medical weight loss – Page 3 – Elevation Medical Weight Loss

Posted on October 5, 2016February 25, 2019 by ElevationWeightLoss

Banana Ice Cream: 1 Ingredient

Some have asked us if we allow a “loading phase” when starting the HCG injections diet, and our answer is that it varies. A “loading phase” is when you consume high calorie and high carb meals for the initial 1-2 days of the HCG plan before drastically reducing caloric intake. While we feel that it is not necessary to “load up”, you are allowed a couple of meals if you prefer. However, we encourage you to start your new diet right away, since from our experience you will feel and see the results much faster.

Another questions is whether or not we allow a “cheat meal” when you’re on the program. The answer is yes, as long as you do not consistently eat anything out of the ordinary during the course of your 30 days commitment. By that we mean that a treat or two is fine, but scheduling in frequent cheats will definitely slow any progress you hope to make.

So if you’re craving something sweet, you may give in to a small “treat” that hardly even counts as a cheat, like this easy to make 1-ingredient banana ice cream.

Pick out 3 ripe bananas to make 2 servings for this recipe. You can use a small food processor or just crush the bananas with a spoon.

Recipe serves two. 155 calories /serving (with 40 grams of carbs per serving)
Ingredient	Calories	Carb
Banana, 3 medium	310 calories	81 g carb

It’s chilly and you’re making ice cream? Otay, I will help

Instructions:

Peel 3 bananas and place it in a food processor to blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can transfer the bananas in a bowl and crush and blend them with a wooden spoon.
Transfer the contents to two small bowls or ramekins.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 3-6 hours until frozen.
Recipe serves two. The more you blended the bananas earlier, the smoother it is. The consistency is similar to sorbet ice cream. You may top off with some whipped topping, such as Reddi Whip, which is 15 calories for 2 tablespoon.

Enjoy this delicious, simple recipe!

Posted on September 26, 2016February 25, 2019 by ElevationWeightLoss

Grilled Shrimp on Skewers: 284 calories per serving

We know you’ve been working hard to achieve your weight loss goal, but we want to make sure that you know that food does not have to be boring. Since it’s still warm out for a few more weeks, you can light of the grill and give this recipe a spin. Grilled shrimp on skewers is great for anyone who likes seafood, especially those who are on the rapid weight loss HCG diet plan since you get 8 oz of pure protein with 3 cups of low calorie vegetables and tomatoes. No oil required for this lean dish.

Grilled Shrimp on Skewers 284 calories per serving. Recipe serves 2 Prep time: 15 min, cook time 6-8 minutes
Ingredient	Calories	Carb
Large shrimp, 1 lb raw	450 calories
Romaine lettuce, 6 cups	48 calories	9 gram
Roma tomatoes, 2 medium	70 calories	14 gram
TOTAL	568 calories	23 gram

*Large shrimp are usually made up of 26-30 shrimp per pound. Each shrimp is approximately 14 calories.

This 1 jumbo shrimp here is 26 lbs… and she loves tomatoes!

Seasoning

3 cloves of garlic, minced

½ tsp seasoned salt

2 tbsp vinegar

¼ tsp pepper

1 slice of lemon

2 sprigs of rosemary (optional)

Chop 1 Roma tomato into small pieces for the salad and set to the side.
Mince and crush the other Roma tomato with a spoon to make a sauce for the shrimp. Add in crushed garlic, seasoned salt, vinegar, pepper, lemon, and rosemary.
Combine the shrimp and stir in the sauce.
Turn on the grill to preheat the grates. Apply a small bit of oil with paper towel to the grates to prepare a non-stick surface.
String the shrimp on the skewers and set on a plate.
Transfer the skewers to the grill. Cook each side for 3-5 minutes on medium high heat or until pink. (Usually you would want to soak your wooden skewers, however the short cooking time for this recipe makes it unnecessary to do so.)
Place the skewers on a plate and serve with Romaine lettuce with chopped tomatoes. You can sprinkle a tsp of Basalmic vinegar as dressing with minimal calories added.

284 calorie meal with 56 grams of protein and 12 grams of carbs

Posted on August 29, 2016February 25, 2019 by ElevationWeightLoss

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Here is another low -calorie and low-carb recipe that is great for any day of the week. The chicken based meal cooks up easily and stores well in the fridge for another delicious meal upon reheating.

