Cornucopia of Color

This weekend when I was driving to dinner with Ryan and my sister, we passed a billboard for a fast food restaurant. A plate of fried food was displayed on the billboard and I couldn’t help but notice the lack of color in the meal.

Between the fried chicken, French fries and biscuit, the entire plate was a boatload of beige!

One of my favorite things about eating fresh produce is the abundance of vibrant colors the foods bring to a meal.

Colorful Lunch

My lunch today was a cornucopia of color, all attributed to the fresh vegetables I bought at the farmer’s market on Sunday.

My plate included:

• Grape tomatoes
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Green peppers

Grape Tomatoes

Green Peppers

For a protein punch, I also ate fresh egg salad, made with two hardboiled eggs and one egg white, light Miracle Whip, Dijon mustard and relish.

Stinky (But Tasty!)

Aren’t colorful foods more fun to eat!?

In Case You Missed It

In case you missed it over the weekend:

• I went camping
• I made pancakes using Greek yogurt
• My sister, Ryan and I enjoyed a tasty dinner
• We went on a hike and saw a deer and a tortoise

Of Possible Interest

• 5 Ways to Lighten Up Your Cooking (FitSugar.com)
• 5-Star Frozen Desserts (CookingLight.com)

Stinky Girl

When I first started my current job I made one heck of a big mistake during my first week.

I brought an egg salad sandwich for lunch.

Sliced Hard Boiled Egg

Biiig mistake.

When I broke out my sandwich at my desk, the stink-egg aroma filled the air. Within four days at my new job I had already become the Stinky Girl.

I felt terrible for making the entire office smell like sewage. I now know to always open every lunch in the break room, because that first whiff of smell out of a Tupperware container can stink up a small office for hours.

Lunch

Today I was reminded of my first week on the job when I popped open my egg salad and was greeted with a pungent odor.

Egg Salad

Sure, it’s stinky, but it’s also delicious.

My egg salad contained:

• 2 hard boiled eggs + one hard boiled egg white
• Light Miracle Whip
• Dijon mustard
• Sweet corn
• Sweet relish

I added a big serving of egg salad on top of a bed of freshly chopped romaine lettuce for some extra volume.

Romaine

Lunch Time!

I brought steamed broccoli to enjoy on the side, but ended up throwing that into the salad as well.

Steamed Broc

Have no fear, this entire meal was assembled in the break room where I could stink up the joint without worry. (The pictures were taken prior to leaving for work this morning.)

Of Possible Interest

• A look into the eating habits of a vegan ultra-marathoner (NYTimes.com)
• Two restaurant chains aim to keep all meals under 500 calories (The article *mentioned below* from Entrepreneur.com)
• 20 meat-free recipes to make on the grill (SouthernLiving.com)

500 Calories or Less at Two Restaurant Chains

You may already know how much I loooove Season’s 52, a restaurant dedicated to serving fresh, seasonal meals for less than 475 calories (I went there for my birthday dinner).

Season's 52

(Fun fact: I applied for a public relations job at Season’s 52 that required 10+ years of experience when I first graduated college. I never got a call. 😉 A girl can dream, right?)

I read an article today noting the success of the Season’s 52 franchise that also highlighted another 500-calorie-or-less restaurant, Energy Kitchen (locations currently in New York and New Jersey).

I hope more and more press is dedicated to covering restaurants such as these. I hope more Americans learn about healthier dining options and can visit these locations and show other restaurants that the public does care about nutrition and would like to have the option to dine out without being faced with 1,500 calorie-plus meals and portions big enough to feed multiple people.

What stuck out to me in the article was the mention of large chain restaurants, such as Applebee’s, that offer a small selection of lower-calorie fare. Though I absolutely love that these places offer healthier options, I honestly hate ordering off the “diet” menu because I feel like I’m missing out on the “real deal.” I think that’s why I love when a restaurant is all-around healthy. It helps keep me in the healthy-eating mindset without feeling like I’m missing out on more indulgent options if I choose healthier fare.

Would you visit a restaurant that offered 500-calorie (or less) entrees, or does dining out mean going all out to you?

Egg-cellent Salad

My lunchtime salad was eggcellent!

I haven’t made egg salad in forever. I took the time to make some hard-boiled eggs Sunday night and used four of the hard-boiled egg whites to make my long lost egg salad for lunch today.

My egg salad recipe is super simple:

• 4 egg whites, chopped
• 1 tbsp. Light Miracle Whip
• 1 tbsp. relish
• 1 squirt of mustard

Pre-Mixed Egg Salad

Sometimes I’ll use two egg whites and one whole egg, but I wasn’t feelin’ the yolk today.

I enjoyed my egg salad on a Joseph’s lavash bread with two big handfuls of spinach.

Egg Salad

Egg Salad with Spinach

I prepared this bad boy in the break room so my coworkers wouldn’t beat me for stinkin’ up the joint.

Note: Never eat tuna or egg salad at your desk. You will make life-long enemies if you do.

30% Off at Old Navy

For those of you with holiday shopping to do, this coupon for 30% off any purchase at Old Navy (valid through Dec. 19) may help you save some moo-lah!

Are you done with your holiday shopping? Have you started?