Trick or "Healthy" Treats

Halloween is my favorite holiday to celebrate- well one of them! This year, make your Halloween all about the tricks and the healthy treats!

Here are some of my favorites:

1. "Candy Corn" Parfaits: Canned Pineapple Bites and Orange Slices topped off with fat free whipped cream. Easy enough- and so cute! (2WW points!) 

2. Utz Snacks! Find them in bulk at Costco or Sam's. The Pretzels have 50 calories per bag and the cheese balls have 60 calories (1 WW point each). Both are prefect for a snack or in your lunch bag.

3. Mini-Sized Everything! The best part of Halloween is that you can find mini versions of all your favorite snacks! Give them to trick-or-treaters of course, but don't forget to save some for yourself. Mini bags of goldfish, crackers, fruit roll-ups, rice crispy treats, and more - usually all under 100 calories. (Plus, hit up all the stores on November 1st and 2nd and get your favorite mini snacks on clearance!) 

4. Witch Brooms! Simple- String Cheese + Pretzel Sticks... So yummy and creative! (See photo)

5. For a sweet treat, that's also adorable, I love the Pretzel-Hershey Hugs-Candy Corn bites. I also made them with an orange Recess Pieces in the middle. Yum! (Here's how: Place a hug on each mini pretzel. Bake in the oven for 2 mins on 350. Top with candy. Let dry - I put them in the fridge to dry.)

6. Mummy Dogs...Love these! How to: wrap 97% fat free beef hot dogs (like the kind by Hebrew National) up in reduced fat pilsbury dough (see photo) and bake in oven. Top off with a mustard face :)

Also- for the candy lovers, here is a cheat sheet list of calorie and point values from my favorite blogger, Hungry Girl:  http://s3.amazonaws.com/hungry-girl/uploads/fck/HGHALLOWEENCANDYGUIDE2013.pdf

Happy Halloween!

Great Outdoors=Great Lunch Find!

Great Outdoors=Great Lunch Find!

For lunch today, I discovered the Great Outdoors! How did I not know about this place? I was so impressed by their Eat Out Healthy (EOH) menu proudly posted with Weight Watchers points already calculate for you- awesome! (I calculated the points, to verify they were correct, just in case... They were!)

My usual sandwich/sub pick is a simple turkey with no cheese- it's a good go to healthy choice, however- this unique menu feature a tuna sub made with Fat Free Mayo- awesome! I've never seen that at a restaurant before. Had to try it! (For reference, the Subway Tuna 6" clocks in at 480 calories, 13 WW points- and no Fat Free alternative. Not awful, but not great.) 

This FF Tuna on white clocks in at 360 calories and 9WW points. The tuna with fat free mayo was made with crunchy celery mixed in- yum! Plus, I topped off the sub with lots of veggies- lettuce, tomato, sprouts (which you can't get at subway!), pickles, and onions. Additionally, I grabbed a bag of baked lays on the side for an additional 3 WW points. This location in Frisco offered regular, sour cream and onion and BBQ flavors.

The EOH Menu also features a roast beef option, grilled chicken, turkey, turkey pastrami (yum- and hard to find!) and ham subs, all for 8-9 WW points. Their chicken noodle soup also looks good with awesome stats of 119 calories, 3 WW points.

What to stay away from? The desserts! Their chocolate chip cookie has 400 calories, 11 WW points- eek! Also, some of the 17 WW point subs with over 700 calories: Cheesteak Sub, Meatball Sub, Invention Sub... And worst of all, Peanut Butter, Banana and Honey Sub with 766 calories, 20WW points or the Outdoorsman with 792 calories, 20 WW points- Oy Vey!

All in all, a great menu for the Great Outdoors!

(In case you were wondering, my sub was so good that I forgot to get a picture... Maybe next time!)

October 4th is National Taco Day AND National Vodka Day

Celebrate Friday! Celebrate Tacos! Celebrate Vodka!

Apparently October 4th is National Taco Day AND National Vodka Day- what a combo! Celebrate with these great ideas....

1. Baked Tostitos and my homemade "easy-cheesy" queso (Fat free sour cream and 4-5 wedged of Laughing Cow Light Queso Fresco & Chipolte cheese blended together)

2. Simple tacos in a low carb 80 calorie flour tortilla (like the kind by Mission) however you like them. Tonight, I went with grilled chicken strips, lettuce, pico and a small scoop of the queso.

3. Vodka and Canada Dry 10 (a family favorite mixer!) bottoms up!

Side Dish: A regular soft or crispy taco (beef or chicken) at a fast food joint will only run you 160-180 calories, so feel free to indulge on one or two of those!