Weight Watcher Points Plus Calculator

Weight Watchers has posted an online points calculator for free. It seems to be in response to the trouble they've had in making enough calculators for members. Here is the link to the free online Points Plus Calculator.
Get it while you can.

One Lunch at Subway

The new Weight Watchers Points Plus system is a bit tough to get into if you have been in a long term relationship to the old system. Until I get used to the new values, I am stuck pounding out calculations on the little six dollar point calculator that WW sells, for every little thing. There is a dearth of information online about restaurants unless you have the weight watchers dining out guide. I was stuck running out to Subway the other day without the calculations. I did fine with a 6 inch Turkey sandwich and Broccoli Cheese soup, but I would have done even better with Chicken Noodle.

Here are a couple of Points Plus Values for some Subway lunches, in case you are stuck for calculations, too.

Ham Mini Sub 5 Points
Roast Beef Mini Sub 5 Points
Turkey Breast Mini Sub 5 Points
Veggie Delite Mini Sub 4 Points

6 Inch Turkey Sub with Veggies, Red Wine and no cheese 7 Points

6 Inch Black Forest Ham, no cheese 8 Points
6 Inch Roast Beef, No Cheese 8 Points
6 Inch Subway Club 8 Points
6 Inch Sweet Onion Terriaki 10 Points

Foot Long Veggie Delite 12 points
Foot Long Turkey 14 Points
Foot Long Turkey and Ham 15 Points

6 Inch Tuna, No Cheese 14 Points (the fat really jumps up on this one)

Want to add some cheese?
Provolone, Pepper Jack, or American are 1 point for two triangles.
Cheddar, Monterey Blend, or Swiss are 2 Points for two triangles.

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup 2 Points
Tomato Garden Vegetable with Rotini 2 Points
Vegetable Beef Soup 3 Points
Broccoli Cheese Soup 5 points
Wild Rice with Chicken 6 Points

Here is a link to the Subway Nutrition site for more information.
http://www.subway.com/applications/nutritioninfo/index.aspx

Very Easy, Low Calorie, Healthy Slow Cook Meals

Is this too good to be true? I learned of a couple of very easy slow cooker meals this weekend that seem unbelievable.

The first one. Are you ready? Get your crock pot out.
Add chicken and salsa.
If you're feeling adventurous, add some veggies to the pot.
Cook all day (on low).

That's it. Does it work? People swear by it. Someone said they learned about it from Ellen. That Ellen... she makes everything easy.

The second one.
Put chicken in the slow cooker and add Trader Joes Indian Simmer Sauce.
Cook all day.

Again, that's it. I can't wait to try this one.

The third one... well, I'm making it tonight.
We'll see how it comes out and then I'll give you the recipe.

Now You Know

The studious reader of Family of Food may have noticed that many references to Weight Watchers for the last several months. I am the one on the diet. This is the second time I have seriously and successfully embarked upon weight loss in my life. I am a lover of food after all and I have never been skinny. When I was a child I tried every diet on the planet, fairly unsuccessfully, and it was not until I was an adult did I ever find the knowledge and the will to really slim down. The first time I tried Weight Watchers (as an adult), I lost over 40 pounds.


After that first time I used this program, I was for the first time in my life, within the normal range of body size. I enjoyed a period of time where I was not seen or treated as fat. Although I was the same person, others did treat me quite differently. There was a guy I worked with who had never spoken to me before the weight loss and then after was friendly. I would have never guessed that my size was the reason he shunned me previously, but another told me that this was the change that caused him to want to interact with me. This person probably did not even realize he had done this. Fat prejudice is ingrained into the American psyche. After the weight loss, I was flirted with a lot more, I got a raise (maybe a coincidence), people touched me more... that was hard to get used to. Then, I got pregnant.


I carried twins in my body and had to adjust my eating habits to the needs of two growing babies. Even pregnant, the very day before I gave birth to my twins, I weighed less than when I started Weight Watchers for the first time. After the birth, the twins needed to be fed so, I supported the needs of my nursing babies. Producing milk for two takes a tremendous amount of energy, so I was free to eat without the much worry of weight gain. I even tried getting back on Weight Watchers at that time to lose the pregnancy weight, but they could not give me enough points to fuel my milk production. After the nursing was done, however, I was still very hungry all the time, and the weight started to creep back on. At this time, the needs of my twins do not dictate my caloric intake, so I am attempting to get back down to my pre baby/post weight loss weight and perhaps get even a few pounds thinner.


When I first joined Weight Watchers, I was terrified to go to a meeting, because If I saw someone I knew, then they would know I was fat. Silly right? It wasn't top secret information. Everyone knew I was overweight, it was right there for everyone to see. At my first meeting I did see several people I knew and had always admired... the last people I would have wanted to see at a meeting. I was mortified. It turned out that they were nice and encouraging and if they even cared, would have already known that I was heavy. Going to the meetings meant that I had to recognise the flaw in myself. Up until now, I had not wanted to write much about my Weight Watchers experience, because it exposes my not-so-secret secret. My friends read this blog, my family reads this blog, you read this blog. So, I have written it and now, you know.

