Applebee's Cedar Grilled Lemon Chicken

Going on another dinner date to Applebee's with my boyfriend, I opted to try the Applebee's Cedar Grilled Lemon Chicken after my last encounter with their under 600 calorie menu left me in search of water and lots of it. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this meal.

The menus describes the dish as "Cedar grilled chicken garnished with Granny Smith apple relish. Topped with lemon olive oil vinaigrette over a blend of cranberries, rice, honey-glazed pecans & quinoa." When the dish was plated before me I thought it looked appetizing. Once I started to eat it, it really did pack a punch in the filling category.

There were no complaints, the chicken was grilled perfectly, the granny smith apple relish balanced the flavors giving a little crunch and tartness and the quinoa side dish was absolutely scrumptious (so much so that I want to make a variation at home). The quinoa had pecans and cranberries mixed into it, which was a nice twist to throw a twist in the quinoa texture. The vinaigrette tied everything together and was just a complete and balanced meal.

It wasn't overly salty, it wasn't overwhelming and I liked the fact that it was just a great little meal to have out without all the fuss about "what do I eat?" Now I know a dish I enjoy and will order whenever I venture back to Applebee's.

A meal is 570 calories or 15 points plus values.

Applebee's Napa Chicken & Portabellos

Opting to go out to dinner with my boyfriend one night, we found ourselves at a local Applebee's. Scanning the menu well before we went, I had two options in mind but ultimately decided I'd try the Applebee's Napa Chicken & Portabellos after our server recommended it.

According to the menu the dish is "A grilled chicken breast topped with portobello mushrooms and onions smothered in a rich red wine sauce and our Parmesan cheese blend. Served over sautéed zucchini, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, red onions and crispy red potatoes."

When the meal came out it looked aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately, that's where it stopped. My vegetables were overcooked (minus the onions on top of the chicken which were barely cooked). Aside from that the entire dish was so incredibly salty it was almost too much to handle. Not wanting to complain I picked around my dish and ate what I could handle, leaving back some of the charred salty vegetables and the overwhelming amount of white onion. 

The crispy red potatoes were probably my favorite part of the whole dish. Needless to say if I were to ever consider ordering this again, I'd ask beforehand if there was a way for them to monitor the sodium level in the dish (maybe limiting the sauce/seasoning they use to cook everything) ... if not, I'd steer clear and do myself a favor and pass on re-ordering this.

A serving is 490 calories or 12 points plus values.

Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Power Bowl

One afternoon en route to our destination, my boyfriend said he wanted Taco Bell.  Immediately I thought "darn..." because I truly wasn't in the mood for a taco because I wanted something that would be satisfying (i.e. I didn't want to be hungry a couple hours later). Glancing over their menu it dawned on me that they had power bowl menu's which I had believed to be lower in calories/points (I wasn't able to check at the time of drive-thru so I winged my order and got it how I thought I'd like it).

I ended up ordering the Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Power Bowl (the entree is also sold topped with steak, while it can also be purchased as a burrito). The good thing about these salads is that they're made to order. You can remove items from the meal or add them based on your likes or dislikes (one of those additions can be extra lettuce).

According to the website: "Experience how High Protein meets BIG Flavor! 100% marinated and fire-grilled white meat chicken, crisp romaine lettuce, guacamole made from real Hass avocados, pico de gallo prepared fresh daily, flavorful avocado ranch dressing, real cheddar cheese, and cool reduced-fat sour cream, all served on a bed of premium Latin rice and slow-simmered black beans. Also available in Steak or Veggie."

I personally found the power bowl to be quite satisfying. It was flavorful and far from boring. I enjoy taco salads at home but sometimes I don't think to put beans and rice in it - so it was definitely a delicious addition. Even though I ordered my salad without dressing the container was put into the bag. I did give it a little sample (dipped my fork into it) and it's quite delicious. Personally, for my taste buds it'd be a little too rich to drizzle over the bowl ... but I found just with everything combined there wasn't a need for the salad dressing.

Each bowl, as served is 490 calories or 13 points plus values.

Whereas, each bowl without sour cream, cheese and avocado ranch dressing (as I purchased it) is 380 calories or 10 points plus values.

