Trader Joe's Low Fat Chinese Style Salad with Chicken

Every time I go to Trader Joe's I check out their premade foods sections ... particularly their salad varieties. I've always wanted to try them, but checking out the nutrition facts on some of them has shied me away from trying it. That is until I spotted the Trader Joe's Low Fat Chinese Style Salad with Chicken.

The salad comes packaged with everything you would need to have a satisfying lunch/dinner (well, aside from a fork - but you can pick those up on the way out of your local Trader Joe's). The toppings are assembled in sections across the bed of lettuce, with a container of dressing to use as sparingly or as much as you wish. It was convenient enough that if I didn't like something I could easily pick it off the top because it wasn't all combined freshly opened.

The salad is a mixture of romaine lettuce, grilled white chicken, green cabbage, snow peas and crispy noodles all served alongside a sesame soy dressing. I opted to pour some dressing over the top, close the container and give it a little shake, then opened it up and combined all the toppings with one another with my fork to disperse the flavors and textures evenly. Overall, I found it to be a pretty decent salad and a good thing to grab if in a pinch on the go. The only thing I wished is that there would be a little more protein on top, but overall it was satisfying.

A serving, 1/2 the container is 140 calories or 3 points plus values OR you can have the entire container for 7 points plus values.

Olivia's Organics Spring Mix with Herbs

My coworker actually introduced me to this Olivia's Organics Spring Mix with Herbs and I have to say, I'm glad she did. I've bought the Olivia's spring mix in the past and it was okay for a shake up from the normal salad ... but the combination with the herbs far out-seeds the original and has slid its way into my favorite prepackaged salad.

 

The salad is a mixture of your average salad greens (Tango, Lolla Rosa, Red & Green Romaine, Red & Green Oak, Red & Green Chard, Spinach, Mizuna, Radicchio, Frisee, Beet Greens, Arugula, Tat-Soi, Red Mustard) which is then mixed with flavorful herbs (Dill & Parsley). The parsley and dill give the salad a fresh flavor which is a wonderful addition to any salad (or even a sandwich). The mixture is wonderful and I find a little feta cheese sprinkled over the salad and herbs gives it a nice kick which brings the flavor of the greens out more.

 

I've had it straight out of the container and added to a salad bowl while I've also mixed it with some chopped romaine, sliced carrot, red onion and cherry tomatoes. Either way it's a winner in my book!

 

A serving, 2 cups, is 10 calories or 0 points plus values.

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.

Trader Joe's Balela

I was on a 'mission' to amp up my salads and make them tastier and unique. While browsing the shelves in the refrigerated section, I spotted and picked up a container of Trader Joe's Balela.

According to the label it's a savory Middle Eastern salad with chick peas, black beans and tomatoes. Chick peas are undoubtedly at the forefront in this dish - the black beans and tomatoes taking a much milder approach (but they're still there). There is a bit of a dressing with the beans, which is slightly tangy but delicious. There are also onion bits and parsley bits running throughout the dish. It's refreshing, unique and goes well with salads with or without added protein (steak/chicken/etc). Flavor wise it kind of reminds me of tabouli (a parsley based Mediterranean salad dish).

I found it to be a great way to increase the fiber/protein in a meal without putting too much thought into it.  In my store, this is located in the refrigerator section near the deli meats and prepared meals. Overall I feel if you enjoy Mediterranean dishes then you’d be pleased with this.

A 1/4 cup serving is 100 calories or 2 points plus values.

Cabbage, Beet and Onion Salad

Cabbage, beet and onion salad is a dish my mother made often growing up. It was a very simple salad, but it was a perfect complimentary meal against certain dishes. The salad itself is simple, refreshing, tart, crisp and even a perfect meal on its own or alongside dinner.

Typically I would use a head of cabbage, but since I was looking for something quick I opted to pick up a bag of coleslaw mix. I would recommend picking up a bag of shredded cabbage (without carrots) but since coleslaw mix with carrots is all that my grocery store had available, it’s what I picked up. The carrots don’t necessarily change the dish it just gives it a different crunch.  Nonetheless it’s delicious and typically a crowd pleaser.

I enjoy this the day I make it, but I feel it tastes so much better the next day because it gets to “marinate” in the refrigerator. The cabbage also softens up a bit.

Serves 7. 1 Points Plus Values. ~3/4 cup serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of coleslaw mix OR 1 small head of cabbage, sliced thin
• ½ small onion, sliced
• 8 oz fresh beets (or canned), sliced
• 4 tbsp Red wine vinegar (or less depending on taste)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste

Add coleslaw mix, sliced onions and sliced beets to a large bowl. Sprinkle with black pepper and a dash of salt.

