Jimmy's Egg Restaurant

As I enter my final month of pregnancy, I feel like it's a good time to get back to blogging. I'm ready to ditch the pregnancy weight and crazy cravings when our sweet baby boy arrives get back on track with him! 

That being said- I'll make my blog come back with a great breakfast place (my favorite!) we found in the colony! Jimmy's Egg located off 121 and Main Street. (It's actually a Midwest chain!) 

What did I love about it? There are TONS of skinny options to choose from, and they all sounded super yummy! Rarely do I find a place with lots of great choices! It wasn't too far from our house, so we will be back (maybe with Baby Z!) soon to try more things.

Here's the scoop: there is a classic light menu called Skinny Jimmy. I posted the choices below with calorie counts. And, there is a New Years menu with more choices (see photo). All nutrition facts are on the Jimmy's Egg website (http://www.jimmysegg.com/home-m/) and sign up for their email and print your $3 off coupon before you go! 

I had the turkey sausage and eggs! (I love that you can have either turkey sausage or turkey bacon there!) I stuck with regular eggs, scrambled. (Baby needs the real deal while he's still growing!) If you swapped for egg beaters, you will save about 100 calories. Also, if you swap your toast for a dry English Muffin, you can save 50 calories... And they are equally as good! (Add back 25 calories for jelly pack.)

Next time, I'm going to try the Wheat Pancake Combo listed below or the Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato sandwich from the New Years menu. Both look yummy and filling! 

A few random highlights I liked about Jimmy's Egg:

- Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer was already on the table 

- They have coupons! 

- LOTS of great choices on the skinny menu to choose from

- It wasn't super crowded for Sunday Breakfast out

- All nutrition facts are on their website. 

- Good, fast and friendly service! 

Here is a look at some menu items: 

Skinny Jimmy Breakfast: Low-fat vanilla yogurt topped with fresh strawberries, fresh cut cantaloupe, a side of granola, and a toasted dry English muffin. 600 Calories

Turkey Sausage & Eggs: Two eggs cooked any style and two turkey sausage patties. Served with fresh fruit and dry wheat toast. 590 Calories

Sweet Potato Pancakes: Two low fat, no cholesterol sweet potato pancakes served with sugar-free syrup. 410 Calories

Bowl of Oatmeal: Served with brown sugar and raisins on the side. 380 Calories 

Over Light Pancake Combo: Two whole wheat pancakes, turkey sausage, and scrambled eggs made with Egg Beaters®. 570 Calories

Spinach & Mushroom Egg White Omelette: Egg white omelette with fresh spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes. Served with cottage cheese, and sliced tomatoes, and dry wheat toast. 480 Calories

Global Peace- A Frisco Coffee Hidden Gem

Global Peace Coffee Factory is an awesome hidden gem among my co-workers, so I needed to check it out. Their Legacy and 121 location is somewhat off the beaten path from our usual Plano/North Dallas eateries, but worth the easy drive up Legacy any day of the week. Besides, who doesn't love great coffee- near or far, hot or cold! 

Here are some of the highlights:

- I absolutely love Guilt-Free Coffee choices! Get your latte, drip coffee or frappe made with one of their sugar free syrups for zero added calories. Choose from SF Vanilla, SF Hazelnut, or SF Carmel. Awesome! All too often, non chain coffee shops have no SF syrups, or only vanilla, so I found this impressive. I had an iced coffee with SF Hazelnut, skim milk and Splenda- delicious! Estimated calorie count: 20 calories for the milk. 

- The Orange Decor is super fun and cheerful. I also loved the 'hidden' seating upstairs. What an adorable atmosphere! Plus, each booth has an electric outlet, so charge your device over a guilt-free coffee! + free wi-fi!

- Build your own guilt-free breakfast sandwich for only $3.99! This is great. First choose your bread: English muffin, bagel thin or tortilla (all great options estimated at 120 calories each to be safe. Stay away from the croissant, who needs it! Plus it costs extra!) Second, choose your meat: go with the turkey or turkey bacon. Yum! Or choose both for extra protein and only 75 cents more! (Estimated 40 calories each to be safe.) Third, choose your cheese: Swiss, Cheddar, or Provolone. At most places, I would skip the cheese, but this time- I figured I could splurge since the sandwich and coffee is already a great choice, plus-I just finished Zumba :). (Estimated 70 calories each.) Side Note: I also asked for egg whites. No problem and no up charge- Way to go Global Peace! So... Bagel Thin Sandwich with egg whites, turkey and provolone: estimated 260 calories! And yummy, of course! My husband went with the Tortilla, turkey slices, turkey bacon, egg and cheddar: estimated 330 calories. Mix and match to create a sandwich you will love! 

