Snob Diet

I recently heard about the newest fad diet out there right now called the Snob Diet.  I love that this is being marketed as a “hot new diet,” seeing that this has in fact been the way that cultures have been surviving for thousands of years.  The key here is to cut out cheap, unhealthy foods including the ever-terrifying “diet” foods and to substitute whole foods.  Brilliant!

In every article I’ve read about this diet, the main selling point is this:  instead of eating lots and lots of non-fat, no sugar added frozen yogurt, you can actually eat a normal amount of premium (read “high fat”) ice cream and actually lose weight!  Well, of course people are freaking out over this!  However, people seem to get a little more skeptical when they hear what else this diet entails…Cooking. This fact has made dieters deem this diet option completely unreasonable.  Several reviewers take issue with this diet’s “assumptions that everyone has the time/mental energy” to cook their food. 

Trust me, guys, I know firsthand that cooking every meal and snack that you consume can be hard.  It eats up your free time and some days can be really draining.  But here’s the bottom line.  Cooking your food connects you with your food.  Something about putting in the time to chop, stir, and cook gives you an understood appreciation of your food that you can’t get from just buying something premade at the store.  So get in the kitchen and start cooking!  You and your family will appreciate it, and you may just lose a few pounds in the process!

What I’ve been cooking:

Stir-Fry:  Always keep some cooked brown rice in your fridge.  It only takes 10 minutes to throw a quick stir-fry together using whatever else happens to be in your kitchen at the time.  I make my staple stir-fry with carrots, celery, onion, and egg.  Add a little soy sauce, chicken stock, and cayenne, and you’re ready to eat!

Potato Hash:  This is by far William’s favorite dish these days.  Julienne a couple of Yukon golds (we conveniently use a mandolin), toss them with a little oil, and bake at 350 for about an hour, stirring a couple of times.  Top with crumbled bacon, green onions, and a fried egg.  This is a perfect cold weather dish!