When I’ve shared with friends and family I’m using Medifast plan to help me lose weight, I get a lot of “isn’t that just shakes and bars?” Just like I shared last month there are 85 different meal options with Medifast, but I admit every once and while I still want some of those familiar meals like chicken strips, mashed potatoes, and cupcakes with cream cheese icing…
Luckily I found a way to stay on the plan AND satisfy those southern comfort dishes that got me into this whole mess in the first place – just modified with healthy ingredients from Medifast! That’s right I’ve created Medifast meal makeovers that you will want to eat AND can eat! Before you start firing up the oven, make sure you talk with your counselor first at Medifast to show how recipes like this fit into your personalized Medifast plan.
The key for the chicken strips was using a bag of Medifast Parmesan Cheese Puffss!
Keeping them in the bag, I let out a little stress from my day until the puffs were beat to the pits (a fine texture) and then dipped the strips straight into the crumbs on a plate. Blended with a little chicken salt and pepper, I covered the chicken in the crumbs and then laid them on a cookie sheet. With a little cooking spray, on each strip, bake them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes until brown. That was SO easy, right?
While eating crispy chicken strips, creamy mashed potatoes , and steamed greens was pretty heavenly that night as part of my “Lean and Green” meal for the day, it was that I was able to bite into a pumpkin cupcake with a cinnamon cream cheese icing that kinda took me over the edge…thankfully that was just figuratively not over the scales.
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
- 2 packages Medifast Spiced Pancakes
- 1 package Medifast Original Style Eggs
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, divided
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tbsp low-fat cream cheese
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 packet calorie-free sweetener
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine pancake mixture, egg mixture, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice in a medium bowl. Add oil and water, and mix until a batter consistency.
- Lightly great a muffin tin (must do), divide batter into three portion, and full three muffin cups.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center until it comes out clean.
- Beat cream cheese with vanilla, cinnamon, and calorie-free sweetener until blended. Spread over cupcakes.
- Enjoy!
The most important thing to remember with this recipe is to know your conversions! For instance one cupcake is a serving of 1 Medifast Meal, 2 Condiments, and 1 Healthy Fat. There are tons of ways to create a healthy way to create a meal makeover that will still keep you on the Medifast plan!
I have heard really good things about this plan. I have been thinking about making the switch.
Love this idea! It’s great that you can stay on track, but still be able to satisfy those cravings. I love southern food and it’s pretty much the majority of what I cook. This is a great way to cut back on the bad stuff, but still get that flavor.
I love pumpkin, but I think carrot cake has to be my preferred veggie muffin. I’ve been reading a lot about MediFast lately and I have to say, everything looks delicious.
I love adapting recipes to much healthier options. Those cupcakes sound really darn good!
I have heard a lot about Medifast but never tried it. Your images make it sound so good though!
I have friends that swear by Medifast! once I’m ready to start losing weight again after this baby this is something to look into. The food looks good.
This meal looks fantastic. I would love to try Medifast. The cupcakes look so delicious.
Those cupcakes sound so good! I need to lose a few pounds.. I’m going to look into medifast!
Oh cool! It would be awesome to use Medifast for delicious recipes like these. Those pumpkin cupcakes look so good!
I’ve never heard of Medifast. Definitely need to do some research as it sounds pretty awesome. Love that you used cheese puffs as breading!
MMM that looks good. I love anything pumpkin flavored too. I need to get those cup cakes.
This food looks delicious. I will have to get some Medifast meals to try.. I would love the cupcakes for desert.
The thing about diets is that the food has to taste good, if it doesn’t you may want to go elsewhere… That is why this sounds so appealing to me. I may have to check it out. Thanks so much for sharing… Sounds delicious to me.
First who knew you could eat yummy cupcakes like that on diet. And two I had no idea that medifast had delicious looking food like that.
Wow, I am salivating looking at those cupcakes! I love the taste of pumpkin – going to have to try these!
Prepackaged food has come a LONG way in the last few years, that’s for sure. This stuff looks pretty good!
I have a friend who swears by Medifast. I have heard a lot of good things. That chicken looks fantastic.
Are you on the MAINTENANCE PLAN or the WEIGHT LOSS PLAN? It is my understanding on the 5&1 plan the Medfast Meal is eaten every couple of hours and separately from the Lean & Green? Can you explain how you incorporate these into the 5&1 – thank you!