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I'm a Dietitian and I Lost 100 Pounds With These Delicious Foods

You can eat your favorite food and still lose weight, one RD demonstrates.
FACT CHECKED BY Christopher Roback

Ilana Muhlstein, MS, RD, (@nutritionbabe), aka the creator of the 2B Mindset, is a registered dietitian and weight loss warrior who lost a whopping 100 pounds and transformed her life. She has amassed over 2 million TikTok followers for sharing the delicious recipes that helped her achieve her weight loss goals. She encapsulated those principles into her new cookbook, Love The Food That Loves You Back, featuring 100 recipes that serve up big portions and super nutritious food. Here are a few of the most delectable foods that she ate to lose so much weight without having to sacrifice enjoying her meals.

Spicy Tuna on Tofu

@nutritionbabe Follow for more easy, delicious, healthy recipes 😘❤️😋 Recipe below & 100+ more in my new cookbook Love the Food the Loves You Back🎉✨order your copy on amazon today: 1 block Extra firm tofu , pressed and pat dry with paper towels, sliced thin 3-4 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch 1/2 tsp each salt pepper garlic and onion powder 3 tbsp avocado, coconut or olive oil 1 avocado 1/4-1/2 pound sushi grade tuna or 1-2 cans of albacore tuna packed in water and drained 1 tbsp light mayo 1 tbsp sriracha 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil 1/2 avocado Cucumber carrot salad made separately – in a large bowl, mix starch with seasonings and coat the tofu strips well. – Lightly pan fry in oil on both sides until crispy – in a separate bowl, mix tuna with sriracha, mayo and sesame oil. – add a thin layer of avocado over the tofu and top with tuna mixture – garnish with sesame seeds, serve with salad, and enjoy 😀 Follow for more easy, yummy, healthy recipes and get my new cookbook for endless inspiration 😘😘 #healthyrecipes #healthyfood #healthylifestyle #nutrition #healthylunchideas #easyrecipe #saladrecipe #saladrecipes #vegetarian #highproteinmeals #snacks #healthytips #snack #healthysnacks #crispyrice #spicytuna ♬ original sound – NutritionBabe

"When I was a hundred pounds heavier my sushi orders were out of control. I always ordered the same fried foods, but realized if nothing changes, nothing changes. Spicy tuna and crispy rice was my favorite, but I realized it was really that crispy bottom and creamy spicy topping that I was craving the most," she says in the video. "I started ordering spicy tuna, wrapped in cucumber naruto rolls, which I still love to eat, but I've since upped my game by lightly pan frying some well seasoned tofu coated in a little starch to get that satisfying crunch. Not only is it delicious, but the added protein coming from the tofu makes me feel so satisfied afterwards. Not to say I don't love me some good crispy rice, but I'm a volume eater, so this meal works better for me so that I can feel good." 

Related: #1 Trick to Feel Full, Energized and Satisfied While Eating Food You Love, According to Nutritionist

High Protein Greek Salad

@nutritionbabe Sometimes the fastest recipes are the most satisfying #healthyrecipes #healthyfood #healthylifestyle #nutrition #healthylunchideas #easyrecipe #saladrecipe #saladrecipes #vegetarian #highproteinmeals ♬ original sound – NutritionBabe

"This is for the girl who has five minutes to make lunch," she says about her high protein Greek salad. "We always start with veggies, so I'm chopping up some cucumber. Cut it small so you have a piece of everything in each bite In the bowl. Tomatoes in the bowl, and a quarter onion, parsley, and mint. Give it a rough chop, a juice of lemon. You can avoid the seeds. A tablespoon of olive oil, hot cheese for protein because I don't know about you, but I am not grilling chicken in the middle of the day and a cottage cheese is salty enough for me, so I only use fresh cracked pepper. Mix it all together. A cottage cheese helps make it creamy, laid it up with some multi-grain crackers, and I love to eat it like this," she says, scooping it up on the cracker. 

Tofu Cabbage Stir Fry

@nutritionbabe Budget friendly Tofu Stirfry is a Timeline Win in My Mind. Make it a Weight Loss Dinner with my Plate Collection. You can shop and learn more with the link in my bio & at ilanahousewares.com To make the tofu: add 1/4 c nutritional yeast to 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt , 1 tsp cumin and/oregano. Mix it well and coat slices of extra firm tofu on all sides with the mix. Cook each one in a pan coated with olive or avocado spray and enjoy with a stir fry of your favorite veggies and soyaki marinade. Its the best and so inexpensive and easy to make. #healthyrecipes #healthydinner #vegandinner #vegandinnerideas #budgetmeals #healthyonabudget #cheapmeals #cheapeats #tofustirfry #tofurecipe #stirfry #healthydinnerideas #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipes #plantbasedrecipes #plantbased #veggiesmost #nutrition #nutritiontips ♬ original sound – NutritionBabe

Another go-to meal of hers is tofu and cabbage stir fry. "My husband and I got married 12 years ago. We were so broke. We were straight out of school and still trying to figure stuff out, and with a tiny budget, I had to get creative. We both need protein to feel full, so a cup of noodles for dinner was not going to cut it. Salmon and meat were off the table, and chicken was only for special occasions, so we ended up eating tofu for dinner at least three times a week. I used to buy two blocks of tofu for $5, which was the best value protein I could find. I tried to make it in a lot of different ways so we wouldn't get sick of it. One of our go-tos was a tofu, cabbage stir fry. It doesn't get any more healthy on a budget than this, and I'm still making it 12 years later," she says, showing off the delicious looking meal made with carrot and red cabbage.  

Turnip or Celery Root Fries

@nutritionbabe Your new favorite fries recipe! 🍟🍟🍟 if you need 100 more ways to eat healthier and feel your best you're gonna be obsessed with when you cookbook🤤🤤🤤🤤 ##frenchfries##vegetablefries##fries##friesrecipe##friesrecipes##easysnackideas##snackideas##healthyfries##fryrecipe##fryrecipes ♬ original sound – NutritionBabe

In another video, she reveals that instead of french fries made with potato, she makes turnip and celery root fries. "I'm going to turn you on to your new favorite veggies. I get it, green salads might not be your thing, but let's make a bowl of fries. I still love me some potato, but they're predictable. Why be basic and you can be sensational?" she asks. "Season and bake according to the screen, and thank me later."

Related: 5 Cardio Workouts That Are Better Than Running

Chocolate Protein Snack

Closeup on fit sports woman in sport clothes with chocolate raw protein bar using smart watch in the modern living room.
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As for a "chocolatey high protein snack" that can be made in 5 minutes, she starts by grabbing one big bowl. "Add three tablespoons of chocolate chips and three tablespoons of peanut butter. I like it crunchy. Stir it up and microwave. 30 seconds. Mix to coat all nice and covered. Then add one scoop of your favorite chocolate protein. I'm using Shakeology because I love that it has pre and probiotics," she says. If you enjoyed this article, don't miss I Lost 100 Pounds Eating the Foods in My New Cookbook.

💪🔥Body Booster: Just because you are trying to lose weight doesn't mean you can't satisfy your cravings. Look for healthier and lower calorie alternatives to your favorite foods. Make little swaps that will make a big difference. 

Leah Groth
Leah Groth has decades of experience covering all things health, wellness and fitness related. Read more