My Healthier Lasagna

I'm watching my figure, so
I made a traditional heavy Lasagna recipe a little lighter. I used low fat ricotta and provolone, but left the mozzarella full fat for better flavor.






My Healthier Lasagna
Serves 8
7 Weight Watchers Points per serving

6 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
26-28 oz can or jar tomato sauce
1/3 pound cooked lean ground turkey
1 Tbsp ground oregano
1 tsp McCormick Ground black pepper
2 tsp table salt
1 1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp dried parsley
2 egg
2 serving Sargento Reduced Fat Provolone
1 1/2 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese (yes, you could use skim mozzarella)
1 cup spinach
9 pieces Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Pasta Lasagna Noodles


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown Turkey in a large Pan.

While browning meat, in a large bowl, mix
Ricotta, 3/4 Cup Mozzarella, Parsley, Eggs, and 3 Tbsp Parmesan.

Drain turkey and add tomato sauce, salt, pepper, oregano, water. Stir and Simmer for a few minutes.

In a 13x9 baking pan, Pour a cup of the turkey sauce mixture on the bottom of the pan.
Lay down 3 sheets of lasagna noodles in a row on top of the sauce in the pan.
pour 1 cup of sauce on the noodles.
Lay out half the spinach (rinsed and dried)
on top of the noodles and sauce.
Spread half of the cheese mixture on the layers.
Lay down three pieces of pasta.
Pour one cup of sauce over this pasta.
spread remaining spinach and then remaining cheese for the next layer.
Place three more slices of pasta down.
Pour the remaining sauce over the layers.
Sprinkle remaining grated mozzarella on top, add the slices of Provolone, and the remaining Parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Uncover and Bake 10 Minutes more to Brown the Cheese.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Tiny Little Recipe: Strawberries and Cream for Breakfast

I made this for the toddlers one morning and realized it would be a great healthy alternative to some other sweet treats, like a strawberry shakes or strawberry ice cream. This recipe has a rich taste but is low in calories and high in nutrition.

Strawberries and Cream for Breakfast

Calories: 270 (more or less depending on brand of Applesauce)
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS® Value: 4 - includes 1 milk and 1 fruit portion
Servings: 1
Preparation Time: 1 min
Cooking Time: 1 min
Level of Difficulty: Super Easy

Ingredients
1 container Strawberry apple sauce
1 packet Nabisco Instant Cream Of Wheat
1/2 cup fat-free skim milk

Cook the Cream of Wheat in with milk instead of water. If you don't care about the extra calories use whole milk.
Mix in the strawberry applesauce.

Enjoy!

A Lighter Kind of Passover Recipe

I tried something different for one of my passover meals this year, a Weight Watchers recipe. There was nothing particularly Passover about this recipe other than it broke no Passover rule, but it works for the holiday, so why argue? It was fresh, simple, and low in calories.
I loved it and will surely make it again at any time of the year.

I am reprinting it here for convenience, but the original and many other great recipes can be found at:
http://www.weightwatchers.com/

Here's a direct link to the recipe:
Passover Chicken with Tomato-Mint Salsa

Ingredients:
2 cup grape tomatoes, halved (opt for small tomatoes)
1 small jalapeno pepper(s), cored, seeded and minced (do not touch seeds with bare hands)
1/2 cup red onion(s), finely chopped
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste, divided
1 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste, divided
1 Tbsp mint leaves, fresh, chopped
1 sprays cooking spray, lemon-flavor recommended
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
1/2 medium lemon(s), cut into 4 wedges

Instructions:
To prepare salsa, in a small bowl, combine tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper; sprinkle on mint and set aside.
Coat a large heavy-bottomed ridged grill pan with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
Sprinkle chicken with remaining teaspoon each of salt and pepper; place in a single layer on prepared pan. Cook until chicken turns white around edges, about 1 to 2 minutes; flip chicken and grill until chicken is cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
Arrange chicken in overlapping slices on a serving plate; spoon on salsa and garnish with lemon wedges.
Yields about 3 ounces of chicken and 1/2 cup of salsa per serving.

diet rules for cheaters (unknown)

If you eat something and no one sees you eat it, it has no calories.
If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, the calories in the candy bar are cancelled out by the diet soda.
When you eat with someone else, calories don't count if you don't eat more than they do.
Food used for medicinal purposes NEVER count, such as hot chocolate, brandy, toast and Sara Lee Cheesecake.
If you fatten up everyone else around you, then you look thinner.
Movie related foods (Milk Duds, Buttered Popcorn, Junior Mints, Red Hots, Tootsie Rolls, etc.) do not have additional calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.
Cookie pieces contain no fat — the process of breaking causes fat leakage.
Things licked off knives and spoons have no calories if you are in the process of preparing something. Examples are peanut butter on a knife while making a sandwich and ice cream on a spoon while making a sundae.
Foods that have the same color have the same number of calories. Examples are: spinach and pistachio ice cream; mushrooms and white chocolate.NOTE: Chocolate is a universal color and may be substituted for any other food color.
Foods that are frozen have no calories because calories are units of heat. Examples are ice cream, frozen pies, and popsicles.