Summery sandwich

Eating up the veggies:

Goat cheese, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, sauteed eggplant, sauteed yellow squash, marinated cucumbers on a crusty roll.

B.A.T.

Not as scary as it sounds:

A bacon, arugula, and tomato sandwich.

Out to Lunch: Pholicious

It's great to know that when I'm craving a bowl of pho, it's as close as the food court at the local mall.

Whole Foodie

Lunch at Whole Foods:

Reed's Light Extra Ginger Brew
Chicken and dumpling soup
Salads clockwise from top: Sesame tofu, orange ginger beets, curried chicken salad, lentil and quinoa tabouli, and cabbage crunch.

Out to Lunch: Seasons 52

Saturday's lunch was at the Palm Beach Gardens location of Seasons 52, a small restaurant chain which proclaims on its menu that no menu item is more than 475 calories. They put the nutrition information on their website, which makes it great for a calorie-counter like me. Each time I've been there, the food has been delicious. It doesn't taste like diet food, that's for sure.

Artichoke and goat cheese flatbread (370 calories):

This had a very thin crust, almost like a cracker, and in addition to the artichokes and cheese had roasted peppers, onions, and olives. I shared this with my husband as an appetizer.

Braised beef tacos (420 calories):

Braised beef in red mole sauce with pickled onions, cilantro, guacamole, and slaw on corn tortillas. If I had one criticism it would be that the tortillas were thick and stodgy, a little too heavy for the filling. I ate one whole taco and just the fillings out of the others. It had a great mix of flavors, sweet, savory, sour and herbal.

I'll definitely be going back.

Good for Dagwood

Sandwich time!
3 oz. baguette
2 oz. smoked turkey breast
1 1/2 oz. Brie
1 oz. avocado
1 tbsp. light mayo
500 calories

Making the most of leftovers

Breakfast:

Hash browns made from leftover mashed potatoes, and an egg over easy.

Lunch:

Sliced filet mignon with dijon mustard on ciabatta bread.

Out to Lunch: Malaya Kitchen

I had an errand to run at the Arboretum yesterday, so ended up at Malaya Kitchen for lunch. They had a special on the menu I couldn't resist: Hong Kong style duck soup with baby bok choy and egg noodles.

This was spectacular - the broth was rich and sweet, and the duck was tender and tasty. My only quibble was that it was kind of challenging to eat, as the pieces of duck included bones. A very hearty meal - I had to leave half of it behind.

My favorite thing about a turkey dinner

The Leftover Turkey Sandwich.

2 slices rye
2 oz. roast turkey breast
2 tbsp. cranberry sauce
300 calories

Out to Lunch: Panera

Met the husband for lunch today - we went to Panera. I love that they list the calories right on the menu board - a great way to take the guesswork out of the situation.

You Pick Two, cup of chicken noodle soup, and 1/2 ham and swiss sandwich:

Chicken noodle soup: 80 calories
Ham and swiss on rye: 290 calories
Baguette side: 180 calories

Lunch stop: Subway

Eating healthfully on the road can be a challenge, but Subway is at nearly every exit from the interstate, and it's at least possible to get something that's not too bad. Sure, the meat is kind of icky, and the stores always smell funny, but it's better than most fast food.

6" Cold Cut Trio on wheat, with green peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, black olives, mustard, and light mayo: 420 calories.

Thankfully we have returned home safely and can start eating normal food again.

Disney Wrap-Up

So, I was naive enough to think that I would be able to blog in the evenings after days at Disney World. Um, no. A day in a Disney park is enough to knock one on one's backside, so to speak. All I could do after getting back to the hotel was have a glass of wine and space out. We left Orlando at noon and are now safely ensconced in a hotel in Atlantic Beach, where I can listen to ocean surf rather than the cacophony of a theme park.

Food at Disney actually turned out better than I expected.

Saturday we went to Epcot, and had lunch at Seasons Food Court after riding Soarin'.

Veggie wrap:

Quite tasty, albeit slightly too heavy on the eggplant.

Hard-boiled eggs (ate the whites, left the yolks behind:

Had to get some protein in since the veggie wrap didn't have much.

We met friends for dinner at Chefs de France.
Appetizer of French onion soup:

Tasty but large - I ended up leaving half of it behind.

Entree of duck breast and leg with cherry sauce:

This was cooked very well, the sauce was delicious, and there was none of that un-rendered fat that can make duck unpleasant. It was accompanied by mashed sweet potatoes and baby pattypan squash.

