When Mike first got on The Zone Diet, he hated it. He hated the quantities in which he had to eat. Since Mike was a big guy he didn’t think this was going to be a problem. Then he finished that giant bowl of salad, and felt like he was going to be sick. However, after Mike did some research, he found out that there was an upside to the diet he did not expect.
The Zone Diet is specific a balance of fats, carbohydrates and protein. When you eat too much of one of these food groups, you’re not really in The Zone, and you won’t lose weight as quickly as you would if you keep your diet balanced. The diet requires you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks; one before bedtime, and one between lunch and dinner.
The snacks are light. Since The Zone Diet is broken down into 3 to 4 blocks per meal. A block is a specific amount of a food group. For instance, if you want to eat a quick meal, mix 3/4 cup to 1 full cup of lowfat cottage cheese with 3/4 cup to 1 full cup of unsweetened applesauce, and 18 to 24 peanuts and you’re set. However, a snack only requires you eat one block. That would be 1/4 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce and only 6 peanuts. Then if you really don’t have the time, there is always the best alternative in the pharmacy department of your local grocery store.
Mike discovered the easiest Zone snack was the brand named Zone snacks right on the shelves. They’re called ZonePerfect bars. They come in many different flavors, and they’re all priced about the same. In box form they’re about $4 to $5. Individually, these tasty treats are $1 to $2. Flavors include Chocolate Almond Biscotti, Chocolate Caramel Cluster, Fudge Graham, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Peanut Toffee, Chocolate Coconut Crunch (highly recommended), Cinnamon Roll, Strawberry Yogurt, Apple Cinnamon Crunch, Caramel Apple, Chocolate Mint, Peach Yogurt, and Peach Apricot Parfait.
Then of course, there’s the slower and maybe even more nutritious snacks... homemade.
For great Zone carbs:
Pick up apples (cut one in half and you have your one block of carbohydrates). The red and delicious are a personal favorite, but everyone has their own tastes.
*Apples (priced at or around $1 to $3)
Most of the time – when any fruit or vegetable is in season, you can find them at reasonable prices.
For more recipes with apples consult Dr. Sears’s The Zone, Mastering The Zone or Eating In The Zone.
Pick up a head of lettace (one head equals one block of carbs), usually priced at around 99 cents a head. You mix the lettace with 1 oz. of meat, and one teaspoon of salad dressing and you’ve got a delicious tossed salad.
*Head of lettace (priced at or around 99 cents)
For more recipes with lettace, consult Dr. Sears’s The Zone, Mastering The Zone or Eating In The Zone.
Pick up a melon – cantalope or honeydew, which ever you prefer. Melons can be pretty cheap and pretty damn expensive. Mix a cup of cubed cantalope or honeydew with 1/4 cup cottage cheese and 6 peanuts, and you’ve got great-tasting snack.
*Melon (priced at or around $2 to $4)
For more recipes with melons, consult Dr. Sears’s The Zone, Mastering The Zone or Eating In The Zone.
Pick up a carton of strawberries. While they can hardly be found in the winter, you’ve got a good chance of getting some at reasonably low prices in the summer. Mix 1 cup strawberries with 1 oz. turkey breast, and 6 peanuts and you’ve made yourself a quick and easy snack.
*Strawberries (priced at or around $2 to $3)
For more recipes with strawberries, consult Dr. Sears’s The Zone, Mastering The Zone or Eating In The Zone.
While it may not be everyone’s favorite (mine for instance), pick up a can of diced pineapple. The cans are reasonably cheap in the generic brands, but they can be around $2 if you go with the more popular brands.
*Canned pineapple, sliced (priced at or around $1 to $2)
For more recipes with pineapples, consult Dr. Sears’s The Zone, Mastering The Zone or Eating In The Zone.
For great Zone protein:
Pick up turkey breast, chicken breast or ham. Deli prices can be extreme ($4 to $6 a pound). But if you want the cheaper alternative, pick up the packages of sandwich meat. You may actually be getting more for your money with no more or less loss in nutritional value.
*Turkey breast, chicken breast or ham (Priced at or around $4 to $6 per pround)
For more recipes with deli meats, consult Dr. Sears’s The Zone, Mastering The Zone or Eating In The Zone.
Pick up a carton of egg whites or egg substitute. In a carton, this can range from $3 to $6 unless you’re lucky enough to find it on sale in the generic brand, when the total cost could be less than $2. Hard boil 1/4 cup egg whites or egg substitute, mix them with 1/2 apple, and a celery stick stuffed with 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground or natural peanut butter and you’re in Zone snack heaven.
*Egg substitute (priced at or around $3 to $6)
For more recipes with egg substitute, consult Dr. Sears’s The Zone, Mastering The Zone or Eating In The Zone.
Pick up a carton of lowfat cottage cheese. This can range from $2 generic to $6 popular brand names. Mix 1/4 cup of cottage cheese with any number of different carbs listed above, including 1/2 orange, 1 peach, and 1/2 cup grapes and you’ll be eating happy.
*Lowfat cottage cheese (priced at or around $2 to $6)
For more recipes with lowfat cottage cheese, consult Dr. Sears’s The Zone, Mastering The Zone or Eating In The Zone.
For great Zone fats:
There are any number of choices, ranging from peanuts to almonds to natural peanut butter. In his books, Dr. Sears writes about using slivered almonds or almond butter, but why not just go for broke and pick up 3 whole almonds as the fat for your Zone snack. Mayo, butter, and sour cream are all labeled “bad choices” but what the hell, they all do the same thing.
*Whole almonds
*Slivered almonds
*Almond butter
*Peanuts
*Natural peanut butter
*Mayonnaise
*Butter
*Sour cream
For more Zone recipes, consult Dr. Sears’s The Zone, Mastering The Zone or Eating In The Zone.