Tray of Ingredients: Lettuce, mushrooms, chicken breast, onions, green onions, water chestnuts. Sauce mixture of: soy sauce, salt, ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar, and ginger.

Chicken lettuce wrap: recipe serves 6 prep time: 20 minutes cook time, 15 minutes.
Ingredient	Calories	Carbs
Lettuce, ½ a head	55 calories	11 g
Chicken breast, 1.5 lbs chopped and diced	1123 calories
Onion, ½ medium	23 calories	5 g
Soy sauce, 4 tbsp	35 calories	3 g
Sugar, 2 tbsp	25 calories	25 g
Water chestnut, 6 oz, diced	160 calories	40 g
Mushrooms, 6 oz diced	44 calories	8 g
Green onions, 1 bundle chopped
Ginger, 1 tsp finely chopped or ¼ tsp powder
Salt, ½ tsp
Rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp
Garlic, 2-3 cloves or 1 tsp
TOTAL	1490 total calories	92 g

It tastes so good we can’t keep our toddler away

Instructions:

Mince the chicken breasts into fine pieces, or as an alternative, you can use 90% lean beef or ground turkey or ground chicken.
Use a large non-stick skillet and put on medium heat, no oil required.
Mince the chopped water chestnuts and mushrooms.
Toss in the chopped chicken on the skillet.
After 5 minutes, combine the rest of the ingredients: onions, green onions, water chestnuts, soy sauce, salt, ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar, and ginger.
Turn to medium high heat and cook for another 10 minutes or until done.
Lay the lettuce leaves open on a large plate, scoop in the chicken mixture on the lettuce and sprinkle on a bit of green onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

There is a lot of flexibility with this recipe. You may omit the water chestnuts to reduce the carb content if you choose. And it almost does not matter the timing of the added ingredients as you cook. As long as most of the sauce cooks off, the chicken and chopped water chest nut will absorb the flavor and you will have a flavorful and healthy meal.

Posted on August 16, 2016October 26, 2020 by ElevationWeightLoss — 1 Comment

Troubleshooting Side Effects of a New Diet: Low Blood Sugar

For those who are not used to eating a low-carb diet consisting of 50 or fewer grams of carbs a day, you may occasionally experience hypoglycemia, or known as low blood sugar. Whenever this happens, it may be a little bit alarming if you haven’t experienced these low blood sugar symptoms in the past:

The first step to dealing with low blood sugar is to recognize the symptoms of hypoglycemia (low sugar):

Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar

Sweatiness

Clammy Skin

Nausea (sick to your stomach)

Shaking, jittery, or nervous

Unsteady, difficult to walk

Feeling “off”, but not a cold

Heart may beat fast

Feel like you are going to “pass out”

Feeling “sick in your stomach”

Remember that phentermine work very well to suppress your appetite, so if you’re used to eating every 4 hours, and suddenly you take phentermine and don’t eat for 8 hours stretches, you may be more susceptible to some unwanted side effects like feeling jittery, nauseated, or get sweaty since your body isn’t accustomed to fasting for longer than a certain amount of time.

However, if you’re used to regularly going 6-8 hours without eating a meal, you may not get these symptoms at all because you have trained your body to even out blood sugar spikes and falls over long stretches, that means you are quite the expert at regulating your own blood sugar level and won’t have any side effects.

What do you do when you think your blood sugar is running low?

Quick Treatment of Low Blood Sugar

A cookie

A handful of candy

A small cup of juice

A few big gulp of regular soda

Pictured here is MaiLan helping us get our blood sugar levels back up. No, not really, all that candy is for her.

Basically, eat anything with sugar to quickly get rid of your hypoglycemia. The recommend intake is 20-40 grams of simple carbohydrate. The fastest acting simple carbohydrates are sweet drinks, like lemonade or juices with sugar added, or even regular soda. Other options are just anything you can quickly grab in the pantry, such as crackers, candy, or a cookie. Often, sugary beverages or snacks will take roughly 15 minutes to work to correct your blood sugar issue.

Having low blood sugar is quite an annoyance, but at least it’s a decently fun problem to fix. Remember to recognize early symptoms of hypoglycemia, such as feeling jittery, shaky, nauseated, or sweaty, and consume a small bit of sweet food/beverages to rapidly bring your sugar level to normal.

