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.

Detox/Cleansing Water

I whipped up a pitcher of "cleansing water" to have on hand in the refrigerator. I've seen so many people talk about the benefits of drinking water which has been infused with cucumber, lemon and mint but had never given it a shot. I was a little concerned with what it would taste like, particularly because not all infused water flavors are for everyone.

Although with this particular mixture, I found it to be very refreshing. The flavors were noticeable but they were light and crisp. There was an underlying lemon, mint and cucumber flavor without either one overpowering the other. The mixture does give the water a little bit of a tinge in shade (it's still clear, but it's a little 'murky' from the flavors flavors and pulp infusing with the water).

All you do is add sliced lemon, cucumber and mint leaves to a container, fill it with water and allow it to infuse in the refrigerator overnight.

The concoction is one of the best waters to be drinking because the added items aid in digestion and cleansing. For instance:

* Cucumber is good for re-hydration and works as an anti-inflammatory.

* Mint adds sweetness without sugar and aids in digestion.

* Lemon helps cleanse the body, aids in digestion and works on boosting the immune system.

Certainly there are health benefits to adding the items to your water but it also gives a guilt-free flavor additive to your beverage without any artificial sweeteners/dyes/ etc.

Trader Joe's Grilled Chicken Strips

Every once in a while I like to have a convenience food on hand to make my meal prepping for lunches a little easier. Last time I went to the store I made sure to pick up a package of the Trader Joe's Grilled Chicken Strips. The chicken is fully cooked chicken breast, which is cut into strips and is plain ole chicken - no extravagant flavors present.

 

Since the chicken is already cooked, all that it requires is a couple minutes in the microwave and it's ready to serve up. What I like to do is open the package and weigh out my serving. I put the individual servings in the fridge and microwave what I need for a particular meal before I'm going to eat it. It just makes things easier to prep and divide servings.

 

I'm a picky eater when it comes to chicken and this is real white meat chicken breast, which pairs perfectly with whatever you decide to pair it with. I typically go with a salad or a grilled chicken salad wrap. Since it's plain it'll adapt to whatever flavors you add to it.

 

A serving, 3 ounces, is 120 calories or 3 points plus values.

Dannon Light & Fit Greek Chocolate on Top - Banana

When I first heard Dannon launched a brand of Light & Fit Greek yogurt with chocolate on top I made it a priority to track them down. Dannon Light & Fit is my #1 favorite brand of Greek yogurt. So when I finally spotted the Dannon Light & Fit Greek Chocolate on Top - Banana at a local grocery store, I didn't even think twice before adding it into my grocery cart.

The yogurt is your classic, thick banana flavored Greek yogurt, which has a layer of runny chocolate over the top. Initially in my mind I thought the chocolate would be more along the lines of a ganache or even like a slightly thicker version of chocolate (like a sundae sauce).

Upon first bite, I really wasn't impressed and upon second bite I wasn't a huge fan. The chocolate completely overwhelms the flavor of the yogurt. The chocolate syrup reminds me of sugar free chocolate syrup that you'd mix with milk. The chocolate is bitter, not sweet and overpowering. I really couldn't taste the flavor of the yogurt at all when eating it together. I truly didn't enjoy it, which is saddening since I typically am a huge fan of anything Dannon pulls out of their magic hat.

Each serving is 100 calories or 3 points plus values.

Pillsbury Strawberry Banana Muffins

Being the coffee lover I am, I tend to order more of the "adventurous" flavored coffees at my local coffee spot. One of my absolute favorites is the strawberry banana coffee - which is a mixture of strawberry flavored coffee and banana coffee (flavored beans, not syrups). Chatting with my boyfriend one afternoon, he had mentioned that he'd love to try a strawberry banana muffin ... and that's when the light bulb over my head lit up.

I have made banana breads with roasted strawberries in them, so I imagined it wouldn't be too difficult to make some. It just happened that I was buying ripe bananas to make a banana bread to give to my dad for his birthday. Since I had extra bananas I looked for a muffin recipe online and stumbled upon one from Pillsbury ... and that's when the Strawberry Banana Muffins came to life (and a double batch at that!).

Whipping the batter up was a breeze, baking was a breeze and consuming was a breeze. I made enough to send some home with my boyfriend, to share with family and to bring some in to share with my coworkers. They had the classic chewiness that comes with muffins, but it had that banana bread flare. The fresh strawberries running throughout the batter was a nice twist. Overall these muffins were a total hit and everyone that had one (or two, or three) enjoyed them immensely.

Each muffin is 210 calories or 6 points plus values.

You can find the recipe here on the Pillsbury website.

Lemon Twist Oreo's

One evening at a local grocery store, I stumbled across Lemon Twist Oreo's. I was on the fence as to if I wanted to try them because I had tried the Lemon Golden Oreo's and completely loved them ... but I was more concerned about the chocolate cookies hell mixing with a lemon cream center.

Let me say this ... don't let contemplating mixing lemon and chocolate together stop you because this isn't a horrendous experience!

Fortunately any concern I had was short lived because these are quite good. I'd coin these as the chocolate daddy to the lemon Oreo. There is certainly a lemon flavor to these, but it's very light and rather refreshing. The chocolate cookie itself helps cut back at the lemony zip making it a unique and refreshing flavor category. The lemon pop isn't as in-your-face as it is with the Golden Lemon Oreo's, but these certainly stand on their own.

Overall, I'd say these are pretty fabulous and worth the shot.

A serving, 2 cookies, is 140 calories or 4 points plus values.

Fiber One Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

I feel like my area was the last one to get in the Fiber One Strawberry Cheesecake Bars. Typically I'm a fan of Fiber One products, but I eat their products very sparingly because the added fiber in their products can give me a world of a tummy ache. But low and behold after spotting them at Target I picked up a box (these also come in Salted Caramel).

The cheesecake bars themselves are the same size as all other Fiber One products. There's not much else to say about these other than the fact they do really taste like cheesecake. They have that crumbly crust, soft gooeyish enter with a nice jelly consistency strawberry jam running down the top of it. They're mildly sweet, but certainly not sweet enough to overwhelm the taste buds.  A few folks have said putting them in the refrigerator only intensifies the cheesecake experience.

Overall, these are quite good. They do give you that cheesecake vibe without the absorbent amount of calories/points your average cheesecake brings to the table. So, that alone is a win in my book.

A serving is 150 calories or 4 points plus values.