Now, I believe there use to be a Plano location on Park and Preston- but it's gone. Lame! So, instead- make your way to Frisco one day soon for this great, guilt-free find!

Smart Menu at OTB!

Of course every Texas girl loves good tex-mex, margaritas and chips and salsa... And I must say, I am LOVING the new On The Border "Border Smart" menu, featuring great choices at 590 calories or less- leaving you extra calories for chips and a skinny margarita!

I think the best bet is to create your own combo! 

First, pick two main dishes:

- Ground Beef Tostada: 180 calories

- Chicken Tinga Tostada: 140 calories

- Guacamole Tostada: 200 calories

-  Chicken Tomatillo Enchilada: 140 calories

- Spinach & Mushroom Tomatillo Enchilada: 120 calories

- Grilled Chicken Fajita Taco: 150 calories 

Second, choose a side:

- Black beans: 170 calories

- Cilantro lime rice: 190 calories

- Grilled vegetables: 50 calories 

*I had one spinach enchilada and one with chicken plus grilled veggies. Only 310 calories! It was a bit spicy, but filling and really tasty. BONUS: One basket of chips with salsa is 440 calories, so have a few before your meal with a Skinny Margarita, and you're only taking in roughly 600 calories for a yummy Mexican dinner! You really can't beat that! Impressive OTB! I love how you can mix-and-match these combos and try something different every time! You really can't go wrong with the great choices. 

Other choices on the "Border Choice" menu include:

- Grilled Chicken Fajita Tacos: 

two grilled chicken tacos, pico de gallo, lime-cilantro chimichurri, soft corn tortillas — served with choice of black beans (480 calorie meal), cilantro lime rice (500 calorie meal) or grilled vegetables (360 calorie meal).

- Mango Chicken Salad: (400 calories) romaine, grilled chicken, corn, black beans, mango, jícama, pico de gallo, queso fresco and fat-free mango citrus vinaigrette. Honestly, not my favorite dish, but worth a try! 

- Grilled Chicken Fajitas: (550 calories) grilled chicken, sautéed onions, red & green bell peppers — served with black beans, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, white corn tortillas

- Mexican Grilled Chicken: (450 calories) chicken breast, pico de gallo and choice of sauce — cilantro lime rice, grilled vegetables

tomatillo sauce spicy salsa fresca

Way to Go OTB! Loving this menu! 

New Restaurant Finds!

Eating out guilt free can be rough, so I'm always on the lookout for new choices. Wether it's breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner...I get excited about new places that post nutrition facts publicly and/or feature light menu options. Here are two new finds with healthy choices:

Breakfast/Brunch: Dream Cafe

http://www.thedreamcafe.com

Location: Addison and Downtown

The dream cafe is technically open all day, but since I LOVED their brunch, I'm featuring it. What's awesome about their menu is that you can order from the heathly choice options, or create your own meal with lots of guilt free swaps. 

Their Weekend Bunch healthy menu options include an Oatmeal Bowl with bananas, currants, pecans and brown sugar, a Granola Bowl with strawberries, bananas and vanilla yogurt, and their "Way to Condition" 

meal which includes a cup of oatmeal with bananas, pecans and currants, scrambled egg whites, sliced tomatoes, and vegetarian sausage... Yum! 

While these choice are great... I feel oatmeal can be a waste of calories sometimes. Instead, I ordered the delicious "Strap Hanger" with Two eggs, sub for egg whites, a fruit cup substituted as the side, whole wheat toast (with strawberry butter- worth the splurge!) and vegetarian sausage. Estimated calorie count: 430 calories! 

*see pictured

Heading to the cafe for a different meal? The lunch and dinner menu features a "smart choices" section with grilled chicken options featuring fresh veggies and black beans in a salad and a stir fry with brown rice- yum! See the full menu on their website. 

