Hey Reader!

In the 104th issue of The MF Kitchen, you'll slice into the details of:

• Recipes for my Big Mac Salad and Butterfinger Protein Ice Cream!​
• I used to have cheat days, here's why I stopped...​
• One low-calorie ingredient with HUNDREDS of options!​

Preheat your ovens…

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Weekly Recipe Roundup 🍽️

Big Mac Salad Only 279 calories for a BIG bowl of salad that doesn't taste like rabbit food. Perfect for cutting when you need some food volume. Click below to download the recipe and make it easy yourself: ​Big Mac Salad.pdf​

Butterfinger Protein Ice Cream I'm a big butterfinger guy. But in ice cream form it might be even better. Without the mix-ins, this bad boy is only 306 calories (for a whole pint!). ​​Click below to download the recipe and make it easy yourself: ​Butterfinger Protein Ice Cream.pdf​

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Recipe Recreations Of The Week 🤌

🍔 425 Cal ½ lb Double Cheeseburgers

Macros for each WHOLE Double Cheeseburger:​
425 Cals, 20g Carbs, 13g Fat, 57g Protein

Here's the video & recipe:​
👉 https://www.instagram.com/p/C7j1YB8shLq/​

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Zach's Beats 🎧

​DRAKE - WHICH ONE (IBARA REMIX)​

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One FAQ ❓

Answer: I used to have cheat days myself, so I get it.

I want to share my experience with this and how I transitioned out of it.

Because in my eyes, if you have cheat days, that means you're still holding back for 90% of the week.

And that will always build up.

So let's rewind to 2011 when I finally took it upon myself to learn about nutrition.

I had just had major hip surgery to repair a torn iliopsoas which ended my college basketball career before I really was able to get started.

Because I had that major surgery, I wanted to finally learn about nutrition to help speed up my recovery.

So I went to the most trusted university in the world for the answer...

The University of Google lol.

And my brilliant 20-year-old self decided to google, “what is the best diet?”

WOW, what a brilliant search Zach!

At the time, the Paleo Diet was on a meteoric rise in popularity so that's the diet that popped up.

So at that moment, I decided to give my first-ever diet a try! How exciting!

I went from a diet consisting of eating nothing “healthy” to a diet that was eating “like a caveman” (aka nothing processed whatsoever).

Paleo is basically eating foods like meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, similar to what cavemen supposedly ate. And you avoid processed foods, grains, and dairy.

The good was I actually learned I liked eating more than 50g of protein in a day haha.

And I actually enjoyed eating fruits and veggies as well.

BUT the bad takes me back to a grocery store parking lot...

At 20 years old, I developed my first-ever relationship with food.

Paleo-approved foods were “good.” All other foods were “bad.”

And so the first 4 months or so on Paleo, I was perfect!

Never cheated once!

But then I learned about “cheat days” and that they were “ok” to do every once in a while.

It was as if I had found the holy grail!

These cheat days became an obsession.

My one day to be a “bad boy” haha.

They would be once every 2 weeks.

I would be like Santa, making a list and checking it twice.

But this list was my cheat day foods list.

Before I even knew what calories were, I was pretty much having an 8k-10k calorie challenge once every two weeks with these cheat days.

Alone. By myself. Because I was embarrassed to the extreme extent I would go.

To the point that I gasped leaving the grocery store one day.

I mean a gasp that nearly left my body with no more oxygen.

And a grateful gasp that left happy tears in my eyes because I had remembered that I had forgotten something on the cheat day list.

I would've had to go another 2 weeks without being able to “get that craving out of my system.”

That moment freaked me out.

Every cheat day after that day never felt the same.

Food now had this crippling control over my whole life.

I thought about food 24/7.

What I was going to eat to stay on track with Paleo.

And every single thing I was going to eat for my massive cheat days.

So that one “gasp” is what eventually led me to my next diet which was Flexible Dieting (aka tracking macros).

Which allowed me to learn moderation of the foods I love instead of having to be gluttonous with them.

So why share all this to explain my take on cheat days?

Because I believe that everyone should transition away from cheat days.

Something to remember here...

Food is emotional. And that’s ok.

It wasn’t always emotional for us. We all had a moment where the veil was lifted and we developed our relationship with food for the first time.

Maybe it was really young for you. Or later in life like me.

Nonetheless, that relationship is really important.

We all have to eat.

We all should enjoy what we eat.

We all should know how to have food help us live our best lives.

And that just takes time!

Live, eat, learn, repeat.

Be kind to yourself.

Your relationship with food will thank you.

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Serving Surprise 😮

Let's say you get up right now and go to your nearest grocery store.

I'd bet you $1000 that you'd find this virtually zero-calorie product at the store.

I'd bet you another $1000 that you'd find it in TONS of different brands and flavors as well!

And chances are, you've been sleeping on this product because you didn't realize how low-calorie it was!

Any guesses?

The answer is: ​
Salsa!

Just look at how many options you have to choose from:

All range from 5 calories to 20 calories per 2tbsp.

I make burrito bowls all the time and put this Flamed-Charred Salsa on top:

Soooo damn good.

But literally there are endless options.

Just wanted this to be a friendly reminder to stop by the salsa section next time you go to the grocery store 🫡

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Remember, food shouldn't stress you out or control your life.

It should add to your happiness (not take away from it).

Building a healthy relationship with food takes time, so keep learning, experimenting, and finding your balance.

You got this.

Much love and happy cooking,​
Zach

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