Month: May 2012

Dinner, Tips

Dining Out Guide

Sometimes it can be really tricky to have a social life while losing weight and staying on track with healthy eating. Whenever I get together with friends or family, we end up going out to eat. So many of my social interactions revolve around food. While trying different restaurants and getting dressed up to go out to dinner with friends is always exciting, it can end up being really stressful when you are trying to stay on track with your diet. Since most of our social gatherings are restaurant related in our day and time, you can’t really avoid it all together.

I used to have a really hard time going to restaurants with friends because I had no idea where to begin. Should I not eat all day and then get a “normal” meal with my friends? Should I only order a side salad without any dressing? Should I eat my own meal at home and only order an iced tea at the restaurant? Going out to eat quickly went from one of my favorite events to a stressful and anxiety filled situation. I started to dread going to restaurants with friends and started avoiding birthday dinners, celebrations, and get-togethers because I just couldn’t handle it.

I realized that I was less happy not hanging out with my friends and celebrating their birthdays than going out to dinner and being stressed. I decided that it was time to figure out a realistic approach to reduce stress and anxiety when dining out. I started by checking online menus and nutrition facts online before going to the restaurant. This way I knew exactly what I would be eating and know how to ask the waiter to prepare it. I also started to become more familiar with what portion sizes looked like so that I could easily eyeball how much of my dish to eat. After I started using this approach, dining out with friends finally became fun again and I no longer had to worry about getting off track. Here are some of my tips and tricks to dining out and staying on track!

  • Check restaurant menus online and plan what you will order ahead of time.
  • Take your time and look up nutrition facts beforehand.
  • Don’t skip meals to “save calories” before dining out. If you starve yourself all day you will end up consuming way more than you planned because you are so hungry. Trust me on this one!

  • Say no to bread baskets and chips. If you know you will be too tempted, ask the waiter ahead of time to not bring it. If others dining at your table would like bread and you have no choice but to have it at the table, ask for a side salad with balsamic right away so you have something to nosh on.
  • Remember that you have been through harder things than this.
  • Remember that you are in charge of what you eat.

  • Don’t feel bad or embarrassed to make special requests, like asking for sauces on the side, steamed, no oil, etc. People have elaborate orders all day everyday.
  • Look for foods that are grilled, baked, steamed, roasted, or broiled.
  • Avoid foods that are fried, crunchy, crispy, creamy, breaded, or sautéed.
  • Split an entrée with a friend or order from the appetizer or kids menu.
  • Skip dessert or stick to a 3 bite rule. The first bite you are fully present and excited to taste it, second bite you get to take it in and enjoy it, and third bite you get to savor. After that, it’s alllll the same.
  • Pay close attention to condiments and dressings. Some of them have a lot of fat, sugar, and calories.
  • Get a half order instead of full order when available.
  • Ask for a salad, steamed veggies, or fresh fruit on the side instead of fries.
  • Always opt for water or unsweetened tea instead of soda.

  • Keep portion sizes in mind:
    1 cup= baseball
    ½ cup = yoyo
    2/3 cup= tennis ball
    ¼ cup= egg
    3oz= deck of cards
    1 Tbs = poker chip
    1 tsp = quarter
  • Pace yourself. Your meal is not going to sprout legs and run away. Eat slowly, and put your utensil down between bites.
  • Take sips of your beverage in between bites.
  • Ask for a “to go” container up front and automatically put half of it away before you start to eat.
  • Don’t associate fullness with being overly stuffed or bloated. Eat only what your body needs. Give your stomach at least 15 minutes to tell your brain it’s full.

  • Remember to enjoy the experience and eat what you want. Dining out should be a treat and shouldn’t be stressful.
  • One meal won’t make you fat, skinny, healthy, or unhealthy!
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Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Snacks, Tips, Vegetarian

Road Trippin’ Rabbit Food Style

Sam and I headed out of Houston on Monday morning at 7am in route to Los Angeles.
The first day of driving was long, but so much fun. We ended up getting to Tucson around 9pm and were so happy to get out of the car and sleep!
Tuesday was our final stretch, leaving Tucson at 8am and arriving in LA at 3pm. So hoppy to be home! I slept like a baby last night.

