What do you think?
I keep things pretty upbeat…pretty positive here on the blog, right?
Well then, how about a little timeout…aย chance for me to rant a little bit?
I think I’m entitled to a good rant every once in a while…
Especially when it’s 6 days until Lent is over and I find out it’s
National PB&J Day!
FML!
Oh and just for the record, my Googling “PB&J sandwich” is the pretty much the equivalent to Superman looking up pictures of Kryptonite!
And speaking of delicious food, tell me something…
How do you feel about chain restaurants being required to post the calorie count for their meals?
Because on Saturday, BB and I went shopping at the newly reopened Opry Mills Mall and by the time we got there, we were both famished. While not all sit-down type restaurants were open, Dave & Busters was. I figured, “Well I’ve been there before and the food’s pretty good…sure!”
I opened the menu and this was the first thing that caught my eye…
Mmm, chicken quesadillas!
Grilled chicken, poblano and jalapeรฑo peppers with cilantro, and a blend of melted Mexican & cheddar cheeses grilled in a cheddar jalapeรฑo flour tortilla. Served with sour cream and salsa.
Sound good?
783 CALORIES
How about now?
Ok, ok, it’s got a ton of cheese and grease…I understand.
So then I was like, “Ohhhh, a veggie burger…that sounds yummy!”
922 CALORIES
Fine, just fine! I’ll get a frickin’ salad!
Wait…I don’t want a frickin’ salad…I want MEAT!
(sorry veggie guys, it happens sometimes)
I guess I could have just ordered whatever I wanted, ate until I was satisfied and then took the rest home, but unfortunately, when dining out (especially with others where I’m easily distracted) I have absolutely NO CONCEPT of my stomach and always end up eating it all…I blame my parents and the “clean your plate” mentality (sorry mom).
So what did I end up ordering?
Three skewers of Louisiana spice-rubbed shrimp char-grilled and basted with mango citrus glaze served with spicy rice and steamed fresh vegetables.
All in all, I thought the meal was pretty tasty (and filling…I even gave one whole skewer to BB)…and at under 600 calories, I didn’t feel like the Goodyear blimp after eating it.
But I still wanted those damn quesadillas.
Wanna know how the story ends?
5 hours later…dinner…at a little place called Chaney Fork,ย Where there weren’t any calorie postings.
Crispy quesadilla filled with tender strips of buffalo steak, sauteed peppers, onions, and cheddar cheese served with chipotle sour cream
Let’s just say, sometimes…ignorance is bliss! ๐
Ok, I feel a bit better now that I got that out of my system…plus, I just had this as my bedtime snack:
Anyone care for a NUT and jelly sandwich?
Muahahaha!
Did you celebrate National PB&J Day?
What dish have you [ignorantly] enjoyed lately?
Fess up, I know you’ve got something! ๐
you are hilarious. how much nut butter are you going to have on easter? are you even going to go on an egg hunt or are you just going to go on a jar opening and tasting spree?
ps i have mixed feelings on the calorie count things, but when it comes to health conscious people like you and me, i feel like it really can ruin a meal!
Um, yeah…totally going on a jar opening/tasting spree! Over the last few weeks, I’ve managed to accrue not one, not two, but SIX jars of nut butter (and 3 minis)!! I can’t just stand by and let those little guys go untouched for that long! ๐
Oh no! Peanut Butter & Jelly Day – I saw that floating around FB today. You poor thing! It’s almost over!
Those quesadillas look awesome! I know what I am adding to my meals for the week.
I also want you to know I nominated your site for the Kreative Blogger Award and the Sunshine Award!
Thank you for your fun delicious posts!
~Rebecca
Thank you Rebecca! Can’t wait to check it out!
And I surely hope you were able to sneak in a little PB&J before bedtime! ๐
Haha I seriously have NO idea how you have stayed away from nut butter this whole time. Crazy talk!
I like the idea of them posting calories. I think people should know how much they are eating! I don’t think it’s a big deal, but sometimes it does get a little disappointing lol
It’s not common up here in Canada for restaurants to post their calories, so I can still eat in ignorance. ๐ But at the same time, sometimes I think it would be nice to know what I’m eating because I never would expect there to be almost 1000 calories in a veggie burger – that’s crazy!!!
