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👨🍳 The MF Kitchen #41 - underrated snack
Published 16 days ago • 7 min read
Read time: 7 minutes and 41 seconds
Hey [FIRST NAME GOES HERE]!
In the 41st issue of The MF Kitchen, you'll slice into the details of:
Recipes for my Air Fryer Cheesy Garlic Breadsticksand Pumpkin Spice Protein Mini Cheesecakes!
The fishy origin story of ketchup...
Eating in front of others while on a 'diet' (without feeling weird)...
This high-volume/low-calorie snack food is MASSIVELY underrated...
Preheat your ovens…
Weekly Recipe Roundup 🍽️
One Savory:
Air Fryer Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks
Sometimes I want cheesy garlic breadsticks but don’t feel like preheating the oven.
So today I am showing you how to make them in your air fryer that is only 397 calories with 36g protein for ALL 12!
Click below to download the recipe and make it easy yourself:
But I really only use ketchup with my fries. That’s about it.
MAYBE on a hotdog or burger when I am feeling it.
Not one of the masochists I saw the other day putting it on their mac & cheese 😭
But anyways, my love of ketchup led me down a rabbit hole of how it was created.
It’s a weird, wild, and fishy story lol.
Let’s take a little trip back to 17th-century China, where the original version of ketchup (known as "ke-tsiap") was created.
But it wasn’t the sweet, tangy sauce we know today. It was a salty, savory fish-based sauce made from fermented anchovies, spices, and brine.
It was used to add an umami punch to dishes (kind of like soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce today).
So, how did this fishy condiment evolve into the beloved tomato ketchup that some weirdos (love you) slather on their mac & cheese?
As European traders brought ke-tsiap back from Asia, they started tweaking the recipe.
The Brits gave it their own twist, making variations with mushrooms, walnuts, and even oysters (still no tomatoes in sight!).
It wasn’t until the early 1800s in America that tomatoes entered the scene.
Tomatoes were seen as suspicious back then (yep, people thought they were poisonous!), but eventually, people realized they were onto something delicious.
A few clever cooks began adding tomatoes to the ke-tsiap mix, and boom... the modern ketchup was born.
By the late 19th century, Heinz stepped in and perfected the recipe with a mix of tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and spices, giving us that sweet and tangy flavor we love today.
And the rest is condiment history!
So next time you’re squirting ketchup on your fries (which is also masochist behavior. Ketchup is always on the side!), remember that you’re enjoying a sauce that started as a fermented fish sauce!
And in case you are wondering which ketchup I use, I personally am not a fan of the Heinz sugar-free ketchup even though they have the macros of the Gods!
Hunts is my Mom’s favorite but I think it’s gross lol.
I have used them all and I have found that I am a ketchup snob for one brand I never thought I’d love.
The Whole Foods Brand Ketchup.It’s my go-to!
Anyways, hope you found this ketchup origin story as fascinating as I did!
One FAQ ❓
Question of the Week: “How do I deal with social pressure when I’m trying to stay on track with my diet? I always feel guilty or judged when I don’t indulge with friends and family."
Answer: We’ve all been there.
Starting a new diet. Having success!
BUT shit…
Mom’s having us over for a family dinner.
She makes some BOMB ass food but it’s also a caloric BOMB.
Or you are going out to eat with your friends who all love to EAT and none of them are on a “diet.”
I am going to be upfront and honest with you.
This isn’t an answer where I am going to condone you not eating your Mom’s food or enjoying a dinner out with friends.
I want to show you how you can have the best of both worlds.
You CAN navigate these scenarios with your loved ones while also staying on track with your goals.
Step 1: The Game Plan
Most times, we know these scenarios pretty far in advance of them actually happening.
We know what mom’s cooking or we know what restaurant we are going out to.
Do a bit of imagining it all play out so it’s not a surprise when it happens.
Step 2: Minimum Effective Dose
Envision a scenario where Mom would be happy that you ate her food but you didn’t “overindulge.”
Mom's face when you don’t eat her food
Aka how do you eat the minimum effective dose that she doesn’t even notice you are on a diet?
