Out On The Town: Salad Bar

21 March, 2013 by Claire | 1 Comment

I’m not a sadist but I do find it disturbingly fun to watch people making their own salads under the assumption that they’re making a healthy choice, only to cover the undeserving bed of lettuce with fatty, calorie-laden toppings.

Before you realize that I’m a terrible person and close your browser, let me make up for it by giving you my tips on how to stay slender while you’re out on the town at a build-your-own salad bar.

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lettuce
Ok, it’s pretty hard to go wrong here, but I’ll tell you this much: iceberg is the barren wasteland of the lettuce world. You’re not going to get fat from choosing iceberg over romaine or baby spinach, but you will be missing out on some vitamins, minerals, and other disease-preventing compounds. Laaaame.

vegetable toppings
I basically go buck wild on the raw, non-starchy veggie toppings when I’m making my own salad. They’re low calorie, full of nutrients, I like the way they taste, and I love not having to wash and chop them myself. An easy tip is to get as many different colors going on in your salad as possible. The different colors are indicative of different nutrients. Eat the rainbow or whatever. When it comes to starchy vegetables (corn, potatoes, beans, squash, etc.), I’ll usually pick one or two and have a total of about 1/2 cup.

Lately I’ve been adding avocado whenever I can, aiming for about 1/4 of a small fruit (yeah, I know, this is supposed to be the vegetable section). This is about 40-80 calories, but it’s packed with healthy fats that I know my body needs. Now, guacamole that looks like neon green paste? That I’ll pass on.

protein toppings
I stick with what I know when I get to the protein. This means grilled chicken, turkey breast, hardboiled eggs, black beans, baked salmon, or tuna. Anything breaded, fried, or mysteriously marinaded is likely to pack in more calories than you realize. I try and eyeball a 3 ounce serving, which is about the area/thickness of the palm of your hand.

extras
I have very firm thoughts on cheese as a component of salads, sandwiches, wraps, et cetera. If I can’t taste it, then why have it there at all? A serving size of cheese is 1 ounce (usually a slice, or the size of your thumb if it’s a block cheese), so I go for the strong cheeses that’ll deliver flavor in that small of a portion. This usually means a spoonful of goat cheese or a sprinkle of feta. Cheapy cheddar cheese shreds just don’t do anything for me.

Other sneaky extras you might want to be aware of are dried fruit, nuts, seeds, croutons, and wonton strips. How come? Here:
1/4 cup of dried cranberries = 100 calories
1/4 cup of peanuts = 210 calories
1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds = 50 calories
1/2 cup of croutons = 90 calories
1/2 cup of wonton strips = 115 calories

dressing
If I’ve been “good” with my salad (no nuts, cheese, mostly lean protein and vegetables), then I’ll have 1-2 tablespoons of whatever dressing looks best to me on the side. I’ll then dip my fork in my dressing first and stab around my bowl for the goods. You’ll be surprised by how much less dressing you end up needing that way as opposed to pouring or dipping.

If I’ve decided to amp up my salad with more delicious toppings, I’ll opt for a splash of plain balsamic vinegar or soy sauce (something I picked up in Spain…weird…but try it). Nothing wrong with an essentially 0 calorie dressing.

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Did I miss something you always scoop into in your salad bowl? Want to see another restaurant or type of cuisine featured in the Out On The Town series? Leave a comment!

Out on the Town: Starbucks

10 October, 2012 by Claire | Leave a comment

Answer this week’s new QOTW!

In keeping with last week’s coffee post, midterm season, and my admitted dependence on caffeine, I thought it was time for an Out on the Town: Starbucks. If you’re not familiar with my Out on the Town series, this is where I break down how and what to order at various restaurants. Please leave a suggestion in the comments if you want to see another type of restaurant covered on The Slender Student!

K, back to business. I view Starbucks as one of those tricky places where everything is presented as healthy– you know, with the post-consumer packaging and words like “seasonal,” “classic,” and “harvest,” in the product names. But if you do a bit of nutritional research, whether it’s here on The Slender Student or while you’re waiting in line during the 8 am rush surfing your iPhone, you’ll begin to see that things are not always as they appear. The suggestions I have listed here are what I consider some of the best and worst items to choose.

