Kids

Talk about comfort food. This is the pure definition. Thankfully fat doesn’t make you fat so you can eat this at parties and not feel the guilt.

These are delightfully decadent treats. A word of CAUTION: Treat them like candy!

In addition to being crunchy, satisfying and delicious, pumpkin seeds are a nutritious snack. You can buy shelled pumpkin seeds in the grocery store (also know as pepitas), but when pumpkin season rolls around, you can buy a fresh pumpkin, scrape out the seeds, and toast the whole seeds yourself. YUM! 

At first you’d think chimichangas would be high carb. The good news is they have low carb tortillas at the grocery store that taste the same as the traditional. Look for the low carb versions.

We have to thank Dieter Claire for inventing this recipe. She modified the fruit parfait recipe and developed a strawberry "ice cream" recipe and this recipe with frozen mandarin oranges. She says, “it’s like an orange creamsicle.” YUM!

Dieter Claire invented this recipe by modifying the fruit parfait recipe and adding extra frozen strawberries. She says, "it's as close to ice cream as you can get." We agree.

A delicious recipe submitted by Dieter Claire. Does this take longer than sautéing in a pan? Well yes, but the chicken that comes out is soooooo tender it's worth the time. We completely agree, Claire, thanks for sharing!

As I saw the interaction between mother and daughter in the grocery store I thought to myself, that mom is my hero today, and that young girl has a healthy life in her future.

A no sugar variation of my caramelized pears recipe. Still very yummy!

Chris’s cousins sent us a HUGE box of fruit as his get well wish. There are only two of us, so in order to use the fruit I have had to get creative! Oh, my, these are yummy!

Most folks think of chicken wings as being a guy thing and even a sport fan thing but anyone can love this dip! I served it as a breakfast buffet item and it was hands down the dish that got the most comments and compliments. I think it was because it was so unexpected. The comments came from men and women alike but I must admit the guys were the ones who went gaga over this.

My favorite technique for cooking low-fat burgers is to quickly sear the burger and finish it by roasting it in the oven. Here’s the recipe for seared burgers that are then oven-roasted.

This will go well with beef burgers or even ground chicken breast burgers or grilled chicken breasts; even a steak.

This dish comes together in a flash. If you are doing beef enchiladas, I recommend red sauce. If you are doing chicken, I recommend you go wild and use a green sauce.

Traditional orange juice is not allowed on Plan Z because when you remove all the pulp (the fiber) what's left is a whole bunch of sugar. But, if you have a magic bullet or a high-powered blender, you can enjoy a liquefied, blended orange - as long as you blend the whole orange and don't strain the pulp.

A delicious sauce to pair with your favorite dessert.

If you don’t use liquor in your cooking you can leave that out. You can also flavor them with stevia flavorings. You could have coconut, vanilla or other flavors.

When you are in the ZReduction portion of Plan Z you will not be eating the skin of the chicken or any of the dark meat. Breast meat only.

I found this recipe online. I didn’t have to do much to make it Zola. It tastes very much like a cheeseburger. The way to make it exciting though is to make sure you pile on the toppings that you like on your burger. You can feed the whole family with this and no one will miss the bun.

Here’s an idea from the Plan Z kitchen. Use this classic recipe and add a spooky twist for a hauntingly delicious Halloween snack. 

An easy and interactive way to add a little magic to your meals around Halloween!

Here's a cute idea to offer children or family members around Halloween. There are so many ways to spin this.  The best part? No candy required.

I don’t give out candy on Halloween anymore. I give out toys!
The kids love it. They like to see something different in that basket.  When they dip in, I tell them they can pick a toy or even two. They giggle like crazy!

From Dieter Claire: Make this in bulk and store it in a jar. It's less expensive than taco seasoning packets and has no fillers. Plus, I can tweak the flavors to suit my family.

No need to salt them. No need to season them. They will be delicious and have PLENTY of flavor. 

The other day, potato pancakes came to mind and I they could probably be made with cauliflower. Turns out they can!

I eat very few bananas these days because as they ripen their carb count/glycemic index load goes up. So this is a treat. Don’t plan to eat the whole loaf yourself. That could get dangerous.

Change up the fruits and the flavorings and this can be several desserts. Think strawberry with almond, or orange with raspberries.

This stuff is addictive and so refreshing. RARELY do I take seconds on a dessert. With this one I did.

Craving breakfast cereal? Try this instead! Have it with unsweetened coconut milk or as a YUMMY parfait.

Pears and chocolate go great together. Who needs candy apples when you've got these?

Hot off the Griddle. “Zolafied” pancakes. If you want your kids full and focused before school give them these instead of cereal.

The pinecone idea is unique, festive and delicious. I am going to lay out a simple version and then give you suggestions for variations.

Chill in your refrigerator until ready to eat. If you are going to serve it the next day cover it with plastic wrap.

These cupcakes are courtesy of Plan Z dieter Ashley, a professional pastry chef. She has done an amazing job of coming up with these cupcakes.

This is a quick cake that can be served at a party. You don’t need large pieces when something has as much flavor as this does. Pumpkin treats are a big hit in the Fall and over the holidays.

A variation of my sea salt crusted snow peas recipe - but with snap peas!

An easy-to-make, low-carb caramel sauce. Wowza!

This stuff is addictive and so refreshing. RARELY do I take seconds on a dessert. With this one I did.

So light and decadent - YUM! Serve with fruit, or any other dessert for extra special deliciousness.

Once your weight has solidly stabilized you can handle something like this; just not every day.

Making avocado toast is a very free-form exercise. You can build it the way you want to; that's what makes it so easy - and delicious!

I think this makes a beautiful, refreshing dessert. If you can’t get fresh strawberries go ahead and use frozen. Slices are best so they don’t get caught in the blender. For a special occasion top it with whipped cream! 

You won’t ever need potato chips again.

Sinfully delicious...with only three ingredients.

This smoothie recipe is a great breakfast drink for those on the go. It is also a great mid-afternoon snack for those who want to get more calories in ZReboot. It even makes a great dessert!

A tasty snack - perfect for a road trip.

I came up with this recipe as a tribute to Dieter Ron and his wife Jean. This darling couple drove from Wisconsin to Chicago just to meet me and my team.

This is going to taste just like a traditional enchilada without the tortilla. If you have Mexican food fans in your family this is a hit!

The parfait is a serious twist on a Cooking Light recipe I came across, so I need to give them credit but I also wanted you to know it's light and rather healthy.