Drizzle in olive oil and red wine vinegar. Toss to combine.

The beets will change the color of the salad to a slightly purple shade.  Taste test and adjust seasonings (salt, pepper and red wine vinegar).

Roast Chicken Dinner

I typically don’t make whole chickens, but once in a blue moon I do.  I’m more of a white meat kind of girl – but since my boyfriend likes legs and wings the bird doesn’t go to waste.  We happened to be given a whole chicken, so I decided to whip together a dinner that could have been straight out of a Martha Steward magazine.

I cleaned out the chicken carcass, rinsed it down with water, and then put it into a basket which I had set inside of a casserole pan. This way the grease could drip from the meat and the air could evenly circulate around the bird crisping it all up … instead of crisping the top and leaving the rest a greasy, soggy mess.  I went into the cabinet and concocted a dry rub mixture, adding salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning, McCormick chicken seasoning, Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning salute, and oregano into a bowl. I mixed it together then evenly rubbed it over the skin (top and bottom), then separated the skin from the meat and rubbed the seasoning over the meat as well.  I stuffed a medium quartered onion into the cavity and popped it all into a 350 degree oven and baked it for roughly 1 ½ hours.

I cut some washed yellow skinned potatoes into chunks and put them into a pot of salted water.  When the chicken had 30 minutes left to cook I put my potatoes onto boil. I didn’t peel my potatoes because the skin is about as thick as red skinned potatoes. Plus I like my mashed potatoes with skin on them. I mashed them up with a teaspoon of margarine, some skim milk, salt and pepper.

I had some French style frozen green beans from Trader Joe’s.  I took half the bag and defrosted them in the microwave, drained the water from them, then tossed them with minced garlic. I then popped the green beans onto a non-stick baking sheet, which was coated with non-stick cooking spray and roasted them off in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Since I had some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden, I decided to chop them up and make a childhood favorite – tomato, onion and cucumber salad. It’s simply pickling cucumbers, sliced, tomatoes sliced or quartered and scallions that are chopped. Before serving I simply toss it with 1 tablespoon of the dressing of my or my guests’ choice.

At dinner time I heated up some canned chicken gravy and opened a small can of jellied cranberry sauce. It was literally like Thanksgiving dinner … and what’s even better was it was delicious WITHOUT my beloved stuffing.

My whole plate for dinner was 10 points plus!

QUESTION:

Do you like Thanksgiving-esque dinners?

Taco Salad

I’ve mentioned numerous times how much I enjoy salads because they are so versatile. I’ve learned I can build a salad with unlimited ingredients for as little points plus values or as many as I wish.  Nothing is worse than a “plain ole salad” day in and day out.  This is a salad I tend to go for whenever it’s taco night in my house if I don’t feel like having tacos soft shell tortillas.

This entire salad is only 3 points plus values!  With that I’ve got a bed of garden salad, topped with 3 ounces of cooked ground turkey taco meat (seasoned with a Taco seasoning packet and onion). My salad is topped with chunky medium salsa and for a little spice kick, I garnished with jalapeño slices.  I find with my taco salads the salsa acts as a dressing, so there is no need to layer the salad with a salad dressing.

One thing I do tend to enjoy is occasionally eating my taco salads with a side of fresh soft tortillas (I buy the Joseph’s band wheat flax tortillas) to aid in “scooping” some of the salad into.  Or sometimes I jazz my salads up with a bit of Trader Joe’s Queso and garnish the plate with some tortilla chips.

Possibilities are quite endless which is why I love taco night at home!

QUESTION:

What is one of your favorite ways to dress up a salad?

Steak Tip Salad

All year round, Steak Tip Salad is my “go to” food whenever we are having steak.  I also order steak tip salad while out at restaurants, because it’s a nice twist from the normal (and occasionally boring) grilled chicken salad.  Sirloin is very flavorful and I find even with it on a plain ole garden salad, it gives it such a new and different flavor.  Sometimes when I’m feeling “fancy” I add feta cheese to it – in that instance I don’t need salad dressing because it’s flavorful enough with the 2 extra added toppings.

This particular dinner consisted of a tossed salad (lettuce, tomato, red onion, carrots and cucumbers) alongside 3 ounces of grilled sirloin steak tips with some grilled onions.  I topped it with 2 tablespoons of fat free poppyseed dressing.  My entire dinner was a delicious 6 points plus values!

