Dining Out: Breakfast/Pancake Houses

You can basically find the same few things at any Pancake House/Breakfast restaurant - omelettes, pancakes, french toast, hashbrowns, bacon etc. - But some choices are healthier than others

My usual go-to is a Veggie Omelette - with egg whites only - and I try to order fruit instead of hashbrowns/toast/pancakes - depending on the restaurant and size of the omelette this should have 200-300 calories, and it is a very filling breakfast.

When we went to breakfast yesterday, my boyfriend ordered: An Omelette with Bacon, Pineapple, and Ham(about 450 calories) with hashbrowns(about 200 calories) and a side of pancakes with butter and syrup(about 400 calories) - that's over 1,000 calories total!

Shrimp Scampi (Under 200 Calories!)

This is another variation of my 100 Calorie Zucchini Spaghetti -  this time I sauteed the Zucchini Spaghetti with garlic salt, butter, and shrimp, to make a healthy Shrimp Scampi

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free and paleo!

Recipe:

1 medium/large Zucchini - 46 calories

10 medium shrimp - 64 calories

1 tablespoon Earth Balance Whipped Buttery Spread(or other Butter replacement) - 80 calories

1-2 teaspoons Garlic Salt or Garlic Powder                                                                                  

= 190 calories

1. Thaw your shrimp if you are using pre-cooked frozen shrimp

2. Wash and slice your zucchini into spaghetti strips

3. Heat up a medium frying pan on the stovetop, add the shrimp

4. Add the zucchini to the pan, add the butter(you may not need a full tablespoon, you just want to add enough to keep the zucchini from drying out)

5. Sautee for about 6 minutes, top with garlic salt and enjoy :)

160 Calorie Zucchini Bread

My grandma makes THE BEST Zucchini Bread, I used to eat a few slices for breakfast when we would stay at her house - I love it chilled, with a little butter :)

 Since I liked it so much I thought I would see if I could make my own gluten free, dairy free, and low calorie version

I thought this turned out pretty good, and it is only 158 calories! This is healthy enough to eat for breakfast in my opinion - The only ingredients are: Zucchini, Apple, Sauce, Pumpkin Puree, Stevia and Oat Flour - totally acceptable breakfast staples

It is also gluten free, dairy free, and vegan!

Recipe:

1/2 of a Zucchini, grated (about 1 cup) - 23 calories

1/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce - 25 calories

1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree - 20 calories

1/4 cup Oat Flour - 90 calories

1/4 cup Stevia                                                             

= 158 Calories in Whole Loaf

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Wash your zucchini thoroughly and grate it into thin pieces

3. Mix in the apple sauce, pumpkin puree, flour, and stevia

4. Pour into greased loaf pan or 2 mini loaf pans (you can use a round pan like I did but I wasn't able to get it cooked through as thoroughly - I think it would work better in a loaf pan)
5. Bake for about 40 minutes for a large loaf, or 20 minutes for mini loaves
6. Remove from oven - let cool before storing in the refrigerator

200 Calorie Sriracha Roasted Cauliflower

I made this Spicy Sriracha Roasted Cauliflower for dinner tonight, it smelled AMAZING while it was roasting in the oven - and I'm only a little embarrassed to admit that I ate then entire thing by myself...

This was really good! I love spicy food so I knew I would like how this turned out - I even used extra sriracha as a dipping sauce :)

I had this as a main dinner dish but you could also have it as a side dish, or serve it with some other heavy sides if you're cooking for more than one person.

This recipe is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Vegan - make sure you use a Gluten Free Sriracha if you are gluten intolerant, not all brands are gluten free

Recipe:

1 medium head of Cauliflower - 146 calories

1/4 cup Sriracha - 60 calories

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Powder

1/2 teaspoon Chili Flakes               

=206 calories for the whole head of cauliflower

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Wash Cauliflower and cut off the large stem and leaves

3. Mix together the Sriracha, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Powder, and Chili Flakes

4. Spread the Sauce mixture over the whole head of Cauliflower - Use a spoon or basting brush to do this, or wear gloves so that you don't stain your hands

5. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour - I sprayed some coconut oil on my cauliflower halfway through the cooking time but that probably isn't necessary

6. Remove from oven when tender, slice and add some salt and pepper if desired - enjoy while it's HOT :)

100 Calorie Zucchini Spaghetti

Pasta is delicious - but it is high calorie and filled with gluten! I have tried a few low calorie/gluten free alternatives and Zucchini Spaghetti is the best by far, in my opinion.

I like Zucchini Spaghetti better than gluten free/rice pasta because it is so much healthier and has a lower glycemic index so it doesn't spike your blood sugar

Another alternative is Spaghetti Squash - but I like the Zucchini Spaghetti better because it doesn't have the sweet flavor that the squash has, and I think it is much easier to cook (I hate wrestling with the Squash to cut it in half)

If you have a Veggetti or other Spiralizer gadget Zucchini Spaghetti is SUPER easy to make - I picked up mine at Wal-mart for about $15

You could also use the larger slicer on a regular grater and then just cut the slices into strips!

This Zucchini Spaghetti is Gluten free, Dairy Free, and Vegan :)

Recipe: (Makes 1 Serving)

1 Zucchini - 46 calories (green zucchini works better than the yellow squash)
1/2 cup Tomato Sauce (no sugar added) - 50 calories           
= 96 Calories for a large bowl of spaghetti!

1. Wash your zucchini thoroughly and cut it into spaghetti strips
2. Place in medium sauce pan with enough water to cover, bring to a boil - boil for 3-4 minutes
3. Heat up spaghetti sauce in a separate sauce pan
4. Remove the sauce and noodles from heat - drain the zucchini noodles
5. Serve up the Zucchini Spaghetti while it's hot! Add garlic salt if desired

Dining Out: Chipotle

Chipotle is a great option if you are unable to eat Gluten or Dairy because you can just choose whatever toppings you want!

I always order a Veggie Bowl with: White rice, Black Beans, Fajita Veggies, and LOTS of Lettuce

I basically make it into a salad - I don't like their actual salad lettuce or dressing though so I just order it as a burrito bowl and have them put lots of the shredded lettuce on top at the end, and I use the green Tabasco sauce as dressing :)

My bowl only has 330 calories, versus the bowl my boyfriend orders - a chicken bowl with white rice, black beans, corn, sour cream, and cheese -  which has 780 calories! 

If you make the right choices a build-your-own restaurant can be a low-calorie option - and it can be very high-calorie if you make the wrong choices!

You can find out exactly how many calories are in YOUR typical Chipotle order here: http://www.chipotle.com/en-us/menu/nutrition_calculator/nutrition_calculator.aspx