Clever Magazine, Vol. 7, #1 " Carbos " (www.clevermag.com)

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Counting Carbos?

by The Phantom

This carbohydrate food fad seems to be getting a little out of hand. How can a healthy diet be high in fat and calories? We are told that it's better to eat three eggs and a half pound of bacon for breakfast than it is to eat a bowl of raisin bran with skim milk and a sliced banana on top.

We are given recipes like the following ones and told that they are part of a low-carb diet plan. Check this out. This is a recipe for

Low Carb Cheesy Mashed Potatoes:
:
16 oz. cauliflower (there are no potatoes in this recipe because they are a no-no)
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (that's about 800 calories, mostly fat)
4 oz. cream cheese (about 400 calories, mostly fat)
2 Tbls butter (about 200 calories, mostly fat)

To Prepare: boil cauliflower until tender, drain and mash until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Pour into casserole and bake about 40 mins or until cheese is melted. Serves 4 to 6. (I'm feeling sorry for the cauliflower at this point.)

Editor's note: That's about 350 calories per serving, but few carbos. It probably tastes good but it's all fat. By the time you eat it, there's nothing left of the cauliflower. And you still need the rest of the meal, which will probably be a steak or some other hunk of meat. Lordy me.

Wouldn't it be better for your well-being to just cook up a few potatoes, mash them, pour in a couple tablespoons of milk and a dab of butter, and whip them up. You could have some steamed cauliflower on the side or brocolli, which is like cauliflower, only green, and you've almost got a meal. Grill up a chicken breast to go with it and you're in business. You'll feel much better.

Here's another shocking recipe:

Cream Cheese Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup of cream cheese (oh-oh)
1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese (here we go again)
2 tbls heavy cream (good grief)
1 large green onion
4 pieces of cooked bacon (of course)

Bake chicken for about 40 minutes. Combine all the other ingredients and spread over chicken. Broil until melted. The recipe suggests serving it with green beans (whew! I thought for a minute I was supposed serve it with the Mashed Potatoes. I didn't calculate the calories in this one, but it's way more than the first recipe.)

I picked up these recipes at my local Curves, the fitness center. They actually recommend these recipes as a weight-loss strategy. Hmm.