What will be on your plate for Cinco de Mayo? Credit: punctuated

Cinco de Mayo is a fun holiday to celebrate. Even if you’re not Mexican, the salsa, guac, chips and tacos alone are enough to send me into food-heaven—although there are some easy ways to make a healthy Cinco de Mayo feast. Whether you’re indulging or sticking to the good-for-you stuff, tell us: what will be on your plate today? And be sure to select all that apply!

Now, tell us all about how your celebrating! With a party? Cooking? Whipping up a batch of Skinny Margaritas? Eating out? Spill the (refried) beans! —Jenn

When having to do a liquid diet, tasty smoothies are key. Credit: José Carlos Cortizo Pérez, Flickr

I have good news and I have bad news. The bad news: My week-long liquid diet (due to TMJ) has dragged out to more than three weeks, and there’s no reason for me to suspect that it won’t go a full month. Now, after the first week, I was given the go-ahead to eat soft foods, so long as I was smart about it, but I’m still getting the majority of my nutrition through smoothies and soups.

Here’s the good news: It’s not nearly as bad as it sounds. I’ve become pretty damn good at making a killer smoothie, if I do say so myself. Your suggestions on my last post were super helpful—thanks!—but I’ve found that I don’t follow many actual recipes.

I use a bit of Greek yogurt or soft silken tofu, some frozen fruit, a scoop or two of protein powder, some almond or soy milk (or juice, depending on the other ingredients) and, generally, some frozen chopped spinach, with the occasional dose of honey, cinnamon and or ginger. Sometimes there’s some peanut butter and/or banana added in. And it always, always comes out tasty. It’s like magic.

Allow me to geek out on you for a quick second here. It is strangely exciting to see just how much spinach (or kale, or other super-duper good for me veggie) I can add to a smoothie before it starts affecting the flavor. Anybody else like seeing how green you can make it while still having it be delicious?

Between this and an assortment of heat-and-eat organic soups (have you guys tried Pacific? They have a ton of delicious, creamy soups that are easy to eat on their own or mixed with veggies, Greek yogurt or fun spices), eating—at least when I’m at home—is surprisingly easy. But the most surprising part? I’m not hungry. I’m sure it’s because I’m being so vigilant about making sure my meals are packed full of great nutrition—as often as not, I’m eating better and cleaner than I would normally—but still, the lack of hunger shocked me.

That being said, I’m also not losing much weight, and while that’s a bummer—I totally thought this would be an easy way to drop a few stubborn pounds—I’ve decided not to worry about it. I’m far more concerned with making sure I’m properly fueled for workouts and, you know, life, and if that means I’m making my smoothies a little more calorie-dense than I would if I were truly aiming for weight-loss, I think that’s probably just fine.

And, you’ll notice I said that it’s easy to eat at home. A recent three-day road trip proved that eating on the go is…well, a challenge would be putting it mildly, especially because so many soups in restaurants are made with a chicken or beef broth base, and in addition to being banned from chewing, I also don’t eat meat. Let me tell you, I’m a pleasure to be with in a restaurant these days.

Still, I’m feeling surprisingly good, and very much looking forward to the day when I can eat a bagel again without pain. In the meantime, keep the recipes and suggestions coming! I’m pretty set with smoothies, but soups and other tasty purees are most welcome.

Are you as surprised as I am that I haven’t been starving non-stop? Have you ever had to follow a liquid or a soft-food diet for a week or more? —Kristen

I’m a sucker for dark French-press coffee with just a splash of cream. Seeing that I’m also a sucker for a hot breakfast (goodness, I love breakfast food) and cake pops of any variety, when Starbucks asked if we’d like to try a few of its new offerings, I got my to-go cup ready and hit the ‘bucks. (And have you guys tried their Blonde blend? I’m a dark coffee lover, but that ish is smooth and good!)

