WEEK SEVENTY-SIX :: How Can You Make A Bland Diet Appealing?

[the_fake_webmaster]

* Note: How can I win? 1. Answer all questions in the order that they are asked. 2. Go over reviews (located at the bottom of each TOTW article) and see what was said about those that did not win. Good Luck!
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TOPIC: How Can You Make A Bland Diet Appealing?

For the week of: May 11th - May 17th
Wednesday @ Midnight Is The Final Cut (Mountain Time, US & Canada).

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Bodybuilders go through the pain of shoving down foods which they don’t enjoy. Foods that are bland with no flavor, such as chicken, tuna, brown rice, etc are all apart of a bodybuilder’s diet.

How can you make a bland diet appealing?

What types of additions or spices can be used?

What are some recipes for a great tasting and nutritional meal?

Bonus Question: What can you do to get your protein shake to taste great?

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Don't discuss any other topic in this section. ONLY discuss the question above.

The best response will get $75 in credit to use in our online store! The other good responses will be used in an article on the main Bodybuilding.com site, with the poster's forum name listed by it. Become famous!

Thanks,
Will
Webmaster
Bodybuilding.com

[mark prater 123]

add salt

[MASTER175]

dont forget the pepper

[iDesign]

Diets shouldn't be boring, just keep thinking of why you're doing it. Suddenly the food seems a lot more appealing.

Take the same foods, but eat them different ways. My absolute fave is chicken, brown rice, and snow peas in a whole wheat wrap. You'd be surprised in how putting something in a wrap makes it so much better. Depending what stage your diet is at, try sprinkling in a little Kraft Greek Feta cheese.

Chicken getting boring? Try cooking it in some kind of broth (Campbell's Thai, Japanese, or Chinese). When I make the wraps I cook the chicken in a teeny bit of garlic infused oil, simmer in the broth for 10-15 minutes (let that flavour get right in there), then throw in the snow peas on top and let them soften up a bit for 5-10 min.

Lazy? I got two words for you: hot sauce. Toss from Frank's Red Hot on anything and it tastes good. Thermogenic too!

For spices I like garlic powders, bay leaves, oregano. Keep it simple.

I don't know why people complain about protein shakes, I love 'em. Chocolate Nitro-Tech, some milk (use water when carb-depleting), one or two ripe bananas, flax oil, Six-Star glutamine powder. Tastes freakin' fantastic. Still not enough for ya? Squeeze in a little honey. Booyeah.

[Brute Force]

We all know that chicken, oatmeal, eggs and most other bodybuilding foods are bland. Combine that with having to eat the same foods every day and forcing down food every two hours, it can be down right gross. I am going to go through the foods bodybuilders eat daily and kick them up a notch.

Eggs: I like eggs by themselves, but a little Santa Barbara Salsa (the kind in the refrigerated section, not the jarred stuff) and a bit of non-fat cheddar can go a long way. For variety, switch up salsa types and cheeses.

Oatmeal: 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats (not the quick stuff), 1/2 a tablespoon of natural peanut butter, 1/2 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder (antioxidants), 1/2 tablespoon of milled flaxseeds, sprinkle of ground cinnamon, a couple raisins and 1/2-3/4 cups of milk (depending on how you like it). Of course whole milk tastes better, but use skim if you're trying to slim down. If it's not sweet enough, throw in a packet of splenda.

Meat: I eat 3 types of meat, chicken, beef and assorted fish (mostly tuna, salmon, seabass and swordfish). I prepare all 3 in kabob form. You can buy these already in cube form from the store, or cut them into 1 inch cubes yourself. They cook quickly, taste great and are easy to portion out. Stick them on a skewer and then they can be cooked on the grill, on a grill pan or underneath a broiler. Recipes are below.

Fish: Don't over do it. Blend salt, pepper and olive oil together and brush it on the fish cubes.

Beef: A spice rub is nice on these (Olive oil, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder), but it's best to marinade them overnight. I like a combo of olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice and hot sauce.

Chicken: I sometimes like to brine these to bring out the flavor, but that can lead to a high salt content. I generally mix up different spice rubs. Blackening rub is above under beef. I also sometimes use an indian rub (olive oil, salt, pepper, curry, ground coriander, ground cloves and some ground cardamom pods).

