Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Monday, December 8, 2014

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Under 200 Calories



One of my favorite things about the holidays is pumpkin desserts.  I indulged in my mom's delicious, homemade, gluten-free pumpkin cake roll over Thanksgiving.  I have no idea how many calories that was, but it was worth working out a little harder from now until Christmas.  Since I can't eat that everyday, I became inspired to turn my morning oatmeal into a pumpkin pie spiced, low-cal confection.  It's no pumpkin cake roll, but it's still pretty darn good.

Ingredients


1 Plain Instant Oatmeal Packet
1 Tbsp. Country Pumpkin Butter (I used Dickinson's brand.)
1 tsp. White Chocolate Morsels
1/4 cup water, boiling
Pumpkin Pie Spice, season to taste ( I used 2 dashes.)
2 Tbsp. Whipped Topping (optional)



Directions


Mix the pumpkin pie spice and oats.  Then add the pumpkin butter and white chocolate morsels.  Add most of the boiling water and mix.  The boiling water will melt the white chocolate.  Mix until it's creamy.  I like my oatmeal to be the consistency of cookie batter.  If you don't like it that way, then add more boiling water.  If you accidentally add too much water you can cook it for 20-30 seconds in the microwave, and it will thicken up.  Let the mixture sit for a minute so that the oats have time to absorb the water.  Top with the whipped topping, and enjoy!

Total Calories 195


  • Fat 6g
  • Carbs 32.5g
  • Fiber 3g
  • Sugar 12g
  • Protein 5g



Thursday, March 6, 2014

Fast Food Breakfast 400 Calories & Under


For Breakfast I try to stay within a range of 200 to 400 calories. I am sure you have probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That doesn’t mean that it has to be a huge meal, especially if you are not that hungry first thing in the morning. If you start the day with a 200 calorie breakfast, then you can certainly afford to have a mid-morning snack within your calorie budget. Be aware of your calories on beverages. They can really add up in juices, whole milk, and high-calorie coffee drinks.

Coffee is a beverage that seems to polarize people. Most people either love it or hate it. As a trainer I acquired a taste for it, because it was the only way I could get up on time for a 5:30 a.m. appointment with a smile on my face. If you are not a coffee drinker, then I would suggest subbing in one of the following beverages in place of coffee:

 

Unsweetened Green Tea 0 (Top Pick!)

Coffee with 2 Tbsp. Half & Half 41

Coffee with 1 Tbsp. Non-Dairy Flavored Creamer 37

Coffee With 2 Tbsp. Non-Dairy Flavored Creamer 72

8 oz. Skim Milk 91

8 oz. 1% Milk 105

8 oz. 2% Milk 122

4.5 oz Chocolate Skim Milk 90

8 oz. Original Soy Milk Light 60

8 oz. Vanilla Soy Milk Light 70

8 oz. Chocolate Soy Milk Light 90

8 oz. Original Pure Coconut Milk 80

8 oz. Original Almond Milk 60

8 oz. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk 40

8 oz. Vanilla Almond Milk 90

8 oz. Chocolate Almond Milk 90

8 oz. Orange Juice Light 50

4 oz. Orange Juice 55

8 oz. POM Pomegranate Juice Light 75

8 oz. Big Train Fit Frappe Protein Drink, prepared (Assorted Flavors) 60 - 70

8.25 oz. Muscle Milk Light (Assorted Flavors, Lactose Free) 100

11 oz. EAS AdvantEdge Carb Control Shake (Assorted Flavors) 110

  

Breakfast Fast Food


Burger King

 
Quaker Oatmeal Original 140

Small Iced Coffee 80

Total Calories 220

 

Quaker Oatmeal Maple and Brown Sugar 270

Small Iced Coffee 80

Total Calories 350

 

Sausage Burrito 290

Small Iced Coffee 80

Total Calories 370

 

Breakfast Muffin Sandwich: Egg and Cheese 220

Small Iced Coffee 80

Total Calories 300

 

