Denny’s Fit Fare menu — loaded with salt

Many national restaurant chains these days are trying to adjust menus to offer what they call healthier or leaner meals. It’s a tall order to full when their menu planners remain addicted to salt! I ran into this with Applebee’s last year and just came face-to-face with it again recently when I went to a local Denny’s for breakfast.

Denny’s has what it has dubbed its Fit Fare menu. Items are labeled as “lite” and their protein amounts are highlighted as well. But when you dig into the nutrition info on Denny’s website, you see the sad salt stories.

My Denny's omelet..get the salt out Denny's!!! — My Denny’s omelet..get the salt out Denny’s!!!

Take the Fit Fare veggie omelet made with egg whites as an example. I planned to get this, but then saw it contains 820 mgs of sodium, basically half my daily limit! Where is all the salt? I discussed it with a very helpful waitress. We agreed the Swiss cheese used and the English muffin that could be a side likely accounted for most of it. Continue reading “Denny’s Fit Fare menu — loaded with salt” →

May 31, 2016 1

No salt, no sugar Memorial Day recipes — more salmon in foil

Grilling salmon in foil for Memorial Day is hardly a new idea, I’ve written about my take on it here in the past. But I have a chef crush on Giada De Laurentiis, so when I saw the Food Network send me one of her salmon-wrapped-in-foil recipes, I had to click through to it.

Place salmon on the lemon and coat with lemon-infused olive oil and spices. — Salmon in foil, my take with lemons.

It sounds good with Italian overtones — tomatoes, lemon juice, oregano. I’m adding it to my salmon medley of grilling. Continue reading “No salt, no sugar Memorial Day recipes — more salmon in foil” →

May 30, 2016 1

No salt, no sugar Memorial Day recipes — bring out the shrimp

Memorial Day is almost upon us and if you’re like me, you’ve probably been cooking outside already this weekend. This is my third no salt, no sugar Memorial Day recipe this year after writing one about chicken and then grilled strawberries.

A wonderfully simple shrimp, fennel and cucumber salad

Bon Appetit recently sent me a roundup of 39 shrimp recipes, some for grilling. Looking through them, I found a lot I wouldn’t try because of salt or heavy spices. But I came across one that sounded good. Continue reading “No salt, no sugar Memorial Day recipes — bring out the shrimp” →

May 29, 2016 0

No salt, no sugar Memorial Day recipes — a great grilled berry dessert

Memorial Day grilling recipes usually involve meat or fish or some sort, whether it be chicken or, my personal favorite, salmon. So I was intrigued to see this recipe on FoodNetwork.com for a grilled strawberry dessert.

Here’s the ingredient list and how I’d modify it to get some sugar and fat out of it: Continue reading “No salt, no sugar Memorial Day recipes — a great grilled berry dessert” →

May 28, 2016 1

No salt, no sugar Memorial Day recipes — barbecued chicken

Memorial Day weekend is the official start to the summer cook-out season, so naturally every food site and publication has been posting Memorial Day barbecue and grilling recipes. But most are loaded with salt and sugar because most prepared barbecue sauces are as well.

Chicken rosemary skewers were wonderfully flavorful and easy to make. — Time to put some chicken on the grill for Memorial Day?

So for the next four days, I’ll be posting no salt, no sugar, low-fat variations on what everyone else is telling you to make. some times I’ll be referring back to past recipes fo mine, like my salmon done five ways on the grill. Continue reading “No salt, no sugar Memorial Day recipes — barbecued chicken” →

May 27, 2016 2

Some simple, yet tasty, salmon recipes from Costco Connection

Low salt, low fat and low sugar recipes are the main reason readers come to this site, so I’m always on the look-out for more great, and easy to make recipes. I found these two salmon recipes in the May issue of The Costco Connection, Costco’s magazine.