Even after a while, these recipes can get boring when eating them day in and day out. So for some variety I will use my homemade bbq sauce (tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, hickory smoke flavoring and some chipotle tabasco).

Potatoes: I cut them up into fries, sprinkle some olive oil on them, add some salt, garlic powder and rosemary, throw them in the oven for about half an hour and they come out great!

Rice: I find that a simple recipe is best. Before adding the rice to the water, I add some olive oil and 1 or 2 low sodium, MSG-free, chicken bouillon cubes. For variety, try beef and other cubes.

Pasta: Olive oil and salt makes it taste like I'm eating the pasta with butter.

As you can see, the secret to good tasting food is olive oil. I use it in almost everything, but I don't use a lot of it. A little bit goes a long way and only adds a few grams of healthy fats to each meal. By the way, make sure it's extra virgin olive oil. For those looking to avoid fats completely, you can use an olive oil or non-fat butter spray.

This goes over the basic bodybuilding foods, but I also eat yogurt with strawberries, a peanut butter and banana sandwich with a blended protein shake as snacks, and an assortment of veggies and black beans with almost every meal.

Remember, dieting should't feel like dieting. Using some simple recipes will help you stay on course. I hope you found this post informative.

Happy eating!

[NaturaLPumP]

I am in the final week of my contest prep, and have dicovered a few tricks along the way. First up is the plain oatmeal, I used to hate it but now I really look forward to it. Just add 2 scoops of whey powder for the flavoring. The best part is mixing your own blend from different protein flavors, I liked the chocolate and banana, but the chocolate and vanilla was the greatest thing ever, tatse just like a smores. Then theres the peanut butter. I started out with the natural peanut butter which I didnt care for. So I switched to 50/50 peanut butter. Its a low glycemic blend made for diabetics and its not all oily. I like to dip my shredded wheat in it, its a great snack. Its little tricks like this that make dieting easier, when you actually look forward to eating the meal.
As for the shakes, its hard to do to much with them when your cutting, but sometimes I will mix
6 oz. of water, 2 scoops whey, 1 banana, and 4 ice cubes and you got yourself a nice frothy cocolate banana shake. I have also tried mixing 8 oz of apple juice, 8 oz. water with 2 scoops of whey for my post workout. It taste good but I like eating my apple seperatly.

pump

pump

[MedStudent2nd]

This is a little long, but I've got a lot to say so I attached a file.

[Dubble G]

Bland??: I've found that the real boredom in clean eating isn't a lack of flavor in as much as poor creativity with varying your recipies and experimenting with less familiar ingredients. We change up our workouts to maintain interest and challenge the body; overcome the fear, breach the unfamiliar ~ your body and tastebuds will appreciate you!

Spices: I have my standard stock of items always handy such as reduced fat peanut butter, butter buds, garlic powder, fresh garlic, onion powder and black pepper. Simmering your sauted veges in a little water with poultry seasoning or chinese 5 spices can give a new twist. Throw fresh cilantro, bean sprouts, julienne zuchini or jicama into any boring salad or wrap and it will add both punch and crunch for an interesting change.

I've grown accustomed to plain chicken and I LIKE IT. Restaurants today bathe our food in so much sauce you sometimes can't tell where the meat is. When you become accustomed to plain unseasoned meals a little goes a long way and you'll notice the difference when even the slightest amounts are added. My busy schedule requires me to make entire packages of chicken at a time so I will occasionally split up the fresh chicken breasts into seperate zip lock bags, each seasoned differently. 1 tablespoon of barbecue sauce or low sodium soy with grated fresh ginger, or red pepper, chile powder and lime (concentrate or fresh) along with the excess water after pre-washing the meat is enough to thoroughly coat your food and add flavor.

Here are my two favorite personal recipies that spice up my enthusiasm for clean eating while encouraging me to drink enough water which I often find difficult. **The measurements of the add-ins are approximate and would best read as "not greater than" the amount listed**