Breakfast Muffin Sandwich: Ham, Egg, and Cheese 260

Small Iced Coffee 80

Total Calories 340

 

Breakfast Muffin Sandwich: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese 250

Small Iced Coffee 80

Total Calories 330

 

3 French Toast Sticks 224

1 oz syrup 120

Coffee with 2 creamers 46

Total Calories 390
 

Egg & Cheese Crossan’wich 300

Coffee with 2 creamers 46

Total Calories 346

 

 

Dunkin' Donuts



Egg White & Cheese Wheat Muffin 250

Vanilla Iced Latte Lite 90

Total Calories 340



Egg & Cheese Wake-Up Wrap 180

Vanilla Iced Latte Lite 90

Total Calories 270



Bacon Egg White & Cheese Wheat Muffin 290

Vanilla Iced Latte Lite 90

Total Calories 380



Bacon Egg & Cheese Wake-up Wrap 210

Vanilla Iced Latte Lite 90

Total Calories 300

 

Egg White Veggie Flatbread 330

Vanilla Iced Latte Lite 90

Total Calories 420

 

Glazed Munchkin 70

Vanilla Iced Latte Lite 90

Total Calories 160

 

Einstein Brothers


 

Turkey Sausage Egg White Salsa Sandwich Thin 230

16 oz. Iced Nonfat Latte 90

Total Calories 320



Egg White Asparagus and Mushroom Thin 280

12 oz. Nonfat Cappuccino 90

Total Calories 370



Fruit & Yogurt Parfait 230

12 oz. Nonfat Cafe Latte 100

Total Calories 330

 

 

McDonald's


 

Egg McMuffin 300

Large Non-fat Iced Latte w/Sugar-free Vanilla Syrup 60

Total Calories 360



Egg White Delight  250

Small Non-fat Latte  90

Total Calories 340 



Sausage Burrito 300

Small Non-fat Cappuccino w/Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup 50

Total Calories 350



Fruit & Maple Oatmeal w/ Brown Sugar 290

Medium Non-fat Iced Latte 60

Total Calories 350



Fruit & Maple Oatmeal w/o Brown Sugar 260

Small Non-fat Latte 90

Total Calories 350

 

Apple Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal 270

Small Non-fat Iced Latte 50

Total Calories 320

 

Fruit & Yogurt Parfait with Granola 150

Medium Iced Latte 100

Total Calories 250

 

Snack Size Fruit & Walnuts with Dip 210

Small Non-fat Latte w/Sugar-free Vanilla Syrup 80

Total Calories 290

 

Sonic

 

Jr. Breakfast Burrito 260

Espresso Shot 5

Total Calories 265

 

Starbucks


The calorie content in Starbucks drinks certainly runs the gamut, because there are numerous options. If you do not find your favorite drink listed, then please take the time to look it up on the Starbucks website.


Spinach & Feta Egg White Wrap 280

Tall Skinny Vanilla Latte 100

Total Calories 380

 

Petite Vanilla Bean Scone 140

Tall Non-fat Latte w/flavored syrup 150

Total Calories 290

 

Perfect Oatmeal w/Brown Sugar 150

Tall Non-fat Caramel Machiato 140

Total Calories 290

 

Marshmallow Dream Bar 210

Grande Iced Skinny Latte w/sugar free syrup 80

Total Calories 290

 

Perfect Oatmeal with dried fruit, nut medley, & brown sugar 390

Espresso 0

Total Calories 390

 

Reduced-fat Turkey Bacon, Egg White, Cheddar Sandwich 320

Tall Skinny Iced Latte w/sugar free syrup 60

Total Calories 380

 

Fruit Cup 90

Tall Non-fat flavored Latte 150

Total Calories 240

 

Banana 90

Tall Non-fat Caffe Mocha 170

Total Calories 260

 

Greek Yogurt & Honey Parfait 290

Grande Skinny Iced Latte w/sugar free syrup 80

Total Calories 370

 