Starbucks Chicken Sausage Breakfast Wrap

There are two things I really want in any breakfast: a headstart on my fruit and veggie count for the day and protein. Do that without a ridiculous amount of fat and calories, and I’m generally a happy camper. And this Starbucks Chicken Sausage Breakfast Wrap certainly meets that criteria. Egg whites, chicken sausage, fire-roasted zucchini, red peppers, yellow peppers and mushrooms are wrapped up in a wheat tortilla for 300 calories of tasty.

Although it’s high in sodium (700 milligrams), there’s 14 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, making it a filling choice for breakfast on the go. It goes for just more than $3 in stores, making it just about the price of latte—but with so much more nutrition. This one tasted fresh, savory and is something I would definitely order again.

Starbucks Raspberry Truffle Cake Pop

You know when you want some decadent cake (the real stuff—not the diet kind), but it seems ridiculous to eat a whole piece, let alone buy or make a whole cake that will then sit in your kitchen and call your name 24/7? Well, cake pops, which are SUPER popular lately are pretty much the answer. Assuming you can eat just one of these Starbucks Raspberry Truffle Cake Pops, they are an awesome treat that absolutely fits in a Fit Bottomed lifestyle.

Made of thick and moist chocolate cake mixed with raspberry jam and buttercream icing, these Starbucks cake pops are then dipped in a dark chocolaty coating and finished with a dusting of raspberry powder and chocolate drizzle. At only 160 calories, it’s a rich couple bites of heaven. They go for $1.50 a pop. (Get it? Ha!) Yes, they have 8 grams of fat and 18 grams of sugar—but sometimes a girl needs a cake pop.

Do you do order more at Starbucks than just coffee? Ever tried this Starbucks wrap or cake pop? Tell us what your tastebuds thought! —Jenn

Is that tuna on the sustainable seafood Super Green List? Credit: brockamer

I love fish. When it comes to getting lean protein that’s full of nutrition (hello, healthy omega-3 fatty acids!), you really can’t beat it. However—and I’m sure I’m not alone here—knowing what fish is the best to buy and eat can be confusing. From hunting practices to farming to mercury levels, it can be super confusing. I mean, really, I’d just like to eat something that’s good for me that doesn’t kill the earth. That’s not so hard, right?

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program recently put together its Super Green list, which highlights species that have low levels of contaminants (less than 216 parts per billion mercury 11 parts per billion PCBs) and the daily minimum amount of omega-3s (at least 250 mg per day). Check out what fish make the sustainable seafood Super Green grade!

The Chipotle you love, now with brown rice! Credit: punctuated

A few things fuel my obsession with Chipotle. 1) It tastes delicious. 2) It’s quick, cheap, and you get real meat and vegetables. 3) The company actually cares about where its food comes from. And 4) It tastes freaking delicious.

We’ve discussed how to make your Chipotle experience as healthy as possible, and now the company has given me another reason to swoon: brown rice. The company so rarely changes up its menu that the first time I saw the brown rice option, I honestly thought black beans had gotten spilled into the regular rice. It wasn’t until a return trip that I did a double take and realized it was actually brown rice.

We all know that brown rice is packed with more nutrients and fiber than its white rice counterpart, making it the more filling and healthier option. But the good news is that it really tastes great in your Chipotle meal. While the white rice is pretty much impossible to beat, the brown rice has more of a bite to it and a slightly nuttier flavor. It seriously won’t disappoint. If you’re opposed to switching up your tried-and-true Chipotle formula, the brown rice is a simple switch that you probably won’t even notice.

Are you Chipotle-obsessed too? Have you tried the new Chipotle brown-rice option? —Erin

When you’re eye-crossingly busy putting in a full day’s work before trying to squeeze in a workout, it can be tough to get a healthy meal on the table. While fast food isn’t always the healthiest option, you do have a choice as to whether you pick the high-calorie No.1 or a healthier item on the menu. McDonald’s Asian Chicken salad is back for a limited time, giving customers a lighter meal option under the golden arches. With grilled chicken, the salad comes in at just 360 calories. And while it’s great that it’s a low-cal meal, I found it to be too calorie light when I tried it a few years back—I was starving just an hour later. When the company sent me a voucher to try the salad again, I was prepared: I added a Fruit ‘N Yogurt Parfait, which with 160 more calories gave my lunch enough sticking power to tide me over until my next meal.

