The Complete Idiot's Guide to Good Fat, Good Carb Meals

Are you confused about low carb, net carbs, low fat, and reduced fat foods. Don't worry, I've sorted it all out for you. Get all of the answers in my new book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Good Fat, Good Carb Meals.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Good Fat, Good Carb Meals encourages you to throw out those diet books and start livin' the good life. A well-balanced meal plan is all about inclusion, not about deprivation, and is easily within your reach. A well-balanced meal plan, one that will have you enjoying the cooking process instead of fearing your food, is based on choosing foods that are good for you. Simply put, you want to build your diet around making good choices.

Begin by looking beyond advertising hype and using your good common sense. For example, what kind of eater are you? Do you take a pass on breakfast because fruit has sugar and cereal has carbs? Or, do you eat a drive-through egg and sausage sandwich (without the muffin, because you don't eat carbs) on your way to work? Does your lunch break consist of wolfing down a fat-laden burger and fries at your desk? On your way home from work or soccer practice, have you planned what you will prepare for supper, or do you find yourself reaching for a frozen dinner that you will nuke in the microwave?

It is so very easy to get yourself out of the junk food rut. And, the really, really good news is that with a well-balanced meal plan, you will find yourself eating as much as you want. No more skipping meals, no more food eaten in the car, and no more relying on foods that come out of a box!

The recipes in my new book are easy, fun to make, quick to prepare and are full of ingredients that YOU CAN EAT! Enjoy fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats and poultry, and reduced-fat dairy products. Combine them to update your favorite traditional dishes and to create new dishes that your family and friends will salivate over. Here's an example:

Seafood Salad with Mango and Ginger Tartar Sauce
Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

1 pound cooked lobster, scallops, and shrimp
2 medium ripe mangos, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
1 (4-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained
3 cups frisee lettuce
½ cup reduced fat mayonnaise
Juice of 1 medium lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 (1-inch piece) ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh dill

Toss together the seafood, mango and water chestnuts. Divide the frisee onto four plates. Mound ¼ of the seafood on top of the lettuce. Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, ginger, and relish. Season with salt and pepper. Dollop a spoonful of tartar sauce onto the salad. Garnish with dill.

The Skinny: In most seafood, oils are the second largest component after protein. When we eat fish, shrimp, etc., we benefit from the effects of its long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which our bodies only make small amounts of, creating the need to turn to dietary sources. Seafood is an ideal source of these nutrients.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Spicy Red Beans

2 medium sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium white onion, peeled and diced (about 2/3 cup)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 cup canned red beans, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Salt
3 ounces grated reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese (about ½ cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cumin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash, dry and pierce the potatoes with a fork. Bake the potatoes until soft, about 45 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Cool slightly. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out enough of the pulp to form boats. (Reserve the pulp.) Place into a baking dish.

Heat the oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the beans to the skillet. Season with cumin, cinnamon and red pepper flakes. Stir in the reserved sweet potato. Season with salt.

Stuff the potatoes with the bean mixture. Top with cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Variation: Use this basic veggie to create your own favorite stuffed potatoes. A combination of lentils and roasted veggies would be perfect.

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