You can calculate any of Taco Bells items to your liking by adding/subtracting toppings from any of their menu items using the following calculator: http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/calculator

Wendy's BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

One evening en route to our destination, my boyfriend and I popped into Wendy's to pick up dinner. Not really in the mood for a hamburger, I opted to try the Wendy's BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad (Half Size Portion) (note: the salad is also sold in a full size as well).

The salad itself consists of a bed of garden salad, sliced grilled chicken, apple wood smoked bacon, BBQ chicken salad blend, sweet BBQ glaze and a side of barbecue ranch dressing. Looking at the salad one can see a blend of mixed greens, tomatoes, shredded cheese, bacon, grilled chicken, two separate sauces (one light brown, one darker brown) and sprinkled corn kernels throughout the salad. I have ordered this salad twice and have found that depending on your location the chicken may come on the salad cold whereas other locations serve it hot. Personally, I don't really care for cold chicken ... so if you're a picky eater, I'd request they heat the chicken up for you if possible (in my opinion the salad with heated chicken tasted better).

Serving wise, the half salad was good for a lighter meal - maybe something you pair alongside some fruit, etc. Whereas the full-size salad I found to be plenty satisfying and filling enough to be a main course at dinner time. Personally, I don't find the need to use the barbecue ranch dressing because there's plenty of sauce on the salad itself ... but it's good to have a packet on the side just in case you need a little extra.

Overall I really enjoyed this salad and will continue to purchase it whenever at Wendy's and in the mood for something outside of the norm.

A half size salad is 320 calories or 8 points plus values (this includes the dressing). If you decide to go without the dressing, you can subtract the 100 calories off your stats (or your 3 points plus values) making the salad WITHOUT dressing 5 points plus values.

Whereas a full size salad is 600 calories or 16 points plus values (this includes the dressing). If you decide to go without the dressing, you can subtract the 190 calories off your stats (or your 5 points plus values), making the salad WITHOUT dressing 11 points plus values.

Longhorn's Balsamic Raspberry Seared Chicken

I don't eat out very often, but when I do I make sure to check the restaurants website to see if any nutrition information is available. One afternoon I went to a local Longhorn with my father to celebrate Father's Day. Before I left the house I had decided I was going to order the Longhorn Balsamic Raspberry Seared Chicken.

The menu described the meal as "fresh chicken breasts topped with white wine butter, balsamic-raspberry drizzle and goat cheese crumbles. Served with choice of fresh green beans or broccoli." As for my side, I opted for my side of broccoli plain (with no butter on it). I am not too sure if there is a difference between the lunch time menu and the dinner, I couldn't find any different nutrition facts online.

The dish itself was quite delicious! The balsamic glaze paired perfectly with the raspberry and goat cheese. The raspberries were a little too much for my palette to accept, so I picked them off and discarded them. It wasn't that they were gross, but it was just the texture of the berries (they got softer because they were on top and around the hot chicken). The chicken was moist, the glaze was flavorful without being overwhelming and the goat cheese provided a very rich and creamy layer to the dish. The creaminess helped offset some of the "zippiness" from the balsamic glaze and even the raspberries alike.

I found it to be very satisfying and I would ultimately order it again next time I'm at a Longhorn.

The dish is 540 calories or 13 points plus values.

Wendy's Lunch: Chili topped Baked Potato

Typically, I'm not one to go out to eat at a fast food restaurant ... unless I'm picking up a pizza. But lately I've been going to sporting events on the weekends and dinners have been on the fly. Trying to opt for "healthier options" while at fast food joints can sometimes be tasking but I try to keep a few staple meals for common fast food chains. One of my favorite fast food chains happens to be Wendy's (I find they have a lot more options), due to that one of my favorites happens to be a plain baked potato with a small chili.

I order my baked potato plain with nothing on it (I add a little salt and pepper to it) and a small chili with no cheese. For my Weight Watchers folks - a baked potato is 7 points plus values and a small chili is 4 points plus values. If you wanted to save a few calories/points plus values you could easily order a side salad in place of the potato.

Then to avoid eating a plain potato with nothing on it ... I empty the container of chili over the potato and am left with a really delicious meal which is both satisfying and filling. Delicious, simple and quite a classic staple.