I quickly lose interest in the plain baked sweet potato. My sweet potato pancake creation has a flavor similar to pumpkin pie with a bread-like texture and are the perfect compromise that also satisfies my love of baked goods:
~I use two small sweet potatoes individually wrapped in wax paper and microwave them for 7-10 minutes at 70% power. Without removing the wax paper I squeeze the potato to mash the pulp and place them without the skin into a mixing bowl (I find myself snacking on the skins while I'm making the rest of the dish).
~Use a coffee grinder to convert 1/2 cup of dry oatmeal into a flour and set aside.
~Whip 4 egg whites in a bowl with a wire wisk until frothy. Stir in 1 heaping scoop of Higher Power vanilla flavored protein until dissolved then add about 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, a dash of nutmeg, a little more cinnamon, and about 1 teaspoon of Splenda. Continue to stir until smooth.
~ Gradually add the egg white mixture to the sweet potatoes to ensure even blending. In the same manner add in the oatmeal flour.
~ Slowly add enough water to bring the mixture to the consistency of pancake batter.
~ Coat a hot, non-stick griddle with butter flavored cooking spray and pour small amounts of batter onto the griddle, cooking just as you would the real thing without over-browning or they will become dry.
The cooled off cakes can be stored in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator to keep them moist. Enjoy!

My alternative to the traditional protein shake also satisfies my craving for sweet treats. This has become a daily ritual that I've yet to tire from eating:
~ I mix 2 scoops of Higher Power chocolate or vanilla protein with about 1/2 tablespoon of Reduced Fat peanut butter. Gradually stir in just enough very cold water to bring it to the consistency of brownie batter. When close to contest I'll omit the peanut butter which makes the texture less creamy but I like the flavor of my protein so all is good!
I will sometimes mix in my glutamine or add a bit of nuts. Skip the peanut butter and try cinnamon and raisins or apples with the vanilla...yum!

Finally to vary my protein shake: I will throw in small amounts of pureed frozen berries, flavored fat free yogurt, wheat germ, and even tried a dash of almond or mint extracts before.

I've been known to raise eyebrows of my friends and family with some of my ideas, but I've also received some rave reviews by some of those who dare to try something healthy with so much flavor!

[Brute Force]

As for the bonus question:

I like to make my protein shakes more appealing by making my own homemade protein pudding. I take a scoop of my favorite protein (which is a milk, egg and WPI blend), I add a Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 Tbsp of whole wheat flour, a packet of splenda and a cup of milk. Whisk together and you have a delicious instant protein pudding. Peanut butter, banana and flax meal can also be added for variety/health benefits.

[Hue Ghas]

We all have cravings, and we all get bored. We all are human and we all search for a variety of food. A diet with no appeal will soon get tiring and although we would all like to think we can stick to a healthy diet of plain grilled chicken, brown rice and tuna, we can't. A bland diet of such foods can be made more appealing by simply eating them with other foods such as cottage cheese or celery to add a touch of variety to each meal. Another way to turn a bland diet into something special is to use marinades or spices to alter the taste of the food. For example, soaking a chicken breast in light Italian dressing before grilling will completely change the taste of your bland chicken as well as give you a taste of Italy in every bite.

DON'T EAT FOODS WITH ZERO GRAMS OF TASTE!

Many of us stop using condiments because they lack in nutritional value. This will cause us to stop wanting the foods we know are healthy. Sacrificing a few extra calories for a better taste is well worth it and in the long run will help you achieve your goal. Reach for that hot sauce!

Speaking of hot sauce, studies have shown that incorporating a variety of spices in your foods such as curry, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and certain herbs may help boost your metabolism as well as stabilize blood sugar levels. Yes, these are good benefits, but they also taste great too and will keep you wanting more.

RECIPES

Grilled Salmon With Orange Glaze

Loaded Omega 3 Fatty Acids in the salmon and antioxidants in the orange rinds, this recipe will be sure to leave you (and your heart) with a smile.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup fat-free orange marmalade
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tablespoons white rice vinegar (or other white vinegar)
1 pound boneless, skinless salmon fillet, cut in four pieces
6 scallions, thinly sliced with green (optional)
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Combine marmalade, oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and vinegar. Heat grill. Brush glaze on each side of salmon; grill about 5 minutes on each side. Top with scallions and sesame

Easy Blueberry-Lemon Parfait

Low saturated fat; High antioxidants; Gut-protecting bacteria in Ginger is a mild anti-blood-clotting agent; Eating 6 ounces of yogurt a day reduced hay-fever attacks and colds in a University of California at Davis study.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
2 (8 ounce) cartons non-fat lemon yogurt
10 gingersnaps, crumbled

DIRECTIONS:
In each of four parfait glasses or tall wineglasses, put 1/2 cup blueberries, followed by 1/2 cup yogurt, then crumbled gingersnaps.