Lunch/Dinner: Pollo Tropical

http://pollotropical.com

Location: Addison and coming soon to Frisco

I was super intrigued by the fun-looking building and outdoor patio in Addison, so I was stoked to find out they also had a light menu with five meals under 510 calories.

The Pollo Tropical Tropical Lite Menu lineup includes:

-Tropical Citrus Chicken Salad: citrus-marinated grilled chicken with a mango poppyseed dressing and fresh lettuce. Only 360 calories.  

-Grilled Chicken Breast with Yellow Rice, Vegetables & Balsamic Tomatoes. I order this (see pictured) and loved it! Only 430 calories!

- Chicken Caesar Wrap & Caribbean Soup for only 480 calories!

-Quarter Citrus-Marinated Grilled Chicken paired with a Tropical Citrus Salad topped with a Mango Poppy Seed dressing for only 510 calories.

-The Tropichop with half brown rice, half romaine lettuce, chicken, onions, peppers, diced tomatoes and only 340 calories!

In my meal, the chicken was juicy and flavorful, the tomatoes were yummy and the yellow rice with veggies was filling and tasty. Love it!

I highly recommend this meal. I can't wait for the Frisco location to open near my work! 

Keep reading my blog for new food finds and recipes to keep to guilt free! 

Dallas Sporting Events: Guilt-Free Survival Guide!

Summertime in Dallas is all about great Ranger's Baseball at the Global Life Ballpark and awesome concerts and events at the American Airlines Center. (Not to mention the NBA Mav's Playoffs... On a good year!)

Here are some great tips for guilt-free snacking at the American Airlines Center and the Global Life Ballpark.

The American Airlines Center: Perfect eats and drinks for cheering on the Mavs, rooting for the Stars or rocking out to a great concert.

- The So-So Choice: Taco Bueno located outside of section 105 and 117. Not everything is healthy, but in comparison to the other arena options, it's not the worst choice and you know exactly how many calories you're taking in. Go for a Crunchy Beef Taco (or 2). They have 210 calories each. Not bad!

-The Best Choice: Look for the Market-to-go Cart located outside of section 105. They offer Deli Sandwiches, a Grilled Chicken Salad Sandwich, and a Grilled Vegetable Wrap (pictured- I had it it. It was pretty good. A little messy. I'd estimate it at 400 calories max. The wrap was $6.00 - not bad. The flour tortilla was filled with grilled zucchini, squash, onions,  peppers, and cabbage with a smoked tomato dressing.) The grab-and-go cart also had veggie and fruit cups- awesome!                                                                                                                

- My Best Advice: Skip the nachos, burgers and fries. Instead, look for packaged items with calories counts. Good choices are located all over the arena and include Lemon Chills (220 calories per serving), Sun Chips (210-230 calories per bag), fruit candies (like twizlers or skittles), and frozen ice cream pops like the Rainbow Pop for 110 calories - yum!

The Global Life Ballpark: Don't strike out with calories while cheering on the Rangers! Instead, enjoy a low-cal Michelobe Ultra on a hot day, and some great snacks!

- The So-So Choice: A hot pretzel or cotton candy. They are easy to find, and not awful! Either snack will run you an estimated 200-250 calories.

- The Best Choice: Look for the Centerfield Market located behind centerfield. Inside that "convenient store" concessions building I found fruit and veggie cups, gluten free hot dogs, Cracker Jacks (only 240 calories for this traditional baseball snack!), 70-calorie beef jerky packs and more! Lots of great options. I really enjoyed the fruit cup with strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, and pineapple- yummy and refreshing! 

- My best advice: Skip the giant hot dog and sugary frozen margaritas. Instead (like the AAC), find the packaged snacks with nutrition labels. The pistachios were an awesome find! The big bag had three 160 calorie servings, so share with friends! I also spotted baked lays at a lot of different concession stands in the ballpark, so be on the lookout for those too! 

All-in-all, it's not hard to enjoy a great game and great eats without feeling guilty. You just need to scope out these great finds! Happy Hunting!

Go Mavs!

Go Stars!

Go Rangers! 

Red Lobster's "Mix and Match" Lighthouse Menu

Red Lobster's Lighthouse Menu features awesome mix and match options to create a guilt-free and healthy dining out experience that's tasty, filling, and high in omega 3-sounds good to me!

First- choose a main dish (all options include steamed broccoli in the calorie count).

