The Doctor's Diet: Dr. Travis Stork's STAT Program to Help You Lose Weight & Restore Your Health (61 page)

Tabasco sauce

Worcestershire sauce

Chili paste

Sesame tahini

Salsa

I love pizza. There’s no way I’m going to give it up—and I wouldn’t dream of asking you to give it up, either! The same goes for burritos, chicken parmesan, and a whole load of other foods generally considered not so healthy. The trick is not to walk away from these foods and never have them again. Nor is it to just give in and binge on them, gaining weight and accepting the fact that an elevated risk of disease is the price you have to pay to eat the foods you like.

You can keep on eating the foods you crave if you re-create them into healthy, good-for-you versions that will help you rather than work against you. This is absolutely what I do each and every day of my life. For example, instead of eating a day’s worth of calories (and probably a week’s worth of fat) with an extra-large pepperoni pizza from your local takeout place, make your own healthier version and eat it without guilt. The recipes in this book are a great place to start. You can also check out other cookbooks or online recipe sites for ideas.

Sure, it takes some imagination, time, and experimentation to re-create healthy versions of your favorite foods. You may end up with a few duds along the way—but hey, sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince or princess. And in the end, you’ll end up with a list of re-created favorites that will be so tasty you won’t even want to go back to the originals!

Here are a few ideas for re-created favorites:

Pizza:
Top a whole-wheat tortilla or whole-grain thin crust with tomato sauce, chopped veggies (onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms), shredded chicken, fresh or dried basil or oregano, and some grated Parmesan or feta cheese. Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese is melted.

Burritos:
Roll black beans, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, grilled chicken breast, guacamole, chopped chili peppers, and your favorite salsa in a whole-grain tortilla—or spoon it all onto a bed of romaine lettuce and have a burrito bowl instead.

Chicken parmesan:
Spray chicken cutlets with cooking spray and coat with whole-grain bread crumbs. Place on a baking pan spritzed with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Top with tomato sauce, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, and serve with a small side of whole-grain pasta.

Seasoned French fries:
Cut two sweet potatoes into strips. Toss with a teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of pepper, salt, chili powder, paprika, or whatever other low-sodium seasonings you like. Lay them out in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until crispy.

Rich chocolate dessert parfait:
Drizzle fresh fruit (berries, sliced peaches, mangoes, or bananas) with a small amount of honey. Mix 1 tablespoon dark chocolate chips (70 percent cocoa) into a cup of plain Greek yogurt. Layer the yogurt and the fruit in an elegant parfait glass.

Look for ways to make smart swaps as well. For example, if you like sour cream on a burrito, try mixing a little chili powder into plain Greek yogurt and plop that on instead. If you’re in the mood for wings, grill some shrimp instead and brush it with buffalo sauce. And make a smartcarb swap by ALWAYS choosing “whole-grain” rather than “white” or “refined” when you’re having cereal, tortillas, rice, pasta, or bread.

What will you re-create? Set goals for your top five former favorite cravings:

I used to crave: ___________________________________________

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How I can re-create it: _____________________________________

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I used to crave: ___________________________________________

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How I can re-create it: _____________________________________

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I used to crave: ___________________________________________