Eat dessert, lose weight the Biggest Loser way; Biggest Loser Berry Explosion Cobbler Recipe

Even the Biggest Loser Resort serves dessert! "On my menu, it's important to serve a full meal -- dessert included. This way our guests leave knowing they can incorporate a full meal into a healthy lifestyle," says Biggest Loser Resort Executive Chef Cameron Payne.

Guests at the resort enjoy a nutrition-packed breakfast, lunch and dinner. “At the Resort, we believe calorie consumption is directly related to weight loss, and decisions made nutritionally will make or break your success," says Chef Cameron.

“You have to eat to lose weight” Biggest Loser Coach Bob Harper said on Monday’s broadcast of the "Bonnie Hunt Show."

So stop starving for a New Year’s resolution, and stop depriving yourself of dessert. For how many years have you done that and gotten the same unsatisfactory results? Cravings only mean giving up once again on your weight loss goals and binging later. Not eating means you won’t have the energy to work out or even just lead an active daily routine.

Chef Cameron works daily with Registered Dietitian Emily Fonnesbeck. In her weekly nutrition lectures at The Resort, Emily empowers guests with skills and confidence to make healthy food choices. Lecture topics include portion sizes, intuitive eating, balanced meals, eating out, and grocery shopping. For those with a mission to get more fit in 2010 Emily offers these tips:

• Whole Foods for a Whole New You. Go back to eating food as it was intended to be eaten. Fruit instead of high sugar cereal, chicken breast instead of breaded chicken nuggets. Replace boxes or packages with whole foods that are nutrient-rich and satisfying.
• Eat Early, Eat Often. Why eat all your calories right before bed? Food equals fuel, and you need that fuel for your workday, not right before bed. Try eating a bigger breakfast, bigger lunch and a smaller dinner. By doing so you will have more energy, you will feel more satisfied, you won't be preoccupied with cravings, and you will sleep more comfortably.
• Eat The Color of The Rainbow. The color of food, especially fruits and vegetables, is very telling of their nutritional value. Aim to eat each color of the rainbow every day for variety in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Berries are a great example: raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries ... each type has unique characteristics that make them nutritional powerhouses!

Chef Cameron is known for preparing meals that deliver flavor and satisfaction while respecting the dietary guidelines established by The Resort. His recipe for Berry Explosion Cobbler is the answer for anyone looking to eat healthier and fresher in 2010.

To help those committed to adopting these healthier, The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge has partnered with Driscoll's, growers of the world's finest berries (even Martha Stewart extols Driscoll’s berries on her show), to create a winning recipe that will satisfy dessert lovers’ cravings without breaking their calorie bank.

The recipe below makes use of all four of Driscoll's berries -- strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries -- while offering satisfying texture and a no excuses approach to dessert made simple. In fact, at The Biggest Loser Resort, Chef Cameron regularly makes use of berries -- not only to brighten the plate and add a wonderful eye appeal, but to ensure guests consume their requirement of important vitamins, minerals and fiber.

You’ll notice that Chef Cameron uses fresh and natural ingredients, too, even maple syrup, none of those manmade chemicals that too many people turn to for “healthy diets.”

Bon Appetit!


Berry Explosion Cobbler
Recipe by Chef Cameron Payne,
Executive Chef at The Biggest Loser Resort
Servings: 9
1 cup chopped fresh Driscoll’s strawberries
1 cup fresh Driscoll’s raspberries
1 cup fresh Driscoll’s blueberries
1 cup fresh Driscoll’s blackberries
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Topping:
¼ cup instant oats + ½ cup instant oats
¼ cup pecans
1 tablespoon soy butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons agave nectar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9x9 pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Layer fruit on the bottom of the pan. Then drizzle the maple syrup over the fruit.
Sprinkle the cinnamon over the rest of the fruit.

Topping:
In a food processor, add ¼ cup instant oats, pecans, soy butter, cinnamon, and agave nectar. Blend until all lumps are gone and everything is evenly chopped. Add to a mixing bowl the remaining ½ cup of instant oats and mix together. Sprinkle mixture over fruit and bake for an hour or until fruit sets. Cool for 15 minutes and serve.
Per serving: 166 calories, 7 grams fat, 4 grams protein, 32 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams dietary fiber

This recipe is shared with Patti's Comfy Cuisine Blueberry Roundup.