Shake up the Afternoon to Stay Full and Satisfied
Every day around 3:30 p.m., I find myself craving something sweet that is also healthy and filling. Having a shake gets me through to 5:00 when I leave work and carries me to dinner time. Here are some of my tried and true favorites… Read Full Post![]()
BBQ Survival Guide: Cookouts with a Healthy Kick
Memorial Day has become synonymous with the official kick-off of summer. And over this long weekend, almost everyone is having a backyard barbeque. The good news is that you can host or attend a summer BBQ with friends and family that can be delicious AND healthy. Read Full Post![]()
Top 5 from the Trenches: High Volume Fruit and Veggies
Hello from the clinic trenches! Dieters in my classes tell me all the time they need to find foods that are easy to grab, high in volume, convenient and delicious. What is the answer? Fruits and vegetables! Recently, I polled my classes and here are the top 5 strategies for getting high volume with veggies and fruits. Read Full Post![]()
The Amazing Disappearing Appetizer
In all my years of attending parties and potlucks where everyone brings a dish to share, I’ve never seen anything disappear as fast as my Stuffed Baby Bellas. And these beauties are not only delicious, they are easy to make and look so appetizing. Here’s how to make Stuffed Baby Bellas… Read Full Post![]()
Going Nuts for PB2
What is PB2? It’s made from, well, peanuts. Specifically, it’s made from roasted peanuts that have been 85% defatted and ground into a powder. It comes in two varieties, plain and with chocolate (pure genius!). Read Full Post![]()
Moo Goo Gai Pan: In the Box Take-Out Food
During a recent trip to the grocery store, something caught my eye. It was the huge amount of floor space devoted to ready-to-eat take-out food. Does anybody buy groceries in grocery stores anymore? The good news is that you can make “in the box” fast food… Read Full Post![]()
Girl about Town: Hot Drinks for Cold Days
All summer long, when it’s too hot to cook or I just want something cold and refreshing, I’ll happily blend up a fruit smoothie or make a shake with a no-calorie add-in. However, in these colder months, I haven’t been as excited to have an icy cold beverage… Enter hot drinks. Read Full Post![]()
Really Easy Meals: The Five-Bean Potato
Have you ever been in a situation where you’re rushed, hungry, and not quite sure what to eat? Well, my friend, you have come to the right place. Read Full Post![]()
Those Little Cuties!
I’m sure you’ve seen them! Cuties® are little mandarin oranges that are a popular sight in winter months. They can actually be two different kinds of mandarins, depending on the month. They are seedless, super sweet, easy to peel and kid-sized. Read Full Post![]()
Strawberries: Heart-Shaped Fruit of Queens
Strawberries – delicious, delightful fruit that usually make an appearance around Valentine’s Day. Besides the fact that they are lovely to look at and sweet to eat, strawberries pack a nutritional punch. Here are our top ten ways to enjoy this treat… Read Full Post![]()
Share the Love This Valentine’s Day
Every year on February 14th we celebrate Valentine’s Day, and while cards and flowers are perfectly acceptable gifts, the real big hits that day are candy, chocolate, and nice romantic dinners. In other words, indulgent food is usually involved. This can put people working on their weight in a bind – but there is another alternative… Read Full Post![]()
The Super Bowl: Who’s Going to Win?
