavetodecide
Tom Venuto
whichonetousebasedonhowmuchofatrade‐offyou’rewillingtoacceptbetween
caloriesavingsandtaste.Asyoucanimagine,a10‐calorie‐per‐tablespoonmayo
doesn’ttastequiteliketherealthing.Inanycase,mayonnaiseisnotadailystaplefood,
butallowingitoccasionallyexpandsyourrangeofrecipepossibilities.
Thereisoneotherworkaroundifyouwanttoraisethenutritiongradeabitandskip
themayoaltogether.Tryyogurtinthisrecipeinsteadofmayonnaise.Ilikethis
particularrecipethebest,butyoucanalsoexperimentwithotheringredientssuchas
cucumbersandtomatoes.
Onceyou’vemadeyoursalmonsaladspread,youcan
slatheriton100%wholegrainbreadandmakea
sandwichoryoucantrymyfavorite:spoonitintoa
wholegrainmini‐pitapocket(oneounce/28gramsize).
Thebatchingredientslistedabovemaketwominipita
pockets.Withtheingredientslisted,twosalmonsalad
pitasandwichestotal539calories.Ifyou’reonatight
caloriebudget,haveonlyonesandwich,oryoucancut
100caloriesbyusing4ouncesofsalmoninsteadof6,or
cut40caloriesbyusingthenon‐fatmayo.Lightwholewheatbreadsarealsoavailable
at60–70caloriesperslicecomparedto100–110caloriespersliceforregularwhole
wheatbread.
Bytheway,ifyougothepitapocketroute,guesswhat?Younowhaveyetanother
take‐it‐with‐youportablemeal!Ilovemealsthatyoucaneasilypack,carrywithyou
andeatwithoutfuss.Ifyou’refollowinga5–6smallmealsperdayplanasoutlinedin
BurntheFat,FeedtheMuscle,recipeslikethismakeitacinch,andtheyalsomake
forgreattravelanddaytripmeals.
ThismealgetsaBgradebecauseituseslightlyprocessed(B‐grade)carbs(whole
grainbread),andmayonnaise.Forbestresults,useasmanyA‐listfoodsandrecipesas
possible(totallyunprocessedfoods).Butdon’tbeafraidofoccasionalB‐foodrecipes
becauseitmakesyournutritionprogramlessrestrictiveandmoreenjoyableforthe
longterm.
Sorry,butIdon’tbuyintothedogmaof“nevereatbread.”Remember,aslongasyou’re
inacaloriedeficit,youwillgetleaner.Anddon’tforget,salmonisabonafide
superfoodduetoitshighomega‐3content.Enjoy!
Tom Venuto
BurnTheFatGrade:B
PortableFood:Yes
Timerequired:5minutesprep
Tom Venuto
WarmCrunchyTunaRiceWithSpinach
WhoelsewantstoknowhowtomakeoneofTomVenuto’s
favoriterecipes?Aftertestingoutthefirstbatch,Ifound
myselfmakingthistastydishalmostdailyforanentireweek
straight—anddoingitfrommemory!It’sthateasytomake,
andit’ssodelicious!ThisBurnTheFat“cleaneating”dish
getsanA+becauseitadherestotheBurnTheFateating
guidelinesandbecauseit’sgotsuperfoodingredients
includingtuna,whichishighinomega‐3fattyacidsand
spinach,whichisanutritionalgreenfoodpowerhouse.Discoverhowtopreparethis
appetizingdishbelow...
Yield:makes1serving
Ingredients
16‐ozcanwater‐packedalbacoretuna
2cupsspinach,chopped
1/2cupchoppedscallions(greenonions),chopped
1/2cupcelery,chopped
1/4cupfreshparsley,finelychopped
1cuplong‐grainbrownrice(measuredaftercooking)
2teaspoonslemonpeppersaltseasoning
Directions
1. Startcookingyourriceusingyourfavoritemethod:ricecooker,stovetop,sauce
pan,orsimplyreheatleftoverrice.
2. Chopup2cupsofspinachandputitinamedium‐sizedmixingbowl.Chopone
largestalkofcelery(about1/2cup),chopupyourscallions(1/2cup),andfinely
choptheparsley(1/4cup)andaddtothebowl.
3. Addbrownrice,addtuna,seasonwith2teaspoonsoflemonpepperseasoning,
andmix.
4. Heatinsautépanfor2–3minutesoruntilwarm.
Tom Venuto
5. Serveandenjoy.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:408
Protein:39.6g
Carbs:54.6g
Fat:3.8g
It’sofficial!Thisisnowoneofmynewfavoriterecipes.Aftertestingoutthefirst
batch,Ifoundmyselfmakingthisalmosteverydayforanentireweekstraight,and
doingitfrommemory,withoutneedingtherecipeinfrontofme.It’ssoeasytomake,
andsodelicious!
This “superfood recipe” gets its lean protein from tuna, which is also high in omega‐3 fatty acids.
ThisisoneofthoserecipesIlikealotbecauseyoucanveryeasilycontrolthecalories
andcarbohydrateintakebyalteringtheamountofriceusedandtheflavorofthedish
doesn’tchangemuchatall.Thestarchycarbssuchasricearethecaloriedensepartof
mostrecipes(withtheexceptionofoilsandotherconcentratedfats),soit’seasyto
tweakthisrecipetofitanynutritionprogram.
Forexample,ifyou’reamalebodybuilderworkingongainingmusclemass,youmight
use1‐1/2to2cupsofbrownriceandcallthatoneserving.Ifyou’reafemaleonafat
lossprogramyoumightuseonecupofriceaslistedintheinstructionsabove.If
you’recontrollingyourcarbintake,youcouldgowithaslittleas1/2cupto3/4cupof
riceperserving.
It’sthelemonpeppersaltseasoningthatreallyaddssomesuperzingtothisdish.
However,ifyou’recontrollingsodiumintake,thenalowsodiumalternativeislemon
juiceandpepper.Afewcompaniesalsomakeno‐sodiumlemonpepperseasonings,so
besuretowatchforthedifferencewhenyoushop.
Tom Venuto
Celeryaddsgreatcrunch,andit’saboutaslowincaloriesasanyfoodcanget.You
couldn’tovereatceleryifyoutried,butitaddsbulktoarecipe,whichhelpsmakeyou
feelfullerandmoresatisfied.(Oneofthesecretsofgettingleanistofilloutyour
recipeswithhigh‐satiety,high‐fiber,low‐caloriefoods.)Celeryalsocontainsa
substantialamountofvitaminCaswellashealth‐promotingcompoundssuchas
phalides(whichmayhelplowercholesterolandbloodpressure)andcoumarins
(whichmayhelppreventcancer).
Inthesummerof2007,TheCenterforScienceinthePublicInterest(CSPI)published
anarticlecalled“OrganicFood:Isitworththeprice?”whichgainedmassmedia
attentionbecauseitlistedthe12foodsthataremostlikelytobecontaminatedwith
largeamountsofpesticides.ThelistwascompiledbytheEnvironmentalWorking
Group,aWashingtonDCnon‐profitgroup,basedon43,000analysesforpesticides,
conductedbytheUSDepartmentofAgriculturebetween2002and2004.Thatlistof
the“DirtyDozen”includedspinachandcelery,bothofwhichareinthisrecipe.
“Be like Popeye and eat more spinach, will ya!”
There’sbeenmuchdebateaboutwhetherorganicfoodsareworththeextracost.
That’sapersonaldecisionyouneedtomakeforyourselfaftergettinginformedabout
thefacts.Ifyouwanttoavoidpesticides,butyou’reunsureaboutspendingthemoney
toeat100%organic,thenagoodplacetostartistogoorganicwithfoodslistedonthe
“dirtydozen.”Inorderofmosttoleastcontaminated,thatincludes:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Peaches
Apples
SweetBellPeppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes
Tom Venuto
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes
Insummary,warm,crunchytunaricewithspinachgetsanA+becauseit’snotonly
BurnTheFat“cleaneating”atitsbest,it’sgotsuperfoodingredientsincludingtuna,
whichishighinomega‐3fattyacidsandspinach,whichisanutritionalgreenfood
powerhouse.(BelikePopeyeand“Eatmorespinach,willya!”)
Thisrecipescalesoutwell,soifyou’reservingyoursignificantother,familyora
group,it’sjustaseasytodouble,tripleorquadrupletheingredients—justbesure
haveaBIGbowlhandy.
BurnTheFatGrade:A+
PortableFood:No
Timerequired:8–10minutesprep,30minutescooking(rice)
Tom Venuto
MediterraneanShrimpandRice
Ifyou’retiredofblandmeals,you’regoingtolovethisquick
andeasyvariationonMediterraneanshrimpandrice
becauseit’sburstingwithflavorwhilepackedwithnutrition.I
guaranteeitwon’tseemlikeyou’reonadietwhenyouhave
thisforlunch!Theleanproteinsourceisshrimpwhichisa
nicedeparturefromtheusualchickenandtunacommonly
usedinmuscle‐buildingandfat‐burningrecipes.Thisrecipe
getsanAgradefornutritionalvalue,andit’ssupereasyto
makeinjustminutes.
Yield:makes1serving
Ingredients
6oz(170g)shrimp,sliced
1/2cupredbellpepper,chopped
1/3cupscallions(greenonion),chopped
6GreekKalamataolives,small,pittedandsliced
1/2oz(14g)lowfatGreekfetacheese,crumbled
2tablespoonsbalsamicvinegarortotaste
Dashofblackpepper
Directions
1. Beginbystartingtocookyourrice(ricecookerrecommended).
2. Chopredpepperintosmallcubesandchopscallionandolivesintothinslicesand
thencombineinabowl.
3. Chopshrimpintoslicesorleavewhole,whicheveryouprefer,thenaddthemtothe
bowl.
4. Addcrumbledlowfatfetacheese.
Tom Venuto
5. Addbrownriceandmix.
6. Seasonwith2tablespoonsofbalsamicvinegarandadashofpepperandsaltto
taste.
7. Warminmicrowaveoronsautépanuntilhot.Serveandenjoy.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:496
Protein:44g
Carbs:55g
Fat:10.7g
Shrimpisagreatsourceofproteinthatishighlyunderusedonthemenusofmost
fitnessenthusiasts.Shrimpisacompleteprotein,containingalltheessentialamino
acids.Shrimpisalsohighinminerals.Asix‐ounceservingasindicatedinthisrecipe
givesyoualmost100%ofyourdailyrequirementforselenium.Youalsogetanice
shotofvitaminD.
Shrimpalsocontainsastaxanthin,apowerfulcarotenoidwhichisthesamepigment
responsibleforgivingsalmonitspinkcolor.Onestudyshowedthatastaxanthinis100
timesmorepowerfulthanvitaminEasanantioxidant.You’llevengetasmalldoseof
thehealthyomega‐3fattyacidsinyourshrimpaswell.Ibetyouneverthoughtof
shrimpasoneofthesuperfoods,butyoushould!
Shrimpdoescontaincholesterol(330mginsixounces),butthat’sprobablynota
concernformosthealthypeople.Inoneclinicaltrial,researchersexaminedtheeffect
ofshrimporeggsonthebloodcholesterollevelsofsubjectswhocurrentlyhadnormal
bloodlipids.ThestudyshowedthatwhilethebadLDLcholesterolincreased7%inthe
subjectseatingtheshrimpdiet,thegoodHDLcholesterollevelsincreasedby12%.
Theshrimpeatersalsoloweredtheirtriglyceridelevelsby13%.Inhealthysubjects,
there’snotalwaysadirectcorrelationbetweenthedietarycholesterolyoueatandthe
cholesterolinyourblood.Ifyoucurrentlyhavehighcholesterolortriglycerides,
consultyourdoctorforadviceondietarycholesterolintake.
Tom Venuto
Thereareseveralwaysyoucanpurchaseyourshrimp.Youcangetthemfreshand
whole,whichsavesyoumoney,butwillrequireshellingandde‐veining,addingto
yourpreptime.Atthesupermarketyoucangrabplattersofpre‐cookedshrimprings,
whicharereadytoeat.Youcanalsopurchasebaggedfrozenshrimpuncookedorpre‐
cookedandreadytoeat.Usuallyallyouneedtodoispulloffthetails.There’salso
cannedshrimpformaximumconvenience.
TheolivesandfetacheesemakethisatraditionalMediterraneandishwithaGreek
flair.Irecommendgoingeasyonthefeta—justasprinkleofcrumbledfetaisenough
toaddthe“Greekflavor.”Ifyouhavecaloriestospareandyoulovecheese,then
increasetheservingtoafullounce.Justkeepinmindthatcheeseisacalorie‐dense
food,especiallythefull‐fatvarieties.You’llsaveoncaloriesbykeepingthecheese
quantitysmallandusingthelowfatvariety.
ThisMediterraneanmealcouldactuallybeservedasalowcaloriesaladbyholdingthe
rice,butthericeaddssubstanceandmakesitmuchmorefillingasafullmeal.Youcan
raiseorloweryourcaloriesandcarbsbychangingtheamountofriceyouuse.For
womenandforthoseinfatlossprogramsontightcalorierestrictions,youmightpull
backthericeto2/3to3/4cup.Thatwouldsaveyou50–75caloriesorso.Formen
andthoseinmusclegrowthprograms,thericeportioncouldbeincreasedto1‐1/4to
1‐1/2cupsormore.
Althoughthistastesgreatatroomtemperatureorcool(asasalad),Ithinkit’sbest
servedwarm,soI’drecommendheatingitthemicrowaveforaminutebeforeserving.
Enjoy!
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
Timerequired:8–10minutesprep,30minutescooking(rice)
Tom Venuto
BeefySpanishRice
IntroducingTomVenuto’s“BeefySpanishRice.”Thetasty
combinationofgroundbeef(orturkey),tomatosauce(or
stewedtomatoesofsomesort),brownrice,somekey
spices,andoneofTom’s“secretingredients”makesthis
Spanishriceasupersimple,high‐proteinmealpackedwith
cancer‐fightinglycopeneandothernutrients!ThisBurnThe
Fat‐approvedrecipeworksgreatasasidedishorazesty
maindish.Enjoy!
Ingredients
2cupslong‐grainbrownrice,cooked
12ozleangroundbeef
1greenbellpepper
1largeonion(approx2cups),chopped
114.5‐ozcandicedtomatoes
2tablespoonstomatopaste
2teaspoonsthyme
Dashofblackpepper
Dashofgarlicpowder
Tabascosaucetotaste(optional)
Worcestershiresaucetotaste(optional)
Directions
1. Beginbystartingtocookyourrice(ricecookerrecommended).
2. Next,preparealarge,deepsautépanbycoatingthesurfacewithnon‐stickcooking
spray.
Tom Venuto
3. Choptheonionsandgreenpeppers,andsautéthemuntiltheybegintosoften.Add
thegroundbeef,stirringuntilevenlybrowned.
4. Addthedicedtomatoesandtomatopaste.Addspices(thyme,blackpepperand
garlicpowder)toyourliking.AddWorcestershiresauceforadditionalflavorandor
Tabascosaucetomakeithotandspicy.
5. Stirinthericeandserve.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:417
Protein:32.9g
Carbs:42.7g
Fat:13.2g
ThesimplestversionofSpanishriceisthreebaseingredients:groundbeef(or
turkey),tomatosauce(orstewedtomatoesofsomesort),andbrownrice.Spanish
ricecanbesupersimpleandisoftenservedasasidedish,butwhenyougiveit“the
treatment”andalsoaddprotein,itbecomesahearty,zestymaincourse.
Leangroundturkeycanveryeasilybesubstitutedforthebeef,butinmyopinion,the
beefversionofthisSpanishricekicksgroundturkey’sbutt.Usegroundturkeyifyou
don’tlikebeeforifyou’rereallysavingoncalories.(Groundbeefcontainsmuchmore
fatandthereforemorecaloriesthangroundturkey.)Anotheralternativeislean
groundbison(buffalo).
Traditionalrecipesoftencallforbaconorsausage.Irecommendpassingonboth
becausetheyareprocessedmeatsandtheyareusuallyfattierthanleangroundbeef
andmuchfattierthangroundturkey.Wewanttokeepourcaloriesincheck,sousing
justthebeeforjustthegroundturkeyworksgreatforkeepingthisdishaslightas
possible.
Tom Venuto
The cancer‐fighting lycopene in tomatoes is just what the doctor ordered.
MyfirstbatchofthisSpanishricewasexcellent,butIfeltitwouldhavebeenbetterif
ithadmoretomatoflavor.Soonmysecondbatch,Iaddedtwotablespoonsoftomato
paste.Therewasabigdifference—justwhatthedoctorordered—andwhenyou
considerthelowcaloriesandhighhealthvalueoftomatoes,whichcontaincancer‐
fightinglycopeneandothernutrients,Imeanthatliterally.
Ifyoupreferyourbeefyricetobelessthickandalittlesaucier,youcouldaddanother
canofdicedtomatoes(thatwouldaddonlyanother23caloriesperserving).Imaytry
thatmyselfonthenextbatch.
Youcouldusealmostanytypeofcannedtomatoesforthisrecipe:tomatosauce,diced
tomatoesorstewedtomatoes(evensalsa).Onewordofwarning:Readthelabels
becausesomecannedtomatoesincludecornsyrup,whichaddstotallyunnecessary
calories.Inaddition,sodium‐freeversionsofcannedtomatoesarewidelyavailableif
youwanttokeepyoursodiumintakedown.Therearealso“natural”varietiessuchas
Hunt’sbrandthatisorganicandmadewithseasalt.
