Eat This, Not That!

Like many people, I try to remain conscious of the food I consume on a daily basis. I know that I can’t eat a Big Mac with large fries and a 32 ounce soft drink every day for lunch without gaining a few pounds. So, when I eat out, I try and select options that are lighter or that I can alter so that they will contain less calories. The problem with this theory is that seemingly light entrees often contain the highest calorie count, after checking out a few lists from the “Eat This, Not That” book, I am much more aware of what to look out for when ordering at restaurants.


Because of the connotation of foods like salad and turkey, people associate meals with those items in them to be healthier options, unfortunately by the time these items reach the table, chefs have somehow turned these originally healthy ingredients into fat monstrosities. Take the Grilled Chicken Avocado club sandwich, sounds innocent enough and yet somehow the chefs at Cheesecake Factory managed to stuff 1,752 calories and more than twice your daily allotted amount of saturated fat into the dish. On “Worst Foods in America 2011” list, starters like fried onion rings, cheese fries and chicken tenders are unsurprisingly on the top of the list. But the more startling meals like a Chipotle chicken burrito or a mushroom turkey burger from Ruby Tuesday also topped the charts as some of the fattiest, worst foods in America. These deceiving foods, along with the obviously supersized portions which have become the norm at eateries from coast to coast, are to blame for the steady weight gain of the average person. You don’t need to buy this book, but I would recommend going onto menshealth.com and taking the quiz to see if you know which option is the better one. Plus, they have a menu decoder which tells you different things to eat at each restaurant. (The sushi menu was particularly helpful for me) Let me know what you think!

Twice Baked Potatoes That Rock Your Socks Off

When I think of twice baked potatoes, the image of deliciously cheesy potatoes dressed nicely in cute little brown jackets comes to mind. To my knowledge, I thought this was the only way to prepare the southern-style starchy favorite---that is until I tasted D magazine’s pick for Best Twice Baked Potatoes 2011. Cowboy Chicken on Greenville is a Dallas institution, since 1981 they have served up roasted chicken, surprisingly tasty enchiladas and delectable fried sides including my favorite, twice baked potatoes. Instead of putting the stuffing back into the skin (which is incredibly tedious I might add) they mix all of the sour cream, butter and cheese into the baked potatoes and then put the mixture back into the oven for a few minutes, giving it that crunchy top without tasting burnt or browned. The chefs prepared the fried okra perfectly, I am a firm believer that you can’t claim to serve “Southern cuisine” if you don’t serve fried okra. The one complaint I have about Cowboy Chicken is the intense roasted chicken aroma that permeates your clothing for days after visiting. I want to remember the meal for the flavors not for the aroma residing in my clothing.

Note: I will also be trying this at home in the coming days. (When it isn’t so hot to turn on my oven... so maybe in the next couple months..)

Get Down & Dirty!

From tangy salt and vinegar to outrageous cheeseburger explosion, potato chips come in a variety of flavors and textures. Whether you fancy thick and crunchy or thin and crispy the options are endless, with so many different kinds, you might find yourself overwhelmed and just go with your usual brand to avoid branching out. But fear not! Finding a delicious chip to satisfy that salty craving lies within this article. For years, I turned to Lays to meet my potato chip needs: the mesquite barbeque flavor remained my go-to chip, but no longer. Tests have proven that artificial colorings and preservatives cause negative effects to those who consume them on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, the label “natural” has become synonymous with flavorless and unsatisfying, but Dirty potato chips defy that notion, proving that tasty and wholesome can live harmoniously! With these snacks you aren’t sacrificing flavor, they are by no means good for you because they are fried but they use peanut oil, not partially hydrogenated oil (which contains trans fats). Unlike most chips which contain a laundry list of chemically-based ingredients, Dirty chips contain only natural ingredients, that normal people can pronounce. Red 40 is no where to be found on these chips, paprika provides the scarlett coloring. I could go on and on comparing these chips to major brands but the most important element to these chips is flavor. Each thick chip looks and tastes the same, seasoning stays consistent throughout the bag; this is important when thinking of qualities of the best chip, you want all of your chips to taste the same. I have only as of yet tasted the “Mesquite BBQ” flavor, but I can tell you that I will not be going back to Lays. I have broken a new frontier, chancing the “all natural” products can be fun and I’m not consuming chemical-laden over-processed “reconstituted potato flakes”. The choice is yours, I say try it dirty!