The Biggest Loser Quick and Easy Cookbook Part 10

MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN 20 MINUTES.

The Lose Tube You've heard it a million times-watching TV is not a good way to burn calories, and most people tend to overeat when they snack in front of the tube. But you don't have to give up TV to lose weight, just get active while you watch. The next time The Biggest Loser is on, jump rope for 20 minutes continuously while the contestants sweat their way through a challenge. You could burn a whopping 160 calories!

SOOO NOT CHICKEN NUGGETS.

I often joke that my career has been a series of errors that often yielded great results. Though I went to culinary school, I never planned to be a chef, and a lot of my recipes are a result of my trying one thing and then happening upon something else in the process.

This recipe is a great example of that. Since deli turkey meat has so much sodium, I set out to make a grilled cheese and turkey with ground turkey instead of deli turkey. But, long story short, minus the cheese, I thought this dish tasted so similar to chicken nuggets that my friend's children might like it. So I made it for them one night, and now they beg their mom to make it all the time!

1 (8) all-natural, low-fat whole grain tortilla (I used Rudi's Organic Bakery Whole Spelt Tortillas) 4 ounces ground turkey breast 1 tablespoon all-natural ketchup (preferably agave- or honey-sweetened and low in salt), or more to taste Preheat the oven 450F.

Lay the tortilla on a medium baking sheet. Press the turkey in a thin, even layer to cover all but the outer -diameter of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half and press to flatten it slightly. Bake for 3 minutes. Carefully flip the tortilla and bake for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the tortilla is lightly crisped and the turkey is no longer pink inside.

Using kitchen shears for ease, cut it into 4 wedges. Serve immediately with ketchup on the side for dipping.

Makes 1 serving Per serving: 280 calories, 33 g protein, 32 g carbohydrates (2 g sugar), 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 265 mg sodium

Hannah Curlee SEASON 11 FINALIST When I get a chocolate craving, I snack on Greek yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, Truvia, and vanilla. It's a little more than 100 calories, and it tastes like chocolate pudding!

BAKED BABYBELS.

These yummy appetizers are inspired by one of my favorite party foods: baked brie. Make them without the garlic herb blend, and they are cheesy, gooey deliciousness. Make them with the seasoning, and they feel like they belong in a pizzeria. Either way (or both!), you're sure to enjoy this comforting snack.

Most store-bought wheat dough is not excessively sticky, so you don't need flour to press it out. I like to keep the calories to a minimum, so I don't use the flour. If you find that the dough you've purchased is too sticky to work with, however, try using as little whole wheat pastry flour as possible to dust your work surface and your hands.

Olive oil spray (propellant free) 3 ounces all-natural whole wheat pizza dough (no more than 3 grams of fat per 2-ounce serving) teaspoon salt-free garlic seasoning blend (I used The Spice Hunter Salt Free Garlic Herb Bread Blend) 2 rounds (21 grams each) Laughing Cow Mini Babybel Light, sliced in half to create two rounds (not 2 half circles) Preheat the oven 450F. Place a sheet of nonstick foil on a small baking sheet. Lightly mist the foil with the olive oil spray.

Shape the pizza dough into 4 b.a.l.l.s that weigh 34 ounce each. On a clean work surface, using your hands, flatten each until each is just large enough to completely enclose a cheese round. Sprinkle 18 teaspoon of the seasoning on each dough circle. Place one cheese circle in the center of each of the dough circles.

Carefully stretch the bare dough up and to the center so that the edges connect on top and the cheese is sealed inside. Make sure the bottom isn't any thinner than the rest of the dough, and be careful not to create any holes in the dough. Place them side by side, sealed sides up, on the prepared baking sheet, making sure they do not touch. Sprinkle the top of each with a few extra flecks of the seasoning to add color, if desired.

Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, watching them carefully during the last few minutes, or until the dough is cooked. You want to remove them from the oven before the cheese oozes out. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 (2-ball) servings Per serving: 148 calories, 9 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates (<1 g="" sugar),="" 4="" g="" fat,="" 2="" g="" saturated="" fat,="" 15="" mg="" cholesterol,="" 2="" g="" fiber,="" 339="" mg="" sodium="" honey="" nut="" apple="" b.u.t.ter="" rice="">

Yes, this recipe is no-brainer easy. And that's what people constantly ask me for: easy snacks that they can throw together in a minute. Though I certainly wouldn't want to give you a whole cookbook of simple ideas like this one, I wanted to include this particular recipe because it's 100 calories of pure yumminess!

1 honey nut (or other sweet variety) brown rice cake (I used Lundberg Honey Nut Rice Cakes) 1 tablespoon no-sugar-added 100% fruit apple b.u.t.ter (I used Kozlowski Farms 100% Fruit Sweetened Apple b.u.t.ter) Place the rice cake on a flat work surface. Spread the apple b.u.t.ter on one side of the rice cake. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving Per serving: 100 calories, 1 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates (9 g sugar), <1 g="" fat,="" 0="" g="" saturated="" fat,="" 0="" mg="" cholesterol,="" 1="" g="" fiber,="" 35="" mg="" sodium="">

Vinny Hickerson SEASON 12 I learned at the Ranch that I have to eat two healthy snacks a day. One snack I often make is garlic hummus on pita and one string cheese. The pita is 100 calories, 3 tablespoons of hummus is 75 calories, and the string cheese is 50 calories. That's 225 calories, perfect for a healthy snack.

5.

Speedy Soups and Sandwiches Burgers, wraps, and sandwiches fulfill a certain comfort-food craving. When you really want to sink your teeth into something satisfying, a juicy burger or a tasty sandwich or wrap just hits the spot.

Season 12's Jessica Limpert says she's a fan of making healthy sandwiches using whole wheat pita bread. "I just slice it open and fill it with 1 cup of mixed lettuce, some yellow mustard, sliced onions, jalapenos, green and red peppers, and about 2 ounces of roast beef or turkey breast. It's very filling!"

As Chef Devin knows all too well, a lot of Biggest Loser contestants come to the Ranch with a burger-a-day habit. She developed her patriotically named Red, White, and Blue Burger (page 115) to help them satisfy their fast-food craving in a much more nutritious way.

"So many of the contestants have a long history with fast food, and burgers are one of the things they miss the most when they come to the Ranch," she says. "I love developing recipes like this one, which I know will satisfy that 'must-have' craving but won't undermine their weight-loss efforts."

Soups can add a variety of flavors and textures to your meal without a lot of calories. While some heartier soups are often an entree by themselves, the light, low-calorie soups in this chapter give you endless options. You can pair them with a salad, a side, or half a sandwich for a full meal. Try the Cold Cuc.u.mber Soup (page 126) with half of the Herb Turkey Sandwich (page 123), or the Simple Strawberry Soup (page 128) with a Watermelon Feta Salad (page 137).

Some studies even suggest that eating soup as part of a meal can actually help you lose weight. Researchers at Penn State University found that people who ate a serving of low-calorie soup before their entree reduced their total calorie intake for the meal by one-fifth compared to partic.i.p.ants who ate the entree alone. If you're eating a 300-calorie meal, that's a savings of 60 calories!

And here's another secret about soups: They're a great way to get kids to eat their fruits and veggies. A lot of kids don't like the texture of fruits and vegetables, but when you add some veggies to the blender and create a spoonable soup, they won't know that there's "healthy stuff" lurking in their bowl. Serve a simple carrot or broccoli soup with whole wheat bread or crackers for dipping, and they'll have a ball playing with their food.

Dan Evans SEASON 11 My favorite dish is a very simple BLT that uses thin wheat bread, turkey bacon (I swear it tastes just like regular bacon), and lettuce. When I really splurge, I add a dab of low-calorie cream cheese instead of low-fat mayo. It's just something I invented with what was in the Ranch kitchen, and it's only about 150 calories!