Head on over for the delicious, crunchy details of the salad—along with a chance to win a salad of your very own! —Erin

Credit: Mike Saechang

It’s hard to imagine the words “KFC Double Down” and “healthier” in the same sentence, but Canadian researchers are saying that when it comes to watching your cholesterol, it’s more dangerous to your health to eat a single egg yolk than to consume a KFC Double Down sandwich. Now, we know that egg yolks are high in cholesterol, but we’re not so cool with dissing a whole food and claiming that such an overly processed high-in-saturated-fat food is even close to healthy. Again, everything in moderation!

Continue reading about this KFC Double Down sandwich research!

—Jenn

Back in graduate school, I stumbled across a small yet growing franchise called Noodles & Company. At the time, it was a pretty refreshing and cool concept—lots and lots of noodles from a variety of different cultures all on one menu. I happily gobbled up pad thai, Bangkok curry, spaghetti with tomato sauce and I even once tried their famed Wisconsin Mac and Cheese (no finger pointing—all good things in moderation!).

After grad school, I moved away from Minnesota and, sadly there were no convenientNoodles to be found. Until now! Noodles just moved into my ‘hood! (Originally started in Colorado, they are expanding across the country!) Can you tell I’m excited?

The good people at Noodles & Co. recently gave me a gift card to try some of their new dishes, and, while I tried to play it cool, I was geeking out hard core. Thankfully, the food at Noodles is as I remembered from years ago: healthy, fast and fresh. I tried a “Trio” which includes some type of noodle, a protein and a mini salad. My Trio concoction was as deliciously follows: Japanese Pan Noodles (pictured left) with tofu and a tossed green salad with a little fat-free Asian dressing. It was filling, and with just under 500 cals, it’s  the perfect dinner that will make you feel like you ate some good stuff but know you won’t regret it during that 6 a.m. run the next day.

My other Noodles faves? You can NEVER go wrong with the Med Salad, a tasty half-noodle half-salad dish with cheese or the Thai Curry Soup, which is super filling and only has 240 calories in a small serving (480 for large, but it’s a big-arse bowl).

Have you eaten at a Noodles & Company? Love it? Loathe it? Wish you had one in your town? Tell us about it! I’m obviously a fan…(and absolutely giving my honest-to-goodness unpaid opinion!) —Jenn

At some restaurants, it can be nearly impossible to find a healthy item. Sure, you can customize many entrees using phrases like “on the side” and “light on the…” and “substitute veggies for (insert less-healthy item here).” But isn’t it easier for you (and the server) when there are already low-cal items on the menu? Most definitely!

Applebee’s has had lighter items on its menu for years now, with its FBG-tested WeightWatchers menu. But now the restaurant has added even more low-calorie items to help diners avoid some of the caloric monstrosities that sit on its menu. The chain’s “Unbelievably Great Tasting and Under 550 Calories” menu may not have the catchiest name, but we’re all about the idea of adding better-for-you entrees. “Tasty” is a key word on the menu, too. After discovering in a survey that consumers who look for healthier options tend to shy away from them for fear the food won’t be appetizing, Applebee’s enlisted the help of nutritionists and chefs to pump up the flavor.

When I hit the ‘bee’s to check out the new menu, I ordered the Asian Crunch Salad (pictured above). It comes with a grilled chicken breast over salad greens, roasted red peppers, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, sliced almonds and a tangy Asian vinaigrette dressing. The chicken was my absolute favorite part of the salad; it was moist, tender, and truly yummy. The salad greens also had a slaw/cabbage mix added in, which gave the salad a more dynamic texture. The vinaigrette was probably my least favorite part about the salad. I ended up using all of it, but was a bit too salty for me. If I were to get the salad again, I’d probably opt for a few more calories and get the oriental dressing on the side and use it sparingly.

