Hey Reader!

In the 131st issue of The MF Kitchen, you'll slice into the details of:

• Recipes for my Grinder Salad Chalupas and Oreo Protein Push Pops!
• How 'expensive' is the food you're eating?
• One of the most popular flavors doesn't exist? I was surprised too...
• The alcohol alternative that I think will take over...

Preheat your ovens…

---

Weekly Recipe Roundup 🍽️

Grinder Salad Chalupas My high protein chalupa series has been super viral and I think I might’ve the best one yet! Click below to download the recipe and make it easy yourself: ​​​Grinder Salad Chalupas.pdf​

Oreo Protein Push Pops A great low calorie dessert meal prep! Only 69 calories with 5g protein and most importantly, they taste incredible! ​​Click below to download the recipe and make it easy yourself:​ ​​​OREO Protein Push Pops.pdf​

---

Recipe Recreations Of The Week 🤌

451 Cal Cheesy Bolognese Crispy Potato Bake!

Macros for 1/4th the pan:
​451 Cals, 47g Carbs, 11.5g Fat, 40g Protein

Here's the recipe and video:​
👉 https://www.instagram.com/p/DF-0ynoOjo8/​

---

This Week's Flavor 🎥

Nashville Style Hot Honey Chicken Nuggets These Nashville Style Chicken Nuggets are only 39 cals and are perfect for meal prep! And these are MUCH bigger than the fast food ones you’d get. ​Here is the recipe and video.​

---

Zach's Beats 🎧

​STEPHANIEEEE - Daniel Allan​

---

One FAQ ❓

Answer: I hear you!

And I promise you're NOT going to be starving.

But I need to reframe how you're thinking about this.

Think of your calories like money.

Let's say you've got 1,470 calories to "spend" each day.

That's your budget.

Right now you're not overspending, but you might be buying expensive things that give you very little in return.

The donut holes, the chips, the handful of bread before dinner, these are LOW volume foods.

They're 'expensive.'

They cost you a ton of calories and give you almost nothing back in fullness.

Here's a real example:

A few donut holes, some chips, and a slice of bread can easily run you 500 calories.

And 20 minutes later? You're hungry again.

You just spent 30% of your daily budget and have nothing to show for it.

Now flip it.

For that same 500 calories, you could have this massive bowl of loaded fries:

A genuinely filling, satisfying meal!

Same price, way more food, way more full.

THAT'S the whole game.

It's not about eating less food.

It's about being smarter with what you're spending your calories ON.

High volume foods (lean proteins, potatoes, veggies, fruit, broth-based soups) fill you up for very few calories.

Low volume foods (oils, candy, chips, baked goods) drain your budget fast and leave you hungry.

When you build your day around high volume foods, you don't starve on 1,470 calories.

It's actually a LOT of food.

Most people are shocked at how much they get to eat once they make this switch.

So before you panic about the number, look at WHAT you're eating.

I'd bet money there are some "expensive" low-volume foods sneaking into your day that you could swap out for double the food at the same calories.

Just some food for thought.

You do the dishes 😉

---

Weird Food Fact 🤓

"What flavor do you want honey?"

"I'll take blue!"

... said every kid ever lol.

But what is blue?

It's often labeled as 'blue raspberry,' but...

That's not a real thing.

Yep, it doesn't exist.

It all started in the late 1950s when raspberry-flavored foods were under fire for using a sketchy red dye that was suspected to cause health issues.

Companies needed a safer (and cooler) alternative.

Enter Blue Raspberry.

Originally created by Gold Medal (the snow cone kings), the flavor actually mimics the taste of a blackcap raspberry.

But here’s the wild part...

By the 1970s, thanks to Icees and Otter Pops, blue raspberry exploded into mainstream popularity.

And today, it’s still entirely artificial.

Just a mad-scientist blend of pineapple, grape, floral notes, and sweeteners, dyed a vibrant electric blue.

So, next time you're sipping on a blue slushy, remember you're enjoying something completely made up. But honestly, that's part of the charm 😆

---

Serving Surprise 😮

Hear me out...

I am a social drinker.

I have never been someone who likes to drink just for the heck of it.

But some drinks with friends that lead to a memory-filled night? Sign me up.

The only problem...

The AFTER affects.

The extra calories, the poor sleep, and the hangover…

So here’s what I have been doing lately to outset a lot of this.

​I have been loving this trend toward THC-infused cocktails.

They are super low-calorie because there is no alcohol to provide most of the calories.

You get a nice buzz!

And it doesn’t give you a hangover.

So here’s what I have been doing:

I’ll have one Nowadays before I go out and then I’ll have a drink or two while out.

I end up drinking a lot less since I am not chasing a buzz.

And no hangover the next day.

Here are some stats to compare:

My two margaritas at dinner were:

The Summer Year Round Marg:

• Teremana Reposado Tequila (~1.5 oz = ~96 kcal)
• Hibiscus (minimal calories)
• Fresh Squeezed Watermelon Juice (~1-2 oz = ~10-20 kcal)
• Fresh Citrus Juice (Lime, possibly Orange) (~1 oz = ~10-15 kcal)

Estimated Caloric Breakdown:

• Tequila: ~96 kcal
• Watermelon Juice: ~10-20 kcal
• Citrus Juice: ~10-15 kcal
• Salt Rim (minimal impact)

Total Estimated Calories:
​~120-140 kcal

I had two so that’s 240-280 calories.

So now compare that to the Nowadays:
​For the whole 12oz can, it’s only 20 calories.

The key difference is alcohol is calorically dense.

It’s the 4th macronutrient.

Let’s call it the drunk uncle macronutrient lol.

It has 7 calories per gram.

This could be a bold claim but I think alcohol’s days might be numbered.

No one wants to be hungover for days.

Everyone is prioritizing their health a bit more.

The residual effects of a night out drinking are massive.

Do I think drinking bad? Nope. The dose makes the poison.

But do I think drinking less without feeling like you are depriving yourself is better?

10000%.

What do you think?

---

If you take one thing from today...

Losing weight isn't about eating less food, it's about spending your calories smarter.

Fill your budget with high volume foods and you'll be shocked how much you actually get to eat.

Much love and happy cooking,
​Zach