Eat Half of What You Normally Do

This sounds radical, I know. But the truth is, most of us eat too much, albeit unwittingly. At a recent conference I attended–with an audience full of food service providers–most people had no idea how many calories an average person needed in a day (the answer is 2,000). And when we don’t know how much we should be eating, we’ll often just eat what’s put in front of us . . . even if it’s more than we need.

So for the next week, if you usually eat a bagel in the morning, bag half for the next day. If you eat a tuna sandwich for lunch, split it with a friend instead. Note both your weight and how you feel throughout the week–both physically and emotionally. Note, too, what you tend to compensate with if you do get hungry . . . but remember, whether it’s a bag of chips or an apple, only eat half of what you normally do!

Spiced Lamb and Bulgur Sliders in Lettuce “Buns”

One way of feeling like you’re eating more when eating less is by serving it in a different form. Three of these “sliders” equates to about half the meat in a normal burger, yet they’re so flavorful, satisfying and filling, you’ll never miss the other half. 

lamb-bulgur-sliders-recipe
1/3 cup bulgur
1/3 pound ground lamb
1/3 pound lean ground beef
1/2 onion, grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
1-1/2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Yogurt Sauce (Tzatziki)

1 cucumber, peeled, grated and spun dry in salad spinner
1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt (like Fage)
5 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sea salt

Soak bulgur in 1/2 cup hot water for half an hour. Fluff with a fork.

Combine bulgur and next 9 ingredients. Then chill, covered, for a half hour.

Mix cucumber, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and pepper in a small bowl. Season with salt and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Shape meat mixture into 12 balls and flatten into thick miniburgers. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through. Serve sliders in large lettuce leaves and dollop with yogurt sauce.

Serves 4