Posted on August 4, 2016February 25, 2019 by ElevationWeightLoss — 1 Comment

Meals without Cooking – Part II

In the 2nd installment of our “no-cooking required” meals series, we will look at a recipe that is not only tasty and easy but also can easily be prepared in bulk for future meals. When you find that your schedule suddenly overwhelmed, or that your kids become more demanding and eat up most your free time, you can grab some already-prepared food from the grocery store and take a couple of minutes to assemble meals for a couple of days.

elevation-no-cooking-meals — This may look like a lot of food, but there’s actually only 4-5 servings

Chicken Salad is an easy meal for when you’re undecided

INGREDIENT	Calories	Carb
Chicken breast, skinless, 6 oz	276 cal	0
Baby spring mix, 3 oz	20 calories	2 gram
Bell peppers, 1 oz	9 calories	2 gram
Balsamic vinaigrette, 1 tbsp	15 calories	2 gram
TOTAL	320 calories	6 gram

3 oz of shredded Rotisserie Chicken on the food scale, and another 3 oz in the background (in a full cup loosely measured)

So what does 6 oz of chicken breast look like? A good rule of thumb is roughly twice the size of the palm of your hand. Also 6 oz of chicken will roughly fit loosely into 2 cups, when shredded or chopped. Alternatively, you can pick up a food scale and get a more exact measurement. One of the benefits of weighing out your food is you can much more accurately track how much you are eating to consistently lose the same amount of weight week-to-week.

You may be surprised to know that 3 oz of baby spring mix (1 serving) can fill up about half a gallon of space. It’s helpful to fill up your stomach with lots of green, leafy vegetables that are low in calories as well as in carbs. Green, leafy vegetables are great resources for the necessary vitamins such as Vitamin K, magnesium and potassium. Eat a lot of greens to fill up space in your stomach to stay satisfied longer.

Combine the chicken with the baby green mix, then add some chopped bell peppers. Stir in 1 tsp of a low calorie, low carb dressing of your choice (we used a Balsamic Vinaigrette).

Serve the chicken salad in a very large bowl. Drink 32 oz of water with your meal.

There are so many creative ways to eat healthier even when your time is limited, or you just don’t have the desire to cook. You just have to WANT to do what it takes to live a healthier lifestyle, and of course we are here to help if needed.

Posted on July 31, 2016February 23, 2019 by ElevationWeightLoss

Let’s Talk About Poop

Growing up we are taught that everybody poops, however if you are new to a low calorie/low carbohydrate diet you may find this isn’t always case. In addition to the effect of diet on your “movements”, one of the most common side effects of phentermine, or Adipex, is constipation. Since roughly 1 in 3 of our clients will experience this issue, We want to take some time to address what can be done to keep things “going”.

When you begin to eat lower calorie meals and consisting of healthier foods, you’ll likely be consuming far less volume than you normally would. As a result, you may produce less waste, and that translates to less quality bathroom time. For those adhering to our diet program, it is relatively common to go to the bathroom as little as once every 2-3 days, instead of every day like you are used to. For the individuals on the HCG diet, your calories are much more limited, so you may use the bathroom every 3-4 days and still produce normal stools.

Let’s discuss some things you can do you can maximize your chances of going to the bathroom:

Component	Action
At least 1 gallon of water a day	Drink enough water
Don’t wait to use the bathroom	Go as soon as you have the urge
Obtain enough non-soluble fiber	Eat green, leafy vegetables (low-carb)
Increase physical activity	Get some exercise. Move around

mailan-walking-firestation — Walking after meals helps with digestion and going

When you are dehydrated, your body absorbs water from the intestines, making your stool firm and hard to pass. Essentially, you need enough water to soften the stool for a bowel movement. Also, you need enough bulk, easily supplemented with additional insoluble fiber, so there is volume to pass. It is important to note that you should always try go to the bathroom as soon as you have the urge, rather than waiting for a ‘more convenient’ time to avoid exacerbating the issue. Lastly, getting some post-meal exercise by taking a 30 minute walk down the block can really help the body process your food and more readily eliminate the waste. It’s nice outside and there are a few PokeStop down the road, “gotta pass’em all” right?