Try to avoid snacking so you can load up your plate with as much food as possible.
So the plate anatomy should be:
Protein (if available) for at least 1/3 of the plate.
Then 1/3 of the plate with veggies.
Then the last 1/3 of the plate for the higher calorie options on Momma’s menu.
That way she sees her daughter/son eating good (aka eating like a normal person).
And you were able to do the minimum effective dose of the higher calorie options to keep mom happy and not make it obvious you are on a diet.
Step 3: The Eating Out Dose
We are going to run the same scenario as above but when eating out with friends.
How do you fly under the radar when eating out with friends?
How can you eat normally but also not anything crazy but ALSO not have them think even once that you are eating weirdly because you are on a diet?
So instead of getting just a boring ass salad that makes it obvious you are on a diet, get a chicken sandwich with a side salad.
OR you could just get the fries as well and just eat some of them.
That's exactly what I did here!
You don’t have to get the big ass burger with the side of loaded fries.
That’s gluttonous.Just eat like a normal human.
Keep it as simple as possible while also not making it obvious.
Step 4: Preparation Gives Flexibility
Let’s say you want to ensure you can enjoy these foods while still staying on track.
Not just have it be a “day off” your diet.
You can prepare beforehand by saving some macros for that meal.
You can eat lighter that day.
Mostly high protein with your meals and saving carbs and fats for that family/friends meal.
You can also start saving macros across the whole week.
Saving a hundred or so extra calories each day for the week so then for that one meal, you have an extra 600 calories to play with.
Moral of the story is, that you can save some macros/calories to deploy.
Step 5: Get Involved
We know that Mom will always ask us for input on what she should cook.
Give your suggestions when she asks!
Suggest one of her best leaner protein sources.
Different ground beef options (for 500 calories)
Don’t say because you want more protein but because you LOVED it the last time she made it.
And do the same for some of her lighter options.
Of course, mention some of her best higher-calorie options that everyone will love as well and that you will have some of.
This same process can be applied to eating out with friends.
Give some feedback on places you can eat out that have menus with more macro-friendly options.
Obviously don’t do a hippie place that only serves a weird 'too healthy' of a menu lol.
But a place with a diverse menu with tons of options.
Step 6: Rinse and Repeat
This is the beauty of all this.
With each scenario you navigate like this, you will learn better ways to navigate it.
And then over time, it’ll become so easy that it’s just part of your lifestyle.
That’s why I hate rigid diets that just tell you “what to eat.”
They don’t show/teach you what to do if you actually need to live your life not like a robot.
We are human. And sharing food with friends and family is where some of our best core memories come from.
Bonus Step: This is Not Easy!
This is going to take time.
But what is a diet that isn’t a lifestyle?
This trial and error of navigating these scenarios are what’s going to make this diet sustainable.
And thus your results last a lifetime.
Hope this helps.
Please let me know what you think of this and if you have any follow-up questions.
Just reply to this email.
Serving Surprise 😮
This past Monday-Tuesday, I was in Tampa for a quick 24-hour trip.
Had a slumber party with one of my best friends.
The jacked, beautiful popcorn connoisseur, Layne Norton.
We were sitting down to watch the Jags vs Bills Monday Night Football game where I quite possibly watched the worst Jags performance in my lifetime.
It was sooo bad. And I have watched every single game since 1995.
Let me get back on topic lol.
Layne made us some big ass bowls of popcorn to enjoy while watching the game.
It’s always baffling to me how much popcorn you get for the calories.
Layne put two of these bags into the big bowl I was eating on the couch (aka a shit ton of popcorn for only 200 calories!).
So this is your reminder to not sleep on popcorn as a high-volume/low-calorie snack food!
Ohhh and it’s got a solid amount of fiber too 🤌🏻
We just hit 100k subscribers to the Macro Friendly Kitchen (aka what you are reading right now).
Insane to think this journey started in February this year.
I really enjoy writing and am so grateful you guys enjoy it.
I’ve spent the last 12 years showing you the how, now I want to teach you the why. Learn more about macro-friendly cooking, get recipes not seen anywhere else, and so much more when you join 91,557+ others by entering your email below!
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