Whey has the highest Biological Value (BV) of all protein foods (100-150). That means your body absorbs more of it than other protein foods. Second on the list is eggs - 100 (whole eggs have a higher BV than egg whites). I'd suggest Goatein or Goatein IG (by Garden of Life), or a whey-based one. I'd also pick one with the least amount of ingredients - not a bunch of chemicals, flavorings and sweeteners. I prefer whole foods, not fractured chemical-laden powders, so I make smoothies everyday at home for breakfast using whey-rich homemade kefir (made with REAL kefir grains, not the boxed powdered stuff), fruit and/or 100% fruit juice, some flaxmeal and a powdered supplement we take. Using homemade kefir (a whole food) is cheaper than protein powders. Unless you are into body-building or something, most people get more than enough protein in their diets from the foods they eat. I also drain the whey (a liquid) off the kefir curd and use the whey for making "whey lemonade". Lots of benefits from using fermented dairy foods. -Grainlady

The canola oil is important to the recipe. This was the answer to the same concern about canola oil, from a website that I get sent to Disney for trying to post. The canola oil story is a HOAX!! And that's all there is to it. Any "warnings" from an e-mail are 99 percent certain to be lies and hoaxes. Don't buy into it. "What we have here is a bit of truth about a product's family history worked into a hysterical screed against the product itself. There is no earthly reason to give any credence to this rumor -- Canola oil is not the horrifying product this widely-disseminated e-mail makes it out to be, nor has the FDA turned loose on the American public a health scourge worthy of being named one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. An appreciation of what this scare is based upon begins with a better understanding of what canola oil and how it came into being. The rape plant (Brassica napus) is a member of the mustard family, as claimed in the e-mail. However, before associations between rape and mustard gas set in too strongly, it should be noted turnip, cabbage, watercress, horseradish, and radish are also members of this family of plants. Rapeseed oil has been used for cooking for centuries in Europe, India, China, and Japan. As modern science is finding out, its previous use wasn't necessarily a guarantee of safety. Cooking at high temperatures with unrefined rapeseed oil now appears to be related to an increased risk of lung cancer because at high temperatures cooking oil gives off chemicals capable of causing mutations in cells. Unrefined rapeseed oil is particularly notable for this, but other oils also have this association. Those intent upon doing large amounts of wok cooking with any sort of cooking oil should therefore lower their frying temperature from the 240C to 280°C called for in Chinese cooking to 180°C. Rapeseed oil naturally contains a high percentage (30-60%) of erucic acid, a substance associated with heart lesions in laboratory animals. For this reason rapeseed oil was not used for consumption in the United States prior to 1974, although it was used in other countries. (Americans chose to use it as a lubricant to maintain Allied naval and merchant ships during World War II.) In 1974, rapeseed varieties with a low erucic content were introduced. Scientists had found a way to replace almost all of rapeseed's erucic acid with oleic acid, a type of monounsaturated fatty acid. (This change was accomplished through the cross-breeding of plants, not by the techniques commonly referred to as "genetic engineering.") By 1978, all Canadian rapeseed produced for food use contained less than 2% erucic acid. The Canadian seed oil industry rechristened the product "canola oil" (Canadian oil) in 1978 in an attempt to distance the product from negative associations with the word "rape." Canola was introduced to American consumers in 1986. By 1990, erucic acid levels in canola oil ranged from 0.5% to 1.0%, in compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. This light, tasteless oil's popularity is due to the structure of its fats. It is lower in saturated fat (about 6%) than any other oil. Compare this to the high saturated fat content of peanut oil (about 18%) and palm oil (at an incredibly high 79%). It also contains more cholesterol-balancing monounsaturated fat than any oil except olive oil and has the distinction of containing Omega-3 fatty acids, a polyunsaturated fat reputed to not only lower both cholesterol and triglycerides, but also to contribute to brain growth and development. In other words, it's a healthy oil. One shouldn't feel afraid to use it because of some Internet scare loosely based on half-truths and outright lies."