Wendy's Asian Cashew Chicken Salad

While out running errands, it was well past lunch time and I needed something in my belly. Not really sure what I wanted, I decided to head to Wendy's for lunch since I knew off the top of my head they had some "point friendly" items. Plus out of all the fast food burger joints they are one of my favorite.

 

Of course when I got there I wasn't sure what I wanted, so I whipped out my phone and looked up Wendy's foods on my Weight Watchers app. I decided to get one of their salads to give it a try. I opted for the half salad (it also comes in a full size) and ordered the Asian Cashew Chicken Salad.

 

According to the website the dish is: "Topped with fire-roasted edamame, spicy roasted cashews, warm, grilled chicken and Marzetti Simply Dressed Light Spicy Asian Chili Vinaigrette for a salad that's anything but bland."

 

A full size salad is 380 calories or 10 points plus values (this includes the cashews, dressing, chicken, and bed of salad), or a half size (pictured above) is 240 calories and 6 points plus values (this includes the cashews, dressing, chicken, and bed of salad).

 

If you order the salad and skip on the cashews and dressing it brings the half size salad down to 3 points plus values. If you add the cashews back on, skipping the dressing, it'll add on 2 points plus values making it 5 points plus values.

Staying on Plan While Eating Out and Away from Home

At the end of April I went away on vacation to Florida. I was determined to stay on plan, enjoy myself and hopefully lose weight/stay the same by the end of the week. I packed a few essentials in my carry on that I knew I would use during the week. There were a few essential items I brought with me to help me during the meals I was going to have and ake myself. These items were: tablespoon measuring spoon, 1/4 cup & 1/3 cup measuring cups, food scale, food tracker and my cell phone/tablet. I also packed a few food items in my carry on: wheat flax pita bread, sugar free instant oatmeal packages, Luna bar, Trader Joe's brownie bar, Weight Watchers aloha bar, Weight Watchers smoothie package, and a few sugar free Hawaiian punch water packages.

The items themself didn't take up a lot of space in my carry on ... but they made me have peace of mind going into my vacation with a plan of action. I had my breakfast packed for the week and it was something I enjoyed at home. I had some of my favorite pita bread for sandwiches, I had snack bars that were "point comfortable" for me because I knew I'd want a little treat while others were snacking on goodies like Hostess cupcakes, bags of chips and donuts from Dunkins.

I went into it stating that I'd go with the flow ... but I'd eat a simple meal, like breakfast, at the house. A filling, satisfying breakfast that would put me on the right foot at the jump start of the day. I also said I'd probably eat out 1 if not both meals a day. Truthfully, I tried to stick to eating out 1 meal per day (if at all each day), not only to save some cash but to be able to have a back-up plan just in case.

Upon landing in Florida and dropping off luggage, we made a trip to the grocery store to get some items for the week. I did some minor grocery shopping to make some foods for myself. I picked up items like: Salad stuff, hamburger, deli meat, veggies, fruit, soda, water, chips, frozen vegetarian burger patties, condiments, etc. Foods I could have on hand, that were foods I enjoyed and found to be satisfying.

Then when it came to going out to dinner/lunch and even eating in an amusement park I decided to order what I felt like eating, enjoying myself, but making smarter choices instead of going all in and feeling sluggish and gross afterwards. I didn't want to truly go "balls to the wall" and make it an eating fest. Afterall I do want to still be able to fit into my clothes ... and I don't necessarily like being sick for days after eating foods my body isn't used to eating.

The "trickiest" part of my plan of attack was the long hours at the airport. Truthfully, there aren't very many "healthy" restaurants or really even "healthy restaurants" at airports. There are some, but from the three airports I visited they were overwhelmed with customers and the folks waiting on the customers were less than thrilled to be serving pretty much anyone. My plan of attack was to scan all available options in the area of the airport I was in ... see what was available and weigh my options. What did I want to eat not "had to eat" because if I went with "I HAVE to eat this" I would have ordered the fattiest thing on the menu ... you know, just because!

Boston airport, I opted for Wolf Gang Puck's chain and ordered the barbecue chicken salad - opting for no dressing, no tortilla chips, no cheese (and asked for more lettuce). I popped over to Red Robin and asked if I could have a fat free italian/light italian dressing and my lunch was set. In the New Jersey airport I found a restaurant that sold tex-mex type foods and after having to wait 10 minutes for the lunch menu - I order my salad bowl ... the way I wanted it. Unfortunately this meant the person who took my order put it into the computer wrong and I was presented the wrong meal three times. But instead of just eating it, I politely asked for my money back, and when the manager had to step in to reconcile my transaction my meal was completed the way I ordered it.

