Diet Tricks, Part 2

I'm dusting off a few of my old tricks for the new year and--since I doubt I'm alone in this quest to shed the holiday pounds--I thought I'd share them with you all.

Get More of the Green Stuff

While, yes, more cash is always nice, that's not the green stuff I'm referring to. I'm talking leafy green veggies here. My personal favorite is spinach. I eat it all the time. Straight from the bag. Yep, I like it that much. So, I capitalize on my love of this iron-packed, meaty leaf and bulk up my pastas with it. Not everyone's...just mine. Aside from my son, my family does not (yet) share my appreciation for spinach so I don't load the main dish with it. Here's how to do it a la carte:

1. Create any pasta dish for your family as usual.
2. Fill your bowl or plate with fresh spinach.
3. Drizzle it with olive oil. Add a dash of salt, pepper and garlic powder.
4. Microwave your plate for 30-45 seconds, just until the spinach is warm and starts to wilt.
5. Top with a small serving of the pasta dish and enjoy!

This way, you get to enjoy the yummy meal but you'll be filling up on spinach and not calorie-heavy pasta.

My other green friend it romaine lettuce. I like to buy the big heads and use the cruchy hearts for salads. Those big, floppy outer leaves are my secret weapon. I use them for sandwiches...instead of bread! Wrap them around some deli turkey with a dab of low fat honey mustard and you'll never go back to bread. It's crispy, filling and, therefore, satisfying. The fact that you're skipping carbs and will look great this summer isn't a bad side effect either.

Sweet and Creamy

I mentioned my final trick already: Low Fat Honey Mustard. I tend to like sweet things so this condiment is right up my alley. I use it as a dipping sauce for, to be honest, raw spinach leaves, which it a great way to get your "chips and dip" fix. I also use it in place of mayo on my sammies. What's great about it is, because it's so sweet, a little goes a long way.

Happy Slimming, My Friends!