I know, right?! I was totally shocked…just one of the many ways healthy food has been “Americanized”! Plus I’m sure the calorie counts wouldn’t be as shocking if the serving sizes were actually true and not double or TRIPLE the amount! ๐
I hate when calories are posted because it totally influences me. If everyone chose to just listen to their body it would tell them when enough is enough. Yes sometimes I am a mindless eater as well but one dy or two or probably even three isn’t going to make me gain 20 pounds. You’re body evens oh itself! And it’s good to indulge! Because as you found out you didn’t go with your craving at that meal but did your second! So might as well eat what you want! We only live once and I really doubt what we look like will matter in any after life you chose to believe in! And if you don’t believe in after life even better! Cause it really won’t matter!
Haha whoa talk about getting off topic! Love ya girl glad you got your meat and cheese cause really. What’s better? Not a salad I’ll tell you that ๐
Ahhhhh! I bow down to you oh wise one! I could NOT have said that better myself! Seriously…I’m virtually kissing your feet right now!
I LOVE when they post calories at restaurants. I wish more restaurants did it. Eating out is such a quagmire! It clears up the fog.
Definitely one thing I miss about NYC.
PB&J is a weakness of mine too. Unfortunately, I think it’s impossible to make it low-calorie. It’s just the nature of the beast.
Have a great day!
Calorie counts do influence what I eat. I do look for low calorie options but I also try to weight the nutritional aspect of it too (not like I know much about nutrition). I like getting small protein and large amounts of veggies. Seeing the numbers of a meal is definetely a shock sometimes. 1000+ for a singleentree no sides?? EEP! Then again, the calorie counting E.D part of my brain takes over quite a bit when I see the numbers. . . .
Going out to eat is so tricky for us. We went to PF Changs last week and the waiter commented on how much I ate. I don’t know if I was shocked or proud??? Anyway, I’ve been working with Tony on being more mindful of calories and how he’s eating. He asked me to help him. He did this for a week and it really sunk in with him. So, he only ate half of his dinner out that night and then ate the rest later that night. At least he portion controlled for the meals!
Haha! I can’t believe he actually commented on how much you ate! I know mindful eating is something I need work on for sure…it’s just hard to make a habit out of it since most days, I’m inhaling my lunch at work in between patients. I need you as my coach…and my meal maker…yeah, that sounds good! ๐
I think that restaurants should definitely have the nutrition information readily available… but I don’t want it all up in my menu. I would be so upset if I was really in the mood for something and then felt obligated to change my mind because of the calorie content. I like that a lot of restaurants have it online. If you’re really interested to know… you can check it out before and then order the healthy choice at the restaurant. Just please don’t make me look at it in the menu, because I’m trying to order my delicious fettucini alfredo without having a complete meltdown ๐
AaaaaaaaaaaaaMEN! I couldn’t agree more. Online is the place where the counts need to be…there’s just something so depressing about reading a description of a perfectly creamy fettucini alfredo topped with fresh parmesan and a splash of lemon when it’s followed by a 1280 CALORIES! I swear the numbers burn holes through the paper!
1. “chap my toast”- never heard it before but I kinda love it ๐
2. Ugh, the calorie counts! Sometimes it’s cool, but I find it can be really detrimental when I want to order something. It’s like taunting me saying, “C’mon, I’m 800 calories! You’re not reaaaaly going to eat me, are you?”
Haha, I kinda made it up. The actual phrase is “chaps my hide”
And oh my god, those quesadillas were saying the EXACT same thing! How did you know?? ๐
Haha I have to admit, I wish more places DID post the calorie counts, but at the same time, I’ve done the “didn’t order what I wanted, and then ended up eating it later on” thing, and that’s no good! So I think what I like best is when they have the info online, so if I want to look it up I can, but I’m not forced to. Sometimes ignorance IS bliss!
Yes! Love having the option available, but don’t force it one me. Sometimes you just need a bowl of pasta…or in this case a quesadilla without the voice in the back of your head telling you you’re eating “x” amount of calories.
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A birthday dinner AND a birthday lunch = 2 ignorant meals. But obviously I indulged!! For dinner my boyfriend and I went to a Mexican restaurant (my fav) and I ordered the shrimp fajitas (made veggie fajitas and ate the wonderfully spiced shrimp separately) Fajitas are so fun because you make them yourself! For lunch, I had a garden salad with the salmon dish (wait for it….) and then I had two beers…. oh and then the waiter brought me a FREE piece of chocolate and another beer ๐ What’s wrong with a birthday buzz at 3pm? Your meals look fabulous, as per usual!
Hey, you only live once! Sounds like you had a deeeeelicious birthday! Fajitas are my favorite thing to order at Mexican restaurants!