Sunday, October 4, 2009

Fast Food

I was a fast food junkie today, paying tribute to those fast food restaurants of the past.  I used to love those places.  McDonald’s, Wendy’s, pizza places;  they were all former stomping grounds.  I have always loved good food, too.  Real, wholesome, made from scratch meals, so I got the best of it all!  But, when I decided to seriously embark on my weight loss track, I slowly realized that these fast food places were not the best options for me.  Yes, there were menu items that I could eat at many of them that were better choices than what I would normally go for (i.e. quarter pounder with cheese and supersized fries!), but I would always leave feeling a bit empty and deprived.  The better choices that were available were usually salad and grilled chicken items, but often times the nutritional facts for these were still on the high side and I knew that if I had eaten at home, I could have eaten something much more filling and satisfying without having to spend the money and the calories.

My menu today reflects how I have been able to find similar, but healthier options to those favorites.  I started off with a take on the Egg McMuffin.  How I used to love those!!!  I can easily make it at home now, using a light or whole wheat english muffin, reduced fat cheese, egg whites and canadian bacon.  When I first began Weight Watchers in 2007, I probably ate this version everyday for the first 6 months.  It was a filling breakfast and would hold me until lunch.  My newest version changes it up a bit by using Eggo Nutrigrain, lowfat waffles.  My bacon, egg and cheese wafflewich uses 2 Eggo waffles, 3 egg whites cooked in nonstick spray with 1 slice of center-cut bacon crumbled into it and a slice of 2% cheese.  So good…

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For lunch, it was off to the local pizza place.  Really local – my kitchen!  I had made an Eggplant Parmesan Pizza on Friday nite when Gram joined us for dinner.  She likes everything eggplant and whole wheat, so she and I shared some of this pizza…

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I made this using Trader Joe’s whole wheat pizza dough, Dominex Eggplant Cutlets that I prebaked in the oven, homemade marinara sauce and part skim mozzarella cheese.  It was delicious and just as good reheated for lunch.  I also reheated some leftover Zucchini and Beans to have with it.  Can’t get that at the local pizza place…

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After a fun family afternoon at the park, we were all hungry for dinner.  That fresh air really works up the appetite!  The husband and daughters got Italian hoagies on the way home, but I decided on a good old hot dog.  I really love the Applegate Farms Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog that I bought recently.  They are low in calories and fat, but have that traditional hot dog flavor.  I put mine in a whole wheat bun and piled on the sides- carrots with chipotle hummus and barbeque POPchips

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A little later, the ice cream man came to town.  He lives in our freezer actually;  the husband and daughters love ice cream and eat it almost every night.  I’m not too tempted by ice cream, but these guys were shouting at me from the freezer!  Mmmmm….

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And thanks to this, I sang the commercial jingle all night long!  *What would you dooooo, for a Klondike bar? * The advertisers who made that one up would be happy :)

ONE GOOD THING:  I was able to include some fun fast foods into my day and still feel like they were healthy choices.  Yeah, even the Klondike:  ice cream = calcium and peanut butter = protein.  Okay, I know that’s a stretch, but everything in moderation, right? :)

Question of the day:  Do you have a favorite fast food item that you recreate at home?

17 comments:

m i c h e l l e said...

Looooove this post Marisa! I learned some great ideas (like crumbling bacon through egg - I usually lay it on top) and the eggplant parm pizza sounds absolutely delicious!

Your post shows you can have the best of both worlds! :-)

OldGoogleAccount said...

If I need pizza, I like pita pizzas. Low fat and I actually really like the crunch of a baked pita. Baked sweet potato fries are a really delicious way to satisy a french fry craving. Veggie burgers on whole wheat kaisers kill a quarter pounder any day of the week.

Great post Marisa!

Di said...

I don't do a lot of fast food, and on the occasions that we do it is pretty healthy. But one thing that we are all sort of addicted to is iced coffee drinks- of all things ! I learned to make a near identical McDonalds iced coffee using my french press coffee pot and Dunkin Donuts ground coffee. The second thing would probably be oven fried chicken , to replace those times when KFC calls. I moisten chicken breasts with a mix of egg beaters and water, roll in crushed corn flakes and bake at 375 for 25 min. Takes less time than it does to drive across town and buy a bucket of chicken !