Forspices,youhavequiteafewpossibilitieshere:oregano,basilorthymeallwork.I
chosethymeanditwasperfect.Ialsoaddedsomeblackpepperandgarlicpowder.
Youcouldminceupagarliccloveortossinsomedicedgarlicfromajarifyouprefer.
Garlicisapersonaltaste,butpersonally,Ilikethegarlicflavorinthisdish.
Ifyoulikeyourfoodhot,trysomeTabascosauce.Inmyopinion,theTabascoreally
“made”thisdish.Nottoomuch…justenoughsothereisaslighthottaste.Ifyouwant
togivethisevenmorezing,tryalittleWorcestershiresauce.Itwon’taddtoomany
calories(15pertablespoon),butitwilladdanevenmorespicyflavorandit
complementsthebeefnicely.
Tom Venuto
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
Tom Venuto
AuthenticGreekSaladWithChicken
EversinceaGreekrestaurantopenedacrossthestreetfrom
myhouse,I’vebeenhookedonGreeksaladswithgrilled
chicken.Withthepossibleexceptionofthefullfatfeta
cheese,it’sprettymucha100%BurnTheFat‐friendlytype
ofmeal(andeventhecheeseisokayifyouwatchthe
calories).WithsomeinsightsfrommyGreektraining
partner,Kostas,thisrecipeisnow“AuthenticGreekCuisine”
andBurnTheFat‐approved.
Ingredients
1poundchickenbreast(2large),grilled
3medium(5oz)tomatoes,dicedorwedged
2greenbellpeppers,dicedorslicedintostrips
1mediumredonion,slicedintorings
1largecucumber,slicedlengthwiseandcutintohalf‐moons
16pittedKalamatablackolives
4ozlowfatGreekfetacheese,cubedsmall
3tablespoonsextravirginoliveoil
1tablespoonoregano
Dashofseasalt
Directions
1. Afterwashing,prepareyourvegetablesasfollows:cutyourtomatoesintosmall
piecesorwedges;cutgreenpeppersintosmallsquaresorstrips;slicecucumber
lengthwise,thencutintohalfmoons;slicetheredonionsintothinrings.
2. Placeallthevegetablesintoalargesaladbowl.AddtheKalamataolives.Cutthefeta
cheeseintosmallcubesandplaceontop.
Tom Venuto
3. Grilltwolargechickenbreasts(8ozeach),thencutintolong,thinstrips.Letthe
chickencoolandplacechickenstripsontopofsalad.
4. Inaseparatecup,combinetheoliveoil,seasaltandoreganoandwhisklightlyto
mix.
5. Pourthedressingoverthesalad,thentossandserve.
NutritionInfo
Perserving,withchicken:
Calories:428
Protein:42.2
Carbs:11.4g
Fat:22.1g
Perserving,withoutchicken:
Calories:232
Protein:7.6g
Carbs:11.4g
Fat:17g
EversinceaGreekrestaurantopenedacrossthestreetfrommyhouse,I’vebeen
hookedonGreeksaladswithgrilledchicken.Withthepossibleexceptionofthefullfat
fetacheese,it’sprettymucha100%BurnTheFat‐friendlytypeofmeal(andeventhe
cheeseisokayifyouwatchthecalories).
WhenItoldmyGreektrainingpartner,Kostas,thatIhadbeeneatingalotofGreek
salads(inNewJersey),hesaid,“LetmeshowyouhowwereallydoitinGreece.”So,
whiletherearenumerousvariationsonGreeksalad(HoriatikiSalata),myGreekco‐
authorassuresmethatthisisthe“authentic”way.
Imadeonlyonealteration,andthatisusinglowfatfetacheese.Kostasdidn’tsayIwas
“allowed”todothat…butafterall,thisisaBurnTheFatrecipe.Thelowfatfetasimply
savesyousomecaloriesandittastesnearlyasgoodasregularfullfatfeta.
Tom Venuto
Ontheotherhand,Iwouldwarnyoutoavoidnon‐fatfeta.Oneofourgoalswiththis
recipecolumnistoshowyouwaystodecreasecaloriedensity,whichhelpsyouget
leaner,whilemakingourrecipeshealthieratthesametime.Sometimes,however,
whatyougaininreducedcalories,youloseinreducedtaste.Becausenon‐fatfeta
tasteslikecardboard,I’dtakeapassifIwereyou.
It’s okay to eat full fat or low fat dairy products occasionally, instead of non‐fat products; you simply have to remember that the calorie density is higher.
It’sokaytoeatfullfatorlowfatdairyproductsoccasionally(insteadofnon‐fat
products);yousimplyhavetorememberthatthecaloriedensityishigher.Adjustyour
servingsizesaccordingly,andyou’llbefine.
Speakingofdietaryfat,thisisthetypeofrecipewhichisperfectlyacceptableforafat
lossprogramandyetsomepeoplewhoarefat‐phobic(acarryoverfromthe80sand
early90slowfatcraze),oftentakeonelookatthefatgramsandavoidthefoodor
mealforthatreasonalone.Whenitcomestohealthyfatslikeextravirginoliveoil,
thereisnoneedforconcern.Infact,it’simportanttoconsumeadequateamountsof
healthyfats.
Theonlytrouble,asImentionedabove,isthatdietaryfatcontainsalotofcalories.As
longasyoukeepyourcaloriesatornearyourdailytarget,thenthere’snoreasonto
avoidasaladlikethisonejustbecauseitcontains22gramsoffatperserving.
Ifyouwerehunguponfatgramsandnotfocusedon(1)goodfatsversusbadfatsand
(2)caloriesinversuscaloriesout,youwouldmissoutonsomedeliciousmealsand
someofthebestsuperfoods.Repeatafterme:“Extravirginoliveoilisgood…Ijust
needtowatchmycalories!”
ThedressingfortheauthentictraditionalGreeksaladissimple:“Oliveoilistheonly
thingthatgoesonit,”saysKostas.“Vinegarisoptional.Butnolemonjuice!Itdoesn’t
gowiththefeta.”(Iusedredwinevinegarandpreferreditthatwaymyself.)
Kostascontinuedwithexplicitinstructionsabouttheveggies:“Greenbellpeppersare
theonlypeppersinthesalad.Noredoryellowpeppers.”Ooops!Well,don’tworry,I
Tom Venuto
won’ttellRachelRaythathersaladisn’t“authenticGreek”…andremember,yougot
therealscooprighthere!
TherewasmorefromchefMarangopoulos:
“Fetacheesecanbecubed,butnotcrumbled.I’veneverseenitcrumbledina
restaurantinGreece.Usuallytheyputthefetaasalarge,flatchunk(something
like3inchesby3inchessquare),ontopofthevegetables.”
“Tomatoes,cucumbers,greenpeppers,redonions(theyarethebomb),black
Kalamataolivesandfetacheese.Onceyouputallthisinthebowl,drizzlethe
oliveoilalloveritandthen,sprinkleoreganoalloverthefetaandthe
vegetables.ThatisthetraditionalwayinGreece.”
ThechickenisusuallynotfoundintraditionalsaladsinGreece,butthatpartisour
BurnTheFattouch.Byaddingthechicken,yougetyourleanproteinsourceandthen
thesaladgoesfromsidedishtoafullmeal—perfectforlowcarbdiet.Ifyourequire
morecaloriesforamuscle‐buildingdiet,thenyoucanaddcarbs.(Tryawholewheat
pitaorbakedpotatoontheside).Ofcourse,ifyou’revegetarian,enjoyitwithoutthe
chicken—it’sdeliciouseitherway.
Lastbutnotleast,don’taskaGreekifyoushoulduselettuceinaGreeksalad.Youwill
lookverysilly.
KaliOrexi!
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
Tom Venuto
AsianSesameCucumberSalad
ThemainingredientinAsiansesamecucumbersaladis
cucumbers,anextremelylowcaloriefoodthatcontainsonly
about15caloriespercup(sliced),orabout35caloriesfora
medium(8‐inch)cuke.Cucumbersarealsosatietychamps
becausetheymakeyoufeelfullwithoutallthecalories.
Foodswithahighwatercontentareverysatiating.It’salso
wellknownthatfiberaddstothesatietyvalueoffoods.Well,
itjustsohappensthatcucumbershaveaveryhighwater
contentandtheyhave2.4gramsoffiber,ifyouleavetheskinon.Enjoythistasting
andfillingrecipe!
Ingredients
3cupscucumber,halved,seeded,andthensliced
2cupsslicedcarrots
1/2cupscallions(greenonions),chopped
1/2cupredbellpepper,chopped
1tablespoonfreshginger,slicedandfinelychopped(optional)
1tablespoonwhitesesameseeds,toasted
1/3cupvinegar
1tablespoontoastedsesameoil
Directions
1. Sliceyourcucumbersinhalflengthwise,scoopouttheseedsandcenterportionso
youareleftwithaconcavehalfmoonshape,andthenchopitintothinslices.
2. Chopredpeppersintoverysmallsquares.
3. Chopcarrotsintoslices(smallcarrotsorbabycarrots).
Tom Venuto
4. Combinecucumbersandallotheringredientsinasaladbowl,tossandserve,or
refrigerateandservechilled.
5. Sesameseedsmaybetoastedfirstinaskilletuntiltheyarebrowned,then
sprinkledontopasthefinishinggarnish.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:178
Protein:4.1g
Carbs:21.5g
Fat:9.5g
Cucumbersareanextremelylowcaloriefoodwithonlyabout15caloriespercup
(sliced),orabout35caloriesforamedium(8‐inch)cuke.Cucumbersarealsosatiety
champs.Satietyreferstohowmuchafoodfillsyouup.Foodswithahighwater
contentareverysatiating.It’salsowellknownthatfiberaddstothesatietyvalueof
foods.Well,itjustsohappensthatcucumbershaveaveryhighwatercontentand
theyhave2.4gramsoffiber,ifyouleavetheskinon.
Oneofthegreatbenefitsofsaladswhichincludealotofcucumbersandotherhigh
satietyvegetables,isthattheytendtomakeyoufeelfulleronfewercalories.
Atrickwhichhasbeenprovenincontrolledresearchistofilluponhighlysatiating,
lowcaloriefoodspriortoamaincourseasappetizers.Notonlyisatastysalada
healthier,lowercalorieappetizerthantheusualfried,greasyfingerfoodsthatmost
peoplestartwith,butalso,theendresultisyoutendtoeatlessofthemaincourseand
fewercaloriesoverall.Withasatiatingsaladfirst,thetotalcaloriecountfortheentire
mealisalmostalwayslowerthanifthemaincoursewereservedfirstinanadlibitum
fashion(helpingyourselfwithoutcountingcalories).
Someofthetraditionalversionsofthisrecipecallforredpepperflakes,butIprefera
choppedredbellpepper.Itaddsmorebulktothesalad,whichagain,helpsyoufeel
fulleronfewercalories.Youalsogettheadditionalnutrientsthatarefoundinred
vegetables.Redpepperscontainbeta‐cryptoxanthin,acarotenoidwhichmayhelpto
lowertheriskoflungcancer.Redpeppersalsocontainlycopene,thewellknown
Tom Venuto
carotenoidthathasmadetomatoesfamousasahealthfood,aswellasvitaminCand
betacarotene.Thesplashofredinthesaladalsoaddssomecolor,sowhenyoumake
thissaladforguests,itwilllookallthemoreimpressive!
Cucumbers—very low calorie density, very high satiety value
Speakingofcolors,mostofthetraditionalAsiancucumbersaladrecipesdonotinclude
carrots,butpersonallyIthinkthecarrotsaddalotmorepunchandcrunch.Carrots,
whichhavegottenanundeservedbadrapduetoahighglycemicindex,areapower
foodthatmakeagreatadditiontoanyfatlossprogram.Irecommendkeepingabagof
babycarrotsinyourfridgeatalltimesforsnacksandthenusetheminrecipeslike
thisoneoften.Thecarrot’sclaimtofameisbetacarotene,butthat’snotallitoffers
you.Carrotsarealsoagoodsourceofluteinandzeaxanthin,carotenoidswhichplaya
roleineyehealthandpreventingmaculardegeneration.Inthetwocupsofsliced
carrotsthatthisrecipecallsfor,youalsogetabout4moregramsoffiber.
ThetraditionalAsianrecipecallsfor2teaspoonsofsugar.Aslightlysweettastedoes
addsomethingtothissalad,butyoucaneasilydowithoutthesugar.Thishealthier
andlowercalorieversionofcucumbersaladhasomittedthesugar.
ThiscucumbersaladgetsitsAsianflavorfromthesesameoil,sesameseedsandginger.
Thegingerisoptional—tryitwithorwithoutandseewhichyouprefer.Thesesame
oilandsesameseedsarewheremostofthecaloriescomefrom.Sesameseedshave52
caloriespertablespoon,soifyouwanttosavecaloriesyoucaneasilydropthemfrom
therecipe,butI’dsuggestkeepingthemsincethisissuchaverylowcaloriesidedish
asis.Sesameseedsalsohappentobehighlynutritious;they’reloadedwithminerals
andcontainphytosterolsthatmayhelplowercholesterol.
Withallthecolorfulveggies,thefiber,thevitamins,andtheminerals,thismakesan
A+multi‐superfoodsalad.Itdoestakealittlebitofpreptimewithallthechopping
necessary,butifyougetyourselfareallygoodsetofchef’sknives,itwillmakethe
taskfasterandeasier.
IjustgotasetoffancyJapaneseShunknivesformybirthday...thesethingsarelike
“mini‐swords”—straightfromKillBill—Ikidyounot!Careful,watchthosefingers!
Tom Venuto
SesamecucumbersaladgoesgreatwithAsianfood,butyoucanincludeitasaside
dishwithjustaboutanythingorenjoyitcompletelyonitsown.
Itadakimasu!
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
CookingDifficultyLevel:Moderate
Timerequired:25minutesPrep,0minutesCooking
Tom Venuto
SuperLeanWhiteBeanChili
Somethetraditionalchilirecipescallfordriedbeansandvery
longcookingtimes.Notthischili.Idon’thavethatmuchpatience,
andnorecipesmakeitintothiscookingcolumnunlesstheyare
fastandsimpleenoughfora“kitchendummy.”Inabout20–30
minutesyoucancookupthishighprotein,nutrient‐rich,fat‐
burning,muscle‐buildingrecipe.You’llloveit!
Ingredients
2cupsyellowonion,chopped
2tablespoonsgarlic,minced
1pound99%leangroundturkey
2cups(one14.5‐ozcan)reduced‐sodiumchickenbroth
2cans(15.5oz)greatnorthernbeans
2cans(4.5oz)choppedgreenchilies
1tablespoondriedoregano
1tablespoonhotchilipowder
2teaspoonsgroundcumin
1teaspooncoriander
1/2teaspoongroundcloves(optional)
Dashofblackpepper
Directions
1. Inalarge,deepsaucepan,coatthesurfacewithanon‐stickcookingsprayora
tablespoonofoliveoil(add40caloriesand4gramsoffatperservingforeach
tablespoonofoilyouuse).Alternately,useacrockpot.
Tom Venuto
2. Addonionsandgarlicandsautéthemuntiltheybegintosoften(about3–4
minutes).
3. Addthegroundturkey,stirringoccasionallyuntilcooked(about4–5minutes).
4. Addthechickenbroth,thenstirinthegreenchilies,cumin,coriander,oregano,
blackpepperandchilipowder.
5. Addwhitebeansafterdrainingalltheliquidfromthecan.Heattoaboil,then
reduceheat,coverandletsimmerforatleast15–20minutes.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:420
Protein:52.5g
Carbs:53.2g
Fat:1.7g
Thisisthequickversionofwhitebeanchili.Youcan
prepare,cookandservethisinaslittleas25–30
minutes!Timepermitting,ofcourse,youmaywantto
letitsimmermuchlonger,orevenleaveitinacrock
potonlowallafternoontoreallybringouttheflavors.
Butifyou’reinahurry,thisworksbeautifullyina
pinch.
Someofthetraditionalchilirecipescallfordriedbeans,whichrequiresoakingand
verylongcookingtimes.Idon’thavethatmuchpatience,andnorecipesmakeitinto
thiscookingcolumnunlesstheyarefastandsimpleenoughfora“kitchendummy.”
That’swhyIoptedforthecannedbeans.Youcanfeelfreetousedriedbeansandgo
throughthesoakingandslowercookingprocessifthat’syourpreference.
Thisrecipeworksgreatwithturkeybreast,chickenbreastorgroundturkey.My
favoritebyfaristhegroundturkey.Youcangetitverylean—99%fatfree,which
helpskeepourcaloriecountdown.Infact,the99%leangroundturkeyhelpsmake
thisoneoftheleanestchilirecipesyoucouldevermake.Youcanuseleanground
Tom Venuto
beef,buteventheleanestgroundbeefismuchhigherinfatandcaloriesthanthe
whitemeats.
Chiliusuallycallsfortomatosauceortomatoes,butIleftthemoutbecauseIwanted
somethingalittlebitdistinctiveanddifferentfromregularchili.Insteadwesimplyuse
twocupsofchickenbrothtogiveusastew‐likeconsistency,butnotasoupy
consistency.
You can season your chili according to your tastes, whether you like it mild or “atomic hot.”
Youcanseasonyourchiliaccordingtoyourtastes,whetheryoulikeitmildor“atomic
hot.”Irecommendahotchilipowder—atleast1tablespoon—andyoucanaddmore
fromthereifyoulike.Youcanevenaddother“hotstuff”includingvarioushotsauces
orhotpeppers.Adashofblackpepperandtheoreganoworkverywellinthisdish
andthecuminisamust‐usespice.