1. Wood-Grilled Fresh Salmon

290 cal, 10g fat

2. Wood-Grilled Fresh Tilapia 

190 cal, 5.5g fat

3. Wood-Grilled Fresh Rainbow Trout 

200 cal, 9g fat

4. Rock Lobster Tail

210 cal, 2g fat

Then, pick a side:

(Or sub broccoli for a different side combo, and subtract 40 calories from the above count)

1. Roasted Vegetable Medley

40cal, 1g fat

2. Green Beans

50 cal, 1.5g fat

3. Fresh Asparagus 

60 cal, 3g fat

4. Fresh Broccoli

40cal, 0g fat

Plus, your meal includes a side salad (100 calories) to start. Ask for it with vinaigrette dressing (50 calories).

And, why not enjoy a cheddar biscuit too? They are crazy good! Each biscuit has 150 calories, so enjoy every bite!

Looking for an appetizer to share? Indulge in the Chilled jumbo Shrimp Cocktail- Only 120 calories, so share a few with the table! 

My meal pick (featured below):

Side salad with vinaigrette dressing, Grilled Tilapia, broccoli, vegetable medley, and a cheddar biscuit- total calorie count for the meal: 530 calories- Not too bad at all!   

Get Smart with DD Smart

Add Dunkin' Donuts breakfast to your to do list! Not only do they offer great coffee, but their coffee comes in lots of great sugarfree flavors, and they have a fantastic DD Smart menu!

My morning go to coffee choice is a medium hot or iced coffee with hazelnut, skim milk and Splenda for only 40 calories. There is a laundry list of non-sweetened flavors you can add to your coffee for no additional calories including blueberry, caramel, cinnamon, coconut, French vanilla, hazelnut, raspberry, and toasted almond.

By the way, Dunkin is offering free coffee every Monday through May 12th, so stop by soon!

The DD smart menu has lots of great options as well. My personal favorite is an egg white and turkey sausage flatbread sandwich with cheese. This delicious and filling breakfast is only 280 calories. The egg white and turkey sausage wake-up wrap is only 150 calories. It tastes delicious, but it is not that filling, so you may want to pair it with a fruit for a healthy and protein heavy breakfast. If you are a big fan of the McDonald's Egg McMuffin, instead try the DD smart egg white and turkey sausage sandwich on an English muffin with cheese for 390 calories. 

Other DD smart options:

- Egg and cheese on an English muffin (240 calories)

- Ham egg and cheese on an English muffin (280 calories)

- Sliced turkey breakfast sandwich (310 calories) 

- Egg white veggie flatbread (280 calories) 

- Whole wheat bagel (320 calories)

Americans who love guilt-free breakfast choices run on Dunkin! 

Sub in a Tub!

I absolutely love the idea of Jersey Mike's "Sub in a Tub!" What a fun way to enjoy their delicious deli meats and cheeses with little to no carbs! When you order your Sub in a Tub, you get the freshly sliced deli meat and/or cheese of your choice over a bed of shredded lettuce and topped with the veggies and sauces of your choice! Most options are under 300 calories! Plus, there's no extra charge. I hate when restaurants charge you extra for the healthiest choice on the menu!

I went with the turkey and provolone sub option (235 calories- I estimated mine at 250 calories with the honey mustard and extra veggies.) Choose from lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, and jalapeños. I love how the meat and cheese is fresh and thinly sliced right in front of you. That really sets Jersey Mike's apart from its competition! Pair your Sub in a Tub with a bag of Baked Lays and a Diet Coke for an added 130 calories. 

Other then the turkey and provolone option, there are more great options on the menu for under 300 calories.

-BLT Sub in a Tub: 280 calories

-Jersey Shore Favorite Sub in a Tub : 270 calories  

(Ham, Provolone, and Cappauolo)

-American Classic Sub in a Tub: 270 calories 

(Ham and Provolone)

-Super Sub in a Tub: 290 calories

(Ham, Provolone, Prosciuttini and Cappacuolo)

BJ's Enlightened Picks

Become enlightened by the new items (and classics) available on the Enlightened Entrées menu at BJ's Brewhouse. While my ordering tips below also include low-cal options off the fun, guilt-free menu, everything on lighter menu contains 795 calories or less. Honestly, I find that calorie count really high, so I'd stick to the options under 600. 