Finally, if after all that effort you still can’t go, we suggest picking up some Magnesium Oxide tablets from any pharmacy or grocery store. Magnesium is a naturally occurring element that is very poorly absorbed when taken by mouth, which means it doesn’t spend much time in your gut and helps carry stuck waste out with it. One of the actions of magnesium is to keep water in your intestines to soften the stool, and it does a very good job of that. It is one of the safest remedies for constipation and is non-habit forming since is it an osmotic laxative. Osmotic laxatives retain water in the bowels without stimulating the intestines to contract, so there are no long term health consequences. These type of laxatives do not get absorbed into your body, but instead exert its actions on the bowels and then moves on during your next bathroom stop.

Treatment for Constipation	Treatment Rating	Directions
Magnesium oxide, 400 mg or 500 mg tablets		Take 2-3 tabs daily for 3 days, then 1-2 tabs daily after
Miralax (generic version is fine)		Take 2 scoops dissolved in water daily for 3 days, then 1 scoop daily after (flavor your water to hide the powdery taste)
Fleet enema		Take as directed on the bottle for instant relief.
Magnesium citrate		Drink 1 bottle once. Does not taste good. This will most likely cause abdominal cramping before a movement.
Milk of Magnesia, Cherry or Lemon Flavor ONLY		Follow dosing instructions according to the bottle. One of the worst tasting medications out there. However, very effective.

We don’t really recommend taking Benefiber because it does not seem to work that consistently compared to the listed options, and also it has unnecessary calories and the taste was not worth it. We hope this article will help to clear you out.

Posted on July 21, 2016February 25, 2019 by ElevationWeightLoss

Grilled Chuck Steak

We love to cook on the grill because it is both a quick and easy way to prepare a tasty meal that any family can enjoy. You can make grilling a part of your healthier lifestyle by trying out new recipes from common food items that you like, such as the one below:

Grilled Chuck Steak

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredient	Calories	Protein	Carb
Chuck steak, 8 oz	293 calories	48 g
Romaine lettuce, ½ head	53 calories	4 g	10 g
Strawberries, 4 large	23 calories		5 g
Montreal Steak Seasoning

TOTAL	369 calories	52 g protein	15 g carb

Directions:

Turn on the grill to pre-heat.
Rub a generous amount of steak seasoning on the chuck steak. We prepared 2 large cuts of chuck steak, roughly 5 lbs total as meal prep for the week.
Grill on medium for roughly 7-10 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness.
Transfer chuck steak to a cutting board to allow to cool.
Use a fork to hold on to the steak and use a serrated knife to slice into thin cross-sectional pieces for serving.
Serve with half a head of romaine lettuce and strawberries for a low-carb, high protein meal.

Posted on July 11, 2016February 25, 2019 by ElevationWeightLoss

Grilled Salmon with Zucchini: 314 calories

Here is a quick and easy grilled salmon recipe you can have prepared and serve in about half an hour. Lemon or lime has to be one of our favorite addition to seafood because it reduces the amine compound that is responsible for the “fishy” smell in seafood.

Ingredient	Calories	Carb
Salmon, skinless 6 oz (or 4 oz w/ skin)	241 calories
Zucchini, sliced, 2 cups	38 calories	7 g carb
Strawberries, 4 medium	15 calories	3 g carb
½ tsp oil for zucchini	20 calories
TOTAL	314 calories	10 g carb

The ingredients are friendly for a gluten-free diet or just when you are trying to live healthier.

The seasonings are quite flexible. We used Montreal seasoning found in the pantry, but you can make your own by combining 2 tsp paprika, 2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp onion, 1 tsp red pepper flakes.

Seasoning

Lemon, 1 slice

Montreal seasoning, generous amount

Rosemary, a couple of sprigs

Thyme, a couple of sprigs

Try to keep the baby away from your ingredients

INSTRUCTIONS:

Turn on the grill for preheating.
Generously rub Montreal seasoning into all sides of the salmon. Transfer the salmon to a large piece of foil paper. Squeeze a slice of lemon on top of the salmon. Put the squeezed lemon on top of the salmon. Crush the thyme and rosemary with your fingers and put the sprigs on top. Wrap up the salmon, lemon, thyme and rosemary inside the foil to prepare for grilling. This will allow the salmon soak up the seasoning for a moist, tasty meal.
For the zucchini, drizzle 1/2 tsp of oil on top. We used canola oil, but you can use whichever oil you have in the pantry. Transfer the zucchini onto a big sheet of aluminum foil and wrap it up for grilling.
Transfer the wrapped packages to the grill.
Grill the salmon on medium heat with the lid closed for about 6-8 minutes on each side. The zucchini only needs roughly half of the time on the grill, so 2-5 minutes on each side.
Open the foil. Transfer the contents to a plate. Serve with strawberries. We hope this recipe gives you a couple of ideas for your next meal 🙂

Posted on July 9, 2016October 26, 2020 by ElevationWeightLoss — 1 Comment

5 Potential Causes for Your Diet Related Cramps and What You Can Do About Them

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When you are starting a new diet and exercise program you may find yourself having leg cramps during the first few days or weeks of your new routine. To understand why you experience this and what you can do to prevent recurrence, we have to examine the cause of muscle spasms.

