I have seen the future of my Dieting Days and it's name is... Melba Toast! Well, maybe not really but after being on the HcG Diet, I was reintroduced to the joys of Melba Toast, the dieter's Best Friend. Sometimes you just need something crunchy and salty to eat and a carrot or celery stick just doesn't cut it. Enter the humble, and many flavored, Melba Toast. I like the Rye and Sesame varieties. At 20 to 25 calories a slice, it is a Dieter's Dream and it's relative blandness is a perfect blank slate upon which you can paint a variety of toppings. Since I like to eat a carb with a protein, I had gotten used to slicing hard boiled eggs and putting them on Melba toast for an easy(and portable) breakfast. Branching out to be more creative, I added Siracha (Asian garlic chili sauce) and some sliced scallions to kick it up a notch. The other day, I put a teaspoon of peanut butter on a rye Melba toast before I went on a run and, four miles later, I still had plenty of energy. I usually run on an empty stomach and tend to run out of gas. Other toppings I have tried on little Miss Melba- Laughing Cow Cheese wedge (50 calories), chopped tomatoes with garlic and basil and tuna salad. Other options: Hummus, Roasted Red Peppers or guacamole.
Along with the Melba Toast, I've been enjoying my egg slicer. It was one of those gadgets that lingered in the kitchen drawer for a long time, but now I've been using it like crazy!
One more diet related note: a new article on Oprah says if you put healthy foods on the middle shelf of your fridge you're more likely to eat them. I like to cut up veggies for the week to have them accessible, so when I'm hungry, all I have to do is reach in and grab it. Happy Labor Day to All! and prayers to the unemployed and underemployed.