Pizza with Pepper, Onion and Feta

A HEALTHY PIZZA!?! Can't believe it? There are powerful antioxidants in peppers, onion, garlic and herbs; Plus, vegetables help lower high blood pressure. This low-fat pizza will leave you in shock after you have tasted it.

INGREDIENTS:
1 (12 inch) thin pizza crust (homemade or prepared, such as Boboli)
3 cups chopped bell peppers (red, green, yellow)
1 cup sliced red or yellow onion, pulled into rings
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
3/4 cup low-fat crumbled herbed feta cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients except cheese; spoon over crust. Top with cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until vegetables are crispy-tender.


Lets face it, having a protein shake 2 - 3 times a day can become quite a chore and having the same thing day in and day out can be more exhausting than running a marathon.

So how can we have protein shakes that taste good and are good for you? Well, let's take a look at some rules for making a good tasting, healthy protein shake.

1. Keep your additions as natural as possible. Using natural ingredients such as natural peanut butter can have better healthy benefits as well as taste better

2. Think about what taste actually is going into the shake. What I mean by this is, I could throw a handful of M&M's in a shake because I like the taste of them alone. I'm not going to get the taste benefits of them because the other ingredients will over-power them. Try using taste-less ingredients like fat-free cottage cheese to add more protein to your shake without altering the taste.

3. Make sure you have enough liquids in your drink. These are shakes and sometimes we get carried away and turn it into more of a cookie dough than an actual shake.

With these tips, you can have the healthy things you want, with the taste you crave!


Recipes from: http://allrecipes.com/advice/coll/us...cles/714P1.asp
Information backed by: http://www.fiery-foods.com/dave/health.html ; http://www.bodybuilding.com/ ;http://www.americanheart.org/present...dentifier=4632

[Hue Ghas]

Woah, looks like there are some very good posts out there. Good luck everyone.

[jragym]

Dieting does not have to boring and bland with so many options to add flavor to your diet. Below I have just a few ideas of flavoring my food that I enjoy and makes dieting more tolerable.
Why not add spices or vegetables with strong flavors like onions, dried red pepper, jalapenos, garlic or fat free substitutes like fat free spray butter (I cant believe it`s not butter) fat free Mayo, or fat free miracle whip, also try lemon juice, curry and cilantro.

Why not Marinade your turkey breast, chicken or salmon in fat free salad dressings or Vinaigrette before putting it on the grill.

When having your tuna for lunch how about adding:
1 Tbs of fat-free mayo or fat free miracle whip
Some chopped onion or cilantro with some sliced almonds and a little salt, pepper or red pepper - take your pick from the spice rack

Making French toast for breakfast:
Take whole grain, whole wheat bread dip in egg whites and cook in pan with non-stick spray enjoy with sugar free syrup or sliced bananas.

Or if you just have to have the hamburger try making your own patties with ground turkey meant on whole wheat bread below is a recipe for turkey patties:
1lb of low fat ground turkey
1/2 cup of onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper
Chopped jalapeno to taste
1 tsp of garlic powder
Some pepper
2 egg whites
1/4-1/2 cup of oats (to make your ground meat stay to together)
shape into patties and toss on the grill
You can add other spices just depends on what you like

For your salmon after you grilled or baked it spray a little non-fat spray butter on and add a little garlic or spice of your choice
you can even top it with some home made salsa
or make a salmon brown rice salad:
1/2 cup of brown rice
5 oz of salmon
some chopped cucumber, lettuce, onions, a little avocado, peppers
And top with fat free dressing of your choice you can also use tuna in this recipe
Anyway I could just go on forever but take a closer look at your spice rack and fat free and sugar free option and you can create your own great fat loss recipes without losing the flavor

As for making your protein shake taste better I would suggest adding some bannas and berries or adding a scoop of non-fat frozen yogurt to them these are just some things I try and have found it to improve the taste quite a bit

[Hue Ghas]

I didn't label each part of my post, but they're all there. Sorry about that.