Most oftenly, leg cramps are caused by some combination of the following 5 reasons:

Dehydration
Electrolyte deficiency
1. Low potassium, magnesium deficiency, calcium deficiency, and/or low sodium
Vitamin deficiency
1. Low thiamine (B1), pantothenic acid (B5), and pyridoxine (B6)
Lack of muscle flexibility
Overexertion

Let’s address each problem individually:

Dehydration

Drinking plenty of water (by plenty, we mean a gallon or more of water a day) is an important factor in keeping you feeling your best. Water is critical at the microcellular level in the Krebs Cycle to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which your body uses to do pretty much everything. Ensuring that you meet your daily water intake goals will improve your energy level, as well as provide your muscles with the resources they need to function properly. Without adequate water intake, our muscles begin to accumulate waste byproducts, commonly referred to as “toxins”, that may cause spasms or cramping.

Electrolyte deficiency

Ingesting plenty of dark green, leafy vegetables will go a long way in keeping you out of trouble and cramp-free. Even if you are limited to low-carb foods, you can still find good sources of potassium, magnesium, calcium, and sodium. Frequently, the two main electrolytes of concern that are responsible for leg cramps are potassium and magnesium.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) recommend a dietary amount of at least 320 mg of magnesium for women and 420 mg of magnesium for men, and 4.7 grams (or 4700 mg) of potassium for both men and women. You could be experiencing muscle cramps due to a deficiency in these minerals and if so adjusting your diet could be all that you need.

The chart below illustrate how much certain food contain in potassium and magnesium. If you were to eat 8 oz chicken breast with 1 head of romaine lettuce and 1 cup of beets green for lunch (497 calories, 2581 mg potassium, and 192 mg magnesium), then eat 6 oz of 90% lean beef with 1 cup of spinach, 1 cup of broccoli, 1 cup of zucchini for dinner (437 calories, 3214 mg potassium, and 237 mg magnesium, you will then consume in a total of: 934 calories, 5795 mg potassium, and 429 mg magnesium, which will exceed your requirements for the two electrolytes.

Meat/Fish	Potassium Content	Magnesium Content
8 oz chicken breast (230 calories)	359 mg	66 mg
6 oz 90% lean beef (344 calories)	618 mg	40 mg
6 oz salmon (354 calories)	618 mg	46 mg
8 oz tilapia (292 calories)	863 mg	78 mg
8 oz center cut pork chops (260 calories)	960 mg	46 mg
8 oz cooked chicken liver (263 calories)	526 mg	23 mg

Fruits & Vegetables	Potassium Content	Magnesium Content
Romaine lettuce, 1 head (108 calories)	1546 mg	88 mg
Beets green, cooked, 1 cup (30 calories)	1309 mg	38 mg
Spinach, cooked, 1 cup (44 calories)	839 mg	157 mg
Avocado, 1 cup (234 calories)	708 mg	42 mg
Edamame (soy beans), 1 cup (189 calories)	676 mg	99 mg
Zucchini, cooked, 1 cup (18 calories)	325 mg	21 mg
Cauliflower, 1 cup (27 calories)	320 mg	16 mg
Kale, cooked, 1 cup (69 calories)	296 mg	23 mg
Tomato, 1 medium ( 22 calories)	292 mg	14 mg
Broccoli, 1 cup (31 calories)	288 mg	19 mg
Strawberries, 1 cup (47 calories)	220 mg	19 mg

If you feel that you are unable to ingest the required amount of vegetables and have leg cramps that won’t go away, you may benefit from short-term supplementation with a daily magnesium and potassium tablets.

Vitamin Deficiency

Deficiencies in Vitamins B1, B5, and/or B6 may be causing you cramps. The mechanism behind this is not currently well understood, however evidence suggests that supplementing these vitamins may help treat and avoid cramps.

