Archive for Eat this – Not that

Guiltless BBQ Chicken Salad

January 24, 2012 · Filed under Chicken, Eat this - Not that, Salads, Veggies · Tagged , ,

There is something about the tangy flavor of BBQ Sauce, and the creamy, savory flavor of ranch dressing that, when combined, make me weak.  A few days ago I set out to create a “healthy” version of a BBQ Chicken Salad, and I was really expecting a so-so lunch.   Guess what?  I was WRONG!  This was one of the best MEALS I have had in a long time!  Fast. Simple. Healthy.  AND TASTED AWESOME!  You are not even going to believe what is in this (or should I say -not in this)…but I promise you will not be disappointed! WOW!

1.  Place Kale Salad in a bowl (Have as much as you want, and whatever brand, all the stores have them now.  I still like Harvest Sensations)

2.  Place a few spoonfuls of Hannah’s Tzatziki on the kale and mix throughly covering all of the kale. (This is a Costco product that is AWESOME!  Anywhere Ranch and/or sour cream previously went…this should go)

3.  Place Trader Joe’s Chickenless Pulled Chicken in the microwave for 2 min (following directions)

3.  Dump half the bag of BBQ Chicken onto the kale salad.  Using a fork and a knife chop/mix it all up

 

4.  I added these yummy peppers, but you could add black beans, corn…any veggie you want!  Chop/mix one more time

5.  Dump into a bowl, add 6-10 Blue Corn Chips and VOILA!  Heaven in a dish! 

There will not be a disappointed taste bud in your mouth!!!

Here is the 411 on my Guiltless BBQ Chicken Salad:  Calories 260/Fat (Total 9g/Saturated 2g)/ Sodium 690mg/ Carbs 27 g (3g sugar)/ protein 21g

Just to compare here is the 411 on a HALF BBQ Salad from CPK (from their website):   Calories 709/Fat (Total 100 g/Saturate 9g)/ Sodium 896 mg/ Carbs 57 g (sugar not disclosed would guess at least 30)/ protein 26g

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Added Bonus…I get to say Rappleberry!

November 11, 2011 · Filed under Brands I Love, Eat this - Not that, grains, Kid Tip, kids, Organics, Products I can't live without, Snacks, Vegetarian · Tagged , , , ,

Not much of a bagel fan.  Never have been.  400 calories of enriched flour settling into my blood stream just makes me tired!  But my family LOVES bagels!!!  My Husband is from New York and he makes it his mission to locate the best bagel no matter where in the world we may be.  He and the kids go to bagels every Saturday morning, a tradition they all look forward to. 

About a month ago I stumbled onto a pretty reddish/pink bag in the bread aisle at the PCC that said “Rappleberry” on it!  Intrigued to see they were actually bagels I brought them home and served them (sprouted and all) to the pickiest bagel eaters I know and wouldn’t you know it…they LOVED THEM!

I love them because I can get a fabulous, fiber-filled, hi-protein breakfast into my kids in a hurry on school days and know they will make it to lunch without crashing and burning into a sleepy funk.  It is hard to believe these bagels are THIS good, given they are full of healthy stuff and really they are Sprouted Wheat, but TRUST me, they are DELISH!  I do wish they came sliced, but I just slice them when I buy them, place them back in the bag and keep them in the freezer.  They go straight into the toaster and do not get chewy or stale tasting like a regular bagel can.

I have to say all these fabulous new products sure do make clean eating a whole lot easier, and a whole lot more fun!  Who isn’t going to love saying “Rappleberry”?

Rappleberry Bagel

Noah’s Plain Bagel

260 Calories

350 Calories

Total Fat 1.5g

Total Fat 1g

Cholesterol 0mg

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 290mg

Sodium 700mg

Total Carbs 49g

Total Carbs 77g

Sugar 13g (naturally occuring from fruit)

Sugar 5g

Protein 15g

Protein 12g

Fiber 10g

Fiber 2g

Potassium 270mg

Potassium 0mg

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Ranch Dressing, Lite done Right!

January 8, 2011 · Filed under Eat this - Not that · Tagged , , ,

Yogurt Ranch Dressing Regular Ranch (Hidden Valley)
2 Tbl 45 Calories 2 Tbl 140 Calories
Total Fat 2.5g Total Fat 14g
Saturated Fat 0g Saturated Fat 2.5g
Cholesterol 5mg Cholesterol 10mg
Sodium 290mg Sodium 260mg
Total Carbs 5g Total Carbs 2g
Sugar 3g Sugar 1g
Protein 1g Protein 1g

 

I personally have never been a big Ranch Dressing fan, but I do like to dip veggies in it every now and then and let’s be honest, kids LOVE it!  But Ranch is a KILLER when it comes to FAT!  The last few months new Ranch Dressings made with YOGURT have been popping up all over the place, and they are GOOD!

We have tried two.  The Eating Right All Natural Ranch Yogurt Dressing available at Safeway is the one my kids like the best, and it does taste just like Ranch.