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE BURGER.

I always say that a burger isn't a burger unless you require a napkin to eat it! This burger certainly meets that standard. Just be sure not to press on the patties with the back of a spatula while they're cooking. A lot of people think that doing so removes excess fat, but particularly when you're using a lean cut of beef, all you're doing is removing moisture from the meat. When properly cooked, a burger should be nice and juicy-and the toppings add to the drip factor. Yum!

You can save even more time by buying preshaped burger patties, if you can find them.

1 teaspoon salt-free Cajun or Creole seasoning (I used The Spice Hunter Salt Free Cajun Creole Seasoning Blend) 4 ounces 96% lean ground beef patty 1 all-natural whole grain or whole wheat English m.u.f.fin (I used Rudi's Organic Bakery Whole Grain Wheat English m.u.f.fins), split*

tablespoon all-natural light sandwich spread (I used Spectrum Naturals Light Canola Mayo) 1 tablespoon all-natural, reduced-fat blue cheese crumbles A few baby mixed green lettuce leaves, or more to taste 1 large tomato slice Preheat a grill to high.

Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the patty. Grill the beef for 1 to 2 minutes per side, for medium rare, or until desired doneness is reached. Toast the English m.u.f.fin halves, cut sides down, on an upper grill rack or away from the direct flame, for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Place the m.u.f.fin bottom, toasted side up, on a serving plate. Evenly spread it with sandwich spread. Add the burger, then the blue cheese crumbles, lettuce, and the tomato. Flip the second m.u.f.fin half on top. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving Per serving: 312 calories, 30 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates (3 g sugar), 9 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 64 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 450 mg sodium *You can certainly use an all-natural, low-fat whole grain 3-diameter hamburger bun. However, I've found that these are often dry and take away from the hamburger experience. Instead, I opt for the English m.u.f.fin, which, in the case of Rudi's, is tastier than any "healthy" hamburger bun I've been able to find.

CAPRESE BURGER.

I know that a lot of people prolong the life of fresh herbs by finely chopping them, packing them into ice cube trays, then adding just enough water to freeze them. I've never loved that technique (though I know many folks do). What I do love, however, are the little blocks of herbs that are popping up in grocery stores everywhere. The most common brand in my area is Dorot. I especially like to use the basil cubes to create quick and easy pestos with virtually no effort.

1 tablespoon all-natural light sandwich spread (I used Spectrum Naturals Light Canola Mayo) 1 cube (3.5 grams) frozen basil, thawed (I used Dorot All-Natural Chopped Basil) 4 ounces 96% lean ground beef patty Salt, to taste ounce very thinly sliced almond mozzarella cheese (I use Lisanatti) 1 all-natural whole grain or whole wheat English m.u.f.fin (I used Rudi's Organic Bakery Whole Grain Wheat English m.u.f.fin), split Small handful of arugula leaves -thick large tomato slice Preheat a grill to high.

In a small bowl, stir the sandwich spread and basil until combined.

Season both sides of the patty with salt. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium rare, or until desired doneness is reached. About 1 minute before the burger is done, add the cheese and melt for 1 minute.

Meanwhile, place the m.u.f.fin halves on the grill away from the direct flame to warm them.

Place the m.u.f.fin bottom, cut side up, on a serving plate. Top it with the arugula, the burger, and then the tomato. Spread the pesto mayo evenly over the inside of the top of the English m.u.f.fin and place it atop the burger. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving Per serving: 333 calories, 31 g protein, 27 g carbohydrates (3 g sugar), 10 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 513 mg sodium

Ken Andrews SEASON 11 One of my favorite lunches now is a Greek pita sandwich. I use turkey, lettuce, a few olives, mushrooms, and low-fat feta. Mix it all up and stuff it in the pita.