Dark Cherry Yogurt Parfait 310

Tall Skinny Iced Mocha 70

Total Calories 380

 

Strawberry Blueberry Yogurt Parfait 300

Tall Skinny Iced Latte w/sugar free syrup 60

Total Calories 360

 

Vanilla Almond Biscotti 150

Tall Skinny Vanilla Latte 100

Total Calories 250

 

Double Chocolate Biscotti 150

Tall Skinny Mocha 110

Total Calories 260

 

Caramel Macchiato Biscotti 170

Tall Non-fat Caramel Macchiato 140

Total Calories 310

 

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Best Gluten-Free Products




I recently decided to go gluten-free for many reasons.  One of those reasons is that I have had troubles with arthritis in all my joints.  Apparently gluten is bad for inflammation.  Also, I read Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Way Back to Health by William Davis.  In the book Davis cites empirical research studies that show that the hybridized wheat of today is bad for our health and may be partly responsible for the obesity epidemic.  I highly recommend reading the book.  If you don't have the time or interest in reading the book, then just read all the reviews on Amazon.  The testimonials are very compelling.

My own testimonial is that when I initially went gluten-free for three weeks I lost 4 lbs.  I didn't make any other changes to my diet or exercise.  I wasn't counting calories or even focusing on eating healthy.  I had plenty of meat, cheese, and nuts.  Yet I still lost weight.  I also didn't have any major flare ups in my joints during that time.  After week three was over I decided to cheat a little bit.  I had some gluten in the form of Crab Rangoon (I'm yearning for a gluten-free version!).  The next morning I woke up with the inflammation in all my joints again. 

With that lesson learned I went another four weeks without gluten.  Unfortunately I had another weak moment and had Beef Wellington appetizers from Cosco (Please tell me if you ever find gluten-free puff pastry!).  Again I woke up the next morning with all the joint pain.  It wasn't worth it.

10 Symptoms of Gluten-Intolerance

I realize that going gluten-free might seem like a daunting or even impossible task.  For me it was a relatively easy transition.  As I have mentioned before my husband, Carl is Celiac (which is even worse than gluten-intolerance).  Since I already have to read labels to make sure I don't poison him it isn't hard to do it for myself.  We have been married for five years, and we have tried numerous gluten-free products.  Some are good and some are not.  Instead of telling you all the products that aren't worth the money I would rather focus on the positive.  I have compiled the following list of some of our favorite gluten-free products:

Hormel Pepperoni and All-Natural Deli Meats
Boar's Head All-Natural Deli Meats
Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Brown Rice Pasta
Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta
Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta (Recipes)
Conte's Gluten Free Spinach & Cheese Ravioli, Cheese Raviolli, and Gnochi (Frozen.  They have many other products that I haven't tried yet including pizza and pierogies! Available Online!)
R.P.'s Pasta Co. Linguini and Fettucine (Refrigerated)
Classico Pasta Sauces (The Alfredo is also gluten-free!)
Sonoma Gluten-Free Flatbreads by Donatos (Frozen)
Deli International Pizza (Frozen)
Freschetta Gluten-Free Pizza (Frozen)
Mama Mary's Gluten-Free Thin Pizza Crust
Canyon Bakehouse Rosemary & Thyme Focaccia, Sandwich Bread
Schar Par-baked Baguettes, Sub Rolls, and Ciabatta Rolls
Rotella's Sandwich Bread
Udi Sandwich Bread, Hot Dog Buns, Hamburger Buns, and Bagels
Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Bisquick and Dessert Mixes (Recipes)
Chebe Cheese Bread Mix (Cheese sold separately.  I haven't made these in a long time.  Sorry, Carl.)
Enjoy Life Soft Baked Cookies (Free of wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish, shellfish)
Grandma's House Gluten-Free Apple Pie (Frozen)
Alexia Potatoes (Frozen)
Selected Wolfgang Puck Canned Soups (Not all are gluten-free.)
Selected Amy's Canned Soups and Frozen Entrees (Not all are gluten-free.)
DePuma Frozen Gluten-FreePasta (I haven't tried this yet, but I'm including it in the list b/c it looks AMAZING!)
Glutino Pretzels & Bagel Chips
Stax (Pringles are not gluten-free.)
Blue Diamond Hazelnut Thin Crackers (They have other varieties, but we like the Hazelnut kind.)
Van's Gluten-Free Crackers
Chex Cereal (Make sure it's the Gluten-Free!)
Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour, Rice Flour


