Adventures at Buffalo Wild Wings

I thought I was eating healthy. I thought that my new-found running skills were paying off. So HOW did I gain 2 pounds last weekend??? Alright, I was enjoying some adult beverages for a good friend's b-day and I did go to Buffalo wild wings, but I only got 8 boneless wings and french fries. I thought to myself, that can't be that bad, my guess would be around 700 calories. So I decided to look up the information online and figure out how many calories I really took in at dinner.

After searching there website for nutritional info and coming up short I decided to "contact them" and get the information. Within a couple hours they had sent me the full menu with all the dirty details.

HOLY MOLY.... My meal last week which consisted of 8 boneless wings, French fries and ranch dressing earned me a whopping 1,404 calories. That doesn't include my mixed drink :( That's TWICE as many calories as I had expected.
I'm starting to understand why they don't put the nutritional information on their website, it's some scary stuff.

I think it's important to to understand what you are eating, I thought I was being good by only having 1 oz of ranch dressing when really the ranch dressing has more calories than the fries! 320 calories for one little oz!

This weekend is my second chance. I'll be going to Buffalo Wild Wings this Friday and I'm going in well equipped.
I think it's a wonderful strategy to look up the nutritional info before you go. You wouldn't buy a car without knowing how much it cost, so why would you eat a meal and not know how many calories you're eating? Ty and I found some other options like the grilled chicken sandwich that aren't gut-bulgers.


Here is a sample of some of the calorie content on the menu. If you want the full menu which include the calories from fat, sodium, protein etc just e-mail me at meliteach@gmail.com and I'll gladly send you the information :)

Tenders & Popcorn Shrimp
Naked Tenders (each ) 43
Breaded Tenders (each) 170
1/2 lb Popcorn Shrimp 587
Wings & Boneless
Wings (each) 72
Boneless (each) 88
Ribs & Combos Meals
Ribs & Chicken Tenders 1860
Ribs & Popcorn Shrimp 1480
Ribs & Boneless Wings 1960
Chicken Tenders & Popcorn Shrimp 1120
Ribs & Traditional Wings 1860
Ribs & More Ribs 2380
Boneless Wings &Traditional Wings 1480
Popcorn Shrimp & Fish 820


Enjoy your night out and don't sacrifice everything you love. I'll be ordering smarter tomorrow and I'll still be able to enjoy my favorite food (FRIES!) and not put on 2 pounds in the process :)

Next up...
Healthy food for people who love to snack, like me!

-Meli

Skinny Spin Dip

I am blessed with friends who love to eat and drink as much as I do. We use to have a tradition of  going  to Applebees every Tuesday night for Trivia and half off appetizers. Our favorite appetizer to get? Spinach Artichoke  Dip. Well out of curiosity I just looked up how many calories are in that seemingly innocent tray of vegetable  dip 1,530 calories! YOWZA

I'm unbuttoning my top button just thinking about it!
There IS a better way. For the solution to massive calorie intake I'm sharing a favorite ingredient.
Greek Yogurt 

This is a staple in my fridge. I always have it around and eat it constantly with honey and blueberries. It has a very strong taste similar to sour cream.
So substituting No fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream not only has a lot less calories but you can't even tell the difference. I promise.
Here it is:

Skinny Spin Dip

8 oz or 1 package No fat Cream Cheese
1/4 Cup No fat Greek yogurt
1/2 Cup defrosted spinach
14 oz/ 1 can Artichoke Hearts
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 tsp/ 1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp died minced onion
salt and pepper to taste

Soften the cream cheese and then mix it with the yogurt. Defrost the spinach in the microwave on low power for 3 mins.
....now if only I could defrost the wintry scene outside my window :-/

Next drain the can of Artichokes and then either mash them up or if you're a spazz like me you can cut them up to your liking. Then add the spinach and artichokes to the mixture and  add the rest of the ingredients .If you are trying to be extra good/healthy only put 1/4 cups of the Parmesan in. You can either put it in the oven set at 350 degrees for 20 mins or eat it cold, I personally preferred it cold.

YUM, so delicious! 

You really couldn't taste the difference. Spinach, Artichoke and Parmesan are flavors that stand out on their own so you're not comparing the difference in sour cream and plain yogurt.

The dip ended up being 600 calories for the entire amount. Ty and I couldn't finish it all and this was what I ate for dinner. What I'm saying is, you could easily share this with 4-6 as an appetizer.

Now here is the problem if you are trying to be healthier.... chips!

I've found several healthier options.
Baked Tostitos Scoops 
120 cal per oz.
3g fat 
Meijer Whole Grain Delights 
120 cal per oz
6g fat
I decided to try some natural items as dip. So I tried redskin potatoes. I cut them up and roasted the potatoes at 400 degrees for 10-15 mins.

 I put them on a baking sheet with some olive oil and salt and pepper

Very yummy, they weren't crispy but soft inside and were wonderful with the dip spread on them. This was my favorite way to eat the dip. Ty's was the chips haha

Now what to do with the leftover spinach??
I'll figure it out, you go enjoy your dip.
-Meli

The Mission

Lucky me :) A little over 2 years ago I met Ty. He was unlike anyone I have ever met and I felt surprisingly at ease around him very early on. Despite my efforts to be cynical about love and relationships, I fell quickly and completely in love with his sweet, reliable green eyes. 4 months ago he surprised me with an elaborate scavenger hunt with notes and Polaroid pictures of our most special places. It led me to the top of a parking structure in downtown Ann Arbor. Amidst the night lights of my favorite city, with Ray LaMontagne playing in the background he knelt down on one knee and asked me to marry him. The answer was a given :)


What's this have to do with food?
Ever since that point I have been thinking about the future a lot. The future starts now, and the actions and food I eat today effect what happens tomorrow. I realized that I want to eat healthy, not because I want to look my best in my wedding dress (which I do) it's more than that. When I think about 50-60 years down the road I think about my future grandkids; I want to be around and active for them. I want to be an unstoppable 80 year old!


Since then I have been on the lookout for healthy/delicious options and found, to my relief, that they are out there! You just have to track them down.
Which is what I'm going to do!
I'm going to search, discover and invent yummy, healthy options and share them with my friends. 

Up Next: Spin Dip Remake.
I'll be taking Spinach Artichoke Dip and making it into a yummy healthy snack. I promise no sacrifice on taste, I'll share some of my ingredient secrets :)
"After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual "food" out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps."  ~Miss Piggy


...we shall see Miss Piggy.

TTFN, Meli <3



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