Well, everybody's different, but I aim for about 20% protein, less than 20% fat (I like it closer to 10%), and the rest complex carbs overall in my diet. This is from my meal plan: Breakfast: 1/2 whole wheat bagel 1 teaspoon cream cheese 1.5 cups skim milk 1 cup orange juice Lunch: Fruit Salad Lentil, Cracked Wheat, and Vegetable Salad Dinner: Italian Pasta and Vegetable Stew Garden Salad It fills me up. Here are the recipes for the lunch and dinner items: * Exported from MasterCook * Italian Vegetable-and-Pasta Stew Recipe By : Cooking Light, Sept. 1995, page 158 Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:29 Categories : Soups And Stews Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 4 cups water 2 cups chopped onion 1 1/2 cups quartered small red potatoes 1 cup dried Great Northern or navy beans 1/2 cup sliced carrot 1/2 cup quartered mushrooms 1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley 1/2 pound lean boneless round steak cut into 1/2-inch pieces 14 1/2 ounces pasta-style chunky tomatoes -- (1 can) undrained 14 1/4 ounces fat-free beef broth -- (1 can) 3 cloves garlic -- chopped 1 cup sliced zucchini 1 cup torn spinach 1/2 cup uncooked alphabet or other small pasta 1 tablespoon dried rosemary -- crushed 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon rubbed sage 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Combine first 11 ingredients in a large electric slow cooker. Cover with lid, and cook on high-heat setting for 6 hours. Add zucchini and next 7 ingredients (zucchini through nutmeg); cover and cook on high-heat setting an additional 30 minutes or until beans are tender. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1-1/2 cups stew and 1 tablespoon cheese). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : Ladle into individual soup bowls, and sprinkle with cheese. Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 4716 4214 0 4204 86 4787 0 1514 0 0 5663 0 4363 0 0 1302 0 0 0 * Exported from MasterCook * Lentil, Cracked Wheat, & Vegetable Salad Recipe By : Cooking Light YEAR: 1995 ISSUE: Nov/Dec PAGE: 167 Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Vegetable Salad/Dressing Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 cup boiling water 1/2 cup uncooked bulgur -- cracked wheat 1 cup dried lentils 2 tablespoons olive oil -- divided 2 cups diced zucchini 2/3 cup diced green bell pepper 2/3 cup diced red bell pepper 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1 teaspoon grated orange rind 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper Lime wedges -- optional Combine boiling water and bulgur in a large bowl; stir well. Let stand 20 minutes or until water is absorbed. Place the lentils in a large saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above lentils, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain well; add to bulgur, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, bell peppers, and onion, and saut7 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add vegetables to bulgur mixture. Combine remaining oil, orange rind, orange juice, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; stir well. Add to bulgur mixture; toss gently. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired. Serving size: 1-1/2 cups. Nutr. Assoc. : 0 218 0 0 5663 0 0 4712 0 0 0 0 0 0 * Exported from MasterCook * - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The fruit salad is as big as I can eat it- about 2.5-3 cups of fresh chopped fruit, no dressing or other stuff. The garden salad is 2-2.5 cups mixed greens (I like mesclin mix with Romaine lettuce and spinach), 1 cup of chopped other veggies, usually green and/or red peppers, mushrooms, carrots, celery, broccoli, and some shredded cheddar cheese (I don't like salad dressings). If I have them, I might put some croutons on it too. The day's plan I gave has the following nutritional info, according to Mastercook: 1210 calories 19 g fat % calories from fat 13.4% 6 g saturated fat 212 g carbohydrates % calories from carbs 67.2% 43 g fiber 61 g protein % calories from protein 19.4% I usually don't get that much fiber, but the day before was a little deficient, so I made up for it. I aim for 30 g fiber per day. I try to balance everything out weekly.