Cocktails:

Three Enlightened Cocktail choices under 130 calories- all served in a pretty big glass! 

- Skinny Rita: Tequila, Agave, Lime, and Orange. The orange makes it really good!

-Mojito Lite: Bacardi Rum, Sugar Free Triple Sec, Fresh Lime and Mint, and Club Soda. I loved the taste! Highly Recommend.

-Guilt-Free Cosmo: (not my thing, so I didn't try it) Vodka, Sugar Free Triple Sec, Cranberry Juice, Lemon and Lime.

- or, you can always go with a classic vodka and club soda with lemon and lime!

Shareable Appetizers/Small Bites:

There aren't any listed on the menu, but here my top, guilt free picks.

-Ahi Poke: 420 calories for the full order. Delicious ahi tuna with onions, diced avocados and wonton chips.

-Flatbread Pizzas: 90-110 Calories per slice. Choose from 4 options- California Club, Margarita, Roasted Veggie, Extreme Pepperoni

-Stuffed Spinach Mushrooms: 230 for the full order (includes 6). These are really good! - My top pick!

Giant Mushrooms filled with Spinach and Artichoke Dip, feta cheese, red onions, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, then topped with a drizzle of lemon pesto sauce.

Enlightened Entrees:

(My picks, not the full menu. I omitted  the items that didn't interest me, and ones over 610 calories. View the full menu here: http://www.bjsrestaurants.com/menus/enlightened-entrees)

-Cherry Chipotle Glazed Salmon 

(My top pick! Great taste and filling portion size for the calorie count)

490 Calories

Oven roasted Atlantic salmon topped with a cherry chipotle glaze, roasted asparagus and tomato spinach couscous. 

-Seared Ahi Salad 

(My friend ordered this, and really enjoyed it! The size was filling and the Ahi tuna was well-done... In a good way!)

490 Calories

Baby field greens, cabbage, romaine and red bell peppers tossed with rice wine vinaigrette. With tomatoes, avocado, pickled cucumber, cilantro, wasabi, crisp wonton strips and green onions. 

-Hawaiian Mahi-Mahi 

(Love it! My go-to choice... Until I tried the cherry salmon above- but still yummy!)

420 Calories

Oven roasted mahi-mahi served over stir-fried vegetables and roasted pineapple fried rice mixed with a spicy soy ginger sauce then topped with snow peas, red bell peppers and sesame seeds.

-Honey Lime Seared Scallops 

(Very tasty, but a small portion. A good choice if you share a few appetizers first, or want an extra cocktail!)

350 Calories

Seared scallops topped with tomato, basil and honey lime vinaigrette. Served with oven roasted asparagus and garlic seasoned brown rice.

-Lemon Thyme Chicken 

(Just over 600 calories, so I kept it on my list. I hope to try it soon.)

610 Calories

Herb-roasted chicken breast served over brown rice, topped with sautéed onions, tomatoes and Brussels sprouts in lemon thyme sauce. 

-Moroccan Spiced Salmon 

(Next on my to-try list!)

500 Calories

Oven roasted salmon with a savory blend of spices, served over roasted vegetable couscous. Topped with pickled cucumbers, red onions, toasted almonds and green onions and drizzled with red pepper sauce.

Desserts:

BJ's is famous for their Pizzookie... If the table orders one to share, have a small bite to taste... The whole thing is around 1,100 calories- depending on the flavor. Eek!!! 

Instead, have a scoop of ice cream, a second cocktail, or suggest going out for fro-yo! 

All in all, a great guilt-free eating out option for date night, family night, or out with friends! They have lots of options, which I love, and their site lists all the nutrition facts- awesome! 

NEW (and free!) Diet Cherry Coke Slurpee

Delicious, low calorie, and free...! You can't go wrong with that! Stop by your closest 7-11 today and try the new Diet Cherry Coke Slurpee! It was delicious, and only 25 calories per 20oz serving - awesome! 

Plus, download the 7-11 app or text DIETCOKE to 711711 for a free small Diet Cherry Coke Slurpee!

I know it's cold again here in crazy Texas, but a low-cal Slurpee is still a great afternoon pick me up!

New "Light" Menus!

Looking for some new eating out options? 2014 seems to be the year of the new "light menu" at all kinds of restaurants. No argument from me! Here are some new finds I recently tried... (In additional to the restaurants below, stay turned for details on the new Maggianos light menu!)

