Summer Time Makes Me Dream of Salads.....

The great things about living by the water are endless; runs on the beach, laid back lifestyle, picturesque views, but in the summer it means a few 85-90 degree days in a land where 90% of the population doesn't have air conditioning.

Today was one of those days which inspired me to make one of my all time favorite salad recipes. I call it my "Summer Berry Goat Cheese Salad" (Creative name right?!?) and its great because its super easy, filling and light...oh yeah and yummy!

Here's what you will need:

1) Lettuce of your choosing ( I use bagged romaine)
2) Berries. Sometime you can find a fresh pre-mixed option. This time I couldn't so I used raspberries and blackberries.
3) Goat Cheese (get the pre-crumbled kind), feta or blue cheese are also good substitutes
4) Chicken Breast (I like tenders or cutlets because they cook faster)
5) Dressing- I prefer Wishbone Light Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette


Also a good lunch option because it is so quick and cleanup is one pan.

As I mentioned look for thinner chicken like tenders or cutlets so you can cook it in a pan with a little PAM, S&P in about 5-7 minutes.

Also the picture above is "pre-mix" I highly recommend stirring it up! The goat cheese mixes with the dressing to create a topping of goodness

If you have a man in your life make his a "big protein salad" with tons of chicken and/or add some candied walnuts! He won't even know he's eating a salad :) 



The Nutritional Facts: 379 Calories
2 Cups Romaine Lettuce
1 Cup Mixed Berries
1 oz Goat Cheese
3 oz Chicken
2 Tbsp Light Rasberry Walnut Vinaigrette (Wishbone) 

I love GLBT, but is it wrong to love Chick-fil-a too?

Chick-fil-a has received a good amount of heat in the news lately about their political stances, specifically when it comes to GLBT, but i just cant help myself I love that original chicken sandwich so much!

The other great thing about chick-fil-a is that they offer tasty, low calorie food options on the go. Now I am not saying everything on the menu is healthy but their fried chicken is cooked in peanut oil which is a healthier alternative to oils used by other fast food chains.

Here are my suggestions

1) The Chargrilled chicken sandwich. At only 320 calories and 5g of fat this is a great lunchtime option on the go. It is also served on a wheat bun which is an added bonus. You can also ask for the bun "without butter" (They place a small amount of melted butter on the bun for flavor) to knock a few more calories off



2) Chicken Nuggets- Alright they are fried but sometimes we all need a little "cheat" meal and this is just that. An 8 count is only 270 calories (add about another 50 for 1 dipping sauce).  Of course these are high in fat because they are fried but they are oh so tasty




Other Healthy options include: The grilled nuggets (120 calories for 8), Chicken soup (250 calories for a large), Grilled market salad (200 calories), the grilled chicken cool wrap (320 calories)


DON'T EAT THAT......

Watch out for these seemingly healthy things on the menu that may have more calories than you expect:

1) Chicken Salad Sandwich: 500 Calories and 20g of fat
2) The Cobb Salad: 450 calories without dressing