Knock Off Meals

Over the years I have learned to create my own knock off meals at home.  Many restaurants have full descriptions of their entrees on their menus and websites.  If you have a favorite meal, why not try your hand at a knock off version at home?  You're able to control the portion sizes, sodium, fat and added sugar content when you're the chef.  

I also recommend skimming website menus online when you're at a loss on what to prepare for dinner. Avoid the deep fried, cheese covered, heavily sauced options.  Someone has already done all of the work and figured out the pairings of proteins, veggies and carbs.  All you have to do is figure out how to emulate it in a healthy way.

Today I decided to knock off my favorite salad from Bahama Breeze. This salad is all types of delicious:  Fresh pineapple, almonds, goat cheese, strawberries, mandarin and red grapes.  

Grilled Chicken or Shrimp and Tropical Fruit on Mixed Greens


Tossed with vinaigrette dressing, fresh pineapple, red grapes, strawberries and mandarin oranges with goat cheese crumbles and candied almonds. 

The menu basically outlined all the ingredients I needed. Grocery shopping was a no brainer.  The website also graciously shared the recipe for the Island vinaigrette.

 ISLAND VINAIGRETTE

 The only real preparation was the 'grilling' of the chicken breast, (which I did on my George Foreman).  Check out the Emeril's Creole Seasoning recipe on my recipe page.  This stuff is about to be my 'house' seasoning for my meats.

DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!!

I was very pleased with the outcome of this salad.  If I had to give it a score from the range of 1-10 I would give it an 8.5 or 9.  I've said it quite a few times on my blog already, don't eat what you don't like!  A little effort and variety can make your healthy lifestyle change second nature. 

D.I.Y. (DO IT YOURSELF)

I've been in the weight loss 'game' for a while now.  Every so often I am amazed with the information that I stumble across.  I titled the blog D.I.Y. because I believe one of the most important factors of weight loss is your diet.

I'd be lying if I said I ate perfectly every single day.   I strive to stay in the middle of the road and make conscientious decisions as much as possible.  However, I have been surprised recently by some of the diet blunders I have made.  I walked to a nearby Chinese restaurant a few weeks ago for lunch.  The cuisine, (if you call it that) is Mall Food Court Chinese food at best.  But... how can you go wrong with string beans?  Well, you can go very wrong with string beans if you deep fry them.  I ordered my food and was waiting for fresh green beans since they didn't have any prepared.  I was taken completely off guard when I saw the cook dump the beans into a metal basket and then lower into a vat of hot oil.  I always thought the beans were blanched or parboiled, then sauteed with a little bit of oil and garlic.  I'd gone to this restaurant a few times without realizing the mode of preparation for my veggies.  Had I taken the time to prepare my lunch before heading into work that morning I wouldn't have ended up with those greasy, yet yummy beans in my styrofoam compartment plate. It's completely unrealistic to say that you'll never eat out.  But, if you have any control over the matter....D.I.Y!!!

When you prepare your own meals you have total control over the amount of fat, sugar, and salt that goes into them.  You get to choose whether the food is baked, broiled, stir fried or sauteed.  Nine out of 10 times some of the best tasting foods have a 'secret' ingredient that is heavy on: sodium, sugar or fat.

By taking a hands on approach on what you eat, there is little room to no room for miscellaneous calories sneaking onto your plate.  If you're wondering why you're not losing as much weight as you think you should be, perhaps you should inquire how some of your favorite foods are prepared.  There very well could be some hidden 'additives' in the foods that you enjoy on a regular basis.  A pinch of sugar here or there... a heaping spoonful of bacon grease in your veggies...or in my case - straight up deep frying string beans.  All of these things could be silent factors that are hindering your progress.

If at all possible, Do It Yourself.  It does a body good....