FTLOF Diet

 

 
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For the Love of Food – the Diet that Works

 

For the Love of Food Project provides ideas and inspiration for eating well at everyday meals.  Instead of focusing on calories and fat, quality, in the form of eating the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables, is just as important. At lectures, cooking classes, and workshops everyone always had more questions about how to eat For the Love of Food way and, little by little, the content contained in The Diet That Works was developed from those questions and my answers.

The suggestions I make in the book can help you lose weight, improve your health and eat meals with friends and family that are delicious. If you are a person who has tried many “diets” and wants a plan that is simple and effective for you and your family  please try my approach. A purchase of For the Love of Food- the diet that works supports this web page.

 

One Hundred Pound Weight Loss

Worried about her health, Lisa Provencher decided to change her life. She started eating  For the Love of Food way and added exercise to her life. Two years later, and 100 pounds lighter she is inspirational, read her story in VivMag  How to Save a Life

Here is what health professionals are saying:

 ” In her latest book Eileen Behan suggests that we invite our family to dinner and then helps us prepare meals that are both nutritious and delicious.  For the Love of Food – The Diet That Works is not so much a diet as it is a way of life, one that celebrates flavor and promotes health.  This book should be used both as a reference and a guide to better living.  And it should be in everyone’s kitchen.”          — Mary P. McGowan, M.D.,

author of  Emily Klein’s Diary, Heart Fitness for Life,  50 ways to Lower Your Cholesterol and  The Hypertension Sourcebook.

 ”Nutritionists  know any diet can work, yet  obesity statistics and plain observation say otherwise, so what’s been wrong?   Read  For The Love Of Food and you will not only lose weight, but access the concept of wet and dry foods which makes dieting easy.  This is a book that gives all you need for short and long-term success…and the recipes are great.”

— Judith Paige, registered dietitian and  author of Choice Years.

What Users Are Saying:

 ” I liked the Simplicity of this diet”

“It is encouraging to eat healthy food and see true results”

“This is a lifestyle change that is very easy to incorporate into my life”

“Straight forward, it certainly clarifies some misconceptions about snacks.”

Basic principles:

Eat “carbs”  only with meals

Eat “wet” snacks, limit “dry” snacks

Eat at a table or a designated eating place, avoid the car, desk or in front
of computer

          Plan  meal times

          Fill half your plate (or bowl) with fruit or vegetables at every meal

          Eat enough at each meal to feel satisfied

      SNACKS

Between meals choose “wet” foods these choices contain water or they carry protein and control hunger.

Suggested snacks may include:

All fruits and vegetables,  skim and low fat milk or yogurt, soy
milk, soy yogurt or tofu some cottage cheese and some skim-milk
mozzarella cheese sticks, a hard boiled egg, a slice of deli ham, turkey or
chicken, vegetarian hot dog or burger.

In most cases avoid or limit “dry” snacks. If you must eat these foods (pretzels, rice cakes, granola bars) eat only the portion listed on the label.

Restaurants

Order fish, poultry, lean pork, vegetarian options made with little if any cheese. Include a salad or vegetable soup as an appetizer, include at least one vegetable with the meal, and limit the serving of “starch” to a 1 cup portion.

Special Considerations

  • Try to eat fish twice per week
  • Try eating “vegetarian” a few times per week
  • Include a small amount of nuts or seeds three times per week
  • Use up to 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese per meal for flavor
  • Choose most of your “starches” as whole grain
  • Limit alcohol
  • Avoid fried food
  • Avoid most cheese
  • Avoid soda, including diet (diet foods appear to promote overeating)
  • Swap dessert for the “starch” at meals and eat dessert with meals not as a snack
  • Practice for three to six months until this way of eating becomes routine
  • Have fun trying new foods

FLOF Sample Meal Plan by food groups

Morning

  • Protein: egg, yogurt or milk
  • Fruit or vegetable or both
  • Starch: 1 slice bread or equivalent for each ½ cup of fruit or veg up
    to 2 slices or equivalent

Lunch

  • Protein: Lean meat, fish, chicken, beans, tofu, yogurt, or milk
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Starch
  • 1 cup or more
  • 1 cup if desired
  • 1 slice bread or equivalent up to two servings