As you might already know, my general rule is that I don’t like to drink my calories. But, because many have a hard time ignoring the craving for a warm, creamy latte on those brisk walks back from campus, I included some of the better choices from that category. I’ve also pointed out some of the more nutritionally surprising menu items.

Since what’s available at your Starbucks will vary and because it’d be overwhelming for us both to go over every food or beverage they’re selling, it’s always a good idea to do your own investigating. Also, take advantage of your barista (you know what I mean) and customize the living daylight out of your drink. Yeah, be that person.

Without any further adieu…

Want the official Slender Student opinion on your favorite drink? Leave it in the comments and I’ll let you know what I think!

Out On The Town: Tex-Mex

28 August, 2012 by Claire | 2 Comments

Answer this week’s QOTW!

Alright, sit down and take a deep breath. Are you sitting? Good, because what I’m about to say is going to surprise you. K, brace yourself… I’m telling you it IS possible to stay slender while going out for Tex-Mex. You’re going to have to make some different and possibly difficult decisions, but you can do it, and I’ll be holding tu mano all the while.

sí:
- 2 fajitas, each with: 1 corn tortilla, 2-3 strips of chicken, fajita veggies, salsa, and 1 T guacamole
- chicken tortilla soup without tortilla chips or strips; ask for cheese on the side so you can control the portion (I’d add 2 T or so)
- taco salad with no tortilla chips or strips, no sour cream, and guac, cheese & dressing on the side

no:
- tortilla chips = 20-25 calories EACH
- queso = 135 calories per 1/4 C
- refried beans = 60 calories per 1/4 C
- sour cream = 25 calories per 1 T
- Mexican rice = 80 calories per 1/4 C
- flour tortilla = 150 calories per 8″ tortilla
- frozen margarita = 300 calories per 6 oz.

tips:
- ask your waiter for a side of cilantro or a lime wedge to add flavor to your meal
- instead of avoiding eye contact with the tortilla chip basket to keep yourself from eating them, start with a cup of tortilla soup or a side salad to stay in check
- stray from the sugary, calorie-laden frozen margaritas and see if your waiter can whip you up a lower calorie version with tequila, lime juice, club soda, and Splenda. Many restaurants now also serve pre-made low calorie margaritas, like the Skinny Girl brand.

Out On The Town: FroYo

3 August, 2012 by Claire | Leave a comment

Answer this week’s QOTW!

The summer before my freshman year, all of those self-serve frozen yogurt shops were starting to pop up around Houston and my mind was BLOWN. Perhaps that mental state was to blame for the demented thought that just because the yogurt was low-fat and low-sugar, didn’t mean it was still low calorie after I’d piled 8 ounces of it with twice its weight in candy. Needless to say, that was in a past life.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to knock self-serve yogurt. Both my former fat girl and Slender Student self still enjoy it once a week or so. You can too, you just have to know how to do it. To prove my point, let’s break it down. Since I’m currently on vacation in Savannah, I’m using the nutritional information from my favorite yogurt shop here, Lovin’ Spoons. They use their own yogurt, but most other brands should have comparable nutrition.

FroNo:
- 8 oz. chocolate classic yogurt (220)
- 1 T crushed Oreos (40)
- 2 T M&Ms (70)
- 2 T Reese’s cups (100)
- 1/4 C brownie bites (150)
- 2 T chocolate syrup (100)

total: 680 calories

To put that into perspective, that’s more calories than I eat for breakfast and lunch combined on my normal 1200-1300 calorie a day plan. Not so slender, agreed?

