Super Bowl Party for a Super Body

Conventional Super Bowl food and football look like this:

But the people in the Super Bowl look like this:

or like this:

Here’s a menu and recipes to help you have a great time while you avoid heart burn, weight gain and feeling like crap.

Chips and dip

There are a lot of dips you can choose from:  salsa, baba ganoush, and guacamole, are my favorite.  I just go with the better store bought stuff because I rarely have the time to make it myself.

#1.  Baked Rutabega Chips

These don’t come out all that crispy, but they are still very good and you can spoon pretty much anything on top of them.

Ingredients

1 Rutabaga, peeled and sliced into thin “chips” (a food processor makes this quick and easy)
1 TBS olive oil + 1 TBS to coat your baking sheet
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425 F.  Mix all the ingredients except 1 TBS of olive oil that should be left over for the baking hseet.

Coat a baking sheet with the remaining olive oil, and then spread the seasoned chips out in a single layer.

Bake for about 30 minutes, turn them once or twice.

#2. Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Ingredients

4 slices (approx 1 oz each) cheddar cheese (pre-sliced from a grocery store – I’ve used several brands and they all seem to work fine.)

Parchment paper

Directions

1.  Take cheese and fold into quarters (you end up with 4 pieces of cheese that are about ¼ the size of the original slice) and place on baking sheet that has been covered with a sheet of parchment paper.

For best results and crisp leave the unbaked cheese out overnight.

2.  Preheat oven to 400 F, and put cheese in oven when the oven heats to 400.
3.  Bake for 8min

For a crisper cracker – leave the cheese on the parchment paper for an hour or more to help it dry out.  The longer it sits out the dryer it gets and the crisper your cracker.

Nutrition

Makes 4 servings of 4 crackers

Regular cheese crackers – 18g net carb per 1oz serving
These cheese crackers – .5g net carb per 1 oz serving (4 crackers)

#3.  Raw veggies

I know.  This is very anticlimactic, but it’s also probably the easiest one to do.

Pizza

Low-Carb Pizza Green

1 La Banderita (there are other brands too) low-carb tortilla (you can get them at Safeway, Harris Teeter and probably other places)                               5g net carb
2-3 tbsp pesto (fresh is better, watch for added sugar)       1g net carb
1 handful spinach                                                                        .5g net carb
½ cup cooked chicken                                                               1g net carb
½ cup mozzarella cheese                                                          1.5 g net carbs
Pinch parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Low-Carb Pizza Red

1 La Banderita (there are other brands too) low-carb tortilla (you can get them at Safeway, Harris Teeter and probably other places)                               5g net carb
2 tbsp no sugar added pizza sauce                                          2.5g net carb
4 slice tomato                                                                                2g net carb
½ cup cooked chicken                                                                1g net carb
1 small handful fresh basil leaves
½ cup mozzarella cheese                                                         1.5g net carb
Pinch parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions – Same for both (ingredients are listed in ascending order: tortilla first, next thing on top, etc.)

1. Pre-heat over to 400 F and lightly spray large baking sheet.
2. Place tortillas on sheet and add ingredients (Ascending order – so tortilla 1st, then pesto, then spinach, and so on)
3. Bake for 8min, cut up and enjoy!

Nutrition

Green = 9g net carb per pizza
Red = 12g net carb per pizza

Quesadillas

Ingredients

2 x 6” La Tortilla Factory low-carb tortillas
1/4 cup plain, cooked chicken breast     (optional – you can put anything else inside or nothing except cheese)
1/2 cup     Salsa
cooking spray

Instructions

1. Heat skillet with cooking pray
2. Place cheese and chicken between the tortillas, and cook until brown on both sides and cheese is melted.
3. Eat with salsa, and a side of raw veggies like peppers, cucumbers, celery or carrots.

Jalapeño Poppers (not deep fried)

This one is all new and from a client.  It turns out that you don’t have to batter and deep fry a jalapeño to make it taste good.