Somepeoplelikegroundclovesintheirchili.IpreferitwithouttheclovesasIcan’t
helpthinkofhamwhenItasteandsmellcloves,butitdoesaddadistinctiveflavor.Just
goeasyifyoudecidetotrythegroundcloves—1/2teaspoonatmost—otherwiseit
willoverpowerthewholething.
Bytheway,ifyou’reonamusclemass‐buildingprogramandyouneedtoincreasethe
caloriecount,thischiliisverygoodwithcorn,oryoucansimplybumpupyour
servingsizeofthisrecipe.Theingredientslistedmakeonebigbatchofabout1260
calories,sothatfeedsthreepeople(ortwobodybuilders,ha‐ha).
Ofcourse,ifyoulookatmostconventionalcookbooksorcookingshows(thatarenot
fitness‐oriented),youmaybetemptedtoservethistoppedwithMontereyjackor
cheddarcheese,adollopofsourcreamontopandmaybeevensometortillachips.
SomeguysIknowmightbetemptedtowashitdownwithaCoronatoo(orpoursome
Tom Venuto
rightintothechili).Thenagain,itwouldnolongerbea“BurnTheFat”recipeifyou
didallofthat—itwouldmorelikeacalorieandfatfiesta!
Buthey,that’swhatI’mherefor,right?TotellyouwhatNOTtodoandtotake
traditionalrecipesandgivethema“leanandmean,highprotein”makeover!
Givethisleaner,lighterwhitebeanchiliatry.Ithinkyou’llbepleasantlysurprisedat
howgreatittastes,evenwithoutalltheextrafatandcalories.Eatenaslistedabove,
thisisaboutashealthyasitgets.Madewithall‐naturalingredients(norefinedfoods),
wegiveourwhitebeanchilianAgrade.Thisisnot,however,alowsodiumdish,so
keepthatinmindifyouarerestrictingsodiumforanyreason.
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
Tom Venuto
Hot‘N’SpicyRedJambalaya
Somejambalayasare“red,”usingtomatoesortomato
sauce,whileotherrecipessuchas“brown”Cajunjambalaya
callforchickenstock.Someevenuseboth.Ourtasty
creationisaCreole“red”jambalaya,sowe’regoingtouse
tomatoesanddashoftomatopasteinahigh‐protein,
nutrient‐richcombination.
Ingredients
1tablespoonoliveoil
3/4cupfreshonion,chopped
2clovesgarlic,minced
2stalkscelery,cutintothinslices
1redorgreenpepper,diced
1yellowpepper,diced
1poundbonelesschickenbreast,cutintosmallpieces
2cansdicedtomatoes
1tablespoontomatopaste
1/2cupscallions(greenonions),chopped
1poundshrimp(shelled,precooked)
2–4tablespoonsLouisianahotsauce(oranyhotpeppersauce)
Dashofcayennepepperpowder
Dashblackpepper
2teaspoonsthyme
2teaspoonsparsleyflakes
1bayleaf
Tom Venuto
2cupslong‐grainbrownrice,cooked(measuredaftercooking)
Directions
1. Pre‐cookyourriceinadvance,about30–40minutesbeforehand,soit’sreadyto
addtothejambalayalast,afterallotheringredientshavebeencooked.
2. Inalargepot(approx3‐quart)orajumbofryer(12incheswideby4inchesdeep),
coatthesurfacewitholiveoilandbegincookingtheonionsandgarliconmedium
heat.
3. Nextaddinthegreenpepper,yellowpepperandceleryandsautéabout4minutes.
Addthechicken(cutinto3/4‐inchcubes)andstiruntilthechickenislightly
cooked(white)onallsides(about6minutes).
4. Addthetomatoes,tomatopaste,hotsauce,allthespicesandthebayleaf.Pourin
theshrimp,stirandbringtoaboil.Stirintheprecookedrice,reduceheat,cover
andletsimmeruntiltheshrimp,chickenandallingredientsarefullycooked
throughandmostoftheliquidhasbeenabsorbed(about15–20minutes).
5. Whenthejambalayahasreachedtherightconsistency(thickeneduplikeastew),
you’redone!Removethebayleaf.Servehot.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:433
Protein:50g
Carbs:34g
Fat:9.3g
Tom Venuto
This Hot N’ Spicy Jambalaya is about as healthy as it gets. Made with all natural ingredients (no refined foods), we give it a “grade A.”
ThereareawidevarietyofwaystomakeJambalaya.SomeJambalayasare“red”and
usetomatoesortomatosauce,whileotherrecipescallforchickenstock(“brown”
CajunJambalaya).Someevenuseboth.OursisaCreole“red”Jambalaya,souse
tomatoesanddashoftomatopaste.
Thevegetablesincludeonion,garlic,greenorredpepper,yellowpepperandcelery.If
youwantedtoincreasethebulkofthisrecipewhilekeepingthecaloriedensitylow,
youcouldeasilyincreasetheamountofvegetablesyouuse,relativetothemeatand
seafood.Youmaywanttoconsiderchoppingallyourveggiesinadvancewhileyour
riceiscookingsothey’rereadytoaddtothepotrightwhenyouneedthem.
Bytheway,ifyoudon’thavearicecookeryet,Irecommendgettingone.Thecooking
timeforlong‐grain“slowcooked”riceisquiteabitfasterinagoodricecooker,and
manyricecookersalsodoubleassteamers.Onanotherpracticalnote,althoughI
haven’ttrieditmyself,I’vebeentoldthatyoucanevenmakeyourjambalayarightina
ricecooker!
Forprotein,shrimpisthetraditionalseafoodingredient(althoughcrawfishmakesfor
sometrueauthenticLouisiana‐stylejambalayaaswell).Traditionaljambalayaalso
usuallycallsforsausageorham.Wewanttomakeahealthier,lightertypeof
jambalaya,sowe’regoingtousechickeninstead.Thissavesyoualotofcaloriesand
keepsthesaturatedfatleveldown.Don’tworry,though,becausewewon’tbe
sacrificingmuchifanyflavorwiththatsubstitution.Ifyoureallywanttosaveon
calories,youcanmakethisstrictlyashrimpjambalayaandleaveoutthechicken
(shrimpisanexcellentsourceofleanprotein).
Tom Venuto
Shrimp is an excellent source of lean protein.
Brownriceisthetraditionalstarchycarbpartoftherecipe.I’veseenjambalayamade
withpasta,pintobeansorevenbarley,ifyouwantsomethingdifferent,butyoucan’t
gowrongwithbrownrice.Thericeshouldbeprecookedseparatelyfirstsoitisready
toaddtothejambalayalast,afterthevegetablesandsaucehavealreadybeen
simmering.
Ifyoulikehotandspicyfood,tryadashofcayennepowder(orCreoleseasoning)and
upto4tablespoonsofregularhotsauce(cayennepeppersauce).Warning:4
tablespoonsisenoughtomakeyoucrackasweat,soifyoudon’tlikeithot,useless
andaddaccordingtoyourtaste.Ifyoulikeitreallyhot,thenpushuptheScovilleunits
meteranduseyourfavoritemegahotsauce.Inthischef’sopinion,thisrecipeisbest
servedhotandspicy…buthaveityourway—it’sdeliciousevenalittlemilder.
In this chef’s opinion, this recipe is best served hot and spicy… but have it your way—it’s delicious even a little milder.
Thisisafairlycaloriedenserecipe,mainlybecauseituseschickenandshrimp(which
iswhyit’salsomegahighinprotein).Ifyou’reonatightlycalorie‐restrictedfatloss
program,youmaywanttotrythisdishwithonlyshrimptosaveonthecalories,
otherwiseyou’llhavetogowithaprettysmallservingsize.
Tom Venuto
Thisbatchofingredientsmakesfivesmallservingsat433caloriesperserving.Adjust
theservingsizeofthisrecipeaccordingtoyourcalorierequirements,ordon’thesitate
toadjusttherecipeingredientstomeetyourneeds.Thisjambalayaisprettyfilling,but
keepinmindthatwhensomethingtastesthisgood,it’seasytoforgetaboutcalorie
density.
Lastbutnotleast…thisisaboutashealthyasitgets.Madewithallnaturalingredients
(norefinedfoods),wegiveita“gradeA.”
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
Copyright © 2010 Fitness Renaissance, LLC. WARNING: This ebook is protected www.HolyGrailBodyTransformation.com
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GarbanzoBeanTunaSalad
Ifyou’venevertriedagarbanzobeansalad,thenyoudon’t
knowwhatyou’remissing.Alsoknownas“chickpeas,”
garbanzobeansareheart‐healthylegumesthatpacka
whopping12.5gramsoffiberpercup.Therestofthesaladis
loadedwithnutrient‐richsuperfoodsidealformuscle‐
buildingandfat‐burningdiets.Whenyoufactorinthequick
preptime,thenutritionalvalueandtheincredibleflavor,we
givethisBurnTheFatrecipeourhighestnutritiongradepossible:A+.
Ingredients
115‐ozcangarbanzobeans
4cupsfreshspinach,chopped
26‐ozcanswater‐packedlighttuna,drained
2tablespoonsfreshparsley
1medium(approx6oz)tomato,chopped
1tablespoonfreshmintleaves(optional)
1cuponion,chopped
2garliccloves,chopped
Dashblackpepper
Dashsalt
2tablespoonsoliveoil
4tablespoonsbalsamicvinegar
4tablespoonsredwinevinegar
Directions
1. Openyourcanofgarbanzobeans,drainandrise,thenaddtoalargemixingbowl
oralargesaladbowl.
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Tom Venuto
2. Openanddrainyourtunaandaddtothebowl.Addchoppedspinach.
3. Chopyourtomatoandonionintosmallcubesandaddtothemix.Crushandchop
2garlicclovesandaddtobowl(alternately,youcoulduse1tablespoonofjarred
mincedgarlic).
4. Add2tablespoonsoffreshparsley,finelychoppedand1tablespoonfinelychopped
freshmint(mintisoptional).Thesaladdressingconsistsof2tablespoonsofextra
virginoliveoil,4tablespoonsofbalsamicvinegarand4tablespoonsofredwine
vinegar(youcanaddmoreofthevinegarstoyourtaste).
5. Finishbyaddingadashofblackpepperandsalttotaste.Mixthesaladvery
thoroughlyandserve,orplaceintherefrigeratoruntilchilledandthenserve.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:396
Protein:35.7g
Carbs:38.6g
Fat:13.2g
Not only do garbanzo beans make for some great salads, they are also heart‐healthy and they pack a whopping 12.5 grams of fiber per cup.
Garbanzobeans,alsoknownas“chickpeas,”belongtoaclassofstarchycarbohydrates
knownaslegumes.Otherwell‐knownlegumesincludebeans,peasandlentils,
althoughgarbanzobeansarethemostwidelyconsumedlegumeintheworld.Not
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Tom Venuto
onlydogarbanzobeansmakeforsomegreatsalads,theyarealsoheart‐healthyand
theypackawhopping12.5gramsoffiberpercup.
Withthismuchgoingforthem,garbanzobeanscouldeasilyqualifyasasuperfood,so
ifyou’renotincludingtheminyournutritionprogram,you’redefinitelymissingout
(especiallyonceyoulearnhowtomakethissalad).
Therearemorevariationsongarbanzobeansaladsthanyoucancount,butoutofall
thetraditionalrecipesIlookedatandtested,thisoneismyfavorite.Onereason,of
course,isbecauseittastessogood,anotherisbecauseit’seasytomakeanddoesn’t
requirecooking,yetanotherisbecausethisrecipeisloadedwithnumerous
superfoods.
Althoughthissaladcouldeasilybemadewithanytypeoflettuceorsaladgreens,Iwas
surprisedtoseethathardlyanycookbookssuggestedgarbanzobeansaladwith
spinach.Spinachisanutritionalpowerhouse—anothertruesuperfood—lowin
caloriesandloadedwithvitaminsandphytochemicalssuchaslutein.
Adding spinach makes this a
“multi‐superfood salad!”
Butwhystopthere?Addtomatoes(yetanothersuperfood)andthecancer‐fighting
membersofthealliumfamily—garlicandonions—andyouhaveamultiple‐
superfoodbonanza!
Youcouldeasilyleaveoutthetunaandenjoythisrecipeasasidesalad(withalean
proteininyourmaincourse),butbyaddingthetunaintothissaladasaleanprotein
source,youcreateafull‐fledgedmuscle‐building,fat‐burningmealuntoitself.
Albacoretunahas,unfortunately,beenflaggedasafishtoeatinlimitedquantitiesdue
topotentialmercurycontamination,whichisarealshame.However,recent
advisorieshavesuggestedthatthechunklightvarietycontains1/3theamountof
mercuryasalbacore,andit’sstillokaytoeattunaprovidedyoustayinformedofFDA
andEPAguidelinesforconsumption(especiallyforpregnantandnursingwomenand
infantsoryoungchildren).
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Tom Venuto
Alternately,thissaladwouldprobablyworkjustaswellwithcannedsalmon—oryou
couldeventryitwithchickenorturkeybreast.Tunaissimplythemostnaturalfit
withtheseingredients.
Keepinmindthatwhilethisisoneofthemostnutritionallyrichsaladsyoucouldever
eat,itisnotalowcaloriemealcomparedtosaladsthatcontainonlyfibrouscarbs,so
keepyourportionsizesincheck.Garbanzobeansareastarchycarbohydrate,sothe
caloricdensityisrelativelyhigh(420caloriesinone15‐ouncecan,thestandardsize).
Alsokeepinmindthatwhileoliveoilisahealthymonounsaturatedoil,richinhealthy
phenolantioxidants,alloiliscaloriedense,with120caloriespertablespoon.(Bythe
way,besuretogowiththe“extravirginoliveoil”becausethat’sthetypethathasnot
beenprocessedwithheatandchemicalsolvents.)
Theamountofingredientslistedabovemakesthreeservingswithjustunder400
caloriesperserving.Sharewithfamilyorfriends,orputtheleftoversinthe
refrigeratorandservelater—it’sdeliciouschilled.Thebestpartisthisreciperequires
nocookingandisaboutaseasyasitgetstoprepare.Ifyouusecannedgarbanzo
beans,ittakesabout15minutestomake.Youcouldcertainlyusedried,uncooked
garbanzos,butthenyourpreptimewillbemuchlonger(forsoakingandcookingthe
beans).
Althoughtherearequiteafewingredients,westillgivethisoneourSuperSimpleSeal
ofApproval,andwithoutadoubtitgetsourhighestnutritiongradepossible:A+.
BurnTheFatGrade:A+
PortableFood:No
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Tom Venuto
HealthyCajun“Fried”CodCakes
Theseeasy‐to‐makeanddeliciousfishcakesareinspiredfrom
thefamousPortugueseBalcalhau,asaltycodandpotatoseafood
casserole.Byaddingsomehotcayennepepperseasoningand
breadingthecodcakeswithwholewheatcrumbsbeforepan‐
cooking,yougetagreat“Cajun‐fried”tasteandtexturethatis
remarkablylightandlean.
Yield:makes4fishcakes(servingsize:2fishcakes)
Ingredients
12oz(340grams)boneless,skinlesscodfish
12oz(340grams)potatoes,peeled
2wholeeggs
1/2cupscallions(greenonions),finelychopped
2tablespoonsfreshflat‐leafparsley,finelychopped,orparsleyflakes
1tablespooncayennepepperpowder
3tablespoonshotpeppersauce(orTabasco)
1tablespoonbutterbuds(optional)
4tablespoonswholewheatbreadcrumbs
Directions
1. Pre‐cookcodbyboilingfor10minutesoruntilitflakeseasily(orlightlypancook).
2. Cookpotatoes(boil,bakeormicrowave),peel,thenmashasifmakingmashed
potatoes.
3. Combinefishwithpotatoesandaddeggs,parsley,scallions,cayennepowder,hot
peppersauce,andbutterbuds.Mixalltheingredientswithaforkasthoroughlyas
possible.(Themixtureshouldbethickenoughtoformpatties.)
4. Rollmixturetightlyintoballs,flattenintocakesandcoatwithbreadcrumbs.
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5. Pan‐cookonmediumheatfor5–7minutesoruntilfirstsideisgoldenbrown.Flip
andcooktheothersideuntilcrispyandgoldenbrown,thenservehot.
NutritionInfo
Perserving(2fishcakes):
Calories:432
Protein:41.8g
Carbs:49.4g
Fat:6.5g
WhenIsayI“slavedoverahotstoveallday”tocomeupwiththisrecipeforyou,I’m
notkidding!Imade8differentvariationsoffishcakesandcodcakes(withsomeearly
attemptsfallingintopieceswhileflipping,Ishamefullyadmit),beforegivingthisone
theblueribbon.Soyoucanrestassured,thishasbeentaste‐testedtothemax…and
it’sdelicious!
Ofcourse,youmaybewonderinghowyoucaneat“fried”fishaspartofafat‐burning
andmuscle‐buildingnutritionprogram,aren’tyou?Well,it’snotreally“fried”asin
deepfriedinoil,butIcallthem“Cajunfried”codcakesanywaybecausethesefish
cakestastesogood,theycouldalmostpassfordeepfried.
ThesecodcakesareprobablymostinspiredfromthefamousPortugueseBalcalhau,a
saltycodseafoodcasserole.However,byaddingsomeredhotpepperseasoning,you
getagreatspicyCajuntaste,andbybreadingthepattieswithwholewheatcrumbs
andthenpancookinguntillightlybrowned,yougeta“deepfried”textureand
crispiness,yetyoustillhaveahealthyandremarkablylightandleanrecipe.