I am going to have to try a whole wheat pizza made at home. So far I have only made them with La Tortilla breads because I am afraid we would lose control with a whole pizza present !

Unknown said...

What a yummy day ! Your food looks amazing ! I need to try your version of an egg mc muffin !

fittingbackin said...

I love this post and couldn't agree more! I'm ALL ABOUT healthifying things I used to LOVE... and am able to still love because I prepare them at home and save on calories and cash - woo!

I think my favorite is mexican - knowing my beef enchiladas are 400 vs. 1,000+ calories makes my day!

Brenda said...

I have cut out fast food and don't miss it at all! And the new me always has a nice salad and an apple while waiting for the pizza to be picked up, and only wanting 1 or 2 slices (yeah). This summer our favorite family dinner was homemade pizza's with whole grain crust and everything topping it from our garden (and turkey peporoni)~~Yummo!

Unknown said...

Great post! I am all for making homemade versions of all of my favorite foods! Great job- that pizza looks good! :)

Joania said...

I love this post!! that wafflewich!! OMG!! That will be tomorrow's breakfast and I will be crumbling bacon in my egg whites from now on..YUMMY!!

Thanks for the comments on my post today..of course I'm on a crazy high!! Good luck with your run...YOU WILL BE GREAT!!! Can't wait to hear about it!! The energy today was just incredible!All the best

Erin said...

Your meals all look and sound delicious. The biggest craving my husband and I have is pizza and wings. So...I make them at home. I make homemade pizzas on whole wheat dough. And, I cut up boneless, skinless chicken breasts and bake them in the oven with just a little olive oil. When they are done, I toss them in hot sauce and a little smart balance. Does the trick every time...

Jess (Fit Chick in the City) said...

Love the breakfast option! I have to confess that it made me laugh, cause I've never seen a breakfast sandwich on a waffle. I don't think I really try to recreate any fast food items at home unless veggie burgers count.

Reen said...

Hey, Marisa! That pizza...oh, my gosh, that pizza looks really, really good. And the breakfast sandwich on waffles? Yum. Any hint on how many points that breakfast sandwich adds up to?

Answer to your question of the day, I like to also make my own breakfast sandwiches with light english muffins, egg beaters, ww cheese, and a slice of turkey ham.

I also like to make taco salads with leftover taco meat or chili, lots of veggies, topped with salsa and fat free sour cream.

Marisa @Loser for Life said...

Michelle- thank you so much!

Tamara- I keep forgetting about pita pizzas! They are good! And sweet potato fries are my fave!

ISF - oh, that chicken sounds great! btw, congrats on your loss this week!

Susan - thank you! Give the egg mcmuffin a try -it's good!

fittingbackin - 400 cal beef enchiladas?!! Whooo hooo!

Brenda - that is a great tip! I will have to try that next time we order pizzas!

TJ - thanks! I love all your creations!

Joania - thanks for the inspiration!!!!

Erin- thanks! I like your chicken wings!!

Jess - LOL! I know it sounds crazy, but it's great!

Reen - HI!!!! If I remember correctly, I think it comes to 4 points. Hope your foot is okay! I say do your run; we'll both hobble around together after our 5k's!

Unknown said...

Hello Mareesa, lol!
I'm catching up on my blogs, so I just read your last few posts. Your list of 10 things was so touching. You've been through so much, and are such a sweet person...though I don't know you IRL, I think you've definitely come through your adversities with strength and grace.
Man, your food pics today look soooo good! I've got to try that waffle sandwich. I'm still battling the fast food demons, but I know I will conquer them soon!

Jocelyn said...

mmmmmmmmmmmmm all of that food looks delish.
The winner? pb klondike!

Andrea@WellnessNotes said...

I love your fast food!

I like making healthy breakfast egg sandwiches at home.

Diane, Fit to the Finish said...

I love all your ideas! You really can have it all, enjoy yourself, and stay healthy! Fabulous!

Once I lost all my weight, I really lost my taste for fast foods except for pizza. So I learned to make a great crust, and top it with healthy things. We can't even eat store bought pizza anymore without complaining about it!

Thanks for sharing.

lynn said...

that klondike bar has got me!