Vilcan’s share their new favorite recipes

Before appearing on the NBC show “The Biggest Loser: Families,” Houma’s Brady and Vicky Vilcan were a typical south Louisiana couple: Too busy to eat healthy or visit the gym.

But spending six months of intense work shedding pounds for the show gave the Vilcan’s a new outlook on life.

“At the (Biggest Loser) ranch, we found that when you put good foods into your body you have more energy and you can get a lot more time out of your day than you had before,” Vicky said.

At 5 feet, 6 inches, Vicky was 246 pounds before she embarked on her journey with “The Biggest Loser” show. Her husband Brady, standing 6 feet tall, was 341 pounds.

“Before, Brady and I were very busy and we would always stop at a fast food place and pick up something quick to eat,” she explained. “After eating, we would feel really tired and yucky, and we didn’t want to work out. It was a vicious cycle that we had to break.”

Together, the couple lost more than 200 pounds. Vicky (the show’s third-place winner) now weighs145 pounds and Brady tips the scale at 224. They were able to lose the weight by eliminating excess fat from their diet, eating smaller, more-frequent meals and working out virtually non-stop.

“We prepare our meals for the whole week,” Vicky said. “I always have a healthy snack with me so that I won’t be tempted to pull into a fast food place to satisfy an urge.”

The Vilcan’s consider exercising an essential time in their schedule.

“People tend to think that just by eating healthy the pounds will fall off,” Brady said. “But you have to get active and stay active.”

“It’s the key to a person looking really good versus a person looking like they have lost a tremendous amount of weight,” Vicky said. “When I walked out there on that stage I was already a winner. I had muscle tone and a nice figure. I was determined not to look too skinny or frail. And exercising helped me pull that together.”

French Toast

Ingredients:

2 slices of Nature’s Own Whole Wheat Bread

1/2 cup of Egg Beaters egg whites

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

2 packs of Splenda sweetener

Directions

Whip the eggs with the vanilla, cinnamon and Splenda. Heat the skillet. Dip the bread in the mixture with tongs and allow the excess to drip off. Place the dipped toast on the skillet and cook till lightly brown on both sides.

French toast can be topped with any fruit and fat-free Cool Whip.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

1 grilled chicken breast, sliced

2 teaspoons of low-fat Caesar dressing

Romaine lettuce, chopped

Shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Grill chicken breast until done. Chop Romaine lettuce; add Parmesan cheese. Toss with Caesar dressing. Top with warm, sliced, grilled chicken.

Turkey Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1 package of ground turkey

1 package of quinoa pasta

1 onion, chopped

4 stalks of celery, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 jar of organic marinara sauce

Directions:

Brown turkey. Take the turkey and mix it withl all the other ingredients (except the quinoa pasta) in a crock pot and let simmer. Then, get a big pan and fill it with 3 cups of water. Heat until it boils. Add quinoa pasta and cook till tender.

Biggest Loser Season 6

contestant Ed Brantley’s

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1 package of ground turkey

1 clove of chopped garlic

1 teaspoon of minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons of light soy sauce

1 carrot, peeled and minced

6 scallions, finely chopped

7 spring cilantros, chopped

4 limes, juiced

Sriacha chili sauce

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and julienned

1 head of Boston lettuce

? cup of roasted, unsalted peanuts

Directions:

Brown turkey, place in refrigerator to cool. Once cool, mix all ingredients (except pepper, cucumber, lettuce and peanuts) in a bowl. Allow mix to marinate overnight, or for 3-4 hours for the best taste. Service mixture lettuce cups with cucumbers, pepper, and peanuts for garnish.

“Biggest Loser: Families” husband-and-wife team Vicky and Brady Vilcan