Here are some of the food choices I made while on vacation.

Boston Airport - Wolf Gang Puck - Barbecue chicken salad (skipping on some additions to the salad to make it 'friendlier')

 

Dinner "in" - 2 Morningstar quinoa burger patties, sour cream fat free pringles and pickles.

Lunch - Sonic. Chargrilled chicken sandwich (no mayo, or toppings - ketchup on the side), apple slices (I had to pay extra for these) and a medium diet coke.

Dinner at a Steak house (they did not have sirloin so I opted for chicken). Chargrilled chicken breast with steamed veggies (requested plain - no butter).

Orlando Studios - Simpson cafe. Grilled chicken sandwich with a side of fruit salad (instead of tater tots) and a large fruit salad and re-fill of diet coke. The bread on this was SO thick I ended up tearing most of it off because it made it awkward to even try to eat.

Lunch at Chick-fil-A. I have Chick-fil-A when I can at home ... but I noticed they came out with a new chargrilled chicken nuggets (they used to only be on the kids meal). So I opted for an 8-piece, a side salad with fat free honey mustard ... and since I really wanted waffle fries I ate those as well as my "indulgence."

Late night dinner at a BBQ restaurant - pulled chicken salad.

Lunch at New Jersey airport - burrito bowl (no rice, extra lettuce).

In between these meals I ate - hamburger, deli meat, oatmeal, frozen veggie burgers, etc. I just kind of ate what I liked and enjoyed what I felt like when we went out to eat.  While at Disney I spotted a huge gigantic donut in the Simpson section of universal ... and a small part of me wanted it. That is, until I saw the grease stains on the bottom of the boxes. Whoa nelly! And no, I did not eat this:

I opted to buy myself a mug at Disney because it made me laugh and is totally me. A carbivore.

Better yet when I got on the planes (both down and back - including lay overs) I was able to fasten the seat belt - a normal size airplane seat belt. When I was 17 I went on a plane for the first time and had to have a seat extender. There was absolutely NO need for one now ... and I actually had room in my seat to be as comfortable as one can be on a plane. Now that was a rewarding NSV and it's one I'm grateful for ... because after all it's the little things!

Flo's Hot Dogs

If you’re from New England then you have to know about Flo’s Hot Dogs. Flo’s is a small little hot dog stand in Cape Neddick, Maine which has been in business since 1959. Yes, that’s right, and all they sell is hot dogs! The most amazing hot dogs you’ll ever taste that is. The stand itself is in operation all year round, but they are closed on Wednesdays and have standard operating hours from 11-3pm. The door closes promptly at 3, so if you want a hot dog you need to make sure you’re in by 2:59 or the door will be locked on you.

Flo’s sells boiled hot dogs in steamed New England style buns. You can order your hot dog any way you want it (plain, mustard, relish, ketchup, sauerkraut, onion, Flo’s relish, mayo, etc.), but there are two staple ways that are famous for this little hidden jewel in the hot dog realm. There is the The Special (I call it Flo’s way), which has mayonnaise (yes, you read that right mayonnaise! But don’t let that tidbit stop you from reading further), Flo’s relish and celery salt on it. While there is The Works which has Flo’s relish, green relish, mustard, onion and celery salt on it.

These hot dogs will cost you $2.50 each, plus tax.

I personally do not like celery salt so when I order my hot dogs I always ask for the celery salt to be held. My personal favorite is The Special, hold the celery salt, add onion. It’s so delicious; I can’t even get past that! I’ve spoken to Gail (the owner) a million times when I go in there and she’s told me exactly what she uses (the name brand of the hot dog and the name brand of her mayonnaise) and I’ve picked up the stuff (including the shops relish which I bought while at the stand) and it just does NOT taste the same at home! I think the secret truly is in the water since she’s boiling hundreds of hot dogs and I’m boiling three.

