Venison Steak Salad

Yesterday I was craving something over the top. Something big and bad. I wanted an entire Costco dark chocolate layer cake--you know the one--covered in decadent frosting and chocolate curls. Either that, or a massive burger with a pile of french fries. I didn't get either one.

I have returned to the Zone diet. This means measuring. I eat the right amount of protein at every meal or snack. I don't overdo the carbs or the fat. In fact, I have cut way back on fat. I was eating at least 50% of my calories from fat and I'm whittling that down to 30%. At the same time, I'm eating a higher percentage of carbs, but making sure they are nutritious. It's been going well, I've lost a few pounds, and I haven't been particularly hungry.

But yesterday was the exception.

(Sometimes, especially when you are cutting back on calories, the body/mind can rebel. In order to quiet the cravings, you can try a single cheat meal. A sudden input of more calories, more fat, or more carbs lets the body know that you are not starving, the situation is not dire, there is plenty of food available, and you will most likely live.)

I had my usual lunch, but instead of satisfying me for 4-5 hours, I was hungry again after just 2 hours. Not normal. And then the cravings started. Since we have a fridge jam-packed with food, I really didn't want to go out to eat. I had planned to cook venison steak for dinner. So I went ahead with my plan, and just tweaked it a little.

I decided to make an over-the-top venison steak salad. Yup, my crazy, blow-out cheat meal was a salad.

But not just any salad. This was a salad of epic proportions! And I didn't hold back on the fat. I made myself a salad that would cure my cravings.

And one of the nice things about the Zone diet is that it only takes one meal to get back on track. Every time you eat a Zone-compliant meal, you spend the next 4-5 hours in "the Zone." And the converse is also true: any time you veer off track and eat too much of something, you only spend a few hours OUT of the Zone. (The Zone refers to balanced blood sugar, insulin levels, and fat-burning.) Today, I can get right back on track and continue with my Zone meals.

Ingredients:

3-4 oz. sliced venison steak, medium rare
3 oz. mixed salad greens
1 TB flax seed oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Trader Joe's Everything Bagel Seasoning (to taste)
1-2 TB hummus
5-6 slices cucumber
5-6 grape tomatoes
1/4 avocado, diced
1-2 TB crumbled feta cheese
5-6 kalamata olives
1 TB roasted sunflower seeds

In a large bowl, toss salad greens with oil, lemon juice, and bagel seasoning until leaves are evenly coated. Sprinkle all the other ingredients on top. Makes one giant dinner salad. Chow down and enjoy!