FroYes:
- 6 oz. fat-free, sugar-free chocolate yogurt (120)
- 2 T blueberries (15)
- 2 T strawberries (10)
- 1 T Reese’s cups (50)

total: 195

Much better. Of course, I could go without the Reese’s or any other chocolate, but like… Why would I?

tips:
- Always go for the no sugar added, non-fat yogurt. It’ll save you 20-50 calories per 4 ounces.
- Be wary of toppings that disguise themselves as healthy but are actually full of calories. Think granola, candied nuts, and sweetened fruit.
- Sometimes it’s hard to control your portions with those giant yogurt cups, so before you start adding toppings, weigh your yogurt at the register. The nutrition information provided is in ounces by weight, not by volume.
- Another way to control your portion is to ask your yogurt shop of choice if they have kiddie cups instead of the normal gargantuan one. That way you’ll hardly have a choice to be anything but slender.
- Some candy toppings will be more nutritionally valuable than others. Reese’s cups, for example, will give you a bit of protein in the peanut butter. Dark chocolate will provide you with some antioxidants. Kit Kats and pretzel M&Ms are less calorie-dense because they’re not solid chocolate. Gummies, on the other hand, are just straight sugar.

Out On The Town: Steak

27 June, 2012 by Claire | Leave a comment

In the last week or two, my family went out for steak twice. I’m not sure if it’s because we’re from Texas or if it’s because we descended from carnivores. Either way, it happened and I lived to tell the tale. The first steak dinner, eaten at Ruth’s Chris, was for Father’s Day and I reserved my weekly cheat meal for the event. It was a good thing my dress had an elastic waistband, because I went all out. Our second steak dinner couldn’t have been more different. The club near our house was having a steak night in the middle of the week, and since my mom was tired of “cooking” (read: reheating), we went. I had no intention of blowing my cheat meal on yet another steak, so I had to make some choices. Let’s compare:

RUTH’S CHRIS:
- starter: piece of bread + butter, ahi tuna
- entrée: 8 oz. filet mignon
- sides: 1.5 GIANT onion rings, 1 million* shoestring fries, sautéed mushrooms (I mean I am eating healthy, right?)
- dessert: bites of flourless chocolate cake and bread pudding

What can I say? I go HAM at my cheat meals.

CLUB:
- starter: I asked for the house salad with dressing on the side, but I got a plate of baby greens covered in balsamic vinaigrette, sprinkled with cheese and candied nuts. If it’d been a cheat meal, I probably would’ve eaten the whole thing with just my face, no fork. Alas, not everyday can be cheat meal day (or Christmas), so I picked at the green parts of the salad and left most of it on the plate. Notice that I didn’t stuff my gullet with bread either (ugh).
- entrée: I ordered the filet special, which consisted of a 6 oz. filet and 3 skewered shrimp. I asked (read: harassed) the waiter for no oil, butter, or anything delicious on the steak. And then I confirmed that he understood like twelve more times. When the steak came, I went ahead and cut off about 1/3 of it and put it on a separate plate with the shrimp so I wouldn’t eat those. I really don’t even like shrimp so that was no biggie. If you like the shrimp, eat them, but also eat less steak.
- sides: asparagus (“And can I get no oil on the asparagus, too? No butter either. I mean just, like, make it as healthy as you can. Really, I want it to taste like grass. Actually, do you have grass? That might have fewer calories.”)*, 1/4 of a baked potato with a lot of chives, a little bacon and cheese, salt & pepper
- dessert: the sweetness of knowing I wouldn’t wake up the next morning 10 pounds heavier

What you should get out of this post, aside from the fact that I’m an absolute joy to dine with, is that in order to eat healthily at steak restaurants and others like it, you need to be vocal. It may seem awkward at first to be such a nag to your waiter, but they’re getting paid to deal with people like you. Just remember to say please, smile, and a little cleavage never hurts (kidding). There really shouldn’t be a problem with any customization, especially if you’re at a nicer place. Always ask for dressing on the side. ALWAYS. Always ask for little to no oil or butter on your meat and sides. Always think about the cut and portion of the meat you’re eating. Round and loin (filet is a cut from the tenderloin) cuts are the most lean. You should be eating 3-5 ounces.

Now, get out there and be THAT person.

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*Portions of this post may have been dramatized