Road trips can be really challenging to eat healthy. From state to state you are surrounded by fast food joints, mini marts, and all-American diners off of the highway. We made it our goal to eat as healthy as possible on this road trip and I have to say it was a success!

In preparation to leaving, we went to the grocery store to buy some Larabars, bananas, apples, and water bottles to have on hand. We  made a few stops for meals along the way and I did my very best to stick with my Rabbit Food guidelines!

Our first stop was at Dunkin’ Donuts in Houston. I am obsessed with coffee, but beyond obsessed with Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. It is so good! When people say “Dunkin’ Donuts has the best coffee!” you better believe it. It’s the best. Hands down. Whenever I visit Sam in TX, we always grab coffee at DD because we don’t have it in CA! I always stock up on K-Cups for my Keurig coffee maker, and this trip was no exception. For some reason, Dunkin’ Donuts only sells their K-Cups in stores, so if you live in CA, good luck! I usually fly home, so I don’t have enough space in my carry-on to bring K-Cups, but because we were driving back, we had tons of room for my purchase of six 24 packs! Yes, you heard that right, and yes there is photographic evidence! DD needs to either A) Change their slogan from “American runs on Dunkin'” to “American run’s on Dunkin, unless you live in CA” or B) Open up a franchise in CA. Did you hear that Dunkin’ Donuts? COME TO CA! So jealous of everyone who has a DD near them.

 I started my day with a nonfat latte, all bran muffin, and a fuji apple. I didn’t have any nuts or other plant based fat options, so I struck out in that category. I’m sure that muffin contained some fat though… after all, it was from a donut shop!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: fuji apple
Whole Grain: all-bran muffin
Protein: nonfat milk (in the latte)
Plant Based Fat: 0

 The next stop on our trip was for fuel & lunch in a small town before a long stretch of open fields and no civilization. The only food option was either a mini-mart or Dairy Queen. We decided to scope it out and to my surprise, DQ had a salad option. It came with crispy fried chicken on top and even after asking for a salad sans-chicken, they didn’t really understand. I’m probably the first person to ask for a salad without chicken at this location haha. No worries, Sam ate the chicken for me anyway! I didn’t have a whole-grain option to work with so I also struck out in this category, but overall it wasn’t bad for Dairy Queen.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: iceburg lettuce and tomato
Whole Grain: 0
Protein: cheese
Plant Based Fat: balsamic (olive oil based) dressing

 During an extra long stretch in the middle of New Mexico, I ended up snacking on a Cherry Pie flavored Larabar which falls into the plant based fat (almonds) and produce (cherries & dates) categories.

Right before arriving in Arizona, we stopped to refuel and grab some dinner at Subway. I opted for a 6-inch veggie delight with pepperjack cheese, olives, and red wine vinegar on whole wheat. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to use as my plant based fat (avocado, black olives, or olive oil – with vinegar). I ended up choosing black olives and red wine vinegar as my dressing instead of oil since the olives count as a plant based fat. It was yummy!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: lettuce, spinach, tomato, onions, bell peppers, pepperoncinis
Whole Grain: whole-wheat bread
Protein: pepper jack cheese
Plant Based Fat: black olives

Sam even ate some RFFMBT approved snacks along the way including his first Larabr. He chose Apple Pie. The Verdict? He said nothing compares to his Granny’s Apple Pie recipe, but it was pretty good!

 After 2 days and 24 hours of driving, we are happy to be in CA!
It may seem tricky to eat healthy while driving across the country, but it’s not impossible! With the right knowledge and guidelines, it can be done!

Now time to rest up before we go to Body By Design OC Bootcamp with Kandace!
Health & Happiness

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Breakfast, Recipes, Snacks, Tips, Toast Tuesdays, Vegan, Vegetarian

Peanut Butter & Banana Toast

Happy Toast Tuesday to all of my little bunnies!