Thiamin (Vitamin B1) is necessary for the proper functioning of the muscles, nervous system and heart. Thiamin deficiency has been known to cause insomnia, fatigue, depression, constipation, irritability, heart problems and stomach problems. Thiamin is abundant in organ meats, soybeans, egg yolks, poultry, broccoli, and asparagus. The recommended intake is 1.5 mg of Vitamin B1 daily.

Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5) is responsible for the production of coenzyme A that is associated with the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates as energy sources. Pantothenic acid is found in organ meats, egg yolk, and broccoli, fish, shellfish, chicken, milk, yogurt, mushrooms, and avocado. Deficiencies are rare, but pantothenic acid deficiency may result in fatigue, insomnia, depression, irritability, vomiting, abdominal and leg muscle cramps. The recommended intake is 3-7 mg of Vitamin B5 daily.

Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) assists in the degradation and production of amino acids and in the process that converts amino acids into fats or carbohydrates. Vitamin B6 is involved in fat/carbohydrate metabolism, the removal of fluids during premenstruation, and healthy skin. It can reduce symptoms of hand numbness, leg cramps, muscle spasms. Deficiencies have been known to cause anemia, dermatitis, hair loss, anxiety, leg cramps, water retention, anemia. The recommended intake is 1.3 to 1.7 mg of Vitamin B6 daily.

Lack of muscle flexibility

Exercise consisting of particularly intense physical activity can cause your muscles to fatigue, become sore, and spasm. Take every effort to stretch the muscle to cool down shortly after you exercise, and make an effort to incorporate stretching into your routine wherever limitations appear. Post exercise stretching of the muscles helps the fibers relax, reset, and promotes good circulation for recovery after exercise.

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Overexertion

Your body needs adequate rest after a difficult workout. Any time you put yourself through high stress episodes such as exercise, you will need time to recover so you can improve your performance for next time and give your body time to catch up with all the good you’ve done. If the muscles are overworked and tired, you may get painful spasms that can in turn hinder your ability to stick with your gym routine.

Unfortunately as with any drastic lifestyle change, there will be unwanted side effects accompanying your new diet and exercise routines. However with a little planning and preparation you should be able to prevent muscle cramps from negatively impacting your progress. So eat right, rest well, exercise smart, and stay hydrated and keep up the good work.

Posted on July 4, 2016October 26, 2020 by ElevationWeightLoss

Low-Carb Beef Kabobs

Happy 4th of July. It’s a day on which we gather and celebrate the founding of this great nation, and the many freedoms we enjoy as a result. At Elevation Medical Weight Loss, we know that you probably aren’t feeling very “free” with so many traditional July 4th foods not fitting your diet goals. So in order to help you stay on track, here is one of our favorite healthy grill-out recipes: Low-Carb Beef Kabobs.

This is one of our favorite beef kabob recipes. The ingredients call for cherry tomatoes, but you can omit the tomatoes for an ultra low-carb meal, which is perfect for those who are on the HCG diet plan or who were instructed to eat low-carb for the next few weeks or months.

Recipe serves 6 (274 calories each, 10 g carb per serving) Prep time: 30 minutes Marinade time: 2 hours Cook time: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS	CALORIES	CARB
2 lb lean beef, cut into 1-in. cubes	1352 calories
6 oz mushroom caps	44 calories	8 g carb
1 green bell pepper, cut into large chunks	33 calories	4 g carb
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into large chunks	25 calories	6 carb
1 large onion, cut into large squares	60 calories	14 g carb
30 cherry tomatoes	92 calories	20 g carb
2 cup eggplant, cubed	40 calories	9 g carb
30 Skewers
TOTAL	1646 calories	61 g carb

Don’t let the baby steal your ingredients

For the marinade: mix everything below in a bowl

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup lime or lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

Have marinade in a large bowl or gallon ziploc bag. Mix the cubed beef, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and eggplant in the marinade. Stir or flip every 30 minutes. Let sit for 2 hours.

Soak the skewers in a shallow pan of water for 10-15 minutes. This is to prevent the skewers from breaking upon grilling.

Turn on the grill.

Place beef kabobs on grill. Grill for 7-10 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness.

Recipe serves 6. Enjoy this tasty meal with your family on this wonderful 4th of July holiday!