Codcakerecipesarebasedontwoprimaryingredients:fishandwhitepotatoes.You
canuseanywhitepotatoesforthis(Russetorbakingpotatoes,forexample).I
recommendequalamountsofpotatoesandcodfish(12ozcod,uncookedweight,to12
ozpotatoes,uncookedweight).Ifindoubt,gowithalittlemorepotatothanfish
becauseyourmixturewillbethickerandeasiertoformintocakesthatway.
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Tom Venuto
Youcanpre‐cookyourcodbyboilingor
lightlypancookingitfirstbeforeadding
ittothemixtureandmakingitinto
patties.Ialsotookashortcut:Codrecipes
usuallytellyoutosoakyourfish
overnight,changingthewaterrepeatedly
(presumablytoremovethesaltiness).
ButsinceI’mlazy,Iskippedthatstep.
There’sabitmorecookingandpreptime
forthesethanmostoftherecipesImake
becauseyouhavetobakeyourpotatoes
andalsopre‐cookthecodbeforeyou
makethefishpatties.However,codisaveryleanwhitefish,soverylittlecookingtime
isrequiredingeneral.Preptimecanvary.Ifyoubakeyourpotatoes,thatusuallytakes
about40minutesat400degrees,oryoucanmicrowavea12‐ouncerinabout8–10
minutesonhighpowersototaltimecouldbeaslittleas30minutesstarttofinishif
youtaketheshortcuts.
Thetrickiestpartofmakingyourcodcakesiskeepingtheminonepiecewhenyou
flipthem,sobesuretogetyourspatulacompletelyunderneaththepattyandthenflip
itverycarefully.Therealkey,however,isingettingtherightconsistencytoyour
mixturetostartwith.Theidealmixtureshouldbefairlythick.Ifit’stoowatery,thenit
willbehardtoformintopattiesandtheywilltendtofallapartwhenyouflipthem.
Don’tforget,youcanalwaysmakesmallerpatties(forexample,6insteadof4aslisted
above),andthosearemucheasiertoflip.
Youcanmakethemixturethickerbyincreasingtheamountofpotatorelativetofish,
oryoucoulduseoneegginsteadoftwo(whichwillalsoreducethecalories).
Alternately,youcanusebreadcrumbsrightinthemix(insteadofjustforexterior
breading),whichdoesthetrickverynicely,butthataddsextracaloriesyou’llhaveto
factorintothetotal.Ifyouhaveextracaloriestospare(anyonehighlyactive,ormen
tryingtogainleanmusclemass,forexample),thenIrecommendincludingthebread
crumbs.Itmakesyourfishcakestasteevenbetterandthey’reeasiertocook.
Realwholewheatbreadcrumbsarealittlehardtofind.I’drecommendlookingina
healthfoodstore.Youmaynotbeabletofindtrue100%wholegraincrumbs,but
thereareatleastacouplebrandsofplainwholewheatororganicwholewheatbread
crumbs(Jaclyn’sbrand,forexample).Theplainvarietiesgiveyouabout100–110
caloriesper1/3‐cupserving.
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Tom Venuto
Youcanexperimentwiththespicesandseasonings,(partiallybased
onhowhotyoulikeyourfood),butIthinkyou’llfindthiscombination
ofingredientsespeciallydelicious.Tabasco,hotcayennepepperor
habaneropeppersauceallworkgreat,andIsuggestatablespoonof
cayennepowderaddedforgoodmeasure.
Manytraditionalfishcakerecipescallforbutter,butyoucangetavery
largecaloriesavingsbytakingapassonthebutter.Ifyoulikebutter
flavor,tryButterBudsorMollyMcButter,whicharelowcaloriebutter
flavoredsprinkles.Theseproductsaremadeprimarilyfrom
maltodextrin,whichiscertainlynotagrade‐Anutritionalpowerhouse,
butit’sagoodsubstitutionifyouwanttosaveoncalories(15calories
pertablespoonversus110caloriesin1tablespoonofrealbutter).
Anotherbigcaloriesavingscomesfromusingathincoatingofnon‐
stickcookingsprayratherthanfryingthecodcakesinoil.Whenlightly
coveredwithbreadcrumbs,youmaybesurprisedhowthislighterandhealthier
renditionofthetraditionalrecipealmostpassesforbeingdeepfried,evenwithoutthe
oil.
Ifyouweretousebutter,oilandflourasthetraditionalrecipecallsfor,youwouldhave
hundredsofadditionalcalories.Thisrecipeisagreatexampleofhowatypicalrecipe
canbemadeleanerandlighterwithoutsacrificingtaste.IcantakealmostANY
traditionalrecipeand—withafewsimplesubstitutionsandalittlecreativethinking—
turnitintosomethingthatislight,deliciousandhealthy...andyoucantoo.
Lastbutnotleast,sincecodisaverylightfish,youmayfindthatthesearenotas
fillingassomeotherBurnTheFatrecipes.At216caloriespercake,though,youmay
wanttolimityourselftotwocakespermealifyou’reonacalorie‐reducedfatloss
program.Tryservingthesewithasaladorafibrousvegetableonthesidetofillyouup
withahighnutrientdensity,lowcaloriedensity,completeBurnTheFatmeal.
BonAppetit!
BurnTheFatGrade:B
PortableFood:No
108
Tom Venuto
109
Tom Venuto
Mega‐ProteinT.N.T.Burgers(TastyNutritious
Turkey)
AfterImademyfirstbatchofthesemega‐proteinturkey
burgers,Iimmediatelytookonetomytrainingpartner
andanothertoafriendfor“tastetesting.”Theywere
freakingout!Mytrainingpartnersaid,“NOWAY!There’s
nowaytheseareonyourdiet—theytastetoogood…
tasteslikesomethingfromMcDonalds!”Myotherfriend
hadasimilarreaction:“Mmmmm,toogood…feelslikeI’m
cheating...”
Yield:makes4burgers(servingsize:2burgers)
Ingredients
1pound(454g)99%fatfreegroundturkey
4eggwhites
1cup(40g)crumbledShreddedWheatcereal,crumbled
1/2cupcelery,finelydiced
1/2cuponion,finelydiced
2tablespoonshorseradishmustard
1tablespoonsoysauce
1tablespoongarlicpowder
1tablespoonparsleyflakes
Dashofpepper
Dashofsalt
Directions
1. Placeonepoundofgroundturkeyinalargemixingbowl.Addfoureggwhites.Add
onecupofcrumbledShreddedWheattothemixture.
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2. Veryfinelydiceyourceleryandonionoruseablenderorfoodprocessortochop
them(butdonotliquefy).Add1/2cupofeachtoyourmixture.
3. Addspicesandseasonings:1tablespoonofsoysauce(tryTamarisaucefor
strongerflavororBraggLiquidAminosasanaturalsoysaucealternative),2
tablespoonsofhorseradishmustard,1tablespoongarlicpowder,1tablespoonof
parsleyflakes,adashofpepperandadashofsalt.
4. Mixtheingredientsthoroughlywithafork,thenformintofourpattieswithyour
hands.Cookonagrill,grillpan,orforfastestcooking,useaGeorgeForemanGrill
(takesabout4–5minutestocook).
NutritionInfo
Perserving(2burgers):
Calories:379
Protein:65g
Carbs:23g
Fat:2.6g
AfterImademyfirstbatchofthesemega‐proteinturkeyburgers,Iimmediatelytook
onetomytrainingpartnerandanothertoafriendfor“tastetesting.”Theywere
freakingout!Mytrainingpartnersaid,“NOWAY!There’snowaytheseareonyour
diet...theytastetoogood...tasteslikesomethingfromMcDonalds!”Myotherfriend
hadasimilarreaction:“Mmmmm,toogood…feelslikeI’mcheating.”
“Mmmmm, too good… feels like I’m cheating.”
Wellguesswhat…thesearenotcheatfoods—theseareBurnTheFatProgram‐
approved!Theideathathealthyfat‐burning,muscle‐buildingfoodshavetotastebad
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Tom Venuto
orblandistotallyfalse,soputthatoutofyourmind.Ifyoureallywanttohavesome
funwithyourfriendsandfamily,whenyouservethemsomeofthese“TNTburgers,”
tellthemthatthe“secretingredient”isJackDaniels!(I’llexplainaboutthe“secret
ingredient”injustaminute.)
Firstyoustartwithapound(454grams)ofgroundturkey.Leangroundturkeyisa
veryoverlooked,underutilizedproteinsource.Ifyouselectthe99%leanvariety,it’s
extremelyhighinproteinandalmostfatfree.Alltoooften,dietersandbodybuilders
complainabouteatingnothingbuttuna,chickenandeggwhitesforprotein,while
therearesomanydeliciousgroundturkeyrecipes!Icangivethisrecipeahighly
respectableB+BurnTheFatgrade,butIgivethesemegaproteinturkeyburgersan
A+forflavor.I’mnotkidding—they’redelicious!
Each one of these burgers packs a whopping 32.5 grams of protein.
Manyburgerrecipes,whethertuna,salmon,beeforgroundturkey,callforbread
crumbstomakeatastier,moresolidburger.Aftershoppinginnumerous
supermarketsandhealthfoodstores,Icouldn’tfindanybreadcrumbsthatwere
100%wholegrain.Mostcommercialbreadcrumbsaremadefromwhiteflour,or
enriched(notwhole)wheat,ortheycontainothercalorie‐containingingredientsor
flavorings(likeoilorItalianseasonings,etc.).OnebrandIfoundsaiditwas“all
natural”wheat.However,afterreadingtheingredientslistcarefully,itdidn’tsay100%
wholegrain,itsaidwholewheatflour.Thisisnotwholegrain.Wholegrainfoods
containallpartsofthegrainkernelincludingthebran,thegermandtheendosperm.
Theonlywayyoucanbe100%certainyou’regettingawholegrainisifthelabelsays,
100%wholegrain!It’snottheendoftheworldshouldyouevereatwheatproducts
andthey’renot100%wholegrain,butwholegrainisthebetterchoice.Sowhatare
yousupposedtodoforbreadcrumbs?Simple,dowhatTomdoes:toastsome100%
wholegrainbreadandcrumbleit!Or,inthiscase,ifyouneedfinerparticles,use
crumbledShreddedWheat—itworksgreat—andit’s100%wholewheat.Acup(40g)
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ofShreddedWheatcontains140calories,31gramsofnaturalcarbs,5gramsoffiber
andonly1gramoffat.There’syourperfectalternativetopackagedbreadcrumbs.
Bytheway,burgerscanalsobemadewithoatmealinsteadofbreadcrumbs,butthey
tendtocomeoutalittlerdrier,andoneofthethingsthat’ssoniceabouttheseTNT
burgersisthewaytheycomeoutsomoist,tenderandjuicy.
Theceleryaddsareallynicecrunch—definitelyamust‐useingredient.Youcanpuree
yourceleryandonionwithafoodprocessor(butjustuntilit’sfinelychopped—don’t
liquefyit),oryoucandicethemveryfinelywithasharpknife.Forspices,addgarlic
powder,parsleyflakes,pepperandalittlepinchofsalt.
“There is a big difference between typical refined white table salt sold at the grocery store and unrefined sea salt.”—Paul Chek Saltisacontroversialsubjectinhealthandnutrition.AccordingtohealthlecturerPaul
Chek,saltcomesintwoforms—refinedandnatural—andhesays,“Thereisabig
differencebetweentypicalrefinedwhitetablesaltsoldatthegrocerystoreand
unrefinedseasalt.”Refinedsalts,accordingtoChek,undergoprocessingandmay
containaluminum‐basedanti‐cakingagents,soherecommendsnaturalseasalt(like
CelticorNewZealand),ifyouusesalt.Whetheryouinvestmoremoneyinnaturalsea
salt,you’llhavetodecideforyourself,basedonhowmuchyou’repersonally
concernedaboutfoodprocessing.
Alsokeepinmind,10%ofthepopulationissodiumsensitive,andthiscanleadtoan
increaseinbloodpressurewithhighsodiumconsumption.Ifyou’vebeendiagnosed
withhighbloodpressureandtoldbyyourdoctortolimitsalt,thentakeapassonthe
shaker,andalsopassonthesoysaucetoo,whichisextremelyhighinsodium.Onthat
note,anaturalalternativetoregularsoysauceisBraggLiquidAminos.Soundslikea
proteinsupplement,butit’snot—it’sanall‐purposeseasoningalmostthesameassoy
sauce,notlowinsodiumbyanymeans,butthedifferenceis,thisproductdoesnot
containartificialingredientsanddoesnotusegeneticallymodified(GM)soybeans.
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Lastbutnotleast,thesecretingredient…JackDaniels!JackDanielsbrandHorseradish
mustard,thatis.Twotablespoonsandyou’regolden.Anyspicymustardwould
probablyworkhereifyoucan’tfindJ.D.,buttrustme,youdon’twanttoleaveout“the
secretingredient.”
The secret ingredient...!
IliketocookmyburgersonaGeorgeForemanGrill(amust‐ownapplianceforevery
fat‐burningandmusclebuildingkitchen).Just4–5minutesandthey’rereadytoeat!
Eachoneoftheseburgerspacksawhopping32.5gramsofproteinandonly11.5
gramsofcarbs.Withjust189caloriesperpatty,youcouldeasilyhavetwoofthesefor
amega‐highprotein(65g),lowcarbmeal.
Or,ifyouneedmorecarbs,serveoneburgeronawholegrainbunorbetween2slices
ofwholegrainbreadandtopitwithlettuceandtomato.Bodybuilders:twoburgers
withwholewheatbunswillhaveyou“gainingmass”innotime.
Enjoy!
BurnTheFatGrade:B+
PortableFood:Yes!
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Hot‘N’SpicyGroundTurkeyScramble(orOmelet)
Thishot‘n’spicygroundturkeyscrambleisgoingto
blowyouaway!Thismealisabsolutelydeliciousand
incrediblynutritious.Notonlythat,it’soneofthemost
versatiledishesyouwillevermake.Ifyou’reonahigh
carborhighercaloriemuscle‐gainingprogram,usethe
kidneybeans.Ifyou’reonalowcarborlowercaloriefat
lossprogram,ditchthekidneybeans.It’sdeliciouseither
way.Andwait,speakingofversatility,youcanmakethistheeasywayasascramble,
orifyoulikeomelets,thespicyturkey,pepper,mushroomandonionmixmakesa
greatomeletfilling.
Yield:3omeletsorscrambles
Ingredients
8oz99%fatfreegroundturkey
2wholeeggs
12eggwhites
1cup(1whole)redpepper,chopped
1cup(1whole)greenpepper,chopped
1cuponion,chopped
1cuprawmushrooms,chopped
2tablespoonsgarlic,chopped
2tablespoonsWorcestershiresauce
3tablespoonshotpeppersauce
Dashofpepper
2teaspoonsgroundturmeric
1tablespoonoliveoil
1‐1/2cups(1canor130g)kidneybeans(forhighercarbversion)
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Directions
1. Coatamediumtolargenon‐stickskilletwith1tablespoonofoliveoil(orusenon‐
stickcookingspray).Cookthegroundturkey,peppers,mushrooms,andonionson
mediumheat.
2. Addthespices,stirandletsimmeruntilfullycooked.Inasecondpancoatedwith
non‐stickspray,cookyoureggs,eitherscrambled,orprepareone‐thirdoftheeggs
asanomelet.
• Ifmakingascramble,simplyaddthescrambledeggsintothelargeskilletwhen
allingredientsarecookedandmix.
• Ifmakinganomelet,scooponethirdofthemixtureontotheeggsandthenfold
overtoformyouromelet.Repeatfortwomoreomelets.Makesthreeservingsof
scrambleorthreeomelets.
NutritionInfo
Perserving(1omeletorscramble):
Calories:371
Protein:44.4g
Carbs:26.5g
Fat:8.8g
Lowcarbversionwithoutbeans(1omelet):
Calories:270
Protein:36.4g
Carbs:8.5g
Fat:8.8g
Thishot‘n’spicygroundturkeyscrambleisgoingtoblowyouaway!Thismealis
absolutelydeliciousandincrediblynutritious.Notonlythat,it’soneofthemost
versatiledishesyouwillevermake.Ifyou’reonahighcarborhighercaloriemuscle‐
gainingprogram,usethekidneybeans.Ifyou’reonalowcarborlowercaloriefatloss
program,ditchthekidneybeans.It’sdeliciouseitherway.Andwait,speakingof
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versatility,youcanmakethistheeasywayasascramble,orifyoulikeomelets,the
spicyturkey,pepper,mushroomandonionmixmakesagreatomeletfilling.
This hot ‘n’ spicy ground turkey scramble will
blow you away with a “flavor explosion!”
Mushrooms,onionsandredorgreenpeppersaretraditionalingredientsforallkinds
ofeggscrambleoromeletrecipes.However,youcanreallyspiceupyouromelets
withoutalotofextrapreparationorwork.Allittakesisalittlehotpeppersauce(such
asChefEmeril’s,ortheRedHotstuffifyoudare),abitofWorcestershiresauce,some
garlic,adashofpepper,adashofturmeric,andshazam!Youhaveyourselfahotand
spicyflavorexplosion!Anddoesiteversmellgoodtoo!Myneighborsweredyingto
knowwhatwascooking.
Mushrooms, onions and red or green peppers are traditional ingredients for all kinds of egg scramble or omelet recipes.
Thisisasuperhighproteinmealbecauseitusestwoleanproteinsources—egg
whitesandleangroundturkey.Leangroundturkeyisaveryunderusedleanprotein
source.Manypeoplecomplainaboutbeingboredwithchickenallthetime,soifthat’s
you,justgrabsomegroundturkeynexttimeyou’regroceryshopping.