Supper

  • Fat/oil: up to two servings
  • Protein: Lean meat, fish, chicken, beans, tofu, yogurt, or milk
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Starch
  • Fat/oil
  • 1 cup or more
  • 1 cup if desired
  • 1 slice bread or equivalent up to two servings
  • up to two servings
  • Sample Menus
  • Breakfast
  •  
  • egg or egg white (protein)
  • 1 slice toast
  • 1 c sautéed vegetables for eggs
  • 1-2 tsp margarine/ butter
  • or skim or 1% milk
  • or 1 cup cereal
  • or 1 cup berries
  • or 1 tbsp walnuts
  • Lunch
  • chicken breast
  • Salad (lettuce, tomato, carrots)
  • Wrap (80- 160 calorie)
  • 1 tbsp salad dressing
  • Fruit if desired
  • or yogurt
  • or vegetable
    soup
  • or ½ bagel
  • or 1-2 tsp margarine/butter
  • Fruit if desired
  • Supper
  • Salmon
  • 1 cup salad + ½ ckd veg
  • ½ -1 cup potato or noodle
  • 1 tbsp dressing + 1 tsp marg/butter
  • Poached fruit
  • or Tofu
  • or 2 cups vegetable stir fry
  • or 1/2 -1 cup rice
  • or 2 tsp marg/butter
  • Ginger Fruit Salad

Snacks Choose from recommended snacks above

Foods to Use in abundance

Vegetables:

Artichokes, Asparagus, Beans, Beets, Broccoli, Brocoli rabe, Brussels sprouts

Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Corn*, Cucumber, Eggplant, Greens

Leeks, Mushrooms, Okra,Onions, scallions,Pea pods, Peas*, Peppers

Pimentos, Radishes, Sauerkraut, Spinach, Summer squash, Tomato, Turnips

Water chestnuts,Winter squash*, Zucchini

*Starchy Vegetables: Corn, peas and winter squash do contain more calories than most vegetables but unless you eat an enormous amount of these foods don’t worry about them. Enjoy them as you would any other vegetable steamed, boiled or baked. Individuals with diabetes may need to control their portion of starchy vegetables because of their higher carbohydrate content.

Fruits to enjoy

The best way to eat fruit is fresh, frozen (no sugar added) and canned (no sugar added).Do not worry about the natural sugar content of whole fruit, it is the best way to satisfy a sweet tooth. Do limt fruit juice and dried fruit because the body does not self regulate it as well as it can whole fruit.

Apple

Applesauce

Apricots

Banana

Berries

Cherries

Figs (2 fresh)

Fruit cocktail

Grapefruit

Grapes (17)

Kiwi

Mandarin oranges

Mango

Melon: cantaloupe, honey dew, watermelon etc

Nectarine

Orange

Papaya

Peach
Pear

Pineapple

Plum

Fruits to avoid

Limit dried fruit or fruit juice to one 70 calorie serving per day that is 6 ounces of juice or 2 tbsp dried fruit.

Good Protein Sources

A source of protein included at most meals is advised and when eaten as a snack it may prevent hunger.

Choose:

Beef: lean beef such as round, sirloin, flank steak, cubed steak

Pork: Canadian bacon, tenderloin, center loin chop, fresh ham

Poultry: chicken or turkey no skin

Fish: tuna, fish fillets, crabmeat, salmon smoked salmon (lox)

Shellfish: shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels

Game: venison, buffalo, emu

Processed sandwich meats with 1 gram of fat or less per ounce: chipped beef, deli ham, turkey pastrami

Egg

Veggie burger

Veggie hotdog

Beans, ½ cup

Milk: skim, non-fat or 1%, soy milk (1 cup)

Yogurt: low or non fat, soy yogurt (1 cup)

Cheese: low fat cottage cheese, string cheese sticks, soy cheese, fat-free cheese, grated cheese and cheese with 3 grams of fat or less per ounce.

Avoid (or limit to special occasions)

Beef: ground beef, corned beef, short ribs, Prime grade roasts and steaks

Pork: Fatty chops, spareribs, ground pork, pork sausage

Lamb: ground

Poultry: chicken or turkey with skin, fried chicken (with skin)

Fish: Fried fish and fish products

Foods to Measure

The Starch Group

This is the food group you want to eat as part of meals and not as snacks. Combining “starchy” or “carb” foods with the fiber and protein carried in vegetables and lean meats, eggs, dairy or beans allows you to eat only the amount you actually need. In general limit portions from this group to two servings per meal and combine with a source of protein and “half the plate” as vegetable.