Additional Resources:
Gluten-Free Product Reviews from fellow blogger and Kansas City girl, Marissa Carter
Glutenfree.com
Glutenfreemall
FindMeGlutenFree.com

Hopefully you will be able to find these gluten-free products in your local supermarket in the health foods section or within the rest of the store.  If not, then you may have to purchase them online.  I also highly recommend requesting them through your local supermarkets in hopes that they will stock them for you.  Just remind them that they are missing sales.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease!


xoxo,
Sara


P.S.  Please include your own delicious gluten-free finds in the comments!

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Pinterest Love plus Roasted Cauliflower & Aged Cheddar Soup!

Over the past week I have gotten back on my Pinterest boards exploring past pins and pinning new ones.  There is no lack of inspiration in this world with the internet at hand and especially with Pinterest.  How awesome is it that you can basically create your own story boards (that would have originally been magazine clippings push pinned to a bulletin board) all in one place!?  With my love of food and low-cal eating I have collected a lot of recipes that I am anxious to try (some just a small taste because they are fattening rich, some a whole plate full serving because they are low-cal!).  I invite you to check out my boards and would love for you to follow any/all of my boards that interest you. 

I made a recipe this evening for my husband that I pinned on Pinterest from Kevin at Closet Cooking:

Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar Soup (Click the link for the recipe!)

I tweeked (confused that with tweeking, my bad) tweaked the recipe only slightly.  I skipped the step of sautéing the chopped thyme.  Instead I dropped a bouquet of thyme tied with butcher's twine in the broth.  I fished it out and discarded it before the puree step.  Also, I dare say I used two cups of white cheddar instead of 1 1/2 like the recipe stated.  And yes, I used a cup of heavy cream to make it creamy.  (Kevin suggested it!)  I reserved a little bit of the cheese and fresh chopped thyme for a garnish. All those tweaks and I thought for sure I was breaking the calorie bank.  It tasted like a cheesy cream of potato soup.  I plugged the recipe into the Lose It! app on my iPhone (after I already ate, wink, wink).  I was pleasantly surprised by how reasonable the calories were!  I estimated the recipe to be 4 servings based on how much I ate.  This deliciously, decadent soup was only 378 calories/serving.  I ate a small romaine lettuce salad with 1/2 a Tbsp. of Marzetti's Simply Dressed Light Caesar dressing (18 calories) just before the soup was ready.  I added a slice of gluten-free toasted baguette (55 calories) for dipping in the last bits of soup.  It was a very satisfying meal.  Of course, I'm scared to tell you the fat content. That means I'm not going to.  Haha! In case you are on a low fat diet I would suggest sticking with the 1 1/2 cups of cheese.  Also, use skim milk or extra broth instead of heavy cream.  I'll try to do that the next time.

I can't wait to try Closet Cooking's Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar Gratin next!  Stay tuned for a review.

xoxo

Sara

Friday, April 26, 2013

Lazy Low Cal Cookbook



One of my fellow online bloggers, Becky Clark, was kind enough to send me a free copy of her latest cookbook for review.  Lazy Low Cal Lifestyle Complete Cookbook 2013 has over 200 delicious, healthy recipes.  All the dishes list the calories.  What makes the cookbook unique is it contains a ton of meatless recipes, side dishes, and even sweets.  There is also a lot of enticing protein dishes.  You can purchase Becky's cookbook at www.lazylowcallifestyle.com for just $15.  Here is just a sample list of some the items included in the book to wet your appetite:

Main Dishes
Angellic Scallops (266 calories)
Crispy Oven Fried Drumsticks (169 calories)
Green Chile Stew (144 calories)
Hurry Curry (109 calories)
Lazy Burgers (205 calories)
Maple Pecan Salmon (287)

Meatless Dishes
Asparagus Parmesan Puff (272 calories)
Breakfast Quinoa (179 calories)
Cheese and Apple Quesadilla (338 calories)
Chile Relleno Casserole (248 calories)
Gazpacho (58 calories)
Potato Crust Quiche (178 calories)

Side Dishes
Cauliflower with Bacon and Cheese (159 calories)
Creamy Kale (63 calories)
Lemony Green Beans (30 calories)
Simple Biscuits (41 calories)
Squash Gratin (133 calories)
Zucchini Cakes (29 calories)

Sweets
Almost Instant Cupcakes (90 calories)
Cheesecake Brownies (93 calories)
Chocolate Mousse (113 calories)
Doughnuts (104 calories)

Nibbles & Sips
Edamame Dip (24 calories)
Garbanzo Poppers (56 calories)
Ranch Dressing (9 calories)
Reuben Dip (100 calories)

I'm getting so hungry just thinking about all Becky's recipes.  With pool season just around the corner this cookbook is going to come in handy.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Arby's Low-calorie Lunch Options


Before I get into the list of lunch options at Arby's let me talk a little about fitness.  Cardio is forever my nemesis, because I get so bored.  I recently decided to kill two birds with one stone and get my cardio in while watching American Idol.  That would be working out famously if the show still had Simon Cowell and Kelly Clarkson.  It just isn't the same.  Is it just me or is this show getting tiresome?  I don't know if it's the time commitment or the new judges, but it bores me now.  Maybe it's just been on too long.  Perhaps they should change the format to a modern day "Gong Show" so we don't have to hear the judges constructive criticism enjoying hearing their own advice.  At least Simon would skip to the point and just tell a contestant that his/her performance was atrocious with a capital "A".  It was mean, but it was entertaining, succinct, and true.  The magic is gone without Simon.  J Lo and Steven Tyler gave the show it's last breath.  The show is on it's last leg.  Now I just need a new season of the X Factor to get me back into the cardio groove.  Let's just move on to Arby's.
I don't eat at Arby's very often, but for the sake of this blog post I decided to eat lunch there the other day.  Since I was determined to eat low-calorie I did my research before I went and ordered the following meal as pictured above:
Ham & Swiss Melt 300
Apple Slices 30
Iced Tea 0
Total Calories 330
I dined inside and noticed they provided a condiment bar.  I gladly added some pickles, but I skipped the sauces.  I cannot say it was very filling.  Next time I will definitely order something else from the list of meals below.

The key at Arby’s is to skip all the high-calorie sides.  Pair a low-calorie sandwich with either sliced apples and yogurt dip (80 calories) or a chopped side salad with light Italian dressing (100 calories).  If you must have your fries, then order the value size with a junior sandwich.


Roast Beef Classic 350
Horsey Sauce 50
Apple Slices 30
Yogurt Dip 50
Total Calories 480


Roast Beef Classic 350
Arby’s Sauce 15
Chopped Side Salad 80
Light Italian Dressing 20
Total Calories 465


Roast Beef Medium 440
Arby’s Sauce 15
Total Calories 465


Beef ‘n Cheddar Classic 440
Apple Slices 30
Total Calories 470


Deluxe Bacon Cheddar 420
Apple Slices 30
Total Calories 450


French Dip & Swiss/Au Jus 430
Apple Slices 30
Total Calories 460


Cravin’ Roast Chicken 380
Chopped Side Salad 80
Light Italian Dressing 20
Total Calories 480


Chicken Tenders (3) 350
Buffalo Dipping Sauce 10
Chopped Side Salad 80
Light Italian Dressing 20
Total Calories 460