Checkoutthesestats:4ouncesof99%fatfreeleangroundturkeycontains28grams
ofprotein,0gramsofcarbsandonly1gramoffat.We’retalkingpureproteinhere.
Theturkeyreallyaddssubstancetoaneggscrambleoromeletsandissurprisingly
fillingforhowfewcaloriesareinthisdishperserving.
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If you like omelets, the spicy turkey, pepper, mushroom and onion mix makes a great omelet filling.
Justaquickwordofwarning.Don’tbefooledbylabelclaimswhenyou’rebuying
“lean”meatsuchasgroundturkey.Whentheysay92%leanor92%fatfree,that’s
reallynotveryleanwhenyou’retalkingaboutfatcontentbyweightandnotby
calories.Asaresult,thehigherfatversionsofgroundturkeycontainsubstantially
morecalories.Justbecauseit’sgroundturkeydoesn’tmeanitsleanerthanchicken.
Readlabelscarefullyandgettheleaneststuffyoucan—99%ifit’savailable.
Ifyou’reonalowcarbdiet(orjustalowcarbdayonacyclicallowcarbdiet),this
recipemakesadeliciousmealwithoutanystarchycarbs.Ifyou’reonahighercarbor
highercaloriediet,thismealisevenbetterwithkidneybeans.Forallthemusclemass
gainersoutthere,besuretoincludethekidneybeansforyournaturalcomplexcarbs
anddoubleupontheserving…a740‐caloriedoubleservingisenoughofamealto
packsomemuscularbulkoneventhebiggestbodybuilder!
Kidney beans are an “A Grade” food and a
“Fiber All‐Star”
Kidneybeansareprobablyoneofthemostunderusednaturalstarchycarbsthat
everyoneonafatloss(ormusclegrowth)programcanandshouldeatmoreoften.
Withtheexceptionofoccasionalchili,mostpeopleseldomeatkidneybeansorother
legumes.Andthat’sashame.
Nutritionistsoftencallkidneybeansa“fiberallstar”—with10gramsoffiberpercup,
it’seasytoseewhy.Butwait,itgetsevenbetter.Onthesubjectofhealthbenefits,the
highfibercontentofkidneybeanspreventsyourbloodsugarfromspikingtoorapidly,
sokidneybeansareanespeciallygoodchoiceforpeoplewhohaveinsulinresistance,
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hypoglycemiaordiabetes.Bytheway,didyouknowthatresearchhasshownthat
peoplewhoeathighfiberdietshavemuchlowerriskofcardiovasculardisease?
Kidneybeansarealsopackedwithnutrientsincludingthemineralsmolybdenum,
folate,ironandmagnesium,aswellasvitaminB1(thiamin).
Wantevenmoregoodnews?Unlikemanycannedfoods,suchasvegetables,which
losenutritionalvaluefromthecanningprocess,kidneybeansretaintheirnutrients
whetheryougetthemcannedandreadytoeat,oryoupurchasethemdryandcook
themyourself.Soifyou’rebusylikemostpeoplearethesedays,it’sgreattoknowthat
youcanjustopenthecananddumpitinthepan!
Thismealtakesaweebitofpreptimetochopupallyourvegetables,butbelieveme,
it’swortheveryminute,andthisrecipeissupersimpletomake.Nottomention,the
ingredientsabovemakeabigbatchofthreeservings,soyoucaneithershareorsave
yourleftoversforlater.
Enjoy!
BurnTheFatGrade:A‐
PortableFood:No
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Crunchy,CheesyPotatoPancakes(Croquettes)
Potatoesmayhavegottenabadrapinthefat‐burningdiet
andnutritionworld,butforthemostpart,thisnegative
reputationisundeserved.Therearethreereasonsthatso
manypeopleshunpotatoesorbelievetheyareunhealthyor
fattening.You’reabouttolearnthetruthaboutthese
“potatomyths”anddiscoverthe“secretrecipe”thattastes
sogoodyoumightjustfeellikeyou’recheating...Getyour
tastebudsreadyforcrunchy,crispy,cheesy,“pancakes.”
Yield:makes4pancakes(servingsize:2pancakes)
Ingredients
12ozpotatoes,skinned
1wholeegg
2eggwhites
3/4cupnon‐fatmozzarellacheese
1/4cupscallions(greenonions),finelychopped
1/4cupchives,finelychopped
1tablespoongarlic,choppedorminced
1cupShreddedWheat(cereal),crumbled
Directions
1. Skinyourpotatowithapeelerandthenbakeormicrowaveuntilcooked.
2. Whileyourpotatoiscooking,finelychopyourscallionsandchivesintosmall
pieces.
3. Inamixingbowl,addtheeggs,cheese,scallionsandgarlic.Addyourpotatoand
mashthepotatothoroughlywithawhiskormixtheingredientswithaforkor
mixer.AddyourcrumbledShreddedWheat.Themixtureshouldbefirmenoughto
formintopatties.Makefoursmallpancakes.
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4. Sprayapanwithnon‐stickcookingsprayandcookonmediumheatforabout5
minutesoruntilthefirstsideislightlybrownedandcrispy.Flipandcookthe
othersideuntildone.Servehotbythemselvesor,forahigherproteinmeal,serve
withasideofscrambledorover‐easyeggs.
NutritionInfo
Perserving(2pancakes):
Calories:356
Protein:25.6g
Carbs:55.8g
Fat:3.3g
Potatoesmayhavegottenabadrapinthefat‐burningdietandnutritionworld,butfor
themostpart,thisnegativereputationisundeserved.Therearethreeprimary
reasonsthatsomanypeopleshunpotatoesorbelievetheyareunhealthyorfattening:
Potatoes have received a bad rap.
Firstisbecauseofthewaymostpeopleeatthem—asFrenchfries(friedinoil),or
smotheredinbutter,sourcreamandbaconbits.Frenchfriesservedinrestaurants
andfastfoodchainstheconventionalwayareusuallycookedinoilthataddscalories
anddisease‐promotingtransfattyacids.Bakedpotatoesthataresmotheredinhigh
calorietoppingsdon’thelpmuchinthefatlossdepartmenteither.
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Secondisbecausethelowcarbcrazebrainwashedpeopleintothinkingthatallcarbs
werebad.Althoughthelowcarbtrendhaspeakedandsubsided,unfortunately,toa
largedegreeanunwarrantedfearofcarbsstillremains.Thosewhoareinformed
however,realizethattherearegoodcarbs(thenatural,unprocessed,nutrient‐dense
kind)andtherearebadcarbs(theman‐made,processed,calorie‐dense)kind.They
alsoknowthatcarbsareimportanttofuelhighactivitylevels,theyareimportantat
certaintimessuchasduringthepost‐workoutwindow,evenonrestrictedcarbdiets,
andthatevenlowcarbdietscanberenderedmoreeffectivebycyclingcarbsrather
thanremovingthemaltogether.
Thethirdreasonthepotatohasgottenabadrapisbecauseoftheinterestinthe
glycemicindex(GI).TheGImeasureshowquicklycarbohydratefoodsarebroken
downintobloodglucose.AccordingtotheGIscale,lowGIcarbsarethegoodcarbs
becausetheyareslowlyabsorbed,andhighGIcarbsarethebadcarbsbecausethey
arequicklyabsorbed.PotatoesareahighGIfood.However,itturnsoutthatwhilethe
GIhasvalueincertainsituations,theGIbyitselfisnotthebestwayforhealthypeople
tomakecarbchoicesforfatlossbecausemanyhighGIfoodsarecompletelynatural
andnutritious,andtheGIbecomeslesssignificantwhencarbsareeateninmixed
mealsthatalsocontainprotein,fatandfiber.
Thetruthisthatfatlossisforemostamatterofcalories,notcarbsorGI,andpotatoes
actuallyhavealotgoingforthem.Potatoesarean“A‐grade”foodbecausetheyarenot
processedorrefined.Apotatoisafoodyoueatinitsnaturalform—thesamewayit
cameoutoftheground(exceptforthecooking).
PotatoesarehighinvitaminB6andvitaminCandcontainthemineralscopper,
potassiumandmanganese.Theyalsocontaincarotenoids,flavonoidsandcaffeicacid,
andscientistsintheUKrecentlydiscoveredbloodpressure‐loweringcompoundsin
potatoescalledkukoamines.
Asinglebakedpotatowillalsogiveyou12%ofyourdailyvalueforfiber.Almostallthe
fiberisintheskin,sousuallyit’sagoodideatoeatthewholepotato,skinandall.(Our
potatopancakerecipesimplytendstocomeoutwithbetterflavorandtexturewith
thepotatoesskinned…sobecertainyou’regettingplentyoffiberelsewhereinyour
diet).
Bottomline:Potatoesarehealthful,andpotatorecipescancertainlybeincludedina
fat‐burningnutritionprogram,providedyoukeepyourcaloriesincheckandavoid
traditionalhighcalorietoppings.
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Youcouldusejustaboutanyvarietyofpotatoyoulikeforthisrecipe,althoughmany
cookswouldsuggestthatRussetorYukonGoldpotatoesareidealformakingpotato
pancakes.
AccordingtoBurnTheFatProgramprinciples,a“completemeal”isonethatcontains
aleanproteinandanaturalcomplexcarb,whichqualifiesthesepotatoespancakesas
afullmeal.Thecomplexcarbscomefromthepotatoandwheat,andtheleanprotein
comesprimarilyfromtheeggsandthenon‐fatcheese.
Regularwholemilkcheeseisusuallyquitehighinfatandonlymoderateinprotein.
Cheesesthataremadefromskimmilkaremuchhigherinprotein.Manypeopledon’t
realizethatnon‐fatdairyproductsareasignificantsourceoflean,highquality
protein.Infact,3/4ofacupofnon‐fatmozzarellaorcheddarcontains27gramsof
completeprotein.Coincidentally,ifyoulookattwoofthemostpopulartypesof
proteinpowdersupplementsonthemarket,theyarewheyandcasein.Andguess
what?Thosearethetwotypesofdairyproteins.
Thecheesehasalottodowithwhythesepancakestastesogood,butlactose‐
intolerantindividualscouldeasilydropthecheesefromthisrecipeandenjoythem
justthesame.However,byskippingthecheese,youdropoutalotoftheprotein.
Whenrecipesareprimarilycarbohydrates,aproteinneedstobeaddedonthesideto
balanceoutthemeal.(Aservingofnaturalcarbsplusaservingofleanproteinmakesa
completemeal.)Useanytypeofcheeseyoudesire,justgoforthenon‐fatvarietyasa
firstchoiceand1%or2%lowfatassecondchoice.Cheeseenthusiastscouldincrease
thecheesequantitytoacuporso,andthatwillboosttheproteinandenhancethe
flavorevenmore(butdon’tforgettoaccountfortheextracalories!).
Speakingofflavor,thegarlicisamust.Iusuallyusefreshchoppedgarlicorthejarred
varietythatisfinelychopped.Atablespoonshoulddothetrick.Scallions,forthose
whoaren’tfamiliarwiththem,arethelongtubulargreenonions.Chopthemupas
finelyaspossible.Chivesareverysimilarinflavortoscallionsandareanaturalmix
withpotatoes.Useoneortheotheroruseboth.
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There are good carbs (the natural, unprocessed, nutrient‐dense kind) and bad carbs (the man‐made, processed, calorie‐
dense) kind.
TheShreddedWheatisanicealternativetobreadcrumbs.Intraditionalpotato
croquetterecipes,themixtureisformedintoaballandthenrolledinthecrumbsas
anexterior“breading.”Inthisrecipe,Isuggeststirringyourcrumbsrightintoyour
mixtureinsteadofbreadingtheexterior.TheShreddedWheat(orbread)crumbs
makesyourmixturemoresolidsoyoucanmoreeasilyturnyourmixtureintopatties;
otherwise,yourmixturewillbetheconsistencyofmashedpotatoesandwon’tform
pancakesaseasily.Tip:Ifyouaddyourcrumbslast,thatkeepsthepancakes
crunchier.
Bytheway,asyoumaynoticewhileyoublendorwhiskyourpotatomixture,thisisa
prettydarngoodrecipeformashedpotatoes.YoucansimplyleaveouttheShredded
Wheat/breadcrumbs,andifyouneedtomakeitcreamier,usealittlebitofskimor
lowfatmilk.(Youdon’tneedbutterorfullfatsourcreamtomakedeliciousmashed
potatoes.)
Keepinmind,thisisasomewhathighcarbandhighcalorierecipe,becausepotatoes
areastarchycarbandtheshreddedwheatisagrain,andthesetypesofcarbsare
morecaloriedensethanfibrouscarbs,saladvegetablesandgreenvegetables.Ifyou’re
onaverystrictfatlossdietlikeafigureorbodybuildingcompetitiondiet,youmay
needtoeatfewerrecipeslikethisoneandmorefibrouscarbandleanprotein‐based
recipes.
However,aslongasyou’rewithinyourcalorielimitsforeachmealandfortheday,this
recipefitsintomostfatlossprogramsperfectly.Thesepancakesmakeespecially
greatbreakfastsandpost‐workoutmeals,andtheyaresuperbformusclebuilding
programs.
Imustwarnyou…thesecrunchy,crispy,cheesypancakestastesogoodthatyoumight
justfeellikeyou’recheating.Butloandbehold,thesesinfullydeliciouspotato
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pancakesareapproved,healthyBurnTheFatmeals!They’realsosoeasytomake,
theyevengetmy“KitchenDummy”sealofapproval!
Enjoy!
BurnTheFatGrade:B+
PortableFood:Yes
8IngredientsOrLessSuperSimpleSealofApproval:Check!
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QuickandEasySalmonBurgers
Salmonisoneofthebestsourcesforhealthyomega‐3fattyacids
inMotherNature’skitchen,andthese“QuickandEasySalmon
Burgers”areaphenomenalcombinationofflavorandhealthy
eating.Withanimpressivenutritionalprofileandmultiple
superfoodsinthisBurnTheFatrecipe,you’llbepreparingthese
tastyburgersoften!
Yield:makes2burgers(servingsize:1burger)
Ingredients
17.5‐ozcancalmon
1/2cupoats
2eggwhites
2tablespoonsdriedonionorfinelychoppedonion
1tablespoongarlicpowder,orfinelydicedgarlic
Groundblackpeppertotaste
Directions
1. Openyourcanofsalmon,draintheliquidfromthecan,removeanybones,andadd
thesalmontoamixingbowl.Addtheoatmeal,eggwhitesandspices.Mashandmix
theingredientstogetherthoroughly,makingsurethesalmonisbrokenupinto
verysmallchunks.Ifyourmixtureistoorunny,youcanaddmoreoats;ifit’stoo
dry,youcanaddanothereggwhiteorsomewater.
2. Formtwoburgerpattieswithyourhandsandcompressthemtightly.Withthe
amountofingredientslistedabove,thismakestwomedium‐sizedburgerpatties,
about4to4‐1/2incheswideand1/2inchthick.
3. Placeyoursalmonburgersinaskilletcoatedwithnon‐stickcookingspray.Cook
onmediumheatuntilthepattiesarelightlybrownedandsolidenoughforeasy
flipping.Flipyourburgersandthencooktheotherside.Flipagainifnecessary
andthenservebythemselves,withasideofsaladorvegetables,oronwholegrain
breadorawholegrainbun.
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NutritionInfo
Perserving(1burger):
Calories:249
Protein:28g
Carbs:12.3g
Fat:10g
InanotherBurnTheFatrecipe,wemakesimple“SpicyTunaBurgers!ANewBurn
TheFatRecipeWithAKick!”onpage 148.Thesequickandeasysalmonburgers
areverysimilar,butarepossiblyevenhealthier,andtheygetanevenhighergrade,
becausethisrecipeusesoatmealinthemixtureandbecausesalmonisoneofthebest
sourcesforhealthyomega‐3fattyacids.
Canned salmon comes in many different varieties and sizes.
Theseburgerscontain10gramsoffatperburger,soanyonewhoisstill“fatphobic”
mightshyawayatfirst.Butremember,thefatinsalmonisthegoodkind.Ifyou
comparebrandsofcannedsalmon,youwillseethatmanycontain15–20gramsoffat
percan,whileotherscontainonly2–3gramsoffatpercan.Althoughthecalorieswill
bealittlehigher,youdefinitelywanttogoforthehigherfatvariety.Here’swhy…
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Plantscontainaformofomega‐3fattyacidscalledalphalinolenicacid(ALA).Flax
seedsandflaxseedoilaregreatsourcesofALA.However,theALAneedstoconvertin
thebodytoEPAandDHA,thekindofomega‐3fatfoundinfish.There’sbeensome
debateabouthowwellthisconversiontakesplace.Eventheworld’stopnutrition
expertscan’tseemtoagree,sothetake‐homelessonisthatyoucanandshould
consumevegetableorplantsourcesofomega‐3suchasflax—butdon’tskipthefish,
andsalmonhappenstobeoneofthebestsourcesofEPAandDHAomega‐3fatty
acids.
Thelistofbenefitsfortheseomega‐3fatscouldgoonforpages,butfornow,sufficeit
tosaythatit’sgood,healthystuff!Salmonhasalsobeenrecommendedasoneofthe
safestfishtoeatbecausetestshaverevealedthatsalmonisoneofthespeciesoffish
unlikelytobecontaminatedwithmercury.
While doing research for this recipe, I looked at more than half a dozen different traditional ways to make salmon burgers.