Super Bowl is arguably the biggest football event of the year. To have a successful weight management day, take a look at some of these delicious recipes. Read Full Post![]()
How to Boost Your Family’s Veggies and Fruits
If you’re looking for some ways to get your family eating more fruits and veggies, here are some top tips that we’ve shared in the past… if you're new to the HMRdiet community, this blog is new to you! For the rest of us, it's a great reminder of some key strategies for incorporating a variety of vegetables and fruits into your family's snacks and meals. Read Full Post![]()
Ready-to-Go Snacks: A Good Offense is the Best Defense
Snack foods are big players in the game of weight management. Building a good offense is your best defense. To be more successful managing your weight, practice crowding out high fat, high calorie foods by keeping a wide variety of ready-to-eat low calorie snack foods on hand. Read Full Post![]()
Cold Weather Weight Loss: Heat Up With Multigrain Hot Cereal
HMR Multigrain Hot Cereal is a delicious, versatile, and nutritious food that will heat up your weight loss when the temperature drops. Here are some of the best ways to use HMR Multigrain Hot Cereal for full volume satisfaction and full throttle taste. Read Full Post![]()
Top 5 from the Trenches: Holiday Strategies
As we all know, the holidays are a tough time to maintain healthy eating behaviors and keep exercise in place. Here are some holiday-themed vegetable and fruit strategies that may help you get through holiday parties and events this season. Read Full Post![]()
Healthy Hanukkah Helpings
Unlike other Jewish holidays, such as Rosh Hashana, where apples and honey are the most recognized food of the holiday or Passover, where bitter herbs, eggs and harroset play a prominent role on the plate – Hanukkah is all about The Gap. Here are some Decision-Free and Healthy Solutions/Phase 2 ideas for a low-cal, healthy Hanukkah celebration. Read Full Post![]()
Cold Weather Weight Loss: Heating Things Up With Entrees
Now that the holidays are here, it’s actually a great time to revitalize your weight management plan. Yes, now! One of the most successful ways to navigate the challenges presented during this busy time of year is by planning ahead with ready to go meals for the whole family. Get out your planner. We’re going to heat things up with HMR Entrees. Read Full Post![]()
Cold Weather Weight Loss: Heating Things Up With Shakes
HMR shakes are a dieter’s dream because they taste so darn good! But a frozen breakfast can start to feel like punishment when the kitchen floor is cold beneath your feet and there’s whisper of frost on the windows. Did you know that your dreamy HMR shakes taste just as delicious – maybe even better – when you heat them up? Read Full Post![]()
Crazy for Caramel Apple
I love apples and I love caramel. And when they get together they are a match made in…my kitchen! Like many of my favorite seasonal treats, a healthy, diet-friendly substitute can be a perfect strategy for enjoying festive flavors without breaking my diet. So next time you get a craving for a caramel apple, try one of these recipes instead. Read Full Post![]()
Are You Planning to Stay “In the Box” on Thanksgiving?
Been to the HMR Forums Lately? There’s something really great going on over there! With Thanksgiving fast approaching, people are using the Weight-loss Forum to reinforce their commitment to stay “in the box” and keep losing weight. Read Full Post![]()
The Phase 1 Thanksgiving Challenge
Most people know that breaking a diet, even one time, can drastically reduce weight loss… So, here’s HMR’s challenge to everyone in Phase 1: Stay “in the box” 100% over the long Thanksgiving weekend. Let’s take a look at how you might do that without feeling like you’re depriving yourself. Read Full Post![]()
Eat More Sweets! (Potatoes, that is!)
Hooray Autumn! Crisp cool days, long walks under falling leaves, and the annual root, gourd, squash and tuber harvests. Celebrate this season by enjoying one of the most delicious and nutritious foods on the planet - sweet potatoes! Read Full Post![]()
The Great Pumpkin
This is the season of great orange orbs. Otherwise known as winter squash, pumpkins are a fruit in the gourd family. Pumpkin makes its way into all kinds of sweet seasonal treats from pies to cookies to breads - but creative use of pumpkin can be a boon to your healthy lifestyle, not a diet buster. Read Full Post![]()
Potatoes Debunked
Among common diet myths, the idea that potatoes cause weight gain is prevalent. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Adding potatoes to your healthy lifestyle plan is one of the most inexpensive ways to diversify your menu. And with their skins on, potatoes are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. Read Full Post![]()
Leeks: An Ally in the Fight for Better Health
Aromatic, flavorful, and nutritious, leeks are a member of the allium family. They are known for being odiferous as well as providing many health benefits. But unlike their cousins, onions and garlic, whose flavor can overpower delicate dishes, leeks add a subtle spice, and are wonderful in light, spring vegetable soups and sautés. Read Full Post![]()
Avocad-OH! So Delicious!
Avocados are the cream of the crop. So rich, thick and delicious, it’s almost hard to believe they can be a part of a healthy lifestyle plan. But avocados can and should be used to add healthy fats to a diet that features lots of plant-based foods. Read Full Post![]()
Fruits and Veggies – More is Better!