Now, don’t get turned off by mayonnaise on a hot dog. It REALLY plays off the Flo’s relish well; it makes their relish a little sweeter (since the relish can be considered tangy on its own). The Works would be my second favorite hot dog because it has some of my favorite staples on a hot dog on it. You can easily make this a meal, by picking yourself up a soda or water and throwing in a bag of chips.

Every time I am in Maine and it’s between the hours of operation at Flo’s I try to stop in to grab a hot dog. I’ve heard people in the shop state it as a Life Altering Experience. And yes, I have seen someone come in and order 30 hot dogs to go to bring home to feed family who came home to visit.

I must say though if you are ever in Maine for any reason what so ever, drop into Flo’s and try one of these. I promise - you won’t be disappointed.

McDonald's Premium Grilled Chicken Clubhouse Sandwich

I received a Klout perk to try out the new McDonald's Premium Grilled Chicken Clubhouse Sandwich so upon receiving my gift card I hopped onto the McDonald's website and did a little nutrition fact researching. I was actually quite surprised to find the grilled chicken version being lower in calories (or for the WW folks - points) than some of the recent sandwich releases from McDonald's.  Yesterday, my dinner didn't turn out to be the greatest so I was left with not very many options ... so I decided to go to McDonald's and give this sandwich a whirl.

 

The sandwich is a combination of grilled chicken, thick cut apple wood smoked bacon, "special sauce" (Big Mac secret sauce), caramelized grilled onions, white cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato all served on a grilled artisan roll.  For those who aren't necessarily a fan of grilled chicken sandwiches this also available in a crispy chicken and beef hamburger version. As per the normal routine at McDonald's, this is one of their new sandwich launches which helps keep the menu interesting and new.

 

The Grilled Chicken Clubhouse Sandwich itself i actually quite delicious. The flavors go together well ... and that means, even with the special sauce on a grilled chicken sandwich. At first I was a little wary because I typically relate special sauce to a Big Mac/hamburger. Overall, it gives the sandwich a nice little zip. I would suggest getting the sandwich the way it's made and since I'm a bacon fan ... I'd say don't skip on the bacon. If you wanted to save 50 calories/1 points plus, get rid of the cheese. But the bacon, caramelized onions, special sauce and chicken itself are the game changers on this sandwich. It just really makes it a delicious sandwich.

 

It's delicious ... but it's messy. Then again, that's why we have such a thing called napkins and wet wipes. So roll up your sleeves (if you have any) and dig in. Don't be afraid to get your hands a little messy ... because it's inevitable.

 

Also ... just a little tip for the smartphone users ... McDonald's has an app you can download. Once you sign up and create an account there are special deals that are available to McDonald's customers. Most importantly on your first use, there's a free large sandwich (which is currently the Clubhouse sandwich) deal where the sandwich is free with any purchase. The deals will be removed from your phone once used ... and you typically have 2 minutes to show your phone to the order taker before your mobile coupon becomes invalid.

 

The grilled chicken sandwich as is is 590 calories or 15 points plus values. BUT if you want to have it without cheese it's 540 calories or 14 points plus. OR if you'd rather have it without bacon it's 490 calories or 13 points plus. OR if you're being really good and having it without cheese and bacon it's 440 calories or 11 points plus values.

 

If you wonder what the calories/points are for the original Bacon Clubhouse sandwich is it's 720 calories or 19 points plus values. Whereas the Crispy Chicken Clubhouse Sandwich is 750 calories or 20 points plus values. If you'd like the calculations for these without toppings check out the McDonald's website.

Gluten Free Grilled Chicken Breast with Baked Potato & Steamed Broccoli @ The Chateau

On Valentine’s Day my boyfriend and I decided to go out for dinner. Since we had a gift card to a local restaurant The Chateau we decided to go there. Since it was Valentine’s Day we had over an hour wait to be seated (the restaurant wasn’t taking reservations that night).

Unlike the last time I went to The Chateau I was really in the mood for grilled chicken … so after taking a look on the menu offered on the company’s website I decided to order off the gluten free menu. Granted, I don’t have a gluten intolerance, but it was the only menu where grilled chicken was offered except for an option to add to a large dinner salad.

