132 Part II: Now You’re Cooking! Healthy and Hearty Dishes
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Easy and cheesy is just the beginning of these simple but delicious enchiladas. Packed
with flavor and a quick and traditional homemade enchilada sauce, this dish is not only
great served family style but also freezes well. The recipe has a lot of chili powder, but
it’s not as spicy as you may expect. Chili peppers are claimed to help with weight loss,
prevent stomach ulcers, lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, provide cardiovascular
benefits, boost your immunity, and help clear congestion. More studies need to be done
to confirm the claims, but true or not, chili powder sure adds a kick to your meal. (If
you don’t tend to tolerate spicy foods well, go light on the sauce.)✓ Pack condiments or vegetables separately so they don’t make your
sandwich soggy.✓ Try new flavors of condiments, such as the many flavors of mustards, or
add some herbs to your light mayo.
✓ Use a thermos for hot or cold food.✓ Find a lunch buddy or buddies at work. You can take turns bringing in
lunch so you get a day off.
✓ Don’t forget your lunch! When you pack your lunch bag, drop your keys
in it so you can’t leave home without it.✓ Wash out your lunch box regularly. Bacteria can grow anywhere.Note that the portion sizes in the following recipes are intended for people
who are months out from their weight loss surgery. If you are still eating very
small meals, adjust the portion sizes as necessary to meet your needs.Putting Together One-Dish Meals
Three cheers for one-dish meals! Cleanup is easy and the food combinations
are endless. And we’re not just talking your traditional casseroles mixed with
canned soup. You can make your altogether meal hot or cold, fresh on the
spot or made ahead.One-pot meals often feature pasta or rice, and by following a couple of tips
you can lower the risk of problems that those foods often cause for weight
loss surgery patients. Mixing flour and water leads to paste that can lump up
like dough and won’t set well in your pouch. Use whole-wheat pasta instead of
regular, because it doesn’t get as gummy. Cook rice with more liquid so that it
swells up more before you eat it, not when it’s in your pouch. And be sure to
eat very small portions of rice and pasta.