Denny's:

Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner- I am totally digging the "Build your own Gram Slam" menu at Denny's. The menu features 300 ways to mix and match breakfast options to enjoy a meal under 500 calories. So many possibilities! I went with a high protein meal featuring egg whites, turkey bacon, chicken sausage and fruit parfait (served in a fancy parfait glass!) for under 300 calories. Next time I may splurge for the whole wheat pancakes or oatmeal. The menu is awesome because it lists all of the options with calorie counts! Not in the mood for breakfast food? No problem! Try something off the "Fit Fare" menu! These are my favorite pics:

- Cranberry Apple Chicken Salad: 450 calories 

- Chicken Avocado Sandwich with Fresh Veggies: 490 calories

- Alaska Salmon with Whole-Grain Rice and Steamed Broccoli: 500 calories 

California Pizza Kitchen:

CPK just launched their "Light Adventures" Menu- which is great since most items on their menu are not very healthy. I tried the Shrimp Scampi Zucchini Fettuccine, and it was absolutely delicious!! For only 470 calories, the meal featured fettuccine-shaped pasta mixed in with zucchini cut into thin slices to look like fettuccine- how clever- covered in an Alfredo-like sauce with fresh shrimp. I really enjoyed it! See the photo below! Other items on the menu include:

- Quinoa and Arugula Salad: 590 calories 

- Fire Roasted Chili Relleno: 420 calories 

- Grilled Chicken Chimichurri: 460 calories 

- Cedar Plank Salmon: 650 calories 

Enstein's Bagels:

The new "Thintastic Bagels" menu from Einstein's is just awesome. Enjoy at lunch or dinner! Try the Southwest Turkey-Sausage and Egg White Sandwich for only 350 calories, or the Asparagus, Mushroom, and Swiss Cheese with Egg Whites Sandwich for only 270 calories. Both are great! For more of a lunch choice, try the Tuscan Chicken Pesto Sandwich for 340 calories, or the Bagel Thin Club Sandwich for 360 calories (less if you ditch the bacon!). When paired up with a fruit cup or a bag of baked Lays, any of these sandwiches make a great meal option! 

Olive Garden:

While the Olive Garden "Garden Fare" menu isn't new, it's a great go to, and it includes new items! I love the Baked Tilapia and Shrimp dish- only 340 calories and high in protein! Since it's so low in calories, it's a great way to also enjoy a 140 calorie breadstick before dinner and salad (ask for the light dressing) or minestrone soup- both are 100 calories. I usually go with the soup! Other yummy choices:

- Garlic Rosemary Chicken served with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach: 560 calories 

- Venetian Apricot Chicken with Asparagus: 420 calories

- Lasagna Primavera with Grilled Chicken: 560 calories  

- Herb-Grilled Salmon with Broccoli: 520 calories 

... And more! 

Where will you be dining?

Outback Steakhouse Picks

Let me start off by saying that usually, I'm not a steak eater. In fact, I often stay away from red meat in general... However, when I can order a juicy 6oz sirloin with steamed veggies, and a crisp salad with tangy vinigarette dressing for under 550 calories and only $10.99... I'm in! Hello Outback Steakhouse!

Outback's menu features a great "Under 600 Calories" menu. Choose from Meals like Grilled Chicken on the Barbie, the 6oz Sirloin, Perfectly Grilled Salmon, Shrimp on the Barbie, and Grilled Mahi-Mahi. Pair your main dish with mixed veggies, steamed broccoli, or grilled asparagus PLUS a side salad (without cheese if you want to save 30-40 calories) and their Tangy Tomato Dressing.

You can mix and match main dishes and sides easily on their website with a handy dandy nutrition calculator to create the perfect meal for you! My DELICIOUS 6oz sirloin with mixed veggies, a house salad with tangy dressing clocked in at 523 calories! It was really tasty and filling! Highly recommend! 

Now- some additional Outback Steakhouse callouts: First, their menu has 2 under 150 calorie cocktails- a skinny margarita and a cosmo made with Skinny Girl Vodka (fun!). They are on my "to try" list! Second, if you need something sweet after dinner, their menu offers cake pops that aren't too high in calories. Personally, I'd rather save those 200 calories for something bigger at home from the grocery store, but not a bad option for a restaurant dessert. Finally, I'll point out that Outback's bread is pretty good, and it hard not to eat it! One loaf has an estimated 200-250 calories- without butter, so feel free to cut yourself a skinny slice or two! 