Most Americans think of fruits and vegetables as low-calorie foods that promote weight loss. But the power of plants to heal, revive and rejuvenate has long been known to man. Sure, eating more of these nutritional powerhouses will make weight management easier, but the benefits of a plant-rich diet go way beyond the scale. Read Full Post![]()
Labor Day Reboot – HMR-Style
Ahh, Labor Day. End of summer, back to school, one last picnic or BBQ, anticipation of leaves turning colors… a long weekend of eating in The Gap. Wait, hold on a minute… scratch that last one because it just doesn’t have to go down like that this year! Read Full Post![]()
Easy Meals Even My 5-Year-Old Can Make
If you’ve read some of my other blogs, you know that I routinely involve my children in food prep, recipe planning, cooking and baking. In fact, my 4-year-old daughter now asks me every day if she can help me cook (and I love it!). That got me thinking that making meals using HMR Entrees is so simple that even my 5-year-old can do it – and now he does… Read Full Post![]()
When Life Hands You Lemons…
Lemons get a bad rap. A lemon is the car that breaks down, the feeble person or thing, the disappointment. “When life hands you lemons,” the old saying goes, “make lemonade” as if lemons are a misfortune. But consider... Read Full Post![]()
Have a Star Spangled (and low calorie) 4th of July
I was talking to some friends the other day about their July 4th plans, and I noticed a theme: their plans were centered on food. And high-calorie food at that. Now, there is nothing wrong with celebrating with food – the key is to find ways to celebrate without having a weight-gain day. Let’s take a look at how to make that happen. Read Full Post![]()
More is More! Pump up the Volume for Better Weight Management.
Whip it! Blend it! Soup it! Add more fruits and veggies! Get out the blender or Cuisinart and pump up the volume! Here’s the skinny on why eating more will help you lose more weight. Read Full Post![]()
Top 5 from the Trenches: A Taste of the Exotic
From time to time, we all like to walk on the wild side, don’t we? Sometimes we need to look outside the box to help keep us IN the box. What I offer to you today is the most exotic shake and smoothie recipes from “the trenches.” Read Full Post![]()
Souper Entree!
You can’t keep a recipe this good a secret! It’s warm, savory, and has a bit of a crunch to it. I like it enough to eat it several times a week. I’m talking about the HMR Savory Chicken. We all have our favorites, and this, for me, doesn’t even make my top 5. However, I L-O-V-E it when it’s prepared like this… Read Full Post![]()
Really Simple Soup: Garden Chicken and Rice
Wouldn’t it be great if you could put together an easy meal, using mostly canned ingredients, that could stay warm for a long time if needed, tasted great, and was low in calorie (perhaps, even in the Healthy Solutions® diet “box”)? Well, you’re in luck… Read Full Post![]()
Top 5 from the Trenches: Entrees with Veggies
In this blog series, I highlight the “Top 5 faves” in our local HMR Program. This time around we are going to look at the top 5 entrée and vegetable combo recipes that dieters in our clinic are eating on a regular basis and would consider their “go-to” recipes when they want something filling, delicious and easy for lunch or dinner. Read Full Post![]()
Healthy Families: Bringing Vegetables and Fruits into Meal Times
As a mom and, I hope, a healthy role model for my daughter, we work on healthy behaviors as a family. One of the things I am constantly working on is finding ways to incorporate a variety of vegetables and fruits into my family’s snacks and meals. Here are some strategies for boosting your family’s fruit and veggie numbers… Read Full Post![]()
Sneaky Chef: The Purees Edition
I got into the habit of making purees regularly when I was making my own baby food. It was so simple to pour a puree into an ice cube dish and freeze it for later use. I’ve continued to do this to be able to have quick and easy access to some extra vegetables that can be easily incorporated (or hidden) in other foods I prepare. Read Full Post![]()
Hacking Your HMR Shakes
Preparing an HMR shake is pretty easy – powder, water, ice, blend. Given how creative HMR dieters can be, I wanted to share some of their tips and tricks for making shakes in different ways. If you are looking for new flavors, textures, high or low volume, or just want to try something different, I think this blog will be worth your time. Read Full Post![]()
Hacking Your HMR Entrees
(Hack: modifying an item to create additional functionality)
At first glance, preparing an HMR entree seems very straight forward. Open the box, microwave for 1-2 minutes, add spices or vegetables, and eat. In fact, there are a lot of other creative ways to enjoy entrees. Let’s take a look at some of the tips and tricks veteran HMR dieters use.