Here’s a little tip I use while eating out.  In my mind I know the points plus values for a 3 ounce serving of sirloin (as well as grilled chicken) – so my trick is, when ordering out, I’ll ask the waiter how many ounces the meat is cooked (not raw). This way, even without a scale, I can figure out the points that way instead of trying to judge how many ounces visually, while failing miserably (because I have portion distortion).

QUESTION:

Do you like steak tip salad?

Power Chicken Hummus Bowl @ Panera

Did you know that Panera has a hidden menu?  This menu is hidden because well, it’s not advertised on the Panera menu itself – you have to know what it is you want to order. You can check out the 6 options available off the hidden menu here.  While if you’re wondering what the nutrition facts are (or maybe are interested in calculating the Points Plus values) for these said items, you can find that information here. In order to obtain the nutrition information you need to select “Hidden Menu” from the Choose a Menu Category on the left-hand side drop down menu.

Two of my friends from high school wanted to get together for dinner since one was up visiting from New Jersey.  Panera was decided on, so I did my research and decided I was going to order the Power Chicken Hummus Bowl because it looked the most appetizing to me in that very instance.  According to the Panera hidden menu the salad consisted of all-natural antibiotic-free chicken with a cilantro jalapeno hummus, baby spinach, cucumbers, diced tomatoes and red onions.  It’s supposed to be garnished with chopped cilantro and topped with a fresh squeezed lemon.

When ordering my bowl I forgot the name of it and started saying “I want the grilled chicken….” The girl taking my menu asked “Caesar salad?” I said (having a big major brain freeze) “No, no .. umm… it’s the hummus bowl!” to which she replied, “Oh okay, from that menu.” I do have this odd thing about eating cold poultry (aside from deli meat) so I asked if the chicken was served hot or cold.  I was told cold, but they can heat it if requested.  So, I of course, requested for it to be heated!  My order was put through, I was given my buzzer and I waited for my salad to be prepped.

Picking up my salad at the counter, I thought it looked appetizing. I love hummus and the hummus was drizzled over the whole salad.  The veggies and chicken were plentiful and I was satisfied.  I did find, since it was missing the lemon finish it was a little dry, so I had some fat free poppyseed dressing to dip my fork into to give it a bit of wetness.  The great thing about the fat free poppyseed is 2 tablespoons is only 1 points plus!  Overall, I was quite pleased with my meal and I would definitely order it again.

The salad was pretty big, packed with power foods, it was filling AND it was only 8 points plus values!

QUESTION:

Have you tried anything from the hidden menu at Panera? Or did you even know there was a hidden menu?

Dinner: Big Ole Salad w/ Perdue Chicken Breast & Fire Roasted Corn

Sometimes I forget how much I enjoy salad.  A plain salad is fine for me as long as there’s a yummy dressing or feta cheese for it.  But I find I enjoy salad a lot more than I add additional “toppings” to it. This dinner really went hand-in-hand with this weeks Weight Watchers topic – salads!  Salads don’t have to be boring, salads can really house anything you want to put on them – vegetables, fruits, proteins, dressings.  You name it; it can probably go on a salad in some way shape or form (and it’ll be delicious).

We had some of the Purdue Perfect Portions Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts in Italian season defrosting.  I really enjoy that chicken because I don’t have to measure out 3 ounces – each cutlet is perfectly portioned so I can grab a chicken breast, put it on my salad and I don’t have to think about it or weigh it out.  Anyway, initially I was making a salad to have on the side, alongside some fire roasted corn and potato – but then said “why not just make a big ole salad.” So that’s exactly what I did.

My salad consisted of the basic romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and cucumber.  I paired it with 1/3 cup fire roasted corn (1 points plus values, or a full serving 2/3 cups is 3 points plus) and topped it with the grilled Perdue chicken breast (3 points plus values) which I sliced up.  I then topped it with some honey mustard dressing. The whole salad was only 5 points plus values, incredibly filling and above all delicious.  The fire roasted corn gave the salad a bold interesting kick, which really brought everything together and made it unique.

Certainly delicious and anything BUT boring!

QUESTION:

What do you do to jazz up your salads?

Chicken Philly Cheese “Steaks”

I make homemade steak and cheese often, but I was in the mood for a different twist on a classic.  I threw out the idea of chicken philly cheese steaks and my boyfriend was on board as long as the meat was sans cheese.  That’s a doable request, plus it’s the way I prefer my homemade sandwiches, so off and prepping we went.