Chicken Tenders (3) 350
Tangy Barbeque Sauce 45
Apple Slices 30
Yogurt Dip 50
Total Calories 475


Jr. Roast Beef 210
Value Curly or Homestyle Fries 240
Total Calories 450


Jr. Ham & Cheddar Melt 210
Value Curly or Homestyle Fries 240
Total Calories 450


Jr. Chicken Sandwich 320
Apple Slices 30
Yogurt Dip 50
Total Calories 400


Macaroni & Cheese 170
Chopped Side Salad 80
Light Italian Dressing 20
Apple Slices 30
Yogurt Dip 50
Total Calories 370


Chopped Farmhouse Roast Chicken Salad 250
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing 130
Total Calories 380


Chopped Farmhouse Crispy Chicken Salad 430
Light Italian Dressing 20
Total Calories 450


The following sandwich options are offered regionally and may be substituted for another comparable sandwich:

Arby’s Melt 330
Ham & Swiss Melt 300
Jr. Deluxe Sandwich 260

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Alton Brown's City Ham & Mini Pumpkin Pie Tarts



I am in the process of making Alton Brown's City Ham.  I made this ham a couple years ago, and it is delicious.  My brother-in-law, Dan, said it was the best ham he ever had.  I realize ham isn't as traditional for Thanksgiving as turkey, but this recipe is so good nobody will be missing the bird.  Since it is a 6-hour process to cook I am up bright and early to get the ham in the oven.  We are headed to my sister-in-law's house at 2:00 p.m.  It might be a little late to add this recipe to your Thanksgiving menu.  However, Christmas is just around the corner so I highly recommend trying out this recipe for your holiday feast.

Yesterday I made mini pumpkin pie tarts with homemade cream cheese frosting.  The recipes for both are so easy as long as you have a mixer. 



Mini Pumpkin Pie Tarts

For the crust:

1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 3-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour

Pumpkin filling:

1 egg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

For the crust beat the margarine and cream cheese together on medium to high with an electric mixer until combined.  Slowly add the flour until well mixed.  Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for an hour to make the dough easier to handle.

Form the chilled dough into 24 equal sized balls.  Place each ball into 1 3/4-inch muffin cup.  Press the dough evenly against the bottom and sides of the muffin cup.  Preheat the oven at 325 degrees.

Next prepare the pumpkin filling.  Combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl.  Fill each pastry lined muffin cup with a rounded teaspoon of the pumpkin filling.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cool slightly in the pan.  Remove the tarts from pans and cool.  24 servings, 66 calories per serving.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting: 

1 4-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Whip the cream cheese and margarine together with an electric mixer.  Add the vanilla.  Add the sugar slowly.  Spoon the frosting into a piping bag or zip lock bag.  Chill the frosting in the fridge until ready to use.

Once the pie tarts are ready to serve pipe a dollop of frosting onto each tart.  If using a zip lock bag, then cut one of the corners of the bag to turn it into a piping bag. 




Wednesday, November 21, 2012

5 Ideas for Leftover Turkey






If you are stuck with a lot of leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, then you may want to get creative with it if you are having it for the third time.  Here are some ideas to help you recycle those leftovers:


1.  Chop the turkey and turn it into turkey salad by adding light mayo, chopped celery, walnuts, and dried cranberries.

2.  Make a cobb salad with chopped turkey, chopped ham, hard-boiled egg, bacon, blue cheese, tomatoes, and dressing.

3.  Make Tyler Florence's Turkey Tetrazzini.

4.  Sub leftover turkey for ground turkey in Giada's Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells.

5.  Sub chopped turkey for ground turkey in Rachael Ray's Ranch-Style Turkey Chili.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo

Sara


Tuesday, November 20, 2012

KalorieBox Review

 
 
First off I just have to confess that I didn't last very long as a pescatarian.  Since my husband can't eat fish it was really hard for us to have a meal together.  The good news is that I have significantly reduced my consumption of red meat.  I'm probably down to eating it once or twice a week at most.   I'm eating a lot more fish and poultry.  Now that I have that out of the way, on with the review.  
 