My salad was good—crunchy and satisfying—but didn’t blow me away. I’d been pressured to make a snap decision, so after I ordered I wished I had tried one of their other tasty-sounding options. On the new 550-calorie menu they’ve got Grilled Shrimp and Island Rice, Grilled Dijon Chicken and Portobellos, Asiago Peppercorn Steak, and Spicy Shrimp Diavolo. Next time I’m getting the steak!

FBG word of warning: When you know you’re going to order a low-calorie item, don’t let your mind tell you that it’s fine to order a Big Brutus beer, an appetizer and a dessert. Remember, you’re trying to keep it light! (Also, avoid these dining traps!)

Have you tried any of the 550-calorie items at your neighborhood Applebee’s? What do you recommend? —Erin

Credit: puroticorico

My hubby and I (and pug!) recently moved cross-country. While we could have flown and been done in just a few hours, circumstances, family visits and the amount of stuff (and pug!) we had required us to do the distance driving. Even though we were able to break up the drive with family visits in the Midwest and a vacation, we still had to drive from Northern California to New Jersey. That drive is no joke, requiring five full days in a car.

I’ve been so diligent about working out and trying to eat healthy, so I was curious how healthy we’d be able to eat on the road during the drive. I gave us a challenge: Get across the country without eating fast food.

I was thoroughly excited to see if it could be done. I knew it would require some sacrifice and forward thinking, but I was up for it. I packed healthy snacks and vowed that I’d skip the Big Macs (yes, even FBGs cave to the Big Mac temptation every now and then—at least this one does).

Unfortunately, only the pug was able to stay on track with her pre-packaged kibble. Our fast-food strike didn’t make it past the first day.

It started out well. After a Luna bar and coffee breakfast, I had some beef jerky for a snack before we stopped at a grocery store to walk the dog and pick up lunch. My husband got some California rolls, and I had a chef salad with minimal dressing. A nice leafy green salad? I was off to a good start. A couple of hundred miles down the road, hunger struck. After a small serving of Somersaults, I was good to go again. My husband grabbed a hot dog during one of our gas stops, and I stole a nibble, but I was willing to wait to grab something more nutritious for dinner.

We kept pushing on, and pushing on, trying to get a little farther before we called it a night. Before we knew it, it was 9:30 p.m., I hadn’t had dinner, and we were several miles from our stopping point. By the time we got to a seedy-yet-dog-friendly hotel on the border of Nevada and Utah, I was ravenous and slightly lightheaded. And by the time we struck out to get dinner, it was 11 p.m. with the time change, and our options were severely limited. We headed to the only grocery store in town. At that hour, none of the pre-made food items looked at all appealing, and I knew it was over. But hey, we’d passed an Arby’s. I could get a roast beef sandwich for just 320 calories!

Except Arby’s was closed. My roast-beef-hungry belly was not happy at this point. What else was open in this little town, you ask? You guessed it: McDonald’s. So not only did I not make it past the first day, but I also had to cave and have McDonald’s on the first day. And because I just wanted something hot, I got the grilled chicken (370 calories) and a small fry. All in all not a diet disaster, but I hated giving in the first day.

From Nevada, it only got more difficult. With stretches of a whole lotta nothing through Nevada, Wyoming and Kansas, food choices were often limited at best. Grocery stores don’t line I-70, and in my attempt to eat fresh at a gas station Subway, I was stuck with a way-soggy turkey sandwich. After that lame lunch, I caved big time with a dinner in Colorado. I’ll just say that there were chicken wings, corn fritters and macaroni involved. It wasn’t nutritionally pretty. But it was delicious. And at least my husband and I split it instead of getting our own meals. That counts for something, right?

Lessons Learned on the Road

1) Don’t get ravenous.

3) Plan ahead!