Apple is the New Tot!

I picked my little girls up from preschool today and they asked for Sonic. Immediately, I sigh. I have been running my very long driveway every morning and really trying to stay on track with eating healthy. I will not lie. It is not easy. Is it easy for anyone? You can ease the burden a bit by being creative, though, and that sigh will be followed by an "I can do this".

~~~~~~

We pulled up and I decided to order myself a grilled chicken sandwich (no mayo), a diet coke and I substituted the apples and fat free caramel dipping sauce for my beloved TOTS! I love their tots. I got home and ate the sandwich with some buffalo sauce (our fave) and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the apples were! I looked up the nutrition info on the site and the apples and dip side item has a total of 115 calories! I went and calculated my whole meal and the total calories were 389! That really isn't bad at all. So many restaurants have meal calculators where you can plug in items and come up with a total that works for you!

~~~~~~

Here is the kicker: I entered in what I would normally eat if I were not watching what I ate. Crispy chicken sandwich (548 cals), Medium tots (203 cals) and the medium Dr. Pepper (157 cals)! My meal can be either 389 or 908! Wow! The food is gone, people. Whether I ate the healthy meal or the fattening meal, it is GONE now. Which makes you feel better afterward?

~~~~~~

NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS THIN FEELS!

~~~~~~

I tried to find a low cal caramel dip to share, but decided I would need to try it first anyway, so here is a dip I have tried many times! I LOVE it.

~~~~~~

Pampered Chef Fluffy Peanut Butter Dip

*Make this regular or substitute the lower cal ingredients to make it healthier! Just make it!

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (use the lower cal kind)

1 8oz container vanilla yogurt (lite or fat free)

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup thawed frozen whipped topping (again, lower cal)

Apples or pears for dipping

Mix together PB, Yogurt and Cinnamon until thoroughly blended.

Gently stir in whipped topping and place in a chilled bowl.

Enjoy!

This dip is great to take to parties for a healthy alternative or even a great way to get your fruit in!

~~~~~~

Happy cooking...or mixing! :)

Thanks for looking!

Healthy Eating Makes This Momma Happy!

Hello Friends. I am back to healthy eating after a small break following our weight loss contest and spring break. When I eat healthy, I feel better inside and out. After only a few days of eating healthy, I already feel happier. There has to be some sort of chemical alteration that happens when you do not take in any junk!

One recipe that we love that is super healthy is Chicken Bruschetta. It is similar to the Bruschetta topping for bread that you may have eaten, but you put it on Chicken Breasts. I paired it with a salad and some fresh mushrooms. This is such a great dish because there are so many fresh vegetables on this plate! I felt healthier just chopping all of them! :) Maybe because it took a while and I burned more calories! Totally worth it!

Hopefully you can click the picture and see all the great veggies on the chicken!

Our favorite salad dressing is this Toasted Sesame Soy and Ginger. I hope you can find it and try it. It really is good. With only 40 calories per 2T serving, you can eat it without feeling guilty at all!
*Here is a pointer and something I like to do with dressing. I know lots of people say to get the salad dressing on the side at restaurants because you can better control how much you eat, but I also do it at home. I believe you will find that if you measure out 2T of salad dressing in a small cup like I did in the above picture, you will not use as much as you would if you poured it on. The lettuce stays crisp and I do not even eat the whole 2T when I dip it in the cup. This is just one of those small things you can do to save unnecessary calories.

Here is the recipe for anyone who wants to try it:

Chicken Bruschetta

Ingredients

Chicken

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Topping

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 (4.5 oz) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
• 3 medium italian plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 oz (1/4 cup) shredded fresh parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Spray broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
3. Broil on sprayed pan until done at 170 degrees (I always use a thermometer with meat).
4. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot.
5. Add mushrooms, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until garlic is tender.
6. Add onion, chopped basil, tomatoes, vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
7. Cook 30 to 45 seconds or until heathed throughout.
8. Arrange chicken on plates and sprinkle with half the cheese.
9. Top each serving with the mushroom mixture and remaining cheese on top.

I hope you will try this. It is really a healthy and filling meal with a salad.

**Dressing on the side!!

Enjoy!

Happy cooking..thanks for looking!!