These turned out quite delicious and were enjoyed for a couple days.  I wrapped my sandwich up in a large pita bread from a local Lebanese bakery in town.  I tend to prefer my wraps that way because one of my all time favorite sandwiches is a steak and cheese salad – which is a steak and cheese, on top of a bed of salad, rolled up into a pita.

My large bread was 4 points plus values, my slice of fat free American was 1 points plus values, and my meat mixture was 3 points plus values (I weigh out the meat per ounces and then sprinkle over the onions, peppers and mushrooms).  I layered my chicken over a bed of salad and then topped with some reduced sugar ketchup.

I cooked the vegetables in the microwave with seasonings to get the consistency I was looking for.  I cook my onions and peppers together and cook the mushrooms in their own container (because in my family, mushrooms aren’t a favorite by all).

Here’s how I made the chicken philly “steaks”:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breast, trimmed of fat, sliced into strips
• 1 large red and green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 1 small package sliced mushroom
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Black pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon, Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning
• 1 1/2 tablespoon, McCormick Steak Seasoning

Toss chicken with minced garlic and McCormick steak seasoning, a splash of pepper and salt.

Spritz a pan with non-stick cooking spray and drizzle in 1 teaspoon of olive oil.  Heat on medium high until pan is hot.  Add in raw chicken and cook on one side then turn over to cook evenly on the other.

Add sliced peppers and onions to a microwave safe bowl. Add in a sprinkle of black pepper, salt and half of the Mrs. Dash seasoning and drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of water.  Cover with a loose microwave safe cover and cook for 3 minutes, stirring when done. Place back into the microwave for an additional 2 minutes until onions and peppers are soft but still holds shape.

Add mushrooms to a microwave safe bowl; add in a sprinkle of black pepper, salt and half of the Mrs. Dash seasoning and 2 tablespoons of water.  Cook for 3 minutes, stirring when done, returning back to the microwave until mushrooms are softened.

When vegetables are done, drain excess water from bowls and toss vegetables with the cooked chicken.

Assemble sandwiches – weighing out your portion of chicken (sans vegetables).  Add in veggies after measuring out ounces of protein.

Please adjust your points plus values for the dish based on the ounces of chicken you are eating, as well as the bread of choice and your choice of cheese!

Dinner @ Texas Roadhouse

When you mention the phrase “Texas Roadhouse” to me – the first thought that pops into my head is heavenly buttery rolls with cinnamon butter – which are endless.  As a self proclaimed carboholic, I’ve decided Texas Roadhouse is not quite a restaurant for me to visit because if I am with a party that WANTS the bread, I sometimes am not sure if my will power will hold strong.

As a belated birthday celebration for my boyfriend’s mother, it was decided Texas Roadhouse was the restaurant we were going to go to.  That meant I immediately pulled up the website and scanned through their menu (ignoring my favorite – a full slab of ribs).  I knew if I REALLY wanted the ribs I could have them, but they just weren’t worth it to me because at the end of the day, the richness and fattiness to them would have only made me feel sick and sick is not what I aim for.

I found a grilled chicken salad on their menu and decided I’d treat myself to that – that is with slight modification to the “display” of the salad.  No eggs, no croutons and no cheese please.  I wanted a simple salad and by simple I asked them to add tomato to it because if I recall correctly, the menu did not list tomato as a component of their salad.  Dressing wise – I went with the only friendly dressing – fat free ranch.

My salad came out and it was delicious.  It was actually two meals for me – a late lunch and a late dinner.  And yes, I admit I had a roll and I had peanuts – but I enjoyed myself and accounted for all.  That’s the great thing about my journey is it’s all about moderation not deprivation.

I estimated the salad to be 8 points plus (figuring there was some sort of butter/olive oil used on the grill to keep it from sticking).

QUESTION:

What is one of your favorite meals to order when going out to eat?

Surf & Turf Dinner

My boyfriend and I had dinner with our mothers a few weeks ago.  Since he and I are not very big seafood fans (I occasionally dabble into fried fish or my moms baked stuff shrimp and he only eats steamers).  So it was going to be a steak tip dinner because who doesn’t love steak tips?

My mom volunteered to make her baked stuffed shrimp since my boyfriends mom had never had it and had heart how good it was.  The dinner was eventually a collaborative effort - my boyfriend making the steak tips, myself making all the veggies and sides and my mother making the baked stuffed shrimp.