It's been a cold, rainy day and I've been going through recipes.... BROCCOLI, BACON AND CHEDDAR TOSS (9 g. carb. per 1/2-cup serving) 3 c. broccoli florets 2 oz. (1/2 c.) shredded Cheddar cheese 1/3 c. raisins 1/4 c. chopped red onion DRESSING: 1/2 c. mayonnaise 2 T. sugar [could substitute non-calorie sweetener] 2 t. lemon juice Add-in: 8 slices bacon, crispy cooked, crumbled In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients. In small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients; mix well. Pour dressing ingredients; mix well. Pour dressing over salad; toss to combine. Just before serving, stir in bacon. Yield: Nine (1/2-cup) servings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZUCCHINI CAPONATA (I usually make 1/2 a recipe, which is still a LOT!!! I use it for a vegetarian lunch. Sometimes I'll add a sliced mozzarella cheese stick.) 3 g. carbs per 1/4-cup 1/3 c. olive or vegetable oil (I use 1 T.) 1 c. chopped onions 1/2 c. sliced celery 1/4 c. chopped yellow bell pepper 1/4 c. chopped red bell pepper 3 c. cubed zucchini 2 c. seeded, chopped tomatoes 2 T. chopped fresh basil OR 2 t. dried basil leaves 1 t. salt 1/4 t. pepper 2 T. lemon juice 1/2 c. small pitted ripe olives 2 T. capers, drained (I've never used them) Heat oil in heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and peppers. Cook and stir 5-10 minutes or until tender. Add zucchini, tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium; cook 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate 8-12 hours or overnight. Serve with pita bread wedges. Yield: 4-cups. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LEMON-PEPPER VEGETABLES (If you want a whole meal add any kind of stir-fried meat.) Makes 6-servings - 5 g. carbohydrate per serving 1 c. 1/4-inch slices yellow squash (about 1-medium) (I also use frozen zucchini/squash in this recipe) 1 small red bell pepper; cut into 1/4-inch strips 1/3 c. diagonal slices celery (about one stalk) 1/3 c. 1-inch pieces green onions with tops (about 3) 1 t. vegetable oil 1 T. lemon juice 1/4 t. lemon pepper seasoning 4 oz. Chinese pea pods Cook squash, bell pepper, celery and onions in oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over med-high heat about 2-minutes, stirring frequently, until bell pepper is crisp-tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook about 1 minute stirring frequently, until pea pods are hot. 6-servings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GLUTEN-FREE (ALSO LOW-CARB) ZUCCHINI FRITTERS Yield: 4-servings, 4-grams carbs per serving 2 med. zucchini 2 green onions 1/4 c. almond flour 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, freshly grated 2 eggs salt and pepper 2 T. coconut oil (for frying) Grate zucchini and parmesan into a bowl. Add eggs, green onions, almond flour and season with salt. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat waiting for pan to get hot. Spoon mixture into pan and fry until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ STEAMED VEGETABLES WITH HERB SAUCE Yield: 6 servings; 11-grams carbohydrates 3 c. cauliflowerets (about 1#) 2 med. zucchini, cut crosswise into 1-inch slices 1 med red, green or yellow bell pepper; cut into 1/4-inch strips 1 lemon half Prepare Herb Sauce. Place steamer basket in 1/2 inch water (water should NOT touch bottom of basket). Place cauliflowerets, zucchini and bell pepper in basket. Cover tightly and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Steam about 6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Arrange vegetables on plate. Squeeze lemon over vegetables. Serve with Herb Sauce. HERB SAUCE 3/4 c. plain nonfat yogurt 1 t. honey (or non-calorie sweetener of choice) 3/4 t. chopped fresh or 1/4 t. dried basil leaves 3/4 t. chopped fresh or 1/4 t. dried tarragon leaves 1/4 t. salt 1 clove garlic, crushed Dash of dried dill weed Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 2-hours but no longer than 24-hours. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZUCCHINI NACHOS 1 med. zucchini (7-8-inches long), sliced 1/8 t. onion powder 1/8 t. dried basil leaves, crushed 2 oz. (1/2-cup) shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 c. coarsely chopped pepperoni 1-2 t. grated Parmesan Cheese Microwave Directions: On medium microwave-safe plate, arrange zucchini slices. Sprinkle with onion powder and basil. Top with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and Parmesan cheese. Microwave on HIGH for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 1 serving; 7-grams carbohydrate