My meal itself was completely delicious. I opted to get the garden salad with fat free zinfandel dressing on the side. Whereas for my dinner I was served 2 large “butterflied” chicken breasts, a baked potato and steamed broccoli. The meal also came with a small container of jellied cranberry sauce, which I decided to not eat since I didn’t quit need the additional flavoring.  Since we were going to get a dessert to share I ate a little less than half my meal … to save room for dessert that is.  Strawberry shortcake was served over a warm biscuit, topped with strawberries in sauce, ice cream and whipped cream. A decadent and delicious treat to the end of a delicious meal.

The leftovers I did take home and enjoyed the following day.

Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenderloin Dinner

It has been years since I have been to Cracker Barrel. Truthfully when I hear the words “Cracker Barrel” I automatically think southern style comfort foods which are not the healthiest choices.  Considering I haven’t been to the restaurant in ages, I pulled up their menu online and I have to say I was surprised they had healthier options available.  The one downside is they do not offer nutrition information on their website.  Although, thankfully Weight Watchers has a handful of the restaurants foods listed on their website/app with the associated points plus values.

I decided to order the Grilled Chicken Tenderloin Dinner which comes with 6 marinated grilled chicken tenderloins along with your choice of 3 sides. After scanning over the available side dishes, I opted to go with a side garden salad with fat free honey mustard dressing, a baked sweet potato and steamed broccoli.

The salad was served first and was a classic mix of mixed greens. The salad dressing was of course the show stealer and was exceptionally delicious. When my entrée was served I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised at how good the grilled chicken tenderloin was! Typically I am very picky when it comes to getting chicken at restaurants – it’s either too rubbery, not cooked/seasoned to my liking, etc. But this was perfect. Aside from the few pieces of grizzle I found (only because I truly dissect my food when I eat), it was out of this world and the marinade that was used was fabulous. The sweet potato was delicious – cooked perfectly and the broccoli was steamed just right. The meal was flavorful, delicious and overall filling.

I actually enjoyed the meal so much that next time I go back to Cracker Barrel; it’ll be the exact meal I order.  The chicken tenderloin was 6 points plus, the salad dressing was 1 points plus, and I guestimated the sweet potato to be 3 points plus (it could have been 2, but I’d rather aim higher than lower).

McDonald’s Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken

While running a bunch of errands I was away from the house initially a lot longer than I anticipated. When my stomach started grumbling I realized it was well past lunch-time and I needed to eat something before a case of hangry set in. So pulling into McDonald’s parking lot, I parked my car and pulled up my Weight Watchers app on my phone. To avoid just ordering whatever sounded tasty on the menu I looked thru the menu on my phone for something that was point comfortable and ultimately decided on the McDonald’s Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken.

The salad itself is served as McDonald’s salads typically are – mixed greens and shaved carrots. It’s presented alongside fire-roasted corn, black beans, roasted tomatoes and poblano peppers, cheddar and jack cheese, chile-lime tortilla chips, and grilled chicken all alongside a fresh lime wedge. The salad is a pretty decent size, is pretty to look at due to the vibrant colors and is mighty tasty and filling. The salad has a little bit of spice to it, but there’s nothing overwhelming or uncomfortable about it.

The salad typically is served with Newman’s Own Southwest Dressing but I find that to be a little spicier than I prefer my dressing to be … so I opted to go with the Newman’s Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette. Drizzling about ¼ of the package over my salad, I found it to be more than enough.

The salad with grilled chicken is 290 calories or 7 points plus values. With my choice of dressing my whole meal was 8 points plus values. Quite worth it for lunch out on the go!

Eating Out @ The Chateau

I was asked if I’d be interested in picking up dinner at a local restaurant, The Chateau (if you’re unfamiliar it is an Italian restaurant). I knew what I would have ordered in the past (chicken parm with fried ravioli) but since I don’t just order impulsively anymore, I pulled up the menu on my phone. Browsing through it I noticed the restaurant had an “Under 598 calories” menu option. It intrigued me so I took a peek … and turned out that one dish in particular really stuck out to me.

Granted, I was in the mood for sirloin so sirloin is what I ordered. The great part is the menu gave the sirloin weight pre-grilling, which meant it would seemingly shrink 2-3 ounces on the grill which was exactly the case. Unfortunately my steak was cooked wrong (I wanted medium-well, I was served medium & since my order was a to-go order I couldn’t have it cooked to enjoy at once) so I took 2 bites of my steak and packaged the rest up to bring home to finish cooking off.