I found one made with Kefir (this is the yogurt my Husband grew up eating/drinking in Russia) Litehouse Kefir Yogurt Ranch Dressing, and we both liked this one better (found it at QFC) but it has lots of herbs in it (kids get weird about the green “stuff”).  I think this is less a “Ranch Dressing” replacement but more a great dip to serve with veggies!  I took it to three Holiday gatherings and if people thought it seemed too healthy, or did not taste great, I sure couldn’t tell as the bowl was literally left without a drop in it!

So this swap is an easy no-brainer!  If you are using Ranch for dipping, why dip into more fat when you can choose a healthier option that taste just as great!  Yes, this is still a processed food, with things in it that we can’t pronounce, but if you are going to eat Ranch (in moderation) this is a better choice!

Note:  These Dressings are found by the veggies and are refrigerated, not in the regular salad-dressing aisle.

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Yummy Peanut Butter,Yucky Peanut Butter!

March 1, 2010 · Filed under 411, Costco, Eat this - Not that, kids, Organics, Products I can't live without · Tagged ,

 

 Organic Creamy Peanut Butter

2 Tbsp

(Costco Kirkland Brand)

   Regular Creamy Peanut Butter2 Tbsp

(Jif Brand)
Calories 200 Calories 200
Protein 9 grams Protein 7 grams
Total Fat 16 grams Total Fat 16 grams
Saturated Fat 3 grams Saturated Fat 3 grams
Trans Fat 0 grams Trans Fat 0 grams (umm, not really see below)
Cholesterol 0 mg Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 45 mg Sodium 150mg
Total Carbs 7 g Total Carbs 7g
Dietary Fiber 2 grams Dietary Fiber 2 grams
Sugars 2 grams Sugars 3 grams
   
   
IngredientsDry roasted organic peanuts and salt. IngredientsMADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT.
   

 

Ounce for Ounce these 2 Peanut Butters look pretty similar?  Yep, that is the kicker.  The only glaring difference is that Jif has 3 times more salt!  But this is America, land of the loopholes.  The 2% or less (per serving, not jar) allows companies to post 0 trans fats as long as there is less than half a gram in a serving.  A serving is two tablespoons. Two percent would be 9 grams of trans fat per 454 gram jar.

Does peanut butter REALLY need to be Organic?  Pesticides and the peanuts: Peanuts are one of the most highly sprayed crops out there.  You decide.  My kids eat so much of the stuff it is a no-brainer for me.

If your peanut butter is SOLID when you put the knife in it has trans fat, that is why an oil that should not be solid is!  Period. 

Tips for dealing with the oil:

The oil in peanuts is monounsaturated, and diets high in this type of fat have been shown to lower levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol while preserving levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Peanut oil also contains beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol that studies show can inhibit cancer growth.

Sure, you could dump the oil, but I say keep it! So here is how to have less mess

  • Store the PB upside down before opening it!  The oil will rise to the bottom of the jar and then you can sir it back in with less mess.
  • If you just want to dump it, try dumping half
  • Dump all the oil out mix PB by adding it back in a bit at a time

*I would also like to note my girlfriend told me she didn’t buy organic peanut butter because she has no room in her fridge!  I thought “Oh crud, I have never put it in the fridge!”  I promptly came home and checked and Costco’s Organic PB does not need to be refrigerated!

 

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Yummy yogurt, Yucky yogurt

February 8, 2010 · Filed under 411, Breakfast, Eat this - Not that, kids · Tagged , , , ,

Yogurt is a staple in our home, but the yogurt you find in my fridge today is nothing like the yogurt you would have found over a year ago.  I think yogurt in America has become nothing more than a base for adding sugar, food coloring, additives, high-fructose corn syrup, potassium sorbate, sodium citrate, caramel color, and EXTRA YUMMY stuff like modified food starch.  Would any of you have guessed you needed ANY of those things to make yogurt? Well, you don’t actually.

It is sad that our taste buds have evolved to a place where even our dairy products need to be ”fake” in flavor and pink or green to appeal to our eyes!  Come on people, you know when you peel the lid back and dip your spoon into a “Key Lime” flavored yogurt with a thick, neon-green syrup at the bottom that you are not really eating fresh lime, right?  RIGHT?

Again, moderation.  If your kids need to have a Go-gurt once or twice a week, probably not a big deal (I don’t buy these).  Personally if I were going to buy these, and serve them, it would be an occasional treat, and as dessert!  Let’s teach our kids that junk food is, well, junk…instead of raising them believing junk food is food!

Greek yogurt can be sweetened up for your kids in several healthy ways.  Add a few drops of Agave, a small spoonful of a healthy jam, fresh blueberries, crunchy cereal…PLAY AROUND with it.  If you must, buy vanilla, or one of the other flavors now available.

Here is a comparison of Yummy vs. Yucky yogurt!  I wanted an Apples-to-Apples comparison, though I doubt many of us purchase this version of “Yucky” yogurt, it is probably much, much worse!

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