The Egg and I: Restaurant Picks

The Egg and I is our go-to brunch choice- mainly because there's one in walking distance from our house, and they offer healthy breakfast options. Not to mention the staff is very friendly!

My usual breakfast pick is the Eggs Plus (with scrambled egg beaters, sub potatoes for a fruit cup and an English Muffin- dry: 255 calories or 6 WW points + the 35 calories of jelly and 20-ish calories of skim milk for my coffee.... Kind of boring, but still filling and tasty!

However, this trip to The Egg and I had a special "limited time only" menu option that was delicious! So delicious in fact, that I'm already looking forward to going back. The Catalina Omelette features an open face egg white omelette topped with sliced turkey, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, mozzarella cheese, and pesto served with a side of fresh fruit and an English Muffin (make sure you ask for it dry)- all for only 463 calories- awesome!! Note- I do not have the full nutrition facts for this new item to correctly calculate, but I'd estimate it at 9 WW points. (Add 35 calories if you use a jelly pack on your muffin.)

It was delicious and very filling. The pesto and avocado really help the flavor pop! Plus, my fruit cup had juicy strawberries, plump blueberries and grapes, tart apple slices, and fresh pineapple- yum!  Even our waitress commented on how much she liked the meal. But, it's only available for a limited time, so don't miss out on this New Year's guilt-free breakfast (or brunch) choice!

The Egg and I also has a Smarter Choices Menu with other omelettes, yogurt, oatmeal and more. You can customize and calculate your meal online with their handy dandy nutrition calculator- awesome! More restaurants should have that!    

http://www.theeggandirestaurants.com/nutrition/nutracalc2.html 

Subway Salad....Chopped!?!

Is it just me, or did anyone else miss the memo that Subway makes a chopped salad? Now, it may not seem as exciting to you as it is to me.... But there's truly something better about a salad when it's all mixed up and chopped! 

Loaded up with veggies and protein... What could be better? I had mine with turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, spinach, red onions, and  cucumbers --all mixed together with fat free honey mustard, and chopped of course. This huge salad was awesome! (Perfect for a light dinner after a workout when you're too tired to cook!) Estimated 200 calories and 4 WW points.

I also had some of my favorite baked chips! - 130 calories, 4WW points in the sour cream variety. (and an 80 calorie Christmas tree ice cream pop for dessert, I blogged about those the other day! Go read it!)

Move over 6" sub! I'm loving this chopped salad! 

Skinny Pie - Brooklyn's Pizza

Introducing "The Skinny Pie" at Brooklyn's Old Neighborhood Pizzeria- 10" inches of super thin and crispy pizza topped with a light amount of cheese and light toppings!

Note- while I am a New Yorker at heart, and I will always love the taste of a giant slice of greasy, cheesy NY pizza.... The calorie and fat count just ain't worth it sometimes. Instead, it's important to me to find yummy alternatives. 

We stumbled upon Brooklyn's in Frisco during a random work day lunch outing. As usual, I struggle with pizza places for lunch. Chances are, there's no healthy option.... But alas, Skinny Pie was on the menu! Our group shared a giant family size salad (huge amounts of chopped lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and red onions) with low-cal Italian dressing on the side. Never hurts to fill up on salad before a carb-full meal. (I'd estimate less than 100 calories for the dressing and 2 WW points, max). The side salad is huge and so is the family size shareable version, so eat up! 

When my pizza arrived, I was surprised to see how thin the crust was. See photo. You can tell the crust is thin, and the cheese is light. What a great idea! I ordered mine with mushrooms and pineapple, but choose from all the veggie options you'd like for only $6.99! 

I'm iffy on the calories and points. I couldn't find them published anywhere, so I sent an email and will update here if they write me back. Based on the Papa Murphy's deLight Take and Bake pizza, I'd estimate 10 WW points and 400-500 calories. It really depends on the oil amounts used. 

Either way, it's healthier than the thick crust, loaded cheese alternative, so dig in! 

There are 4 locations: 

Allen

NW Corner of Alma & McDermott Dr. 

