Less Than 500 Calories Aussie-style

Feeling like eating fresh Aussie-style? Well you definitely can when you visit Outback!  Going to dinner at Outback Steakhouse, I didn't expect to eat healthy and accepted the fact that I was going to splurge that night.  As I read the revised menu, I was delightfully impressed!

Outback has a menu with items under 500 calories.  You can eat items such as, chicken on the barbie, a 6oz sirloin, salmon, lobster tail, shrimp, tilapia, mahi and a grilled chicken sandwich without feeling guilty!

Another plus to eating at outback is that if you want to eat light, you can still choose other items from the normal menu.  The menu is creatively organized so that a special symbol is placed beside an item that is already under 500 calories, or can be prepared so that is contains less than 500!  I was so excited because I had yet to see a restaurant with this clever idea.

I took advantage of what I thought was such a witty amenity and ordered the Grilled Chicken and Swiss Sandwich, which had the cute leaf symbol by it that indicated it could be prepared under 500 calories.  When I asked for this suggestion, the waitress replied stating "you know that would mean it would be without bacon and cheese right?"  I wasn't very pleased with that fact, I might as well go to Chick-fil-A.  I ordered it anyways, without subtracting the sandwiches best ingredients, and along with a side of sweet potato fries.  Whether it was 500 calories or 5,000, I was too set on the bacon, cheese, and juicy chicken to settle for anything else.

  

After looking at the menu, I realized the only item that could be prepared in a way to subtract a few calories was the sandwich I ordered.  The idea seemed awesome at first, but the option to prepare a menu item under 500 calories wasn't as good as it was cracked out to be.

One item I did order that had less than 150 calories was the Naturally Skinny 'Rita

Tequilla mixed with natural citrus juices and is a new item in the menu.  It was very refreshing without the guilt of drinking a regular margarita.

Next time I go to Outback, I plan on trying the Lobster tail with tomato salad.  Two seasoned and steamed lobster tails with a tomato salad and fresh veggies with only 416 calories.  Lets see if it can beat I what I normally order at this restaurant...

The popular Alice Springs Chicken

    

Grilled chicken breast smothered with sauteed mushrooms, bacon, monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese and honey mustard, with a side of guilt from consuming 1168 calories! (including the aussie fries).  I'm sure I could have the mouth watering Outback favorite under 500 calories...minus the bacon, cheese, honey mustard and fries (everything except the chicken)!

Just remember it is always okay to splurge, just like I did...1115 calories worth.  Eating healthy can be very hard at times, but your body (and bikini) will thank you!    

Under 550 at Applebee's

When you're trying to eat healthy, going out to dinner is never easy.  Luckily many restaurants have created menus that provide you with lower calories options.  This weekend I went to Applebee's and tried their menu of entree's 550 calories and under. 


The menu had choices such as...
Roasted Garlic Sirloin


A garlic marinated sirloin steak with sauteed onions, herbed potatoes, and a grilled portobello mushroom cap filled with creamed spinach.


Sirloin with Garlic Herb Shrimp
 

Grilled sirloin topped with cream sauce and shrimp, served with fresh veggies, herb potatoes, and topped off with fresh bruschetta and sliced almonds.


Chili Lime Chicken
 

Grilled chicken with asian style veggies mixed in a spicy chili sauce served over rice with cilantro and lime juice.


Asian Shrimp Broccoli
 

Shrimp mixed veggies mixed with asian flavors and a sweet and spicy sauce topped on rice and fresh cilantro.


And the dinner I tried, Grilled Dijon Chicken and Portobellos 
 
Grilled chicken topped with red peppers, onions, portobello mushrooms, dijon sauce and aged white cheddar, served with herb potatoes and fresh veggies.


The dinner was really good and it was refreshing to be able to eat cheese and not feel bad about it afterwards!  The onions and dijon sauce added a lot of flavor and I left the restaurant completely full and satisfied.  Applebee's also had low calorie drink such as Long Island Iced Tea and Margarita.


If you are a member of weight watchers, Applebee's also has a a menu especially for you, 12 points and under.  You can choose from Carbarnet Mushroom Sirloin, Creamy Parmesan Chicken, and Grilled Jalapeno Lime Shrimp   




  

The Secret to a Low Carb Pizza

My craving for eating healthy and love for cooking stems from my mom who has always cooked tasty, diet friendly recipe's at our house. A plus for going home to visit my family is the fact that I know I will be eating healthy. I miss having those meals available every day.

While visiting home during my Spring Break, my mom showed me a recipe she recently made and wanted me to try called Portobello pizzas. My first thought was just a normal pizza with cheese and Portobello mushrooms so I wasn't sure what was so exciting about it. I realized the dough of the pizza is substituted with the caps of Portobello mushrooms.  Brilliant!  This simple switch cuts out many carbs and calories compared to regular pizza dough; one Portobello cap only contains 22 calories and 4 carbs, while a serving of pizza dough ranges around 130 calories and 24 carbs.

The recipe is simple. All you need are large Portobello mushrooms, a grill, olive oil, garlic salt, pizza sauce, basil seasoning, shredded mozzarella cheese, and your choice of favorite pizza toppings.

First, rinse and break off the stems of the mushrooms so you only have the caps. Brush olive oil on the front and back of the mushroom caps and sprinkle both sides with garlic salt. You can bake the mushrooms in the oven on 375 for 30 minutes, flipping the mushrooms after 15 minutes, but my mom and I cooked them on the grill which adds a lot more flavor than baking.


After the mushrooms are prepared, the rest is easy and you can create the pizza's to please your own palate. The toppings will be placed on the bottom of the caps of the Portobello mushrooms (the smooth side will be the bottom of the pizza). After spreading the pizza sauce, my mom and I chose mozzarella cheese to sprinkle of top because this type of cheese is a healthier choice compared to regular pizza mix shredded cheese. We added onions, tomatoes, turkey pepperoni, and topped the pizzas off with a shake of basil seasoning to add one last pop of flavor.

After the pizzas were ready to be devoured, I thought we should have made more because the mushrooms shrunk a little bit after they were cooked. My mom then said, "Don't let those little things fool you, they fill you up more than you think." and she was right! They were small and healthy so I knew I would be hungry after dinner, but those ‘shrooms proved me wrong. The fact many carbs and calories were cut out from subtracting the pizza dough made the meal even more satisfying.