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Top 5 from the Trenches: High Volume Shakes
Ever wonder what other HMR dieters’ favorite recipes are? Welcome to the first in a series of “Top 5” lists all about our most popular (and most filling) recipes, according to HMR dieters. We’ll explore everything from high volume shakes made with fruit, to entrees with veggies, as well as grab-and-go veggie and fruit snacks. Read Full Post![]()
Sneaky Chef: The Beans Edition
In a previous blog, I wrote about how I incorporate zucchini into foods. Here, I’m going to share some tips on how to include extra servings of beans into your family’s meals. Read Full Post![]()
Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Spices, Coffee and Cocoa
Originally published October 24, 2011, this blog was part of an early series on add-ins to jazz up your HMR Shakes. We thought it was worth sharing again, in case you missed it the first time... Read Full Post![]()
BBQ that’s PDQ and ITB
Good barbecue can be a bit of a production to make, and it tastes great. Oh, there are two other things we should agree on: It’s pretty high in calorie and definitely not “in the box.” Or is it? Is there a way to get that great barbecue flavor without blowing your diet? Indeed, there is. Read Full Post![]()
The Secret Life of a Five-Bean Entrée
All HMR entrees lead a secret life, and the Five-Bean entrée is no exception. Here’s the secret: they also make great soups. Read Full Post![]()
Soup: The Weight-Loss Secret That Comes in a Bowl
Allow us a moment to ponder the lowly bowl of soup. When you think about it, soup is just a main course with water added, right? It’s the same amount of food and you’ll eat just as much, right? Well, as it turns out, not so much. Read Full Post![]()
The Rehabilitation of Brussels Sprouts
If ever a vegetable needed a public relations makeover, it would be the Brussels sprout. Just do a quick online search for Brussels sprout and you see comments such as “Tastes like punishment!” and “Soft, mushy and yucky – no thanks!” So, let’s blow up traditional ways of cooking them. Instead of boiling, let’s try something new – like roasting. Read Full Post![]()
Demo-licious!
This was a fun and easy way to introduce my friends to HMR and get them on their way towards their weight loss goals. I’m happy to report that they’ve already lost 4.5 to 10 lbs each in the first 2 weeks on their diets! Read Full Post![]()
Healthy Hanukkah Helpings
Unlike other Jewish holidays, such as Rosh Hashana, where apples and honey are the most recognized food of the holiday or Passover, where bitter herbs, eggs and harroset play a prominent role on the plate – Hanukkah is all about The Gap. Here are some Decision-Free and Healthy Solutions/Phase 2 ideas for a low-cal, healthy Hanukkah celebration. Read Full Post![]()
Pesto Change-o
One of America’s favorite sauces for pasta is pesto. Unfortunately, traditional pesto runs anywhere from 850 to 1,200 calories a cup, or about 65 calories for a single tablespoon. Let’s see if we can put pesto on a diet, perhaps even lowering the calories to “in the box” levels while maintaining its flavor. Read Full Post![]()
Turkey Chili with Beans: Three Ways
There are few foods that say ‘America’ as much as chili and many areas lay claim to being its birthplace. Having thoroughly researched this I can definitely state that chili was first created in Texas. Or Spain. Or California. Or the Canary Islands, or Arizona, or Arkansas, or New Mexico, or South America. Read Full Post![]()
Autumn Chili
One of the problems with traditional fall foods is that they can have me packing on pounds faster than the Red Sox fall out of 1st place in September. With that in mind, I started working on some classic fall recipes that are full of flavor, have lots of vegetables, and are low in calories. Read Full Post![]()
Raise the BeneFit Bar
When only something chewy and flavorful will keep your hand out of the cookie jar, having a good Benefit® Bar recipe can make the difference between staying the course or going off track. Read Full Post![]()
Lettuce Play With Our Food
Were you ever told not to play with your food? Well, I give you permission to play with your food. I don’t mean sling your Chicken Pasta Parmesan across the room, or finger paint with 70 Plus pudding. No, I’m talking about playing around with HMR Shakes and Entrees to create fun, new recipes that you can really get excited about! Read Full Post![]()
