By: Betsy Banks

This past week, my return to food journaling has had an unexpected benefit. In an effort to get my head fully back in the game, I've been looking over old journals. As I look for patterns, examine what I did when most successful, I am reminded of forgotten treasures-in the form of forgotten band-friendly meals.

I'm a creature of habit. I save my food adventures for dinnertime, when I can share with my family. For lunch, I tend to rotate through the same few foods. Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen, authors of YOU on a Diet Revised Edition: Owner's Manual for Waist Management (Free Press, 2009) suggest that this approach boosts weight loss. By "automating" a meal that tends to be rushed, they propose, you can avoid roadblocks to weight loss success.  It's well worth the effort to take a bit of time to identify a handful of meals you love that fit in with your banded eating needs. Then, armed with the basics, you can enjoy almost-mindless, easy-to-grab lunches that don't derail your efforts.

Looking over my journals, I'm reminded of many tasty lunches that fit into my banded way of eating.  Some of these I ate early in my banded journey. Others, I ate when following other weight loss programs-and found to fit in well with my current way of eating. This week, four of these lunches found their way back into my lunchtime repertoire-breathing new life into my day. Routine, after all, doesn't have to be dull and monotonous.

What have I put back into rotation? Topping the list is Plats du Chef French onion soup.  Yes, another soup!  I do have a minor obsession with the stuff, you know. And this stuff is terrific. Frozen in individual 10-ounce servings, complete with delicious gratin topping, Plats du Chef is available at Trader Joe's and other retailers. One serving contains 200 calories, nicely balanced across fat (8 grams), carbohydrate (16 grams), and protein (16 grams).  It's warm, cheesy, delicious-and feels like an indulgence. It's also highly portable. Vacuum-packed, it can be carried to work, frozen and leak-free, then popped into a bowl and microwaved at lunchtime.

Coming in with roughly the same nutritional profile-200-ish calories, 15-ish grams of protein per serving-are frozen meatballs. (My journals list various brands and styles, all of which have the same ballpark nutritional values.) Quickly microwaved with marinara and served with a dollop of ricotta, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and a small green salad, these make a quick and satisfying healthy lunch.

My journal reminded me of another quick and tasty lunch, Portobello "pizza." This quick dish can be put together ahead of time, then baked just before eating. To make a Portobello "pizza," remove the stem from a large Portobello mushroom. Place the mushroom gill-side up in a shallow baking dish. This will form the "crust" for your pizza. Top the "crust" with your favorite toppings. (I like to use a smidge of tomato puree, a sprinkle each of oregano and crushed red pepper, chopped basil, and diced shallots, red bell peppers, and mushrooms. To bump up protein, I sometimes add turkey Italian sausage, as well.) Sprinkle very lightly with good-quality Parmesan cheese. To the bottom of the baking dish, add a slosh of white wine, water, or broth. Then place the dish in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes, until the veggies are soft and the cheese melted.

Also added to the menu this week are Phillips crab cake minis. Four of these delectable little mouthfuls of crabby goodness (located in the freezer section of the grocery store; for stores in your area that stock them, visit www.phillipsfoods.com) log in with 190 calories and 11 grams of protein; like my other lunch choices, these fall in line with the nutrition requirements I aim to meet with each meal-and like my other choices, they were long-forgotten. Happily resurrected from my food journals and added to my lunchtime repertoire, they're brightening my day today. I will serve them with a dollop of quick remoulade and chili-lime cole slaw. Yum!

Identifying "automated" meals, á la Drs. Oz and Roizen's recommendations, simplifies banded eating-but needn't be boring.  Introducing four "new" quick-prep meals into my lunchtime rotation has brightened up midday, kept my intake aligned with my weight loss goals, and freed me to plan dinners that work for the whole family.

Speaking of which, I'm preparing  gingery scallops for dinner. Found on the menu I shared last week, this dish is so easy, and so delicious that even my generally fish-averse Teenage Food Critic loves it.  Here's the recipe:

Gingery Scallops and Vegetables
From Weight Watchers Take Out Tonight!
Makes 4 Servings

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 pound sea scallops, muscle removed
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 cup fresh snow pea, trimmed and sliced diagonally in half
• 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• 2 tablespoons light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar (can use brown sugar substitute)
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1.       Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in 1 teaspoon of the oil, then add the scallops. Cook, turning once, until golden brown on the outside and just opaque in the center, about one minute on each side. Transfer the scallops to a plate, cover, and keep warm.

2.       Return the skillet to the heat. Swirl the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, then add the ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the bean sprouts, snow peas, bell pepper, and carrots; cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, sugar, and soy sauce; cook until the sugar dissolves, about 30 seconds. Return the scallops to the pan and toss to combine. Serve at once.

Nutritional information per serving  (1 cup): 148 calories, 5 grams fat, 1 gram sat fat, 18 mg. cholesterol, 269 mg. sodium, 14 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 13 grams protein, 47 mg. calcium

Betsy Banks

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