I ordered a side garden salad with Low Fat Zinfandel Vinaigrette as well as the grilled sirloin steak (8 oz – raw) alongside fresh grilled vegetables. Screw up aside while cooking – the meal itself was delicious.

Eating out @ Subway – Foot Long Black Forest Ham

Subway is one of my favorite fast food chains because I can get a delicious sandwich, exactly how I like it (loaded with all the fresh veggies I love). Admittedly I don’t go to Subway very often, but when I do I have a few options available for myself and I know the points plus values associated with whatever I’d like to order.  This particular night Subway wasn’t on my particular menu, but after going back and fourth trying to figure out what we’d like to get “subs” were said at the same time … so subs it was!

Since I had the points and hadn’t had a decent meal I opted to go with the foot long black forest ham, no cheese, on whole wheat – toasted of course. After toasting it up, I pretty much had every vegetable offered put on it – lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, green pepper, cucumbers, spinach, banana pepper rings, a few olives, salt, pepper, oregano, a little yellow mustard and to top it off since my Subway carries it – crushed hot peppers.

The sandwich was delicious, filling and hearty. Definitely worth the 15 points plus values!

Banana Pepper Ring Pizza

There are times when you want pizza … but you don’t want the “typical” toppings that come on pizza. In that case, you order a Banana Pepper Ring Pizza!

We have a local pizzeria in town which is essentially Little Caesar’s prime competition. The pies are slightly smaller but they’re made the same, etc.  The one unique thing about this pizza shop is that they offer a variety of toppings and one of my all time favorite pizzas has banana pepper rings on it.  Banana pepper rings are a mildly hot pepper, which can come off as tangy versus hot. They take a plain cheese pizza and truly transform it into a delicious and different treat.

Typically with pizzas that I don’t normally have I will put a slice on my scale, get the ounces or grams and find a similar pie on e-tools. And with these, it’s comparable to Little Caesar’s so it was 7 point s plus for a slice.

QUESTION:

What is your favorite pizza topping?

McDonald's Baked Pumpkin Pie

McDonald`s makes hands down the best fast food pies - at least in my opinion. I do enjoy them, but I do not have them often – maybe once or twice a year. I’m a fan of their apple pie, and I am also “guilty” of occasionally sampling some of their seasonal pies. There have been some flops, but the McDonald’s Baked Pumpkin Pie is definitely a win-win for me.

I was surprised with how yummy their pumpkin pie is! It had real pumpkin filling in it and it wasn’t very sweet.  All around it was delicious. The pumpkin pie tasted like you took a slice of pumpkin pie, wrapped it in McDonald’s signature pie crust and served it up luke warm.  I find these little pies to be handy especially since it’s not always easy to find single servings of pumpkin pie in the market. Having one of these gives the flavor of pumpkin pie, but without having a whole pie sitting in your house.  A yummy treat without any added temptation.

Calorie wise a pie is 240 calories which is equal to 6 points plus.

QUESTION:
Have you tried the McDonald`s pumpkin pie?

McDonald’s Deluxe Quarter Pounder

I was sent a $5 McDonald’s Gift Card from Klout to use to purchase any of my favorites from McDonald’s.  One night, my boyfriend and I decided to head to McDonald’s and I originally went in wanting the grilled chicken ranch McWrap but upon arriving I was told that they didn’t have any grilled chicken.  Weird, right?  So, instead of driving well across town to the other McDonald’s, I decided to just order the Deluxe Quarter Pounder without the normally added cheese and mayonnaise. The Deluxe Quarter Pounder is a newer addition to the McDonald’s menu.

Low and behold when I got home, I realized my sandwich was without lettuce, and mustard but it did have a helping of bacon (which I kindly removed and discarded).  Since I can’t eat burgers plain, I added a little ketchup and mustard onto my sandwich and ate it as such.

I have to say it’s not the greatest thing on the planet, but its okay for a burger you’d order from McDonald’s. I wouldn’t run out and order another one, but if in the future I was in the mood for a McDonald’s burger and I wanted to make a meal out of it, I’d probably order another … of course without cheese and mayonnaise but I’d ask for an extra helping of veggies.

