Breakfasts at the Spa

Sliced melon, garnished with raspberries and a spoonful of nonfat yogurt drizzled over the melon is a great starter for breakfast. Follow it with an omelet made with one egg and the whites of two eggs sprinkled with tarragon and served with half an English muffin spread with one tablespoon of low sugar jam. Serve with a virgin Mimosa 1/2 glass of orange juice topped with 1/2 glass sparkling water.

Oatmeal topped with nonfat half and half, sprinkled with cinnamon and a handful of nuts is filling and full of fiber. Slice an apple and spread every other slice with a teaspoon or two of natural nut butter. You can use peanut butter, but try cashew or almond butter for a nice change. Drink a cranberry juice cocktail, half cranberry juice and half sparkling water.

A veggie omelet with low fat cheese is easy to make, filling, and full of nutrients. Use mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, red peppers, scallions, or whatever looks good and appeals to you. Don't cook the veggies all the way through, leave them with some crunch. Serve with a slice of whole wheat toast and a half grapefruit. You can sprinkle just a bit of sugar on the grapefruit and set under the broiler to glaze.

Luxurious Lunches

Spread a sour dough roll with low fat cream cheese. Place two slices of turkey, a few thin slices of apple and pile with sprouts. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. You can add some dried cranberries and crumbled turkey bacon to the cream cheese if you wish. Cut on the diagonal and serve with cranberry relish.

Tortilla tower. Start with a whole wheat low fat tortilla spread with vegetarian refried beans. Add a tortilla, then a layer of chopped lettuce and tomatoes. Add another tortilla spread with a tablespoon of spicy salsa and sprinkled with low fat cheese. Top with a final tortilla. Cut in wedges to serve. Serve with jicama slices garnished with a lime wedge.

Cobb Salad
Chopped iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and hard boiled eggs. You will also need crumbled low fat turkey bacon, and low fat crumbled blue cheese. Place the lettuce in a soup bowl. Arrange the tomatoes, avocado, eggs, bacon and blue cheese in rows across the lettuce. Serve with lemon wedges. If you squeeze lemon wedges over the salad before digging in the avocado and blue cheese will melt into the salad, so you won't need additional dressing.

Chicken Salad
Arrange cooked chicken breasts, cut in chunks over a bed of lettuce. Salad dressing: Mix 1/4 cup sliced almonds, 1/4 cup mandarin oranges or chopped fresh oranges, 1/4 cup of orange juice, 1/2 cup halved grapes, 1/4 cup of chopped scallions, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. This dressing doesn't need oil.

Vary the ingredients in the above suggestions. For example change the chicken in the chicken salad to turkey or tuna fish. Use your imagination and you won't get hungry or bored. Lose weight fast never tasted so good.