Lighten Up the Summer

June 24, 2009

I don't know about you, but in summer I find it extra difficult to watch those calories and pounds. Sure there are more fresh fruits and vegetables available, but with the kids out of school there also seems to be more reasons to socialize which is great. Who doesn't love getting together at the pool or the beach with friends and family and cooking up burgers, hot dogs, ribs dripping with delicious sauce, a couple of beers or glasses of wine...you get the idea.

I have been trying to stick to "lighter" food during the week so on the weekends I can splurge.

Following are some great items that we have come across over the last couple of months that can help keep things in check during the summer, and year-round really.

Thin & Crispy Butterball Turkey Bacon- Senor Food and I have been having the beloved BLT (with Turkey Bacon!) for lunch when we both happen to be home. I know you might think ugh! Turkey Bacon because I used to think that too until I started making a fattening appetizer with it and nobody knew the difference- in fact, I think it might be better! I am here to tell you it is a pretty tasty substitute to it's very fatty brother. Get this, 3 slices is only 50 calories, 3.5g fat but only 1g of saturated fat and 0 grams of trans fat. Add some fresh tomatoes from the garden and some lettuce and you are ready to go. We usually have it on "Arnold's Bakery Light Whole Wheat Bread" which is only 80 calories for 2 slices and hardly any fat...which leads me to my next find...


I am a big fan of bread- it is probably my biggest downfall in weight watching (among other things!). Though I don't mind the Light Whole Wheat Bread, sometimes I feel that the slices are so small that I am still hungry which leads to snacking or another whole sandwich. I am here to tell you that Arnold also makes "Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins". They are round and more roll-like but not as doughy. They are only 100 calories and 1 gram of fat. Sometimes I'll have a part-skim mozzarella grilled cheese on them, the BLT is good on them AND they could be used for hamburgers! Definitely worth a try if you ask me.

Sometimes you just need a snack! I have found that there are lots of varieties of crackers that are tasty with no toppings and are low calorie with almost no fat. I love Z Crackers- Red Onion and Rosemary or Sea Salt but there are so many out there now including various crostinis and even Wheat Thins. Check them out next time you are in the store.

Hungry Girl (www.hungrygirl.com) turned me on to a very tasty frozen pizza. A.C. La Rocco's Ultra Thin Crust Bruschetta Style Pizza. After I read about it, I was lucky enough to find it right away in the Whole Foods near my house and it was love at first bite! Thin, crispy and only 170 calories for half the pizza. Sadly for some reason the Whole Foods near my house does not seem to be stocking it anymore but I do check every single time I am there! Other grocery stores besides WF do carry it, so keep an eye out.



Not as easy to make as the frozen pizza, but not hard either, homemade pizza (sort of) that I have been throwing together. In the bread section, alot of supermarkets and specialty stores are carrying ready made crusts in various flavors including whole wheat, sourdough, parmesan, etc. (similar to Boboli, but not as thick and fatty) I use whatever tomato sauce I have around, either homemade or from a jar. Add anything you like from peppers to mushrooms to tomatoes, to chicken, the list can go on and on especially with all the fresh summer veggies available this time of year. Top with light or part skim mozzarella cheese, a little oregano, maybe some fresh basil, and you suddenly have a quick meal ready to be cooked in the time it took the oven to preheat! Whole Foods carries their own 365 Organic Brand, simply called Organic Pizza Crusts and I have also seen/had the brand Rustic Crust as well as some others. The crusts range from 140 calories to 170 calories for a quarter of the pizza.


Last, but not least...We can't forget about dessert. Skinny Cow makes lots of tasty frozen treats. Our Favorite is the Chocolate Truffle Bar. Weighing in at only 100 calories and 2 grams of fat, I challenge you to find something tastier.

Let us know at Foodie Favorites if you have any favorite "light" ideas.

http://foodiefavorites.blogspot.com/

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Have a great summer and diet on!
Diet Girl

Pod, Philadelphia, PA

June 18, 2009

WE ARE BACK! Sorry to have been away for so long but all your friends from Foodie Favorites are coming your way for the summer and beyond...

Senor Food has returned from a weekend in "The City of Brotherly Love," Philadelphia, and has been kind enough to provide our returning review. Bon appetit!

Senor Food:
While in Philly I had a tremendous dining experience that I could not wait to share with all of the followers of "Foodie".

A friend from the area had suggested we try "Pod" and the experience did not disappoint. The restaurant serves contemporary pan asian cuisine and has a fantastic drink and sake menu and a top notch sushi bar. The decor is also fun in a futuristic kind of way. You can make a reservation to sit in one of the specially designed, enclosed pods if you so desire.

How could the meal have been anything but great when the worst thing we had was Kobe Beef? Yes, you read that right- it was the worst part of the meal. That's not to say that it was bad. In my opinion, nobody but Nobu gets Kobe beef right...but I guess that's beside the point.

We enjoyed an assortment of Sake and Sapporo throughout the meal which kick started the evening in a very positive way. We chose to share a few things which is not a necessity but our meal was very casual so it gave us the opportunity to sample a variety of the wide ranging menu.

We started with some sushi because hey, when in Rome, right? (or when in Japan?) We ordered a Green Dragon Roll, a Spider Roll, as well as nigiri style yellowtail, eel and Ikura. The presentation was excellent and the fish was very fresh and full of flavor. This was accompanied by an order of Tuna Tartar which was prepared with crispy shallots, ginger and roasted jalapeno. My mouth is starting to water as I write this.


Our second course was the Kobe Beef which comes with a ponzu and wasabi dipping sauce and is seared tableside on Japanese river rocks. The presentation was amazing and it was very tasty but it was served as three pieces and they were a little thick for me- unfortunately, just not the way I like my Kobe- I prefer when it is paper thin. We then shared potstickers which came with a stellar mustard aioli sauce.



Finally, the entree...Red Miso Barbecued Pork Tenderloin.................the dots are equivalent to the drool coming from my mouth just thinking about it again. This entree is one of those things you will always remember and compare other dishes to for the rest of your life. When you see something similar in the future, you will order it hoping it will be the same, but it won't measure up.

We passed on dessert (due to a plan to continue drinking heavily) but the one item that did sound very enticing was the Fluffernutter Spring Rolls with warm chocolate peanut butter dipping sauce. It also looked really good and we did have some remorse when we saw it at another table.

If you find yourself in or near Philly and are looking for an outstanding dining experience, Senor Food gives you his personal guarantee that you will not be disappointed. Call ahead for reservations.

Restaurant Pod
3636 Sansam Street
Philadelphia, PA
phone 215.387.1803
website http://www.podrestaurant.com

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