Beware the Traps

My wife Tabitha is not only vegan, but also going back to school to be a nutritionist.  One thing she is always saying is that salads are traps.  People think they are doing themselves good when they order the Caesar salad and maybe adding some grilled chicken.  Well, if you would normally order a huge cheeseburger and fries, perhaps it’s a better choice…perhaps.  If you were going to The Olive Garden and ordered just that, here is what you would be getting; 610 calories, 40 grams of fat (Oyveh!) and 1230 grams of sodium.  If I am not mistaken, that  also comes with breadsticks and soup.  I could go into a host of other salad info, but know this; the dressing and croutons are not helping you one iota.  Get dressing on the side and hold the croutons.  You really know the right thing to do.  Just do it.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I love the Food Network.  I love to cook so, of course, it is what I check first when channel surfing.  Rachael Ray fast became America’s sweetheart, whipping up meals in just thirty minutes.  Many of these scrumptious concoctions she purports as “healthy.”  Well, America’s Sweetheart must have stock in the folks that make the angioplasty supplies, because while she may not be Paula Deen, her shit is anything but healthy.  I am sorry, Rachael, but EVOO is still a fat.  A better fat?  Yeah.  Healthy in the copious amounts you glug into your orange pots and pans?  Not by a long stretch.  If you want to add the amount of oil, cheese and salt you do, please don’t give me that Joker-like smile of yours and say “A healthy and hearty meal in under thirty minutes!"  If you ask Tabitha, she’d tell you "Rachael Ray wouldn’t know a healthy meal if it banged her all night long."  

Chinese food is mostly veggies.  We all love it.  If you don't, then you're just weird.  You can stop reading here.  I think most people are smart enough to know the fried stuff ain’t Lo Phat Chow.  But even your typical Chicken with Broccoli can be a trap.  A serving of about two cups is 650 calories and at least 13 grams of fat.  Not too bad for the average joe, but if you are trying to lose weight, not a great choice.  Frankly, no one eats two cups.  Usually more.  Have it with pork fried rice and you are sabotaging your efforts even more, plus you are kidding yourself.  I want a nap just thinking about it.  As with the salad, get your sauce on the side.  Skip the fried rice.  They hide a lot of oil in there too.  Good tip; if it is at all shiny, odds are it has an enough oil to make it a poor choice. 

This all speaks to what I have been saying.  You likely know the right thing to do and often ignore it.  I did.  I still want to.  It's hard.  I get that.  Listen to your head and not your devil.

What I ate today:

Breakfast ~ One egg beaten with 1 Tb salsa,  then microwaved for 45 secs.  Served on a Wegman's sandwich thin.  Under 180 calories, yet hot, delicious and portable!

Mid-morning snack ~ Yeah, I had another Starbucks' Skinny Decaf Mocha while in a business meeting.  Last one this week, promise.  I only had the Tall at about 110 calories, but not a great choice. No nutrition here.

Lunch ~ Dined out and had steamed scallops and veggies, sauce on the side with brown rice.  Totally ingored the fried noodles and included soup option.  Really enjoyed it.

Dinner ~ Dined out again with one of my favorite people.  Enjoyed a salad with white beans, artichokes and mixed greens.  Had them hold the feta.  Broiled salmon with eggplant and radicchio. Decaf with a splash of milk.  Such a nice meal.