Hey Reader!

In the 142nd issue of The MF Kitchen, you'll slice into the details of:

• Recipes for my XL Grinder Salad Wraps and Vanilla Mini Protein Cake Donuts!
• Why does EVERYTHING need protein powder in it? Well, it doesn't...
• Why nice restaurants have lighting so dim you can barely see...
• I meal prep... fruit?!

Preheat your ovens…

---

Weekly Recipe Roundup 🍽️

XL Grinder Salad Wraps This wrap is a dieting cheat code! Only 516 calories for both halves with 58g protein! 👉 Click here for the recipe

Vanilla Mini Protein Cake Donuts Believe it or not, you can make these in your air fryer! All for less than 50 calories too 😎 👉 Click here for the recipe

---

Recipe Recreation Of The Week 🤌

😮‍💨 233 Cal Meatball Sub Sliders

Macros for each Slider:​
233 Cals, 12g Carbs, 7.5g Fat, 21g Protein

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

If you haven't already, join the FDL Community so you can share your own creations.

​Click here to join now!​

---

This Week's Flavor 🎥

OREO Protein Cheesecake Macros per Slice w/out toppings (makes 8):​ 172 Cals, 15g Carbs, 3.5g Fat, 22g Protein ​Here's the recipe and video.​

---

Zach's Beats 🎧

​Better - People R Ugly​

---

One FAQ ❓

Answer: Rant away! I've got you.

Now let me clear a few things up, because I think there's a misunderstanding here that's worth untangling.

First, my savory recipes don't have protein powder in them.

Like, at all.

The chicken sandwiches, chalupas, hamburger helper, loaded fries, zero protein powder.

The protein in those comes from actual food.

Chicken, beef, turkey, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese.

Protein powder shows up almost exclusively in my SWEET recipes.

The pancakes, cheesecakes, ice cream, and baked goods.

And there's a specific reason for that, which I'll get to in a second.

So if it feels like "everything" has protein powder in it, I'd bet you're mostly seeing the dessert side of mine and other people's content.

Second, yes, you can absolutely make lower calorie food without protein powder.

100%. If your goal is just "fewer calories," you don't need protein powder to get there.

Swap in leaner ingredients, cut the oil, use volume foods, done.

Nothing wrong with that.

But my goal with recipes isn't only "lower calorie."

It's lower calorie AND high protein.

And those are two different targets.

So why the protein obsession?

Three real reasons:

1. Protein keeps you full. It's the most satiating macronutrient by a wide margin. When you're eating in a deficit, that matters enormously. A 300-calorie snack with 25g of protein will hold you way longer than a 300-calorie snack with 3g. Same calories, completely different experience.

2. Protein protects your muscle while you lose fat. When you lose weight, you can lose fat OR you can lose fat and muscle. Protein is what tips that in your favor. It's the difference between looking lean at your goal weight versus looking like a smaller version of the same shape.

3. It's the macro most people fall short on. Most people hit their carbs and fats without trying. Protein is the one that requires intention. So building it into recipes is just… solving the actual problem 😁

Now, why protein powder in the sweet stuff specifically?

Because in a dessert, you don't have a natural protein source to lean on.

There's no chicken in a cheesecake lol.

So protein powder is doing double duty there.

It adds structure and body to the recipe (replacing some of the flour or fat you'd normally need), AND it turns something that would otherwise be pure carbs and fat into a meal that actually contributes to your day.

That's the whole trick.

It's not protein for protein's sake.

It's turning dessert into something that works FOR you instead of just costing you calories.

I build recipes with protein because it's what helps most people hit their goals with the least suffering.

But it's a tool, not a rule.

Hope that clears it up!

---

Weird Food Fact 🤓

Ever notice how restaurants always seem to dim their lights?

Turns out, there’s a sneaky little reason behind that romantic, candle lit vibe…

Restaurants discovered pretty quickly that lighting directly affects how (and how much) we eat.

Bright lights make you eat faster and feel rushed (like you’re in a cafeteria or a fast-food joint).

But softer, dimmer lights?

Those create comfort, relaxation, and a sense of indulgence.

But dim lighting actually encourages you to slow down, relax, and stay longer.

And when you stay longer, you order more (extra appetizers, another round of drinks, maybe even dessert, you know the vibe).

Studies have even shown that people linger longer (and yes, spend more money) in lower-lit environments.

Among not being able to see the menu...

Restaurants figured this out decades ago, and they’ve been dimming lights ever since to enhance your experience.

---

Serving Surprise 😮

Every once in a while, I meal prep a stash of fruit to crush cravings and make snacking effortless.

This week’s lineup:

All in, I prepped 5+ pounds of this stuff in one container.

And I eat about 1 pound per day as a high-volume snack between meals.

Macros per 1 lb (~454g):

• Calories: 210–240 kcal
• Carbs: 55–60g
• Fiber: 8–10g
• Protein: ~2.5g
• Fat: <0.5g

Let that sink in.

You’re getting a full pound of food for about 200 calories.

This is a great example of why whole, minimally processed, micronutrient foods help people lose weight.

It isn’t something magical.

It’s just that they are naturally lower calorie, high volume, and really hard to overeat on.

Just basic food volume math most people never learn.

Now compare it to something like a handful of Skittles:

300 calories and 70g weight (less than ¼ lb).

So yeah, you could eat a pound of fruit or a handful of candy.

Neither is “bad,” but if you’re trying to feel full on fewer calories?

Volume wins. Every time.

With that said, something to keep in mind:

When fat loss stalls, it’s not always willpower.

Sometimes, it’s just your food being too damn dense.

This is your sign to prep a big ol’ bin of fruit this week. Your cravings will thank you.

• Raspberries (30g = 15 cal, 3.5g carbs, 2g fiber)
• Blueberries (30g = 17 cal, 4.5g carbs, 0.7g fiber)
• Strawberries (30g = 10 cal, 2.3g carbs, 0.7g fiber)
• Cantaloupe (30g = 12 cal, 3g carbs, 0.4g fiber)
• Watermelon (30g = 9 cal, 2.3g carbs, 0.2g fiber)

---

First full week back from vacation and man was it nice to cook again!

One framework I have when traveling is that I don’t eat for satiety.

I eat till satisfied. If I eat till I am full, I overeat.

But at home, I can make my magic and feel full on less calories.

My go to lunch lately has been this Buffalo Loaded Fries Bowl 🔥

Hope you are enjoying this fun game we get to play in our kitchens with the simple rules of “solving cravings, eating a ton of food and reaching our goals.”

Much love and happy cooking,
​Zach