[Hoss0414]

Most people eat fast food and their mom's famous home cooking becuase it tastes great. It is also why they hate to stick to a diet, it's toture. So the question is: How do you make a diet taste great? The first rule is to utilize spices. Salt and pepper are just the beginning. The easiest way to go is to get the permixed spices; Lemon pepper, Italian, taco seasoning. Then I have a few other spices: ginger, curry, and cinnamon. With this arsenal of spices, Fat Bastard could stick to a diet. Using these spices, a grilled chicken salad can now have a kick with lemon pepper. With curry and ginger, you can make a great stir fry. But my favorite dish is my south west tuna burgers.

Southwest Tuna Burgers

2 Cans of tuna
1 egg
1 Scallion onion
1/2 a diced red bell pepper
1/2 a tomato
11 Tbsp Taco seasoning

1.) Beat the egg
2.) Chop up the onion, pepper, and tomato
3.) Mix everything up
4.) Form the mix into 4 burgers
5.) Grill the burgers

Each burger has:
21G Protein
3G Carbohydrates
1G Fat

This simple recipe is amazing! The burgers don't even taste like tuna in the end!

All of these spices can make some great meals, but I know that I couldn't stick to any diet for.... a day without something sweet. The key to this is sugar free Jello pudding mix. In each dish, I only use a dash of it, which doesn't even add a whole gram of carbohydrate. So a simple way to get your sweet fix is with cottage cheese.

1/2C Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1 Scoop Whey Protein
1 Dash of Sugar Free Pudding Mix

28G Protein
8G Carbohydrates
0G Fat

Using different combinations of protein and pudding mix flavors, you can make all sorts of flavors: Cheesecake, Chocolate Banana, Strawberry Cheesecake, Chocolate. The list goes on and it tastes great.



I look forward to every breakfast. I make my oatmeal just like I do my cottage cheese. Supercharge a bowl of oatmeal with a scoop of whey protein. On top of it, dash some pudding mix. But the two best mixes require just a couple more things.

When your making your oatmeal put in a teaspoon of natural peanut butter. Then microwave it, the peanut butter melts and becomes mixable. Then add a scoop of chocolate protein, no pudding mix required.

The other is to add a scoop of vanilla protein and a few dashes of ginger and cinnamon.

What you get is about:
28G Protein
29G Carbohydrates
3G Fat

Both dishes are a great meal to start with in the morning.

Now the biggest question: How do I make a nasty protein shake taste good?

For any flavor of protein shake, you can just add a little of the pudding mix.
What I've found to taste the great also is to add cinnamon to a chocolate shake.
The best shake I've ever had was the Banana, Chocalate, Peanut Butter Smoothie

2 Scoops Chocolate Whey
1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter
1 Frozen banana (peel it before you free it)
1 1/2 cups milk or water
1 teaspoon glutamine

Simply throw everything into a blender and you have the perfect pot workout shake. It's nutrients run something around:

56G Protein
42g Carbohydrates
5G Fat

Notice that nothing was added that could throw off a diet, but would make your whole diet unbelievably better. Now, go and try some of these and start ENJOYING your diet!

[Dallas68]

Bodybuilders go through the pain of shoving down foods which they don’t particularly enjoy. To ensure that no bad additives are added to foods, the foods that bodybuilders eat are bland and with little flavor, such as chicken, tuna, brown rice, etc.



Eat, Eat, drink, rest Repeat. Eat, Drink, Eat, rest Repeat



This is how many of us live our lives day in and out to bring us one step closer to our dreams. Sometimes I, as many others, do not look forward to another cup of oatmeal or tuna. Yes, this is one of the hardest sports to endure. Many people can train hard, but the champions are nurtured in the kitchen as well.



How can you make a bland diet appealing?


Simply by adding another healthy food source, will you add a bit more of that energy and interest, a simple bit of ingenuity is needed. Don’t enjoy oatmeal in the morning? Slice a banana and mix it in. Dislike the taste of tuna? Add some red peppers or low fat cottage cheese.

You simply need to make sure that you’re not adding unnecessary additional calories to your diet. You’re meant to be maximizing your enjoyment of the meal, while still keeping your focus on the goal you set.


Trying out new and exotic foods can help your taste buds come alive. If you usually have fish on certain days, then have lean beef on those days. If you usually settle down with a can of tuna or chicken, go out and have some sea-food, or go to a restaurant and have a protein filled piece of red meat cooked the way you like it, with a fresh salad or veggies.
Your goal should be to make diet your priority while discovering new foods.