Whiledoingresearchforthisrecipe,Ilookedatmorethanhalfadozendifferent
traditionalwaystomakesalmonburgers.Isawthatmanyofthemusedbreadcrumbs
orcrackers,whichwesuggestedinapreviousrecipefortunaburgers(see“Spicy
TunaBurgers!ANewBurnTheFatRecipeWithAKick!”onpage 148).However,
Inowrealize(andIhopeyoudotoo),thatyoucantakealmostanytraditionalrecipe
andgiveitahighergradeandbetternutritionalvaluebymakingsomesimple
substitutions.Ithought,“Whynotsubstitutethecrackersorbreadcrumbswith
oatmeal,becauseoatmealisanA‐gradefood?”Well,sureenough,usingoatmeal,the
burgersturnedoutdelicious!
Thisrecipeisoneofthesimplestwaystomakesalmonburgers.Youcanexperiment
withmorecomplexrecipesusingadditionalordifferentingredientsifyoulike.Other
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salmonburgerrecipescallforfinelychoppedordicedceleryorredpepper.Dillweed,
parsley,mustard,lemonjuice,hotsauceorTabascosaucearealsooftenlistedas
variationstoenhanceflavororprovideadifferenttaste.(I’vealsoseenhollandaise
sauce,vegetableoilormayonnaiselisted,althoughI’dsuggesttheformerfora
healthierandlesscaloriedenseburger).
Cannedsalmoncomesinavarietyofdifferentsizes.I’veseen3.75‐oz,5.5‐oz,6‐oz,
7.5‐ozandbig15‐ozcans.Thisrecipewasbasedonthe7.5‐ozcanofBumbleBee
CannedPinkSalmon,becausethisprovidedaperfectquantityfortwoburgers,and
thisbrandiswidelyavailableinregulargrocerystores(315cal,42gprotein,0gcarb,
17.5gfat).Caloriesandnutrientcontentcanvaryslightlyfromonebrandtothenext.
Youcanfindnumerousotherbrandsonlineaswellasinyourlocalgrocerystoreor
healthfoodstore.
For a higher‐carb version of this recipe, add a whole wheat bun.
Tastemayalsovarydependingonthefatcontentandtypeofsalmon:pink,red,
Chinook(King),Coho,orsockeye.Itriednumerousbrandsofcannedsalmonand
somewereveryrichwhileotherstastedalmostliketuna.Somebrandscontainlotsof
skinandboneswhileothersdonot.It’soptionalwhetheryouremovebonesin
cannedsalmon,becauseiftheyareverysoft,theymaybecompletelyedibleandmay
actuallyprovideagreatsourceofcalcium.Inaburgerrecipelikethis,afterit’sall
mashedtogether,youtendnottoevennotice.(Thereareexceptions,asIfoundone
brandthathadfarmorebonesthantheothers.)Alsonotethatyoucanfindsalmon
cannedwithorwithoutsalt.Besuretoreadthelabels!
Since2004,labelinglawrequirescannedsalmontoindicatewhetheritiswildor
farmed.Generally,wildAlaskansalmonisatopchoice.Mostpeopledon’trealizethis,
but“Atlantic”salmonisusuallyfarmed,notwild.Thename“Atlantic”referstothefish
species,nottoitsorigin.
Servedalone,eachofthesesalmonburgershasonly249calories.Thismakesalarge
snackorsmallmeal.Foracompletemeal,tryasidevegetableorsalad,oronhigher
calorie/highercarbmenus,usea100%wholegrainbunor100%wholewheatbread
forasalmonburgersandwich.(Thesearedeliciousontoastedwholegrainbread,and
alsoportable,fortake‐it‐withyoumeals!)
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Bytheway,salmonisn’ttheonlysuperfoodinthisrecipe.Onionsandgarlicbothhave
healthfulproperties.Numerousstudieshaveshownthattheregularconsumptionof
onionsorgarlichasbeenlinkedtoareducedriskforseveraltypesofcancers.
Scientistssaythatthepotentialcancerprotectionmaybedue,atleastinpart,tothe
bioactivesulfurcompoundsthatgivegarlicandonionstheirstrongtaste.
Guesswhatelse?SimplesalmonburgersgetaBurnTheFatgradeofA+!Idon’tgive
verymanyA+grades,butsalmonisanA+superfood,andoatmealisoneofthemost
healthfultypesofstarchycarbsyoucanincludeonanyfat‐burningormuscle‐building
program.
Enjoy!
BurnTheFatGrade:A+
PortableFood:Yes(asasandwich)
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Protein‐PackedAuthenticHealthyGreekBurgers!
Whodoesn’tloveagoodhamburger?Well,vegetariansof
course,butevenvegetarianseatveggieburgers!This
column,however,isallabouttherealbeef,donethelean
andhealthyway.Burgersmaybean“AllAmericanmeal,”
buttodayyou’reabouttolearnhowtomaketheauthentic
Greekburger.(MyGreekco‐authorandco‐chefhasassured
meofthis!)Enjoythismuscle‐buildingmealthatrequires
minimalpreparationandcooking!
Ingredients
1pound95%fatfreegroundbeef
Largetomatoslice(1sliceperburger)
2ozlowfatfetacheese,cutin4thinslices(1sliceperburger)
1wholeomega‐3egg
1tablespoonextravirginoliveoil
1tablespoonoregano
1tablespoononion,finelychopped(optional)
Pinchofgroundpepper
3tablespoonswholewheatbreadcrumbs
4wholewheathamburgerbuns(optional)
Directions
1. Placethegroundbeef,egg,oliveoil,oregano,onions,breadcrumbsandpepperinto
alargemixingbowl.
2. Mixalltheingredientstogetherbeforeformingitintofourmedium‐sizedburger
patties.It’simportanttouseyourhandsinordertomixalltheingredients
thoroughlyenough.
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3. Placeyourpattiesonyourfavoritegrill(theGeorgeForemanGrillishighly
recommended).Cookonmediumforapproximately8minutesoraslongas
needed,basedonhowwelldoneyoulikeyourburgers.
4. Openupthebunandplaceyourfetacheesesliceandtomatosliceonyourburger.
Addketchupifyoulike.Onlowercarbdiets,serveyourburgerswithoutthebun.
NutritionInfo
Perserving,1burgerwithbun:
Calories:387
Protein:33.1g
Carbs:32.9g
Fat:11.2g
Perserving,1burgerwithoutbun:
Calories:237
Protein:27.1g
Carbs:4.9g
Fat:9.2g
Whodoesn’tloveagoodhamburger?Well,vegetariansofcourse,butevenvegetarians
eatveggieburgers!Thisrecipe,however,isallabouttherealbeef,donetheleanand
healthyway.Burgersmaybean“AllAmericanmeal,”buttodayyou’reabouttolearn
howtomaketheauthenticGreekburger.(MyGreekco‐authorandco‐chefhas
assuredmeofthis!)
Themainingredientofcourse,isthebeef!Choosingyourbeefisyourfirsttask.First
ofall,it’sperfectlyokaytoeatredmeatonafatlossprogram,andmostcertainlyona
musclegrowthprogramaswell.Oneofthebiggestconcernsmostpeoplehaveabout
beefisthefatcontent,particularlythesaturatedfat.Accordingtoconventional
nutritionalwisdom,saturatedfatisaculpritbehindtheriseincholesterolthatinturn
contributestoheartdisease.
Recentresearchhowever,hassuggestedthatthelinkbetweensaturatedfat,
cholesterolandheartdiseaseisnotassimpleasitwasoncebelieved.Theimpactof
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saturatedfatoncoronaryhealthdependsonnumerousfactors,includingtheamount
ofhealthyomega‐3fatsintherestofthediet,theratioofomega‐3toomega‐6,the
amountofexerciseyou’regetting,geneticsandmanyothers.
Sowhileitstillisn’tagoodideatoeatahighfatorhighsaturatedfatdiet,mostpeople
needn’tfearincludingasmallamountofsaturatedfat.Thekeyistokeepsaturated
fatstoasmallamount.Mostexpertssuggestkeepingyoursaturatedfatintaketo1/3
ofyourtotalfatintakeandyourtotalfatintaketo20–30%oftotalcalories.
Tokeepthefatandcaloriesincheck,usetheleanestgroundbeefyoucanfind.Lean
proteinisoneofthekeysforfat‐burningandmuscle‐buildingnutrition,andalthough
somefat,evensaturatedfat,isnecessaryforvariousbodilyfunctions,youshould
chooseproteinsourcesthataremostlyproteinandnotmostlyfat.
Regular,fullfat—80%“lean”—groundbeefcontainsDOUBLEthecaloriesandTRIPLE
thefatas95%leanbeef.80%leanbeefhasabout23gramsoffatandnearly300
caloriesper4‐ozservingandonly19.5gramsofprotein.Ithasmorefatcaloriesthan
proteincalories.Even85%“lean”groundbeefisnotasleanasitmaysoundwhenyou
measurefatbypercentageofcaloriesandnotweight.Whenyougowiththehigherfat
beef,youaregettingalotmorecaloriesperunitofvolume.
Shoparoundfortheleanestgroundbeefyoucanfind.The95%–96%leanvarietyof
beefissometimesdifficulttofindinyourlocalgrocerystore,butifyoucan’tfindit
locallytherearenumerousretailersonlinethatwillsendyoutheleanstufffrozenby
thepoundorbythepatty.Youmayalsowanttoconsidergrass‐fedbeef,whichgives
youahealthierandmorefavorablenutrientcontentandomega‐6toomega‐3fat
ratio.
Beef,especiallytheveryleanvariety,ishighinprotein,butitalsocontainslotsofother
stuffthat’saboontomusclegrowth,includingBvitamins,iron,creatine,CLA,zincand
selenium,justtonameafew.Nowonderit’ssopopularwithbodybuilders.
Irecommendusinganomega‐3egg.Itneverhurtstoboostthegoodfatintakeinyour
diet,sowheneveraBurnTheFatrecipecallsforawholeegg,gofortheEFA‐rich
variety.Speakingofhealthyfats,besuretorememberyourtablespoonofoliveoil.It
addsflavorandtexturetoyourburgers,nottomention,it’snotan“Authentic”Greek
burgerwithoutit.
Forspices,begenerouswiththeoregano—itcanreallyaddaniceflavortoyour
burgers.Addapinchofgroundpepper,andexperimentwithchoppedoniontoo,if
youlike.
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Usingwholewheatbreadcrumbsaddsalittlemoretexturetotheburgerandalsoadds
someadditionalcaloriesandcarbs.Analternativetoready‐madebreadcrumbsisto
simplytoastasliceofwholewheatbreadandcrumbleityourself.
Youcoulduseanytypeofnon‐fatorlowfatcheeseforthisburger,butmyco‐author
Kostassays,“ItisNOTagenuine‘Greekburger’withoutthefeta!”Liketheground
beef,whenitcomestocheese,gowiththelowfatvariety.Athenosbrandmakesalow
fatfeta,andAlpineLacemakesonethatisevenleaner.Non‐fatandlowfatcheeses,
areasubstantialsourceofcompleteprotein,andtheygoalongwayinaddingflavorto
yourmealsandrecipesliketheseburgers.
Kostas says, “It is NOT a genuine ‘Greek burger’ without the feta!”
Don’tforgetyourtomato.Getthebiggest,ripesttomatoyoucanandcutanicethick
slice.TomatoesareanA+powerfood!Theyareverylowincalorieswhilehighin
lycopene,lutein,vitaminC,vitaminA,Bvitamins,chromiumandpotassium.The
carotenoidlycopeneinparticularhasbeenahotitembecauseofitsamazinghealth
benefits.Thisphytonutrienthasbeenresearchedforitsantioxidant,heartprotection
andcancer‐preventingproperties.
Youcancookyourburgersonthegrillorinagrillpanandsimplyflipthemoverafter
thefirstsideiscooked,butoneofthebestwaystocooktheseisonaGeorgeForeman
Grill(akathe“Lean,Mean,GrillingMachine”).
Ifyouusehamburgerbuns,shoparoundandreadlabels!Wholewheathamburger
bunsaresometimesnotavailableinregulargrocerystores—youmayhavetoshopin
ahealthfoodstoretofindthem.Whitebreadproductsarenotagoodchoice—gofor
thewholegrain.Readthelabelscarefully.Aftercomparingbrands,Isawsomevery
sneakylabeltricks.Onebrandof“100%wholewheat”burgerrollssaid“0gramstrans
fats”rightonthelabel.Butafterlookingattheingredientslist,guesswhatwasin
there?Partiallyhydrogenatedsoybeanoil.”
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Becausetransfatsposesuchahealththreat,theFDAnowrequiresthattransfatbe
listedonnutritionlabels,butthere’saloophole.Ifthereislessthan.5gramsoftrans
fatperserving,foodmanufacturerscanlist0gontheirlabel.TheFDAsaysthatthisis
alowenoughamounttoposelittlehealththreat,butmanyexpertssaythatthereisNO
safeleveloftransfats!
Whenyouselectwholewheatproducts,alwaysreadtheingredientslistonthelabel.
Thefirstingredientshouldbe100%wholewheat.Hamburgerbunsthataretruly
100%wholegrainareactuallysomewhathardtofind.AccordingtotheFDA,100%
wholegrainmeansthatthefood“containstheintact,ground,crackedorflakedgrain,
whoseprincipalanatomicalcomponents—thestarchyendosperm,germandbranare
allpresentinthesamerelativeproportionsastheyexistintheintactgrain.”
“Wholewheat”or“enrichedwheat”isnotthesame.Thedeadgiveawayisthetexture.
True100%wholewheathasamuchmorechunkytextureandyoucanseeseedsand
largergrainparticles.Wholewheatbreadthatisnotmadefrom100%wholewheat
hasamuchfinerandsoftertexture.Thisisbecausethegrainhasbeenmilled,which
removesthebranandthegerm,andgivesitthatfine,softtextureandincreasesshelf
life(butitremovesvitamins,mineralsandfiber!).
So,ifit’s100%wholewheat,it’sagoodchoice(wegiveita“B”grade).Ifit’swheat,
butnot100%wholewheatitdropstoa“C”grade.Shopandchoosecarefully!(Note:
mostofthebrandswelookedathadbetween130–200calories.Theoneusedinthis
recipeisbasedon150calories).
Lastbutnotleast,ifyou’reonareducedcarbprogram,youcansimplyeatyour
burgerswithoutthebun...trustus,they’restilldarngood!
Enjoy!
BurnTheFatGrade:B
PortableFood:No
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IsraeliTunaSalad:ADeliciousLeanProteinand
FibrousCarbCombo!
ThisisatraditionalIsraelisalad(alettuce‐freesalad),withthe
simpleadditionoftunafish,whichturnsitintoacomplete
muscle‐buildingandfat‐burningmeal.It’sthetuna(leanprotein)
thatmakesthisacompletemeal.
Manysaladrecipescomewithoutprotein.Tomakeagreens‐or
vegetable‐basedsaladintoacompleteBurnTheFatmeal,itis
importanttoaddleanprotein.
Tuna,chicken,turkey,shrimporevennon‐fatorlowfatcheesearegreatwaystoadd
leanproteintosalads.Inthiscase,thetunaisanaturalfit!
Ingredients
26‐ozcansoftuna
3mediumcucumbers
25‐oz(medium)tomatoes,diced
1greenpepper,diced
1/2cupfreshparsley,chopped
1tablespoonoliveoil
8tablespoons(1/4cup)whitewinevinegar
4tablespoonslemonjuice
2scallions(greenonions)(optional)
Dashofsalttotaste
Sprinkleofpeppertaste
Forconvenience,increasetheingredientsproportionatelytopreparelargebatchesin
advanceandstoreintherefrigeratoruntilreadyforuse.
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Directions
1. Chopupyourvegetablesintosmall1/4‐inchto1/2‐inchcubes.
2. Placeallyourveggiesinalargebowlorcontainerandthenaddthewhitewine
vinegar,lemonjuiceandoliveoil.
3. Addparsley,adashofsaltandalightsprinkleofpeppertosuityourtaste.Keep
yoursaladseparateuntilyouarereadytoeat,thenaddyourtuna.Servechilledor
atroomtemperature.Makestwoservings.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:355
Protein:42.7g
Carbs:26.4g
Fat:10.7g
ThisisatraditionalIsraelisalad(alettuce‐freesalad),withthesimpleadditionoftuna
fish,whichturnsitintoacompletemuscle‐buildingandfat‐burningmeal.It’sthetuna
(leanprotein)thatmakesthisacompletemeal.Manysaladrecipescomewithout
protein.Tomakeagreensorvegetable‐basedsaladintoacompleteBurnTheFat
meal,itisimportanttoaddleanprotein.Tuna,chicken,turkey,shrimporevennon‐fat
orlowfatcheesearegreatwaystoaddleanproteintosalads.Inthiscase,thetunaisa
naturalfit!
Fresh cucumbers add crunch to your salad!
Thissaladdoesnotcontainanystarchycarbs,soifyouareonahighercalorieprogram
oramusclegainingprogram,youwillneedtoaddyourstarchycarbsseparately(for
example,bakedpotato,etc.),orelsethecaloriesinthisdishwillbetoolow.
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Alternately,youcanservethissaladasasidedishwithoutthetuna,alongwithyour
maincourse(forexample,chicken,vegetableandriceasamaincoursewithIsraeli
salad—sanstuna—assidedishorappetizer).
ConnoisseurssaythatthesecrettoareallygoodIsraelisaladisveryfresh,crispand
finelychoppedvegetables.Thisrecipeisextremelyeasytoprepare,especially
becauseitisarawsaladthatrequiresnocooking,butdotakeyourtimechopping
yourvegetablesintoverysmall,finecubes,about1/4inchto1/2inchinsize.