Picnic Beans
My parents were consummate party throwers. Nothing wild, mind you, but they were either hosting or attending get-togethers sometimes 2-3 times a month. Backyard cookouts, company picnics, church pot lucks, beach parties, kids’ birthdays and just plain old ‘hey, lets have a party’ were occasions to get everyone together and ‘bring a covered dish.’ Read Full Post![]()
Freeze, Frappe or Float
Depending on where you hail from in the U.S., you may know them by different names. Where I’m from, when you blend ice cream and soda together you get a “freeze.” I’m talking about those blended, thick, frosty, icy shakes that are reminiscent of malt shop fare. One big sip and you have instant brain freeze. Read Full Post![]()
Dips Without Chips
The problem with most traditional dips is two-fold. First, they are served with chips. In nutritional parlance, chips are basically a crunchy vehicle for salt and grease. Hey, I guess someone had to say it. The second problem is the dip itself. Read Full Post![]()
Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Extracts
In the first three “Make a Shake, Make it Great” blogs, we discussed using diet soda and sugar-free flavored water, then sugar-free syrups in your shakes, and finally sugar-free puddings and Jell-o®. The next stop in our series is using extracts in your shakes. Read Full Post![]()
Dynamic Entree Duos
Many HMR foods go together just as well as some of your old favorites. Let’s take a look at some entree + entree combinations that have become HMR classics. Read Full Post![]()
Just Like Mom Used to Make
There’s nothin’ like my mom’s oatmeal. When I was a kid my mom would send my brother, sister and me off to school with a warm bowl of oats that was to die for. Even now, I get all warm and fuzzy inside when I think back to that delicious bowlful of love. Read Full Post![]()
Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Sugar-Free Pudding or Jell-o
The third in a series, this blog focuses on ways to add variety to the flavor of your shakes by using sugar-free pudding or Jell-o®. Read Full Post![]()
Recipe Substitutions: Great Taste, Less Calories!
A common question I hear is, “how can I make some of my favorite recipes lower in calories but still have them taste good?” Well, making small ingredient changes to the fat content of a recipe you love can often cut a lot of calories and have very little impact on the overall quality and taste.
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No-Bake Entree Recipes, Part 1
Sometimes you just don’t want a hot meal; like lunchtime, summertime, and lazytime. Give your microwave the afternoon off with some easy, throw-together meals that don’t require a kitchen appliance. Read Full Post![]()
Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Sugar-free Syrups
In the first ‘Make a Shake, Make it Great’ blog we discussed using diet soda and sugar-free flavored water. The next stop in this series is using sugar-free syrups in your shakes. Read Full Post![]()
Diary of a Demo
It all started on a Saturday morning run with my friends. We’ve met up every Saturday for 7+ years to slug out a few miles together and update each other with what’s going on in our lives. I’ve thrown a few BeneFit Bars their way over the years, but they’ve asked me very few questions about dieting. Today was different. Read Full Post![]()
Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Diet Soda or Sugar-free Flavored Water
HMR makes 2 basic flavors of shakes: vanilla and chocolate (the Chicken Soup and Multigrain Hot Cereal also count as shakes, but we’ll talk about them in another blog). While most people think the vanilla and chocolate shakes taste really good on their own, at some point they might want, well, something else. Read Full Post![]()
Dinner Party Dilemma
I had dinner guests coming and my husband and I were doing the Healthy Solutions® Diet—yikes! Not wanting to break our dieting momentum I had to think of something we could all eat. By the way, I’m kind of known for my good eats with these particular friends, so the pressure was on to produce a meal that was “in the box” as well as gourmet enough to serve to guests. Read Full Post![]()



