Recipes & The Flat Belly Diet

As many of you know, I am a big fan of the Flat Belly Diet program. I've had great success following it. However, I got sidetracked by a medical situation in September and reverted back to old habits of eating comforting junk foods. Not good. And sadly, I regained all that I had lost. Double NOT GOOD! So, I have set a new goal to get back on track!


I purchased both of these cookbooks:

And I was SO EXCITED when I read on page 39 of the Family Cookbook, that you can go online to: www.flatbellydiet.com to plug in the recipes you want to try out for the week, and it will generate a shopping list for you!


However, when I went to the website ... it's not quite that simple. First, you have to sign up for a membership ... a $19.95 per MONTH membership! YIKES. What a bummer. But there is a free 30 day trial period. So, I thought I'd give it a try and report on it to you.


Bummer again.


It took me forever (maybe I'm just slow?) to figure out how to customize the menu and select recipes from the the actual cookbook. Once I figured it out, I typed in the first recipe title, and it couldn't find it. I typed in another, and it couldn't find it.  Seriously?


So ... I emailed the customer support people.

Their response: "I apologize for the difficulty you are having with searching for the recipes from the Flat Belly Diet! Family Cookbook.  Although many of the recipes from various related book editions have been entered into the online website, there still are those that have not yet been entered."

Big Bummer. My opinion? They shouldn't print in a book what isn't actually available. My advice? Do not pay for the online Flat Belly Diet!

However, the recipe books do look very promising on their own. :)

I was going to type out the recipe for the Lemon-Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins recipe from page 74 in the Family Cookbook, however, the book very clearly states that would be a copyright infringement. ... Of course, the book also said I could utilize their website for shopping lists, and that wasn't right ... bwhahahaha. ...

None-the-less, I'm a *rule follower* (usually).

But let me tell you, I made the muffins for my family and they were absolutely YUMMY! This diet is succesful for me because the foods are so delicious.


Now ... if I could just figure out a way to STAY on the program and NOT revert back to old habits.

HOW DO I DO THAT?

Flat Belly Diet Recipes

After finishing week one of the FLAT BELLY DIET, we have found one choke-worthy recipe and many delicious new family favorites.

First, our top three surprises:

1. Pumpkin Crunch Cereal: We always thought "healthy" cereals were icky, but the FBD introduced us to a basic concept that I'm embarrassed to admit I'd never tried before. You take the most plain basic healthy cereal (Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs), add two tablespoons nuts or seeds (like raw unsalted Pumpkin Seeds), and add fruit (like a sliced banana). This was a yum-a-licious surprise that the entire family liked. And, the variations are endless. For example, in week two, we tried the cereal with 2 tablespoons craisins and 2 tablespoons hazelnuts. YUM!

2. Egg Beaters: They tasted just as good as the eggs we've used in the past.

3. California Burger: I've always hated veggie burgers in the past, and I honestly thought I would have to gag this one down. But, I discovered that "brand" makes a difference, and the way you dress the burger also makes a huge difference! We used Dr. Praeger's California Veggie Burgers. Inside a whole wheat pita, we put 1/2 cup romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper, 1/4 cup avocado, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Oh my gosh! These extra items with the veggie burger made it so delicious! This was the number one shocker for me!!

Our top three favorite meals:

1. Strawberry Chocolate Waffle: Broil 1 Kashi Whole Grain Waffle with 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips on top (until chocolate melts). Top with one cup strawberries. We've also tried fruit variations such as freshly picked raspberries and cherries. YUM!

2. Chicken Sandwich: Basic, but delicious. Spread two slices whole wheat bread with 1/4 cup avocado. Add 3 ounces organic deli chicken breast and 1/2 cup romaine lettuce. Delicious.

3. Waldorf Pita: On one whole wheat pita spread 2 Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb Wedges. Fill with thinly sliced apple, 2 tablespoons walnuts, and 1 cup romaine lettuce.

And, the ultimate choke-worthy meal (I want to gag just thinking about it):

Avocado and Salmon Salad: 3 cups romaine lettuce, 2 ounces salmon, 1 sliced grapefruit, 1/4 cup diced avocado, 1 tablespon rice vinegar, and 2 teaspoons olive oil.

The flavors competed with each other and simply didn't blend well. We all agreed it was awful.

We really learned during the first week, that we have to let go of preconceived notions of foods. Certain foods we expected to be icky turned out to be yummy and other foods we could not wait for (Guacamole Dip) disappointed us, because we expected them to taste like old favorites (loaded with salt and other unhealthy ingredients). Once we changed our thinking, the foods tasted even better.