You do know that bodybuilding is the most gut-wrenching sport? We eat bland foods to help us shine on stage. No one ever won the Olympics by having ice-cream everyday. Or too many of the exciting spices and condiments that can take our bodies away from where we want them to be. There is a reason why not everyone is bodybuilding, and why so many people are having problems with weight. It is because no one can quite believe that the most effective way to become lean and muscular is to eat bland foods that are nutritionally good for you.

I’m sure you understand this. The real champions, who won, ate the necessary staple diet that the great forefathers before them believed in, because it worked.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.


Try to understand that if you want to be who you are in your minds eye, you’re going to have to ultimately sacrifice taste. Since not every single person on this planet is so strict on their diet, I will provide some lenient food combinations.



What types of additives or spices can be used?



There are a variety of spices and herbs, and other tips and tricks bodybuilders use to get by for each two hourly meal.


Chillies and peppers can be added to make the meal spicy, which will definitely excite those who struggle not to eat hot foods. Spicy and hot food increases the metabolism, and aids the body in burning fat. You can perhaps drink more milk, to calm the effect of the chilli. Simple ideas like this could add excitement and calories to your meals.


Ultimately a bulking diet will be more enjoyable. Depending on how clean (nutritionally satisfying) you want to eat. Some bodybuilders can get away with condiments such as tomato sauce or olive oil. Yet others seem to not be able to get away with this, due to their metabolism.


So let us start with the basic sauces at your disposal. (Products would vary but this is a basic overview)



Tomato sauce

Per serving 10 ml

Carbs: 3.1g
Fat: 0.01g
Protein: 0.2g
Sodium: 60mg

Now that is not such a bad addition to your diet, an average 13 calories per 10 ml serving.
Take care to choose a tomato sauce that does not have preservatives.

Olive Oil

Per serving 100g

Carbs: 0g
Protein: 0g
Fats: Mono: 78g Poly: 13 g Sat: 18g

The problem with the Olive oil would be the Saturated fats. If this is used carefully, the saturated fats could help boost testosterone levels. Some fat is needed for good hair and nails.

Mayonnaise

Per 15g serving

Protein: 0.2 g
Carbs: 2.0 g
Fats: 5.1 g
Sodium: 82.1 g

I personally have not had mayonnaise in the past 5 years. I do know that many people trying to lose weight or fat use this to give a bit of sweetness while they trim down. I think if you’re serious about your body you would not use this.

Jam (apricot)

Per 100 g serving

Protein: 0.6 g
Carbs: 68.3 g
Sugars: 52.5 g
Fat: 0.1g

I am surprised by the lack of fats in jam. This is definitely a good bulking addition to whole-wheat bread. Be careful of the sugars though.

Butter

Per 100 g serving

Protein: 0.5 g
Carbs: 0.3 g
Fats: 76 g
Sodium 620 mg

I think this is an unnecessary food additive. Any dieter should know that you do not need this butter or margarine. As you can see it adds only fats on as calories. I can only wonder how much of that 76 g of fats is saturated or trans-fatty. Not needed.

Table Salt

Per 100 g serving

Protein: 0g
Carbs: 0 g
Fats: 0 g
Sodium: 38578 g 1 tablespoon (18g): 6974 mg

Yes that is not a typing error. However I do believe you will never use 100 g of salt in one or even two sittings. So salt is to simply keep you from cramping, or for sodium loading before a competition.


What are some recipes for a great tasting and nutritional meal?

I shall first provide numerous links from this fascinating website.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi72.htm
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/likness7.htm
http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/derek49.htm
http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/jeff5.htm
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/recipes.htm

Now for my own personal recipe which is as simple to prepare as it is to eat

Cottage ham

Ingredients

2 spoons Low-fat cottage cheese
1 piece Lean meat or ham preferably

Plan

Simply lay the ham open
Spread the cottage cheese around the middle
Roll the ham up so that the cottage cheese is all inside
Easy!

Oatmeal a la’ king

Ingredients

Oatmeal (rolled oats or steel cut oats) (as much as is needed in your food plan)
1 scoop Whey protein
1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
Low fat milk
1 banana cut up and spread over oatmeal (after you have heated oatmeal)

Good to use after a workout due to the sugars and banana.



Tuna swizzle

Ingredients
1 Tuna packet or can
1 sliced Tomato
1 chopped avocado
1 sliced cucumber

Put in a plastic container or plate, mix it up and eat! A squeeze of lemon juice adds a lovely flavor for a change.