Ingredients:
- jalapenos
- cream cheese
- bacon (you can also use turkey bacon, and I guess some sort of veggie “bacon” would work too)
- toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350.
Cut jalapenos in half and de-seed with a spoon.
Fill jalapeno halves with cream cheese.
Wrap 1/2 slice of bacon around each filled jalapeno, then secure with a toothpick.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the bacon starts to squeeze the cream cheese a bit (I use a baking drip tray to let the grease drip off).
Eat. They are addictive.

And for dessert Pineapple & Cream Crepes

Ingredients
1-2 oz mascarpone                                                 125-250 kcal (.5-1g carb)
2 oz super thin slices of pineapple                     27 kcal (5g carb)

Instructions

1. Cut off top and bottom and sides of pineapple, and place in freezer for 10-15min.  With a very sharp knife and careful technique, or preferably a mandolin (you can find one for a good price online), slice 2oz of pineapple.  This should yield 3-4 thin slices.

2.  Take half the mascarpone and put into center of pineapple, and roll around.  Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Makes 1 serving @ 152-277 kcal , and 5.5-6g net carb per serving

Josef Brandenburg is 2010, Washington, DC  Personal Trainer of the Year Nominee for both Personal Fitness Professional Magazine and The Washington, DC Fitness Association, The DC Fitness Advisor and the Fitness Expert for the PCOS Challenge TV Show. He shows normal people with hectic lives and average genetics how to create the bodies they want in the time they actually have. To find out more about the 7-Day Free Trial click here. You can also pick up a FREE copy of his brand new CD – “Why Eat Less and Exercise More is The Worst Advice Ever” here.

What If Marion Barry Was a Nutritionist? Do What I Say, Not What I Do – But In Reverse

When I lived in LA I hired a nutritionist who worked at The Sports Club LA.  Let’s call her “Pam.”  When I came to Pam I was trying to get just a little bit leaner.  I was in pretty good shape, and had gotten that way by – surprise – eating fewer carbs and more protein, etc.

When she found out that my diet was pretty much devoid of bread and pasta she pretty much flipped and told me that I would never get any leaner with such a low carb intake.  She made a very compelling argument for getting my starch intake in the 6-11 servings per day neighborhood (just like in the food pyramid).  I told her that I thought this would plump me up, but she insisted that I do it her way.

So, I added oatmeal in the morning, whole wheat pasta elsewhere, and brown rice somewhere.  I also cut back on my protein and fat intake because she said they were too high, and that I needed to take in fewer calories.  Results:

#1.  I got fatter
#2.  I got weaker
#3.  My energy went in the toilet
#4.  My eczema came back

My rational mind thought, “this just isn’t working, these carbs are making me fat.”  But my emotional mind thought, “she’s the RD, it your fault that you’re getting fat.”

At some point we were having a conversation and she said, “Oh, I don’t eat carbs” as an offhand remark.

She was in her 40’s and looked fantastic.  I was in my 20’s and looking worse!

Why was she giving me advice that was exactly the opposite of how she lived?

As a dietetics major (to get and RD) I have had similar conversations with many classmates.  On exams, in papers, in class and lab they all espouse high-carb, low-fat diets for everything from weight-loss to diabetes. BUT when it comes to taking care of their own bodies and extra body-fat they mostly blame carbs.

Josef Brandenburg is Washington, DC’s top personal trainer for busy people. He shows normal people with hectic lives and average genetics how to create the bodies they want in the time they actually have. To find out more about the 7-Day Free Trial click here. You can also pick up a copy of his brand new CD – “Why Eat Less and Exercise More is The Worst Advice Ever” here.

Josef’s Mom Presents Her Low-Carb Latkes

Believe it or not, I am not a fan of man-boobs, spare tires or muffin tops. So, to that end I don’t eat much in the way of fried starch. I love latkes, but fried potatoes don’t do anything for my girlish figure:-). With that in mind, my mother came up with this recipe.

Honestly, I was skeptical at first – “green latkes? That ain’t right.” But, they are simply delicious, and pretty easy to make.