It is hefty on the points plus scale.  The sandwich, sold as is (with cheese and mayonnaise added) is 540 calories which calculates out to 14 points plus values.  The sandwich as I ordered it (without cheese and mayonnaise) was 440 calories and 11 points plus values.

Granted, as I admitted high particularly when you can have a bigger (and essentially better) burger at home – but if out on the go and McDonald’s is the chosen fast food joint and you want to be one in the crowd, it’s an option. Just as anything in the world is.

QUESTION:

Have you tried any of the new McDonald’s Quarter Pounders?

Fit For You Mushroom Bleu Top Sirloin @ 99 Restaurant

My boyfriend and I decided we were going to go out to eat one night, so we opted for the 99 Restaurant – which is a local chain restaurant that can be found scattered around the East Coast.  The 99 happens to be one of my boyfriend’s favorite chains, so when we do go I tend to order off the “Fit For You” menu, which offers meals under a specific amount of calories.  The 99 does offer their nutrition information on their website, which is helpful in aiding me in deciding what I’m going to eat when we go there.  I have to admit, some of the dishes are completely shocking so I tend to go with what I’m craving that day.

On this particular night I really wanted a piece of steak so I ordered the Fit For You Mushroom Bleu Top Sirloin.  According to the menu the dish is 420 calories and is “a 6 oz. top sirloin steak is flame broiled and crowned with fresh sautéed mushrooms and a sprinkle of bleu cheese crumbles. Served with a grilled tomato and fresh broccoli.”

Seemed like it would be delicious and it was – although I believe next time I will order it with the bleu cheese on the side. The cheese gave the steak and mushrooms a nice kick, but I’m typically sensitive to salt and the natural saltiness in the cheese was more than enough to make me shiver. The sirloin was delicious, cooked perfectly and relatively lean.  The broccoli was perfect, as it always is and the grilled tomatoes were really a unique twist on a naturally cold side.

The whole dish was 10 points plus. Well worth it for a meal out on the go.

QUESTION:

What is your favorite dish to order while eating out?

Strawberry Banana Froyo

I met up with a friend - a fellow Weight Watchers member for frozen yogurt while I was in the city for a doctors appointment. I was supposed to bring my handy dandy 1/2 cup measuring cup BUT alas I was running late for my appointment and completely forgot the cup at home.

Measuring cup fail aside, I went into the frozen yogurt experience with a plan. I knew I was going to have at least 6 points worth of frozen yogurt (which according to Weight Watchers e-tools would be about 1 cup of plain frozen yogurt). Low and behold upon arriving to the yogurt shop they actually had the nutrition information on the screen. This excited me beyond words. You mean, I could pick any flavor I wanted because I could know the points plus associated with it beforehand? Epic kid in a candy store moment! They had at least 10 different flavors ranging from plain to strawberry, cookies and cream to peanut butter. The gentleman who was working in the shop asked if I'd like to sample any of the flavors, but I declined realizing that my BLT's (bites, licks and tastes) would still add up.

My boyfriend is the one who actually decided to have strawberry banana frozen yogurt. Typically when we buy a half gallon of frozen yogurt, that's the flavor I tend to choose because I enjoy it. So I calculated the points plus and was floored to find it was only 4 points plus for a full cup of froyo! SCORE!

I picked my cup (opting for the shallower, wider bowl) and tried to center my froyo into the center and eyeballed as close as I could to what I assumed would be a cup. I added an additional point incase I was off by any. Then came the decision factor ... toppings! Ice cream sundaes and froyo are known for their delicious and not always health conscious toppings. Trying to play it as safe as possible I opted for a few colored jimmies (sprinkles), fresh strawberries, fresh mango and of course a few tiny pieces of cut up Snickers. I guestimated possibly 3 points for toppings and off I went to pay for my delicious treat.

The frozen yogurt was delicious. Nicely flavored, refreshing and it was perfect with or without the toppings. Plus, having the nutrition information at my fingertips really made the experience a lot easier to swallow.

It was nice going out for froyo, enjoying myself, having wonderful conversation with a friend and being on plan. Goes to show you can go out and enjoy yourself as long as you plan for it ahead of time. This way there are no surprises or "freebies."

QUESTION:

What do you typically get at the frozen yogurt or ice cream shop?