Fresh tomatoes add some nice flavor to the salad as well!
Usethefreshest,crispestvegetablespossible.Allofthesaladvegetablesusedinthis
recipeareextremelylowincalories.Anaveragemediumcucumberisusuallyaround
8ounces,about8orsoinchesinlength,andcontainsonlyabout8gramsofcarbsand
only35–40calories.Anaveragetomatoisabout5ouncesandcontainsonly35
caloriesandabout7gramsofcarbs.Greenpeppersalsomeasureinwithonlyabout7
gramsofcarbsandabout30calorieseach.Scallions(smallgreenonions)are
optional,butmakeaniceadditiontothevegetablemix.Usefreshparsleyforbest
results.
White wine vinegar adds a fantastic flavor to the salad!
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WhitewinevinegarisusuallynotincludedinthetraditionalIsraelsaladrecipesyou’d
findinmostcookbooks,butitwasrecommendedtomebyafemalebodybuilder
friendwhooftenusedwhitewinevinegarandbalsamicvinegarto,inherwords,
“makehercontestdiettolerable.”Youwillfindthatitaddsafantasticflavor,asthe
veggiessoakinthevinegar,oliveoilandlemonjuicemix.Oliveoilcouldberemovedif
youreallywantedtocutthecaloriecountdown,buttheoliveoiladdsflavorandisthe
healthytypeoffat,sothere’snoneedtoremoveitunlessyoureallywanttobudget
calories.
Aninterestingfactyoushouldknowaboutisthatsomelemonjuiceproductslistthe
caloriesonthelabelas0.Thisrevealsoneofthemanyloopholesinthegovernment
labelinglawsthatallowfoodmanufacturerstosayafoodiscalorie‐freeifthereare
fewerthan5caloriesperserving.Well,thereare4caloriesperteaspoonoflemon
juice.Insignificant,yes,butzero,no!Allthefoodcompanieshavetodoisreducetheir
servingsizes.Forexample,iftheymaketheservingsizeoflemonjuice1teaspoon
theycansayzerocalories,ratherthanmaketheservingsize1tablespoonandsay12
calories.Sneaky,sneaky,sneaky!(Moral:readlabelscarefullyandcheckserving
sizes!)
Thegoodnewsis,Israelitunasaladissolowincaloriedensity,thatyoucaneatasmall
mountainofthisstuffwithoutgoingoveryourdailyorper‐meallimits.Youwillbe
surprisedhowfillingitis.That’sthegreatthingaboutfibrouscarbsandsalad
vegetables.Remember,fibrouscarbsplusleanproteinmealsarethemosteffective
combinationformaximumfatburning!
Betweenthefactthatthissaladissolowincaloriesandit’salsolowincarbs(withno
starchycarbsorgrainswhatsoever),Israelisaladmakesaperfectmealforstrict(even
lowcarb)fatlossprograms,aswellasforeveningmealsorsnacksonprogramsthat
usecarbtapering,(whennoconcentratedstarches,grainsorcarbsareeatenlatein
theday).Hint:ifyougetnighttimemunchies,keepabigbowlofthissaladinyour
fridge!
ThisrecipegetsanAgrade.Ifyougetboredwithregularlettuce‐basedsaladsor
flavorlessfoods,thenyouhavetogivethisoneatry.It’scrunchy,healthy,tastyandwill
probablyendupbeingaregularadditiontoyourweeklymenus!
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
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HealthyGreekOmelets:AHigh‐Protein,Nutrient‐
Dense,Flavor‐PackedPowerMeal!
Theysaythat“breakfastdoesabodygood,”andinthis
BurnTheFatrecipe,youwilllearnexactlyhowtocreatea
healthyGreekomeletfromscratch—evenifyou’rea
complete“kitchendummy.”Giveyourself10minutesinthe
morningandstartyourdayoffrightwiththistastymeal.
Yield:makes1omelet
Ingredients
4eggwhites
1wholeegg(preferablyomega‐3)
1cupspinach,chopped
8olives,pittedandslivered
1/4cuplowfatfetacheese
Directions
1. Prepareyouromeletfillingfirstbyplacingtheslicedolives,fetacheeseand
spinachinabowloronaplatenexttoyourcookingarea.Usingafork,blendyour
eggsinamixingbowl.
2. Sprayyourpanwithnon‐stickcookingspray(suchasPAM)andthenpreheatyour
panonmediumheat.Pouryoureggsintothepan(theyshouldsizzleabitwhen
theyhitthehotpan).Cooktheeggsonmediumheatuntiltheeggsarealmostset,
butstilljustslightlyliquidinthemiddle.
3. Addyourcheeseandtherestofyourfillingsontoonesideoftheomelet.Foldthe
omeletovertopofyourfillingsandpressdownlightlywithyourspatula.Allowto
cookforoneortwomoreminutes,flipandcookothersideagainanotherminute
ortwo,ifnecessary,andthenserve.
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NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:285
Protein:29g
Carbs:13.2g
Fat:14.5g
Some black olives will add taste to your omelet!
Traditionalomeletsareoftenmadewithwholeeggs,hamandregularcheese.
However,everyoneofthoseingredientsishighinfatandthereforehighincalories.
Therearesomesimplewaystomakeallyouromeletsmuchhealthierandlowerin
calories,withoutsacrificingflavor.
TheGreekomeletisanabsolutelydeliciousdishthatalsohappenstobeagreattype
ofrecipeforfat‐burningandmuscle‐buildingnutrition.Why?BecauseGreekomelets
arehealthy,loadedwithpowernutrients,andsupereasytomake,(onlyfourorfive
ingredients!).
Oneofthekeystogreatomeletsistostartwithareallygoodnon‐stickpan.Ideallyit
willbeapanwitha6–8inchbottomdiameterandcurved2‐inchsides.Then,tobe
sureyouromeletdoesnotstickatall,youshouldalsouseanon‐stickcookingspray
suchasPAM.Thereisnoreasonnottocoatyourpanwitholiveoil;however,thatwill
addevenmorecalories.Ifyouchecktheingredientslists,you’llseethatnon‐stick
cookingspraysarealsopureoil(theyareNOTcalorie‐free!),butbeingabletosprayit
oninamistmakesformajorcaloriesavings.Althoughsomepeopleusebutter,butter
addsunnecessarycaloriesandisneutralatbestintermsofnutrition,whileoliveoil
hassubstantialnutritionalvalue.
Thesizeofyouromeletisalsoanimportantfactor.Usetoomanyeggsandthey
becomehardertomanageandfoldovernicely.Thetraditionalomeletcallsforno
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morethan3wholeeggs(sometimesevenjust2).Whenyouarecookinghealthylow
calorieomelets,youcangetsomemajorcaloriesavingsbyusingonlyonewholeegg
andtheresteggwhites.
One omega‐3 egg and some egg whites makes a great omelet!
Whenyoudiscardsomeoftheyolks,thatmeansyoucanusemorewhitestomakeup
forit,sothisrecipecallsfor4eggwhitesand1wholeegg.Ifyouarecookingformore
thanoneperson,itiseasiertocooktwoomeletsseparately(oneaftertheother)
ratherthandoubleuponingredients.
Ratherthanthrowoutalltheeggyolks,considerusingoneeggyolkandmakeitan
omega‐3egg.Mostpeopletodayaredeficientinthehealthyomega‐3fatsandare
consumingtoomanyomega‐6fatsrelativetoomega‐3.Onelargeomega‐3egg
contains70caloriesand4.5gramsoffat,including150mgofomega‐3.
Usingtoomanywholeeggsaddsalotofcaloriesintoyourdiet.Discardingmostofthe
yolksandusingmostlyeggwhitesremovesalotofcaloriesfromyourdiet.Whenyou
areona“caloriebudget”asyouareonanyfatburningprogram,itpaystosaveon
calories,andthisisoneeasywaytodoit.
Fortunately,sincealmostallthefatisintheyolk,buttheproteinissplitevenly
betweenthewhiteandtheyolk,eggwhitesareasuperbhighproteinfoodanda
perfectchoiceforyourbreakfasts.Ifyoudonotliketocrackopeneggsandseparate
yolksfromwhites,thenyoucansimplyuseproductssuchasEggBeaters,oregg
whitesbythecarton.
Cheeseiswhatgivesflavorandcharactertonearlyeveryomelet.Infact,eggsand
cheesebythemselvesisasimpleandtastywaytomakeanomelet.Feta,ofcourse,is
theclassicGreekwhitecheeseandithasaverynicesaltyandtangyflavor.
Keepinmindthatcheeseisnotalowcaloriefood.Regularcheesesarehighinfatand
dietaryfatisverycaloriedense,with9caloriespergram.Whenyouarebudgeting
yourcaloriesforfat‐burningprograms,Isuggesttakingthecaloriesavingsandusing
reducedfatandreducedcaloriecheeses.Reducedfatfetacheeseisavailableatmost
supermarkets,andwillsaveyouabout1/3incalories.
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Forexample,Athenosbrandreducedfatfetacheesecontains60caloriesperounce
with4gramsoffat.AlpineLacemakesanevenlowercalorieandlowerfatfetacheese
withonly50caloriesand3gramsoffatperounce.Regularfetacheesecontains80–90
caloriesperouncewith6–7gramsoffat.(Note:Thereducedfatcrumbledfetausedin
thisrecipecontains70caloriesand4.5gramsoffatin1/2cup.)
Spinach is a “power food” packed with all
kinds of vital micronutrients and
phytochemicals.
Inaperfectworld,youwouldhaveavegetableordarkleafygreenateverysinglemeal
oftheday.Typically,though,mostpeopledon’tthinkofeatingveggiesatbreakfast,at
leastnotasoftenasfruitandwholegrainsorcereals.However,anytimeyoumake
eggs,youcanalwaysaddveggiestothemtoboostnutritionalvalue.
Spinachisquitesimply,anutritionalpowerhouse.Itcontainsawidevarietyof
nutrientsandphytonutrientsanditisverylowincalories.Itcontainslutein,
zeaxanthin,beta‐carotene,co‐enzymeQ‐10,plant‐derivedomega‐3fattyacids,plus
numerousvitaminsandminerals.
Spinachalsohasmoreresearch‐backedhealthbenefitsthanalmostanyotherfood.A
numberofstudiesdemonstrateaninverserelationshipbetweenspinachand
cardiovasculardisease,cancer,age‐relatedmaculardegenerationandcataracts.It’s
onethingtopickfoodsthatcanhelpyougetlean,butifyoucaneatfoodsthatgetyou
leanandhealthyatthesametime—andspinachisoneofthem—thenthat’swhatyou
shoulddo.Sothrowsomespinachinyouromelets!
Anomeletofthissizewiththeseingredientsclocksinwithlessthan300caloriesand
isverylowincarbs(13grams).Thereare14gramsoffatinthisdish,whichmay
seemhighatfirst,exceptwhenyourealizethattheomegaeggandolivesmakethem
mostlyveryhealthyfats.Unlessyou’reonaverycarb‐restrictedorhighercalorie
program,tryservingthiswithfruitorwholegraintoastorabowlofoatmealonthe
side.
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Lastbutnotleast,ifyouarethetypeofpersonwholacksthe“omelet‐flippinggene”
andyoursjustfallaparteverytime,don’tdespair.Youcanalwaysfallbackon“Greek
scrambledeggs!”Justthrowalltheseingredientstogetherinyourpanandmix!
BurnTheFatGrade:A‐
PortableFood:Yes
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SpicyTunaBurgers!ANewBurnTheFatRecipe
WithAKick!
AnotefromKyleBattis,InnerCircleManager:Ijust
gotthisrecipefromTom,anditwasperfecttiming
becauseIwasreadyformysecondlunch.(I’mlikea
Hobbitwhenitcomestomeals.)Ifollowedthe
directionsintherecipeand10minuteslaterIhada
tastystackofSpicyTunaBurgersreadytobedevoured.
WOW!Thesethingsweretasty,andfromthenutritional
profilebelow,theylookreallyhealthytoo.Ifyouare
lookingforatastymeal,setaside10minutesandcook
upabatchoftheseSpicyTunaBurgers.Enjoy!
Ingredients
2canswater‐packedtuna
1cupoatmeal(oldfashionedoats)
2tablespoonsofnon‐fatorlightmayo(suchassmartbalance)
4tablespoonsWorcestershiresauce
Blackpepper(totaste)
Directions
1. Openyourtwocansoftunaandthoroughlydraintheliquidfromthecans.Putthe
tunaintoamixingbowl.Addtheoatmeal,nonfatmayonnaise,Worcestershire
sauceandblackpepper.
2. Mashandmixtheingredientstogetherthoroughly,makingsurethetunaisbroken
upintoverysmallchunks.Formburgerpattieswithyourhandsandcompress
themtightly.Withthisamountofingredients,youcanmake2,3or4patties,but
largerpattiescookmoreslowlyandmayfallapartwhileflipping,so4smaller
pattiesisideal.
3. Placeyourtunaburgerpattiesintoaskilletcoatedwithnon‐stickcookingspray.
Cookonmediumheatuntilyourburgersarelightlybrownedandsolidenoughfor
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Tom Venuto
easyflipping.Flipyourburgersandthencooktheotherside.Flipagainif
necessaryandthenserve.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:305
Protein:42g
Carbs:35g
Fat:10.5g
Hereisyetanotherverysimpletunaburgerrecipe—onethathas
somecharacterandanicespicyflavor.Tunaburgersareafavorite
onfat‐burningandmuscle‐buildingnutritionprogramsandnotjust
becausetheyarehighinprotein.Anotherbenefitofburgerslike
theseisthattheyareportablefoodsandtheyareveryquickand
easytomake.Sure,they’reabitmessy,buttheyrequireliterallynocookingskillto
prepare!
Thesearehighinproteinandonlymoderateincarbs—perfectforfatlossprograms,
butforhighercarbandhighercalorienutritionprograms,youcaneatyourspicytuna
burgersasasandwich—justslapyourburgerinsidetwoslicesofwholewheatbread
orawholewheatpita.Incidentally,thismixturecanalsoworkinsandwichesasacold
spread(uncooked).
Whenmakingyourpatties,mixtheingredientsverythoroughlyandbesurethetuna
isbrokenupintosmallflakes.Iftherearelargechunksoftunainyourmixture,your
burgerstendtofallapartmoreeasilywhenyouflipthem.Compressingthepattyvery
tightlyalsohelps,asdoespressingdownthepattywithaspatulaonceitisinthefrying
pan.
Thesespicytunaburgersgetarespectablegrade(“B‐”)becausetheprimary
ingredientsareoatmealandtunafish.ThereasonfornotgettingtheperfectBurnThe
Fatgrade“A”isbecausethisrecipeusesmayonnaiseandWorcestershiresauce.Both
containcornsyrup.
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Tom Venuto
If you’re going to use mayo, use this better “bad” choice.
Food manufacturers are starting to make
healthier food choices!
Mayonnaise,usedinsmallquantitieswithinyourcalorielimits,isperfectlyokayon
baselinenutritionprograms;however,youwouldbebetteroffwithacanolamayoora
reducedcalorievarietyofmayo.Regularmayoiscaloriedense(asarealloil‐andfat‐
basedproducts)andismadewithsoybeanoil.Soybeanoildoescontainsomeomega‐
3fattyacids,butithasanomega‐6toomega‐3ratioof12to1,which,accordingto
dietaryfatexpertssuchasArtemisSimopoulos,isunacceptablyhigh.Canolamayohas
abetteromega‐6toomega‐3ratio.
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Tom Venuto
Therehasbeenatrendlatelywithmainstreamfoodproducts(whichcanevenbe
foundatconventionalgrocerystores),toaddhealthyfatsintotheingredients.Manyof
thesenewproductsmakeforbetterchoices,althoughsometimesonlysmall“token”
amountsofgoodfatsareadded(suchasflaxseedoilorflaxseeds).Thisismainlyfor
marketingtothehealth‐consciouscrowdorfornutritional“politicalcorrectness.”
Mayonnaiseisonesuchexample.TheSmartBalancebrandmakesan“OmegaPlus”
mayonnaise,whichismadewithcanola,olive,soybeanandevensomeflaxseedoil.It
alsocontainsfewercaloriesthanconventionalmayo,althoughitdoescontainsome
sugar.Lightvarietiesofmayocanbeverylowincalories,dependingonthebrand,but
allofthemcontaincornsyruporsugar.
Facedwiththeprospectoffull‐fat,veryhighcaloriemayo,youarebesttotakethe
caloriesavingsandgowiththeverylightmayo,orusesmallamountsofthecanola
mayo.Lightcanolamayo(includingbrandssuchasSmartBalance)isprobablyoneof
thebetterchoicesbecauseyougetthecaloriesavingsandabetterratioofomega‐3to
omega‐6fattyacids.
Worcestershiresauceismadefromvinegar,molasses,highfructosecornsyrup,
tamarindconcentrateandvariousspices.Foodsandcondimentsthatcontainhigh
fructosecornsyrupinthefirstfewingredientsarenot“A”gradefoods.It’sdifficultto
completelyeliminatecornsyrupbecauseit’shiddeninsomanyfoods,fromketchup
tosaladdressings.Consumedinverysmallamounts,itisunlikelytoslowyour
progressmuch(althoughIwouldnotrecommendconsuminganythingwithanycorn
syrupifyou’reonastrictfatlossdiet,ifyou’regoingintophysiquecompetition,orif
yourfatlosshasbeenslow).