Bonus Question: What can you do to get your protein shake to taste great?

Many protein shakes nowadays have a lot going for them, however even the tangiest or the most tantalizing of flavors will tire your taste buds. So of course in due course with your diet in mind, we shall seek other means to ‘down’ multiple protein shakes daily. The banana is a versatile fruit. Chop two of them up, throw them in the blender. Next up you have some oatmeal which must be used with a sensible head. Many blenders leave much of the oatmeal at the bottom. Meaning you may have a half liquid half food shake. Yogurts are also good to chuck in. Those additional packets that are usually used to add taste to cereals can be spread over your protein shake as well. All these simple mindful additions can give your tongue a lot to think about.
Fruits like strawberries or berries can also help give that surprising taste. They also provide important anti-oxidants to your body.
If you like your shakes really well chilled, throw in a few cubes of ice at the end.

[csiagent]

Here's my article.

[bitterplacebo]

Always nice to learn easy ways to make things taste better.
Here's my ideas.

[TinyMan]

Some great responses this week. Best of luck to everyone who submitted!

[Nevel]

First time attaching a file on here. Should be here.

[chelseaacmilan]

Here we go for this week, there is so much competition!

[JulesNYC]

I have to say, when it comes to making my really bland dinner of sweet baked potato, chicken and veggies more interesting, the crockpot has really saved me. I have to lose 15lbs and my trainer has me on a really strict diet and the crockpot has been incredible as the food turns out really great. If you throw in any type of veggie you want in there, some chicken breast, cut up your sweet potato into chunks, then add a little water (or even fat free, low sodium broth) and some herbs and spices, set the cooker to low for 8-10 hrs, your meal is done and the chicken is the juicest ever.
You can use it for anything - I throw in some lean meats, turkey, chicken, I have a ton of recipes, if anyone is interested. Trust me a little crockpot is a great addition! Really jazzes up those bland dishes! I've never been one for vegetables but I eat a ton of them now as they come out so great with the slow cooker. Very 'rich' tasting food.
Jules

[MedStudent2nd]

I’ve been experimenting with the Oat Bran Protein Pizza I briefly mentioned in my post and have gotten pretty good at it, so let me share:

Preheat oven to 425

Mix in a bowl:
½ cup Oat Bran/Wheat Bran
¼ cup Water (I think using warm water helps)
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 scoop protein powder (I use vanilla)
I also add a little bit of salt and Splenda

At first it will seem like you didn’t add enough water, but keep stirring, it will come together. You will be able to form it into a ball that is dough like.

Form a pizza crust on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. It will be sticky, so I recommend putting the ball on the sheet and smashing it down.

Spread on 1 teaspoon of Olive Oil and sprinkle on Oregano and Garlic Powder.

Bake for a few minutes, just enough so that the crust rises a little and it becomes a little more solid, but it should still be fragile. It is very important not to over bake so the pizza doesn’t come out dry.

Spread on crust ¼ cup of Ragu Pizza Sauce
Sprinkle on top ¼ cup Kraft Fat Free Shredded Mozerrela

Bake until cheese is melted.

If made correctly, the texture of the pizza comes out shockingly close to the real thing. It tastes a little grainy, but I like it. 1/2cup of Oat Bran provides you with 6g of soluble fiber (the kind good for lowering cholesterol), and has no sugar whatsover, all complex carbs.

Note: Don’t omit the protein powder. That is what is taking the place of flour to give it the doughy texture. I think adding a little bit more than a scoop helps, but the nutrition info given below assumes 1 scoop (of GNC Pro Performance Brand).

Calories: 490
Fat: 15g
Saturated Fat: 4.5g
Carbs: 58g
Fiber: 13g
Sugar: 5g
Protein: 42g
Sodium: 810mg
Cholesterol: 70mg

[Dallas68]

cool articles all those who tried!

another decisive week!

[rocketracer999]

wow these r soooo awesome!!!

[TinyMan]

The Winners:


bitterplacebo View Profile
TinyMan View Profile
Nevel View Profile


Prizes:

1st place - 75 in store credit.
2nd place - 50 in store credit.
3rd place - 25 in store credit.


Good job bitterplacebo I'll take first one day!

[Dallas68]

well done may you purchase wisely gents