The steak was seasoned with a concoction of different things – McCormick’s Steak Seasoning, Worcheshire Sauce, Garlic powder, Black pepper, a splash of teriyaki sauce, a pinch of BBQ sauce.  We love experimenting with flavors and they tasted amazing.   Before cooking the steak my boyfriend grilled up the onions so they were nice and sweet, he added them to the raw steak and let all the flavors marinate while they broiled in the oven for about 10 or so minutes.

The shrimp of course is my moms recipe and since she doesn’t measure I could never tell you exactly what’s in it.  But this particular batch was amazing and I ate a fair share of it!

I made baked potato, canned corn (yes, I cheated lol),tossed salad and steamed brussel sprouts. Definitely a fabulous meal!

13 points plus for all pictured -- 5 for the steak, 3 - potato, 1 - salad dressing, 4 - shrimp.

QUESTION:

What is your favorite family dinner?

Spotted: Panera Dressing at Target

A few weeks ago I went shopping at Target and while in the refrigerator section (near the fruits and veggies) I found bottled Panera salad dressing.  I at first did a double take because my initial reaction was “Panera bottles dressings?!”  I don’t eat at Panera often, but from what I do know; Panera is not shy on the fat and calories associated with many of their dishes.  Scanning the dressing options I saw two fat free options: Poppy Seed and Raspberry Vinaigrette.

I calculated the points and found the Fat Free Poppy Seed (as well as the Raspberry Vinaigrette) were both 1 points plus for a 2 tablespoon serving.  I figured I would use the Poppy Seed a lot more on salads than I would the Raspberry, so the Poppy Seed went into my cart (I’ve actually since purchased another bottle because it’s THAT good).  My mother introduced me to Poppy Seed dressing years ago but that dressing is 5 points plus for 2 tablespoons and TOTALLY not worth it.

This particular dressing is “looser” in consistency (think like a slightly runnier creamy Italian).  Its sweet and a distinct poppy seed dressing taste.  Definitely a great addition to any salad or grilled chicken salad!

Lean Cuisine Salad Additions – Southwest-style Chicken

After trying out the Lean Cuisine Salad Addition in the Asian-style Chicken flavor I decided to expand my horizon.  While grocery shopping at Target I found a few new flavor options that I had not seen at my first trip to Wal-Mart so I picked up the Southwest-style Chicken flavor.

This flavor was quite delicious!  I would say it is spicy (as Southwestern dishes tend to be) but not overwhelmingly spicy.  The product comes with 3 individual plastic bags inside of the box.  You microwave the pouch containing the chicken and vegetables for the set amount of time.  Soak the dressing packet in warm water (to defrost it) and simply open the crunchy topping when your food is ready to assemble.  The only “work” that goes into this salad is the minimal preparation; which consists of making your own salad (or dumping bagged salad into a bowl as I did), microwaving, opening pouches and consuming.

The Southwest-style chicken comes with grilled chicken, black beans, corn, roasted red peppers and poblano peppers.  For a crunchy topping there are crispy tortilla strips and it comes with a chipolte ranch dressing.   Overall I highly recommend these – they’re a great, quick and easy lunch/dinner.

Weight Watchers Points Plus wise this will cost you 6 Points Plus, which I feel is justifiable.

QUESTION:

Have you tried any of the Lean Cuisine Salad Additions?

Lean Cuisine Salad Additions – Asian-style Chicken

When I saw Lean Cuisine came out with these new Salad Additions, I instantly picked up this Asian-style Chicken because out of the line that was available at my local Wal-Mart (at the time) was very limited (2 flavors).  I wasn’t sure if it was going to be good – the good ole skeptic that I can be when it comes to frozen foods.  I will admit, I’m not the biggest fan of Lean Cuisine frozen dinners but I felt I would give this one a shot.  I mean, it’s salad, right?

I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by this!  The product comes with 3 individual plastic bags inside of the box.  You microwave the pouch containing the chicken and vegetables for the set amount of time.  Soak the dressing packet in warm water (to defrost it) and simply open the crunchy topping when your food is ready to assemble.  The only “work” that goes into this salad is the minimal preparation; which consists of making your own salad (or dumping bagged salad into a bowl as I did), microwaving, opening pouches and consuming.

The Asian-style chicken came with grilled chicken, edamame, pineapple, broccoli and carrots.  For a crunchy topping there are chow mein noodles and it comes with a really delicious sesame ginger salad vinaigrette.   Overall I highly recommend these – they’re a great, quick and easy lunch/dinner.

Weight Watchers Points Plus wise this will cost you 7 Points Plus, which I feel is truly justifiable.

QUESTION:

Have you tried any of the Lean Cuisine Salad Additions?