Ingredients

1 Large zucchini	52 kcal
1 small carrot	21 kcal
1 small onion (optional)	29 kcal
1 egg, beaten	70 kcal
2 tbsp olive oil (total for sheets)	240 kcal
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Apple sauce (per person)	25 kcal
2 tbsp Low fat sour cream (per person)	35 kcal

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
2. Grate veggies, and mix with egg, salt and pepper.
3. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Drain off the extra water, and spoon mixture onto the baking sheet(s).
4. Bake for 10min on each side.
5. Enjoy with any kind of lean protein you wish.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition: 4 servings at 103kcal/serving, 163 with sour cream and apple sauce

Josef’s Low-Carb Enchiladas

I love enchiladas, but I almost never order them when I’m out because they are soooo freakin’ bad for you – mounds of fat, cheese, refined starch… But, now there’s me to the rescue. These are enchiladas that you can eat with no guilt at all, yet they still taste great!

Ingredients

2.5 cups pre-cooked chicken breast (shred by pulling apart with 2 forks)	578
2 x 14-15 oz. cans green enchilada sauce	279
8 La Tortilla Factory (or Mission) 6” low-carb, whole wheat tortillas (if you don’t use low carb tortillas, then you are NOT following directions)	400
1.5 cup low-fat cheddar cheese	480
Short spray olive oil	75
2-4 tbs fresh cilantro (minced)
1 medium onion (quartered & sliced, not chopped)	43
1 small red pepper (sliced thinly, lengthwise)	19
1 small green pepper (sliced thinly, lengthwise)	19
1 jalapenos (seeded & diced)	10

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F, and tear chicken breast to shreds with 2 forks & chop veggies.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with a very small amount of olive oil. 1st add onions for 1-2 min. 2nd add peppers cook for additional 1-2min. 3rd add remaining veggies and cook until onions are translucent. 4th turn off heat, and add 2/3 to 3/4 of a can of enchilada sauce and chicken and stir until thoroughly mixed.
3. Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with a small amount of olive oil.
4. Roll 1/8 of the mixture from pan into each of the low-carb tortillas, and place in pan. Top with remaining enchilada sauce & finally cheese. 5. Bake for 15 min. and enjoy.

Is Quinoa A Good Protein Source?

I get this one a lot:  “isn’t quinoa a good protein source?”

The short answer is “no”.  It’s a grain.  Grains are starchy foods.  Quinoa is probably the highest protein grain, but it’s still a grain, so it’s still a starch and will raise your insulin levels accordingly.  Which may or may not be a good idea for you.

It certainly beats white bread, but it can’t hold a candle to a chicken breast.

How To Tell If Something Is A Protein or A Starch

I definitely understand where that comes from – tons of magazines tout quinoa as a great source of protein.  But is actually?

Take a look at Quinoa’s nutrition info:

Nutrition Facts
Calories 127     (532 kJ)

Total Fat           2g
Total Carbs.      23.5g
Dietary Fiber     2g
Protein             4.5g     (1)

There are 4 calories per gram of protein and carbohydrate, so percentage-wise this works out to:

•    Starch:  23.5g x 4kcal/gram = 94kcal of starch (75% of the calories are from carbs)
•    Protein: 4.5g x 4kcal/gram = 18kcal of protein (14% of the calories are from protein)

Also, keep in mind that plant protein is roughly half as “complete” as animal protein.  So, you need about 2g of veggie protein to equal 1g of animal protein.  So the numbers for protein above should really be halved. (2)

On the other hand, lets check out the stats on a chicken breast:

Calories 142      (593 kJ)

Total Fat           3.1g
Total Carbs.      0g
Dietary Fiber     0g
Protein              26.7g      (3)

•    Starch: 0g x 4kcal/gram = 0kcal of starch (0% of the calories are from carbs)
•    Protein: 26.7g x 4kcal/gram = 107kcal of protein (75% of the calories are from protein)

References
1. www.calorieking.com

2.  Clark, Michael A. Corn, Rodney J. Parracino, Lenny A. Optimum Performance Training.  NASM. 2002. P.583

3. http://www.calorieking.com

Josef Brandenburg is also the author of The Body You Want, and an award winning personal trainer in Washington DC.