We spent Sunday in the Magic Kingdom. I did not eat anything there as the offerings at counter service restaurants were unappetizing. We got there first thing in the morning, then at 2:00 or so left for a swim and rest at the hotel. I had lunch poolside - a Cuban sandwich. Then we returned to the park at 7:00 to catch the Main Street Electrical Parade, the Wishes fireworks show, and a few more rides.

Monday morning we returned to Epcot, and had breakfast at the Seasons food court while waiting for our Soarin' Fastpasses to become valid.

Special K and fat-free strawberry Greek yogurt:

A satisfying breakfast that clocks in at 190 calories.

The Seasons food court definitely wins for healthy eating; the Magic Kingdom would do well to add something similar to their offerings.

Lynx to Food: Tyvola Road

Today's Lynx to Food is a visit to the venerable Charlotte institution Bill Spoon's Barbecue, which has been serving up delicious 'cue for nearly half a century. Their slogan: "We Cook The Whole Pig - It Makes The Difference". Unfortunately, dim lighting meant that my photos did not come out, so no pictures with this entry. I had a pork barbecue sandwich and unsweet iced tea. The sandwich at Bill Spoon's is definitely one of the best in town. The pork is very finely chopped, mildly smoky, and only lightly seasoned with Spoon's vinegar-pepper sauce, which allows the rich flavor of the pork to dominate. (There's more sauce available on the table for people who prefer to spice it up.) The pork is topped with mild white cole slaw. Presentation at Bill Spoon's is decidedly no-frills -  the pork sandwich came on a small paper plate, the tea in a red Solo cup - but when it comes to great barbecue, who needs anything fancy?

I can't pretend that a barbecue sandwich is health food, but I didn't order any side dishes, so at least the 'cue wasn't augmented by mac'n'cheese or french fries or - sigh - sweet potato pie.

Out to Lunch: The Cowfish

Today's post-shopping lunch was at The Cowfish, a popular South Park establishment which offers sushi, burgers, and "burgushi" - sushi rolls with burger fillings. I had a Soy Vegan Roll:

The outer wrapping was soy paper, and the fillings were lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, beets, and mango. This is a great place, as much for the fun vibe as the food, and since we were there at 3:00 pm we didn't even have to wait.

Stir-fry Lunch

Today's lunch was a vegetarian stir-fry:

4 oz. extra firm tofu
5 oz. mixed vegetables
(Pro-tip: if you're cooking for one, buy cut-up vegetables from the salad bar at the grocery store. It's more expensive than buying the whole vegetables, but less expensive than throwing away all the broccoli and celery that went bad because it never got used up)
1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tsp. sriracha

230 calories

Lynx to Food: Archdale

Lynx to Food visits the Archdale stop.

First, shopping at Payal Indian Grocery and Spices:

Then, lunch at Doan's Vietnamese restaurant:

Pho tai (beef broth with rice noodles, thinly sliced beef, and fresh herbs):

Accompanied by delicious freshly-squeezed limeade:

This was my first visit to this restaurant. The staff were very nice and friendly, and the pho was excellent. I'd definitely go back and try some of the other dishes as well - everything on everybody's table looked good.

Out to Lunch: McAlister's Deli and TCBY

Today I was doing some errands in Blakeney and stopped for a quick lunch at McAlister's Deli. I had their "Choose Two" option with a cup of chicken tortilla soup and a veggie spud.

Chicken tortilla soup: 200 calories
Potato: 390 calories

I then went next door for dessert at TCBY, one of the many local self-service frozen yogurt stores. I like this because they charge by weight, so if you want a small taste, you pay a small price!

I had fat-free fruit punch flavored sorbet, with a small spoonful of waffle cone bits and a small spoonful of granola. The whole thing was 3.2 ounces, which had approximately 75 calories, and cost $1.57.

Out to Lunch: Malaya Kitchen

Today's lunch was at Malaya Kitchen in the Arboretum. No pictures because I forgot my camera. (Bad blogger!) I had tofu in garlic sauce with brown rice. This was delicious - savory, sweet and very spicy. It had broccoli and red bell peppers stir-fried with the tofu, and the garlic sauce had lots of red pepper flakes. One thing that sets Malaya Kitchen apart from other strip-mall Asian restaurants is that their lunch special comes with a salad (a small bowl of iceberg lettuce with ginger dressing) and the portions are substantial but not overwhelming. It makes a nice change from the default greasy egg roll and pile of fried rice that many places give you.

Leftover Lunch: Meatball sub

5 meatballs: 125 calories
1 slice 2% provolone cheese: 60 calories
2 oz. sandwich roll: 170 calories

It's a wrap

Flatout Light wrap with 1/4 cup Trader Joe's hummus, shredded carrots and sliced cucumbers

250 calories