Ifounditveryinterestingthatinmorethanonepopulardietbook,Worcestershire
sauce,aswellasseveralother“lowcalorie”condimentsandsauces,werelistedas
“free”or“unlimited”foods(meaning,youcanusethesefoodsinunlimitedquantities
and“notworryaboutthecalories”).IwaslaughingmybuttoffwhenIsawthat
becausethisisonereasonthatmanypeoplefailtoreducetheirbodyweight—they
refusetocountcaloriesandorfailtoaccountforcaloriesthatmayappeartobe
inconsequential.Trustme,theyalladdupintheend,anditisaresearch‐provenfact
thatmostpeopleforgettocountthingsandunderestimatetheircalorieintake.
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Tom Venuto
Add a little spicy kick to your tuna burgers with this ingredient!
Icanseehowadietbookauthormightmakethemistakeofauthorizingunlimited
amountsoflowcaloriefoods,butoncloserinspection,youcanseethatfood
manufacturersplayallkindsofsneakytricks,someofwhichinvolvelabelinglaw
loopholesandothersthatsimplyinvolvereducingtheservingsizessothatthereare
oftenmorecaloriesthanyourealize.
InthecaseofWorcestershiresauce,whenyoulookatthelabel,yousee5caloriesper
servingandyourfirstimpressiontendstobe,“That’shardlyanything—Icanhave
thisandmybodywon’tevennoticeit.”Ifyoulookattheservingsize,however,you
willseethatitisonlyoneteaspoon.(Doyouknowhowsmallateaspoonis?)Ourtuna
burgerrecipecallsfor4tablespoons,sothat’s12teaspoonsor60calories.Thatisstill
notalotofcalories,butit’snotinsignificanteither.Ifyoudecidedthatthiswasa
“free”foodandyoudidthesamethingwithseveralothercondimentslikeketchup,
steaksauce,salsaandsoon,alongwithforgettingtoaddupthemilkinyourcoffee
andsnacksthatarenotcounted,canyouseehowyoucouldendupwithseveral
hundredcaloriesnotaccountedfor,whichcouldexplainan“unexplainable”progress
plateau?
So,yes,youmustcountthecaloriesinthesaucesandcondimentsyouuse,andpay
attentiontotheservingsizes.AlthoughyouareforegoingaBurnTheFat“A”grade,
usingthingslikelightmayoandWorcestershireinsmallamountsisperfectly
acceptableonabaselinenutritionprogramanditallowsyoutoenjoyamuchwider
varietyofrecipes,whichinturnmakesfollowingyournutritionprogramalotmore
enjoyable.
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Tom Venuto
Oncompetitiondiets,suchasthoseforbodybuilding,fitnessorfigure,thefood
selectionsshouldbemademuchstricter,andallfoodscontainingcornsyrup
(Worcestershiresauce,ketchup,steaksauce,lightmayonnaise,etc.),arebest
eliminatedcompletelyformaximumresults.Remember,ambitiousgoalsrequire
stricterdiets.Forgeneralfitnessandfatreductiongoals,simplykeeptrackofyour
calories,maintainyourcaloriedeficit,watchyourservingsizesandenjoyrecipeslike
thisone!
BurnTheFatGrade:B‐
PortableFood:Yes
151
Tom Venuto
LazyPerson’sChinese“Stir‐Fry”
Chinesefoodcanbeveryhealthyifyouchoosewisely(think
veggies,riceandchickenbreast!).Itcanalsobeacompletefat‐
storingdisasterifyouchoosepoorly(thinkrestaurant‐style
KungpaochickenandotherChinesefriedstuff).Makingyour
ownChineseathomeisagreatalternative,andmanypeople
reallyenjoywokcooking.However,thattakestimeandwork.
Thewords“Chinese”and“take‐out”aresosynonymoustheyarealmostoneinthe
same.Why?Becausealmosteveryoneisbusy,andmostpeoplearelazy,atleastwhen
itcomestocooking(andespeciallywhenitcomesto5–6‐meal‐per‐dayfatlossor
muscle‐buildingprograms).Sowhat’sabusylazypersontodo?Herecomesthe“Lazy
Person’sChineseStir‐Fry”totherescue.
Yield:Makesabatchoffourservingsforfatlossprograms.
Ingredients
1‐1/2cupsbrownbasmatiriceorlong‐grainbrownrice(measureddry)
12ozchickenbreast
16‐ozbagofChinesevegetableblend(frozen)
4teaspoonsBraggLiquidAminos(soysaucealternativeseasoning)
Directions
1. Beginbypreparingyourrice.Youcandoitthetraditional
waybyboilingwaterinapotonthestove,addingyour
rice,stirring,thenreducingtheheattosimmerand
cookingforapproximately40–50minutes,orasperthe
instructionsonpackage.Evenbetter,aricecookerisa
greatconvenienceandtimesaver.
2. Foryourveggies,youcanusefreshorsteamed,butforthe
lazyperson’sstirfry,throwingfrozenChineseveggiesin
themicrowaveworksjustfine.
3. Cookyourchickenbreastsonanopen‐facedgrillpan
(suchasaCirculonpan),coatedwithnon‐stickcookingspray,oryoucanusea
GeorgeForemanGrill(anothermust‐have“BurnTheFat”kitchenappliance).
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Tom Venuto
4. Ifyouuseagrillpan,youcanchopupyourchickenintosmallpiecesforfaster
cooking.Whentherice,chickenandveggiesarecooked,simplyaddsomeBragg
LiquidAminos(availableonlineoratmosthealthfoodstores),mixandserve.
NutritionInfo
Perserving:
Calories:441cal
Protein:33.4g
Carbs:63g
Fat:6.8g
It’sagoodthingthatcarbo‐phobiahasfinallystarted
dyingdownbecauserice—ifyoupicktherightkind—
isagreatadditiontoafatburningnutritionprogram
andisoneofyourbeststarchycarbsources.Your
choiceofricedefinitelymakesadifference.First,
choosebrownriceoverwhiterice.Whitericehasbeen
strippedofmanyofitsvitamins,mineralsandsomeof
itsprotein.ThestickywhitericeisafavoriteinChinese
restaurants,butisnutritionallylackingcomparedtobrownriceanditisabsorbed
morequickly,causingagreaterbloodsugarandinsulinspike.
MinuteRiceand“instantrice”maybefasterandmoreconvenient,buttheyarethe
lowestofallinnutrientcontent.Yourbestbetistochooselong‐grain,slow‐cooked
brownriceandsimplyusearicecookertopreparelargebatchesforlateruse.Bythe
way,riceabsorbsthewaterandfluffsupwhenit’scooked,soifyoumeasure1‐1/2
cupsdryricepriortocooking,itwillbeatleast2cupscooked.Besuretoremember
thiswhenyouaddupthosecalories!
Ifyouhaven’ttriedbrownbasmatirice,youwillloveit.
OriginatingfromIndia’sbasmatiseed(yeah,Iknow,
it’snot“Chinese,”butnevermind,it’sgreatstuff),this
isanutritiouslong‐grainbrownrice.Asyoucook
Basmatirice,yourkitchenwillfillwithawonderful
popcornaroma,andthisisoneofthemostflavorfulof
153
Tom Venuto
allrices.Thismakesitidealforsimpledisheswithoutrequiringalotofspicesor
ingredientsbecausetheplainricealonetastessogood.
Bytheway,nothingbeatsaricecooker!Onceyougetspoiledbyusingthisfantastic
kitchenappliance,youwillwonderhowyoueverlivedwithoutone.Notonlydoesa
ricecookercooklong‐grainriceinalmosthalfthetime,youcanalsocookverylarge
batches;allyouhavetodoisputinthemeasuredrice,addwaterandpushabutton.
Cookingyourfoodinquantityisoneofthekeystostayingonyournutritionprogram
consistently.
Justaboutanytypesofveggiesgogreatwithrice.
TheChineseblendsusuallycontaingreenbeans,
broccoli,carrots,redpeppers,onions,mushrooms,
snowpeapods,waterchestnutsandbambooshoots
orsimilarcombinations.Atypicalorientalvegetable
blendwillhaveabout35caloriespercup(approx3
oz).Caloriecontentsmayvarybasedonbrandand
blend(IliketheoneswiththelittleThaibabycornsmyself;alwaysremindsmeofthat
movieBIG,withTomHanks…butIdigress….)
Checkthelabelsifyouwishtobeprecisewithyourcalorieintake,butwhenitcomes
toveggies,it’shardtogooverboard.Mostpeopledon’teatenoughveggies,soIsay,
loadup!It’sthestarchycarbintakeyouwanttokeepincheckbecausericeisfairly
caloriedenseandit’seasyto“over‐dose.”Vegetableblendsarefantasticbecauseeach
differenttypeofvegetablecontainsavarietyofnutrientsandphytochemicals.Whenit
comestofatlossandnutritionalvalue,yousimplycannotbeatveggies.
Forseasoning,tryBraggLiquidAminosasanalternativetosoysauce.Thename
LiquidAminosiskindofdeceivingasthisisnotaproteinsupplement,(althoughit
makesusweight‐trainingfolksfeelbetteraboutusingit!).Thisisactuallyanatural
soysaucealternativeandall‐purposeseasoningthatcontainsnoartificialingredients
(nochemicals,nopreservatives,etc.).
Keepinmindthatevenlowsodiumsoysaucesandmostseasoningsareveryhighin
sodium,andtheyaresimply“reduced”sodiumcomparedtoregularsoysauce.Many
peopleaskaboutsodiumonfatlossprograms.Sincetherearenocaloriesinsodium,it
willnotaffectyourbodycomposition,althoughhighsodiumintakemaycausewater
retentionandapuffyappearance.Sodiumisanimportantandnecessaryelementin
thehumanbody,butkeepinmindthatasmallpercentageofpeoplearehighly“salt
sensitive,”andforsomehypertensives,highsodiumcanbeahealthrisk.Theaverage
154
Tom Venuto
Americanconsumes4500mgofsodiumperday,andtherecommendeddailylevelfor
adultsisonly2400mgperday.
Sothereyouhaveit!Brownrice,veggiesandchickenisagreatBurnTheFatmeal
thatyoucanenjoyoften,andthisdishisaboutassupersimpleand“lazy‐person
friendly”asitcanget!(forthosewhoare“non‐lazy,”we’lltrysomemoreadvanced
wokrecipesinfutureBurnTheFatrecipes!)
BurnTheFatGrade:A
PortableFood:No
CookingDifficultyLevel:Easy!
155
Tom Venuto
SuperSimpleTunaBurgers!
Tunafishhasbeenastapleinthedietsofbodybuildersandpeople
interestedinachievingaleanandhealthyphysique.Ifyouhave
arrivedatthepointwhereeatingtunastraightoutofthecanis
becomingalittleboring,yetyouarenotagourmetchef,thenthis
recipeistheoneyouhavebeenlookingfor!LetChefVenutoshowyou
hissupersimplerecipeforturningacanoftunaintoatastymeal!
Yield:makes2burgers
Ingredients
1cansolidwhitealbacoretuna
2eggwhites,large
8lowfatwholewheatcrackers
Mrs.Dashseasoning(totaste)
Directions
1. Openyourcanoftunaandthoroughlydraintheliquidfromthecan.Putthetunain
amixingbowlandchopthetunaintothesmallestpiecespossible.
2. Crumblethecrackersintosmallcrumbsandaddthemtothetuna.Addtwoegg
whites.AddMrs.Dashseasoningtosuityourtaste.
3. Stirthefouringredientsuntiltheyaremixedandsemi‐solidsoyoucanformthem
intoapatty.
4. Ifyourmixtureistooliquid,youcanaddmorecrackers.Formburgerpattieswith
yourhandsandcompressthemtightly.Placetunapattiesinafrypancoatedwith
non‐stickcookingspraysuchasPAM.
5. Cookonmediumheatuntiltheburgerislightlybrownedandsolidenoughfor
easyflipping.Flipyourburgersandthencooktheotherside.Makestwoburgers.
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Tom Venuto
NutritionInfo
Perserving(2burgers):
Calories:329
Protein:46.5g
Carbs:22.6g
Fat:4.5g
Tuna fish is high‐protein food that can help you achieve a leaner physique.
Therearemanydifferentrecipesfortunaburgersyoucanfindinavarietyof
cookbooks.Someofthemareprettycomplicatedandrequire8,10,oreven12
ingredients,spicesandsoon.Wewillsurelyexploremoreadvancedtunaburger
recipesinthefuture,becausethehighleanproteincontentfitsnicelywithfatburning
nutritionandtherearewaystomakethemwithalittlemore“class”andfinessethan
thisrecipe(nottomentionscorean“A”grade),buttherecipeyouarelearningtodayis
sosimple,evenakitchendummycouldmakeit—blindfolded!Sometimes“fast,messy
andsimple”trumps“complicatedandgourmet!”
Anykindoftunaworksforthisrecipe.Albacoreisafavoriteformany.Anytypeof
wholewheatcrackerswillalsowork.Besuretochooselowfat100%wholewheator
100%wholegrainvarietiesofcrackers.Whiteflourandenriched,refinedgrain
productsarenotagoodchoice.Suggestions:HealthyValley,orBarbara’sBakery
brands,availableatmosthealthfoodstores.Youmayalsowanttotryusingwhole
wheatbread(crumbled)inplaceofcrackers.
EggBeatersorliquideggwhites(inacarton)maybesubstitutedforregularegg
whites.Incaseyou’renotfamiliarwithMrs.Dash,thisisagreatsalt‐freemulti‐
purposeseasoningyoucanfindatanygrocerystoreinthespicessection.Thereare
severalvarietiesofMrs.Dash.Forthistunaburgerrecipe,Isuggesttheoriginal“Table
Blend”version.
157
Tom Venuto
Whenmakingyourpatties,thetrickhereistocrumblethecrackersverythoroughly,
drainthetunacompletelyandchopitthoroughly,andstirthemixturethoroughly.
Thishelpsthepattystaytogetherwhenyouflipit.Iftherearelargechunksoftunaor
crackerinyourpatty,theburgerwillmoreeasilyfallapartwhenyoutrytoflipit.
Compressingthepattyverytightlyalsohelps,asdoespressingdownthepattywitha
spatulaonceitisinthefryingpan.Ifyourmixtureistooliquid,youcanaddmore
crackers,andnotetheamountforyournextbatch.
Becausetwooftheingredientsaretunafishandeggwhites,thisisahighprotein
meal,withabouttwiceasmuchproteinascarbs.Youcaneattheburgersasis,or
servewithsaladorasidedish.Ifyouwantahighercarbcount,youcanmakethese
intosandwiches.Justthrowyourtunaburgerbetweentwoslicesofwholewheat
bread,andthereyouhaveyetanother“portablefood,”readytotakewithyou!
Thesesupersimpletunaburgersgetarespectable“B”grade.Thereasonfornot
gettingtheperfect“A”isbecausethisrecipecallsforwholewheatcrackers.Inthe
BurnTheFatsystem,“A”gradefoodsaretotallyunprocessed,unrefinedfoods.Foods
thataremadefromwholegrains,butlightlyprocessed(oftencominginaboxor
package,andnotstraightfromthe“package”itcamefrominnature),usuallyget
arounda“B”.Asageneralrule,ifyoueatmostlyAandBfoods,90%ofthetimeor
more,youwillgetgreatresultsinyourfat‐burning(ormuscle‐building)quest.
Enjoy!
BurnTheFatGrade:B
PortableFood:Yes!
158
Tom Venuto
AboutTomVenuto
TomVenutoisanaturalbodybuilder,nutritionresearcherand
freelancewriter.TomholdsabachelorofsciencedegreeinAdult
health/fitness(exercisescience)andisalongtimememberofthe
AmericanCollegeofSportsMedicineandtheNationalStrengthand
ConditioningAssociation.
Tomhasbeentrainingsince1983andhascompeted28timessince
1989asalifetimenatural(steroid‐free)bodybuilder.Histitlesinclude
theMr.NaturalNewJersey,NaturalPennsylvania,NaturalNewYork
State,NaturalMidAtlanticStatesandNaturalEasternClassicChampionships.Hewasalso
runnerupinboththeNaturalUSAandNaturalNorthAmericaChampionships.
Venutoistheauthorofnumerousbooksincludingthe#1sellinge‐bookBurnTheFat,
FeedTheMuscle(e‐book),theNationaland#1Amazonbestseller,TheBodyFatSolution
(Avery/Penguin,hardcover).Hislatest,TheHolyGrailBodyTransformationSystem(e‐
book),istheonlyscience‐basedguideonthemarketthatteachesyouhowtogainmuscle
andlosefatatthesametime—the“HolyGrail”offitnessgoals.
TomisaregularguestonpodcastsandradioshowsincludingMarthaStewarthealthyliving
(SiriusXMsatelliteradio),ESPN‐1250,WCBS‐AMandBlogtalkradio.
Tom’sarticleshavebeenfeaturedonhundredsofwebsitesworldwideandhehasbeen
featuredinIRONMAN,AustralianIRONMAN,NaturalBodybuilding,MuscularDevelopment,
Men’sFitness,Men’sExercise,FirstForWomen,OprahMagazine,TheHuffingtonPost,The
WallStreetJournalandTheNewYorkTimes.
TomisalsothefounderandCEOofthepremierfatlosssupportcommunity,BurnTheFat
InnerCircle.HelivesinHoboken,NewJersey,nearNewYorkCity.
YoucanvisitTomonlineat:
TheHolyGrailBodyTransformationSystem
http://www.HolyGrailBodyTransformation.com
BurntheFat,FeedtheMuscle
http://www.burnthefat.com
BurntheFatInnerCircle
http://www.BurnTheFatInnerCircle.com
159

Muscle Feeding recipes - Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle

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