One of the perks of blogging is that occasionally people may offer you free products to review.  I officially received my first freebie.  The company KalorieBox offers a service where they ship you delicious low-calorie snacks to sample on a monthly basis.  They ship everywhere in the United States and Canada.  They sent me a box of snacks, and they were delicious.  The box they sent me contained a bottle of Hint water, Plentils crunchy lentil chips, 2 packages of Fit Frappe, 2 packages of Simply Snackin' Jerky, and a bottle of Stubb's Original Bar-B-Q Sauce.   
 
 
 
The Hint water is a refreshing, zero-calorie water that just has a hint of flavor.  The bottle they sent me was pomegranate-tangerine.  It's all natural with no sugar or artificial sweeteners.  Hint is a great alternative to soda or artificially sweetened beverages.  
 
 
 
When I first tried the Plentils I felt like they were just okay. However, I kept finding myself reaching back in the bag for more chips.  They totally grew on me, and I would definitely get them again.  Plentils are crunchy lentil chips that are gluten-free and free of the 8 common allergens (wheat, soy, tree nuts, egg, peanuts, shellfish, fish, and dairy).  They contain no artificial ingredients, no saturated fat, and no trans fat.  One package is only 100 calories.  
 



I'm probably the most excited about the Fit Frappe.  KalorieBox sent me two different flavors, Vanilla Latte and Mocha.  It comes in a powder form and you mix it with water.  A 16 oz. serving contains 20 g of protein and is only 130 calories.  It's gluten-free and full of vitamins and minerals.  It contains less than 1 g of sugar.  It also contains 5 g of fiber.  The Vanilla Latte didn't really taste like coffee so I added some instant espresso powder to it, and then it was quite good.  The Mocha was amazing.  It tasted just as good as an iced mocha from Starbucks.  I definitely recommend it.  I'm going to have to get more.
 
 

The Simply Snackin' jerky that came in my KalorieBox was 60 calories per serving.  I tried Teriyaki Dried Chicken Breast with Mangoes and Papaya and Teriyaki Dried Beef Sirloin with Pineapples.  I must tell you that I am not a big jerky fan.  However, this jerky was different.  It wasn't as tough as other jerky brands tend to be.  Also, it was almost kind of juicy for jerky if that makes any sense.
 
 

The second best item in the box was the Stubb's Original Bar-B-Q Sauce.  I live in Kansas City, and around here we take barbecue pretty seriously.  Stubb's is a Texas barbecue sauce, and Texans are serious about barbecue too.  This barbecue sauce was delicious!  The sauce is tangy, peppery, and has just the right amount of vinegar.  The best part is that it's only 30 calories for 2 tablespoons.  It would be great on pulled pork or leftover turkey..

I'd like to thank Michael from KalorieBox for asking me to review their service and for introducing me to these delicious low-calorie snacks.  I think the service is well worth the price.  I hadn't tried any of these products before, and I probably never would have heard of them if it wasn't for KalorieBox.
 
If you are interested in the service you can subscribe to one of 3 plans (monthly, 3 months, and 6 months). Plans start at $17/month for the 6 months, $21 for 3 months, and $25 for monthly. Once subscribed, they ship out your box on the 15th of each month. Each month, the box will contain a different set of low calorie options for you to try. And, for each box they send out, they donate a meal to a child in need. How nice is that!  For more information you can check out the How it Works page on their website (https://kaloriebox.com/HowitWorks) and FAQ Page (https://kaloriebox.com/FAQ). 
 
 

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto with Balsamic Glaze



Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto with Balsamic Glaze

I am re-posting this link today because of a conversation I had with a checker at Trader Joe's (love that place!!!).  I made the recipe today minus the prosciutto, because I am trying to go pescatarian (boo!).  We shall see how long that lasts.  (Pssst!  I ate a piece of chicken last night.  Don't tell anyone.) 

