Sliders on lettuce "buns"...with spicy french fries, of course!
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| This meal wasn't very photogenic...the two mini patties in the back are already dressed |
100g spicy fries (baked)- 167kcal
64g lettuce- 10 kcal
8g ketchup- 9 kcal
8g mustard- 0 kcal
4 slices jalapenos- 0 kcal
10g diced onions- 4 kcal
total calories: 405
(I used 1/2 tbsp light ranch dressing for fry-dipping adding an additional 16 kcal to mine)
Mr. Light and I buy ground beef from Costco (it is otherwise through-the-roof expensive here) and divvy them up into 100g patties and throw them in the freezer, since we don't eat red meat save for once or twice a week. Doing this makes this meal especially easy, as all you need to do is throw the patties in a pan or on a grill (I miss my George Foreman SO BAD), throw the fries in the oven, chop an onion, wash the lettuce, and BAM...you're done.
The next time you're craving a burger and fry combo, try substituting this meal instead of heading out to the nearest McDonald's. Not only will you save yourself some money, but you'll be saving about 250 calories* to boot! (Side not: a regular hamburger from Applebee's is 790 calories alone...what?!)And the beauty of eating at home is, if you feel like you still want more food, you can add a side of veggies! One serving of green beans= 30 calories.
Do you have any great swaps for some of your favorite restaurant meals? Share them in the comments, and I'll give them a try!
*Figure based on a Quarter-pounder (sans cheese), and a small order of fries w/ 1 packet of ketchup
I do! You know the mexi-ranch dressing that's delicious at Applebees? 279 calories per serving.
ReplyDeleteOne spoon full of fat free sour cream (or greek yogurt) and stir in a two spoons full of salsa. I am not going to say it's the exact same thing but I will say that it's stinking delicious.
You've also made me want to try to recreate my favorite restaurant favorites. Ryan loves Cajun pasta from EVERY restaurant but it's all alfredo-y and cheesy and buttery. I'm sure there's a way to lighten that up. New project!
ReplyDeleteI've never even heard of Cajun pasta...hmmm. Have you ever tried tofu shirataki noodles? They say they're not a *perfect* substitute for pasta, but they're close enough to make it work. Maybe it would be worth trying for that? And they're so low that it would save more room for the alfredo and cheese...?
ReplyDeleteThings on my list of "I can't wait to be back in America": tofu shirataki, greek yogurt, quinoa, spaghetti squash (also maybe worth a pasta swap try?), and Zevia! Probably along with plenty more. I so wish I had access to these things.