Each food and portion listed below is equal in calories and nutrition to one slice of bread.

Foods in this category are often served or topped with high calorie ingredients; they may increase hunger, and they carry very little water weight and therefore do not promote satiety.

It is recommended that “Starchy” foods be eaten with meals and not as snacks.

One Serving Equals:

  • Bread
  • English muffin
  • Hot dog or Hamburg bun
  • Pancake, 4”
  • Pita, 6-inch
  • Roll, 1 oz
  • Tortilla, 6 inch
  • Waffle, 4”
  • Cereals
  • 1 slice
  • ½
  • ½
  • 1
  • ½
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1 ounce or ¾ cup unsweetened ready-to-eat cereal
  • Cereal, cooked
  • Granola
  • Rice, cooked
  • Pasta, cooked
  • Baked beans*
  • Black, kidney or garbanzo beans*
  • Potato, cooked
  • Stuffing
  • ½ cup
  • ¼ cup
  • ½ cup
  • ½ cup
  • 1/3 cup
  • ½ cup
  • ½ cup
  • 1/3 cup
  • Animal crackers
  • Ginger snaps
  • Popcorn
  • Pretzels
  • Potato chips
  • Rice cakes
  • Snack chips, baked ¾ ounce
  • 8
  • 3
  • 3 cups low fat, low sugar
  • 1 oz
  • 0.5 oz
  • 2
  • 15-20

Caution

The following foods contain double and triple starch portions

  • Food Item
  • Angel; food cake, 1/12
  • Cake, frosted 1/8
  • Cupcake, frosted, 1
  • Cookies, 2 “
  • Pie, 1/8
  • Bagel
  • Doughnut
  • Toaster pastry
  • Sweet roll, 4 oz
  • Sub roll, 6”
  • Store-bought muffin
  • Pizza, 1- 3 ounce slice
  • Granola bar, 1
  • Number of portions=1 starch or 1bread
  • 1 starch
  • 4 starch
  • 2 starch
  • 1 starch
  • 3-4 starch
  • 4 starch
  • 2-3 starch
  • 2.5 starch
  • 4 starch
  • 6 starch
  • 6 starch
  • 2 starch (topping extra)
  • 1 1/2 starch

* When dried beans are the main entrée such as a lentil or beans soup count as a lean protein. When beans such as baked beans are served as a side dish to meat count it as a starch and substitute the beans for potato, rice or bread.

More foods to measure Fats and Oils

The healthiest foods in this group come from plants not animals. It is important to eat a small amount of “healthy” fat every day. Butter, and cream (and cheese) are very high in saturated fats and should be used as special treats.

Limit to two portions per meal

Good choices low in saturated fat and cholesterol (2 per meal)

  • Oil (canola, olive)
  • Margarine (tub or squeeze)
  • Regular salad dressing
  • Mayonnaise
  • Walnuts
  • Peanut butter*
  • Nuts (peanuts, almonds cashews)
  • Seeds (sesame, sunflower)
  • 1 tsp
  • 1 tsp
  • 1 tbsp
  • 1 tsp
  • 4 halves
  • ½ tbsp
  • 6-10
  • 1 tbsp

*Peanut butter: a 2 tbsp portion carries the amount of protein equal to one egg ( 70 calories) or 1 ounce of poultry ( 50 calories) and approximately 190 calories.

Foods high in saturated fat (can raise cholesterol), limit these foods

  • Bacon
  • Butter
  • Chocolate chips
  • Chocolate
  • Coconut
  • Cream cheese
  • Cream, half/half
  • Sour cream
  • 1 slice
  • 1 tsp
  • 1 tbsp
  • .5 ounce
  • 2 tbsp
  • 1 tbsp
  • 2 tbsp

Recommended Beverages

Water, tea, coffee

Club soda

Essence flavored seltzer

Diet soda one (if any) per day

Exercise

Moving everyday is essential for balance and health. Aim for a daily thirty minute walk and strength train three times per week.

Failure

For most of us taking care of ourselves is an all or nothing commitment. We set goals, we meet them for a few days or weeks, and then we stop. Our usual response is that we failed. We feel guilty and that is the end of our health program – until we get concerned again about our health or weight and make new commitments carry them out for a week or two, let them, too, fall by the wayside.

Here is my advice: assume that your health routine will always be in transition and that there will be weeks when you meet your goals and weeks when you won’t. Just keep going. You are not a failure, you are a person who keeps trying.

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