Healthy Hollywood: Fab Food Friday — Hilary Duff’s Pre-Wedding Diet!

Hilary Duff and hockey player Mike Comrie are officially husband and wife. Married two weeks ago in a fairy tale ceremony, the new bride reportedly told her sister, Haylie, “After the wedding is over, I’m going to eat 16,000 calories!” She’s got reason to splurge!

Right up until her ‘I do’s’, the petite actress kicked up her exercise/eating plan with celeb trainer, Harley Pasternak. He’s also the go-to-guy for newlywed Megan Fox and bride-to-be Jennifer Hudson.

“Preparing for a wedding is a great time to make the commitment to a healthier lifestyle that includes a good meal plan and regular exercise…You can eat healthy and still feel satisfied, and a healthy diet will help you to deal better with pre-wedding stress, especially knowing how great you’ll look on your special day,” reveals Harley!

For the past year, Hilary has followed Harley’s 5-factor program, which is a favorite shape-up plan of stars like Robert Pattinson, Robert Downey, Jr., Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry. Harley reveals Duff was fit prior to her wedding, but wanted to look extra fab on her big day. In addition to his 5-phase workouts, Hilary kept to his 5-factor diet. “The diet is simple. Eat five meals a day, with each meal including 5 components: a lean protein, healthy carbs, 5-10 grams of fiber, and a healthy fat,” advises Harley. This included a ‘breakfast burrito, mid-morning snack (berry smoothie), lunch (chopped salad), afternoon snack (apple cinnamon oatmeal cookie) and dinner (Hilary loves Japanese food).’ The results: Hilary glowed in her strapless Vera Wang gown!

Harley shares two of his 5-factor recipes:

Soba Noodle Bowl with Cucumber and Cabbage
Serves 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
In Japan, soba noodles are served hot and cold, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you can’t find them; substitute whole-wheat spaghetti.

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sesame or vegetable oil
4 ounces soba or udon noodles
1 cooked chicken breast, skinned and meat diced or shredded
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cucumber or 1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 cup coleslaw mix

In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, and oil until well blended.
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.
In a large bowl, combine the noodles, chicken meat, scallions, cucumber, and coleslaw mix. Toss with soy dressing.

Warm Lentils with Goat Cheese
Serves 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
This homey, hearty dish can serve as a side at dinner or at lunch as a main course.

Lentils
4 ounces green lentils (about 3/4 cup), washed and picked over
1 shallot, halved and peeled
Salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 ounces reduced-fat goat cheese, cut in rounds
Dressing
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine lentils, shallot halves and salt. Add enough water to cover by 1 1/2 inches. Bring to a simmer; cover and cook 15 minutes, or until the lentils are tender all the way through but not mushy. Set a strainer over a bowl and drain. Discard shallot half. Return the cooking liquid to the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes to reduce liquid and concentrate flavors.

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the lentil cooking liquid, vinegar, garlic, mustard, and oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked lentils; toss to coat. Stir in the parsley. Spoon into a pie plate or small casserole dish; top with goat cheese rounds. Bake 10 minutes, until the cheese is softened and dish is warmed through.

For more info on Harley and his star-studded 5-factor program, check out www.5factor.com.