My lovely, fellow blogger, Kelly at Eat Yourself Skinny was kind enough to let me guest post my asparagus recipe on her site a little over a year ago.  While you are redirected to her site you must check out all her awesome recipes.  She's a blogger after my own heart.  She even lists recipes by points for all of you WW enthusiasts. 

On to other news, I am continuing to work on my guidebook about what to eat when you eat out at chain restaurants.  I'm beginning to taste the end of this decade long two-year project.  God willing, I should have it done by December.  Don't worry!  Even though I am pretending to go going pescatarian I will have plenty of beef/pork/poultry options in the book.  I might go back to being a raging carnivore within a week, so don't hold me to the pescatarian thing.  I'll keep you posted.  In case you don't know what pescatarian means you can read all about it on Wikipedia.  I'm not trying the diet change to be pretentious or holier than thou.  I'm merely trying it, because it's considered a heart-healthier diet. 

I watched the documentary Forks Over Knives on Netflix, and it inspired me to reduce my meat intake.  I highly recommend watching it even if you are a carnivore that salivates at the mere mention of meat like Pavlov's dog salivates at the bell.  If you watch it and still want your meat, then I certainly won't blame you.  You'll get no judgement from me, because it will be a hot day in Antarctica before I give up cheese and eggs.  The video is still an interesting watch without being super preachy like some other documentaries concerning meat consumption.  In addition, it is loaded with scientific research.

This isn't really an animal rights kind of issue for me.  (Although I think it would be hilarious if animals had the right to vote or run for congress.  Oops!  Forgot it's a bunch of donkeys and elephants.  My bad.)  Even if I succeed at going pescatarian I'm never going to stop wearing leather.  Fish skin just isn't fashionable.  Eel skin is okay but kind of creepy.  I own four leather jackets, and I will continue to wear them with pride.  They match my leather handbags, belts, and shoes.  Plus one of the jackets makes me feel like Joan Jett.  That's one feisty, rock n' roll chick.  That never goes out of style.  I plan on wearing that jacket far past my prime.  Someone will have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands even if I live to be a hundred.  I hate to belabor the point, but I love that jacket. 

Now that I wouldn't shut up about the jacket I suppose I should show you a picture.  It's only fair.



While I'm on the subject of all things me, I must tell you that I have gone ginger.  That's right, I'm a redhead now.  It's more auburn than fire-engine or carrot top.  Bye, bye blondie.  Thanks to Dalton at Roca Salon for holding my hand through the transformation.  He is some sort of mad scientist genius with hair color.  No regrets, buddy!  I'll update my profile pics on all my social media when I get a chance.




Wishing everyone sunshine and happiness!

Sara

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Almond Mocha Mocktail 120-Calories






I love a foo foo coffee drink in the morning, and I am always looking for ways to make it low-calorie without sacrificing taste.  I came up with this drink on the fly, and it was delicious. 



Ingredients

2 tsp. Instant Espresso
8 oz. Light Chocolate Soy Milk or Chocolate Almond Milk
2 Emerald Dark Chocolate Cocoa Roasted Almonds, Crushed, to rim the glass
1 tsp. Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, to rim the glass



Directions

Blend the instant espresso and chocolate milk in a blender or Magic Bullet. You may add ice cubes if you wish.



Crush the two almonds in a plastic bag using a rolling pin. Or blend in a spice blender.

Use the chocolate syrup to coat the rim of the glass.



Then dip the rim in the crushed almonds to garnish.




Serving Size: 1 Mocktail

Nutrition Info

  • Calories: 121.5
  • Fat: 2.9g
  • Carbohydrates: 19.6g
  • Protein: 3.7g  
     

    Calories per Ingredient per Serving of Almond Mocha Mocktail 

     

    90 calories of Light Silk Chocolate soy milk, (1 serving)
    16 calories of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, (0.33 tbsp)
    15 calories of Emerald dark chocolate almond, (0.10 oz)
    0 calories of Medaglia D'oro Instant Espresso Coffee, (2 tsp)