Lunch date with my son at Bj's Brewhouse yesterday. I love to go out to eat. I find it to be a fun challenge to see what kind of healthy combination I can create so that I can still participate in the social aspect of dining out, yet stay on track with my eating. I have to applaud restaurants these days for offering lighter meal options for those watching their waist line, or as Bj's states it in their menu, "enlightened entrees". However, you still need to be aware of the caloric content of these dishes. The lowest calorie meal I could find on the menu yesterday was 490 calories, and that is still to high for what I was wanting in a late lunch. I have no problem ordering an item on the menu, and asking for it to be modified. If a restaurant can make a burger, then they can definately serve it without the cheese and bun. And if there are any vegetables on the menu, they will always give you a side dish of vegetables in place of fries, soup, or salad. Just remember to ask for them dry or you will get them smothered with butter; which is good, yet defeats the purpose. Fruit is a good side dish as well, yet going to increase the calories of the meal more then vegetables.
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| Kids deep dish cheese pizza and smiley face fries for my son. |
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| Turkey burger patty w/no cheese or bun, and a side of dry steamed vegetables for me. |
If you have ever been to Bj's Brewhouse and haven't ordered the turkey burger you are missing out! This place has the best turkey burger patty's around. They are incredibly juicy and full of flavor. I am always 100% satisfied when I order this for lunch or dinner. The vegetables they served yesterday were the best yet; broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and asparagus! I was a happy and satisfied girl.
Bj's has other great items on their menu that you can order and not compromise the waistline by omitting the extra calories that come with bread, sauces, and side dishes. Their loaded baked potatoes are delicous, yet all are served with alfredo sauce... load on the fat and calories, no thank you. So I will order the chicken and broccoli potato with no cheese or sauce, and add a side of salsa; by doing so I cut out A LOT of fat-laden calories.
I always use the Myfitnesspal app to log all my food. I have a goal of not missing one day this year, and so far so good. Myfitnesspal plays a huge part in keeping my daily caloric intake in tact. You would be surprised how many food items found at chain restaurants are in the food app. However, I couldn't find just the turkey patty yesterday, so I picked it up and weighed it in my hand. It felt about 4 ounces so I found an equivalent in the app to log it. I have been weighing my food for a long time now, and can usually tell how many ounces an item is before I put it on my scale. I totaled yesterday's lunch nutrients to be:
Calories: 278
Fat: 15g
Carbs: 12g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 25g
Please don't miss out on making memories with family or friends over a meal dining out in fear that you won't be able to stay on your diet. You can and will be able to; just go into the situation with the mind-set as I do... make it a fun challenge for yourself to see just how creative you can get with ordering something delicious and healthy. I know you can do it... Bon Apetite!
Love2LiveFit
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