1314 W. McDermott Dr. #170 

Allen, Texas 7501

Frisco

SE Corner of Legacy & Lebanon

5729 Lebanon Road, Suite 100 

Frisco, Texas 75034 

McKinney

4900 Eldorado Parkway #140 

McKinney, Texas 75070

Plano

NE Corner of Hedgcoxe & Ohio

4637 Hedgcoxe Road, Suite 116 

Plano, Texas 75024 

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!)

Gooey's Love!

Ah Gooey's .... The ultimate Dallas-based guilt-free treat! Located at Preston and Forest (a trek from my house, but beyond worth it), the frozen yogurt shop features many different flavors of delicious fat free and sugar free Fro-yo! 

Clocking in at only 10 calories per ounce and 2 carbs, you can't go wrong! The medium 7oz cup (pictured below with fat free, sugar free pistachio and vanilla) has only 70 calories and 2WW points - awesome! 

Also picture below is the waffle cone with sugar free Oreos and a mix of fat free white chocolate and dark chocolate. Also yummy!! 

Gooey's has all kinds of different things on their menu with different toppings and such, but I usually stick to the simple Fro-yo. They always have a bunch of flavors to choose from- the classics (strawberry, chocolate, vanilla), peanut butter, peppermint, lemon, coffee ... Seasonal pumpkin!! Just to name a few.

Whether you live close or far, I highly recommend checking it out! If you love it, take some to go. I always do! 

Macaroni Grill Picks and Tips

Create your own pasta at Macaroni Grill is an awesome (and filling) dinner choice for date night, family dinner, or girl's night out! 

Ask your waiter for the cute form to fill out when you sit down. Read all the options, it's a good distraction from the greasy bread and oil on the table! 

For the base, choose spaghetti or capellini- angel hair pasta (both are 340 calories) with pomodoro sauce (190 calories).

Next, you can pick 3 veggies. I went with asparagus, roasted mushrooms, and tomatoes. (Adding 45 additional calories.) See picture below. 

Other veggies choices include artichokes, spinach, peppers, onions, sun dried tomatoes, etc. - mostly all 5-20 calories. 

Finally, you can choose a protein for a few extra bucks. I actually went with eggplant (pictured) for 35 calories extra, but you can choose shrimp, grilled chicken or meatballs.  

Also, it's a good idea to add the field greens side salad with Mediterranean dressing to your meal as an appetizer. For $3 and 110 calories, it's a way better choice then the bread on the table.

My very filling meal for $16 (before the coupon- I'll get to that in a second) was about 600 calories - since I had the salad, ate 2/3 of my meal and nibbled on some bread! (It's hard not to!) Not bad for Italian food!

Other MG tips:

They have a light menu with a few items under 600 calories (labeled on their menu with an icon.) I haven't tried them all yet, but the Pollo Caprese (pictured) and the Grilled Shrimp Spiedini are both very good- note, the Spiedini is not very filling.

Pollo Caprese: grilled chicken breast, capellini pomodoro, arugula sala

560 calories - pictured

Grilled Chicken Spiedini: roasted vegetables, lemon oil

410 calories

Mediterranean Sea Bass

pan-seared fillets, vine-ripened tomatoes, arugula, cannellini beans, balsamic glaze

570 calories

Caprese: vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil

480 calories - appetizer 

Grilled Shrimp Spiedini

roasted vegetables, lemon oil

380 calories

Another great tip is to sign up for the MG email. They have awesome buy 1 get 1 free coupons and more pretty often. Last night, we saved 40% off the bill with a sweet MG email coupon- yes!

Choosing MG for lunch (they email out lunch coupons sometimes!) is a great tip too. You can order a "pick two" with a side salad (110 calories), pomodoro soup (190 calories), 1/2 roasted turkey sandwich (300 calories) and/or capellini pasta with pomadaro sauce (340 calories). Yummy!

Finally, dishes to stay away from:

Appetizers- 

Mac and Cheese Bites: 990 calories

Italian Nachos: 1015 calories

Meals-

Mom's Ricotta meatballs and spaghetti with bolognese: 1190 calories

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken: 1490 calories- eek!

... And more!

Instead, enjoy some of the lighter dishes.... and maybe a glass of wine to splurge. Wine is 1/2 off through Labor Day at MG! 

Read the full nutrition facts here:

http://www.macaronigrill.com/docs/nutritional/nutritional-menu.pdf