In another sheet of aluminum foil, place your four pieces of salmon and separate with aluminum foil. Then rub in marinades for each. — Grilling salmon is a luscious experience. Click the links here to see two grilled salmon recipes form Costco.

One is for grilled salmon with grilled vegetables. I’ve done variations of this many times, either grilling veggies on skewers or in big pans. This calls for putting zucchini, pepper and onions in foil, seasoning with basil, garlic and olive oil and then just grilling the packet for five minutes. What could be easier? The salmon itself int his recipe is simply brushed with olive oil and grilled. Continue reading “Some simple, yet tasty, salmon recipes from Costco Connection” →

May 20, 2016 2

More fuel to the GMO debate

A new report that some might have hoped would dampen the debate on genetically modified foods (GMOs) gave each side something to be happy about and so likely doesn’t change the contentious nature of GMOs, according to media reports this week.

Here's what food labels could look like in Vermont-- noting GMOs-- unless Congress moves to stop it. — Here’s what food labels could look like in Vermont– noting GMOs.

The report Tuesday from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, said GMOs are safe to eat, something critics don’t believe, but it also said using them isn’t helping U.S. crop yields all that much because weeds and pests are adapting to them, as is nature’s way. Continue reading “More fuel to the GMO debate” →

May 19, 2016 0

Jenny’s will take you back—to 2001?

Jenny’s Steakhouse & Pub is another one of my favorite Chicago south suburban spots, not because it has a lot of low-salt, low-fat options on its menu, but because it reminds me of the family friendly places of my youth, the kind fo place people would feel special going to on a Sunday afternoon.

Jenny's junior filet and potato. Ask for no salt preparation. — Jenny’s junior filet and potato. Ask for no salt preparation.

That and it does a killer filet mignon for a reasonable price. I was surprised to see on its website that it’s only been there since 2001, it seems much older in terms of the vibe and atmosphere, which for me is a good thing. But the owner is a third generation restaurant guy, so it makes sense.

The only steak I order out these days is a filet because of its leanness. They also tend to come in smaller sizes than other steaks, so you save on overall calories as well. At Jenny’s I opt for the 8-ounce junior fillet because it comes with no toppings that would add fat or salt. At $22 with a baker potato and simple salad, it’s a bargain. Continue reading “Jenny’s will take you back—to 2001?” →

May 16, 2016 0

Top Low-Fat Breakfast Ideas

It can be hard to stick to a low-fat breakfast as we are so tired and busy first thing in the morning. But it’s so important to start the day with a healthy breakfast as it will give you a boost for the rest of the day. Here are some top low-fat breakfast ideas.

Omelet

Eggs are now a popular choice for healthy eaters as they are full of protein, vitamins, and a range of nutrients. They are also now a popular choice for a 800px-Omelette low-fat breakfast with scrambled and boiled eggs being good choices. Another top choice would be a omelet, as they are a delicious and filling breakfast idea. Try and stay away from adding cheese, unless it’s a low-fat type such as goat cheese or feta cheese. Add delicious food items such as sun dried tomatoes and peppers to make the omelet taste great. Have the omelet with some salad to make it more interesting.
Continue reading “Top Low-Fat Breakfast Ideas” →

May 13, 2016 0

Healthy and natural are in the news again; what do they mean?

The Food and Drug Administration recently backed down in a fight with Kind bars about the bar maker using the term healthy on its products. In the process, the agency decided to re-evaluate the guidelines it uses that allow a food manufacturer to use the term healthy.

My low-salt, low-fat, low-sugar pantry. Are these healthy? For me, they are.

“Just because a food contains certain ingredients that are considered good for you, such as fruit or nuts, it does not mean that the food can bear a ‘healthy’ nutrient content claim,’ the FDA said, reported the Chicago Tribune.

Kind bars have 13 grams of sugar each, is that healthy? How about the 3.5 grams of saturated fat? Continue reading “Healthy and natural are in the news again; what do they mean?” →

May 11, 2016 1

Month: May 2016