Sam and I  are on the last leg of our road trip making our way from Tucson to LA! Yesterday we drove  15.5 hours, so we are really excited for the shorter drive today. In the past couple of days I have been smothered by a countless number of incredible emails and a plethera of new readers, pinners, Facebook fans, and Twitter followers. I love reading your stories and seeing your DIY photos! Thank you soooo much for continuing to read my blog everyday. Your support means the world to me. Because I have been attempting to blog via my iPhone (appologies for any awkward autocorrections and spelling errors!) in the middle of the dessert on my road trip, I haven’t been able to respond to emails as promptly as usual. I love chit chatting with readers and really appreciate the time and courage that goes into so many of your emails and I like to do the same for you! I’ll be emailing everyone as soon as I can, you are so important to me! I love you little bunnies!

Now onto the toast! Not only is this toast a classic, but it’s the perfect post workout snack with a purpose.

It may seem counterintuitive to eat after you have just exercised, but this is the best and most important time to eat. Your body needs protein and carbohydrates to repair muscle tissues and replenish glycogen stores, which are depleted after a strenuous workout. You can avoid cancelling out the calories that you just burned by eating the correct combination of foods to meet your body’s fuel needs.

After a sweat session, you want an ample protein (nut butter) combined with a high-glycemic carbohydrate (banana). By adding a complex carb like whole-grain toast, you are getting extra fiber without empty calories to make a more substantial post-workout meal. Eaten together within 45 minutes after a workout, this combination will go a long way to help your body repair and restore.


Peanut Butter & Banana (PB&B) Toast
Serves 1

1 slice whole-grain bread
1 Tbsp unsalted peanut butter
½ banana

Toast the bread and slice up half of a banana. Spread the toast with peanut butter, and top with banana slices.

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Breakfast, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Brown Rice Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowl

I absolutely love cereal and oatmeal in the morning, but sometimes I just want a change in my morning routine.

When I visited Japan, I had tons of white rice porridge for breakfast. I really loved the idea of rice for cereal, so when I got home I made my own Rabbit Food version with hearty whole-grain brown rice, creamy tropical, coconut milk, sweet fuji apple, and pecans. I’m not sure weather to call this a porridge, cereal, or muesli… so I shall call it, a Breakfast Bowl (although this would be a yummy snack or dessert bowl too)! I have tried this hot and cold and love both, it just depends on what I’m in the mood for when I wake up.

Brown Rice Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowl
Serves 1

1 small fuji apple
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I like So Delicious Dairy Free)
½ cup cooked brown rice
2 Tbsp chopped pecans
cinnamon to taste

Cook the brown rice to package instructions. Finely chop the apple into small cubes or slices. Transfer rice into a bowl and pour coconut milk on top (like cereal). Top with apple slices, pecan, and a dash of cinnamon.
Note: You could heat the coconut milk and brown rice together on the stove for a hot cereal, or chill the rice, and coconut milk for a cold cereal.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: fuji apple
Whole Grain: brown rice
Protein: light coconut milk
Plant Based Fat: pecans

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Breakfast, Recipes, Treats, Vegan

Sunburst Muffins

I spent some time playing in the kitchen for my second ever, vegan baking experiment from Love Food Eat. I used a healthy mixture of whole-wheat flour & almond flour, along with all natural honey, and unsweetened applesauce in place of oil. After I mixed up my batter, I could not stop licking the spatula! I’m so glad there are no raw eggs in this recipe, because I probably would’ve been sick after that little taste test! I know that some strict vegans do not consider honey to truly be vegan because it is made by bees, but since it does not actually contain any animal product, I still incorporate it in some of my vegan recipes. If you do not feel that honey works into your diet, you could try an alternative like agave or maple syrup! I have not experimented with these sweet alternatives, but I would love to hear if anyone tries!

Question: Do you think that honey should be considered vegan or not?

These muffins are like a little burst of sunshine. They have a warm, mildly sweet flavor with a punch of citrus. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee in the morning! Sunburst Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup finely grated carrots
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine ground flaxseed with water. Set aside and stir occasionally until it forms into a sticky/gooey texture (like an egg). In a mixing bowl, combine and mix all dry ingredients (whole-wheat flour, almond flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and turmeric). In a separate mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients (orange juice, applesauce, honey, grated carrots) along with the golden raisins, and the flaxseed mixture. Line a muffin pan with 12 muffin/cupcake liners. Carefully pour the batter into the liners. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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