Today I read a very interesting article in my December 2010 edition of Health Magazine titled "America's Healthiest Mall Foods" by Nicole DeCoursy. I thought that this was a very interesting topic, seeing how most of the foods, including fast food, found in a mall setting are so unhealthy! It is refreshing to know that some restaurants are truly making an effort to provide their customers with good tasting, healthy foods. So, without further ado, I would like to present you with DeCoursy's top ten healthy mall foods.
- Asian Grilled Salmon on Brown Rice: P.F. Chang's China Bistro offers this number one healthy foods that can be found in a mall setting. The brown rice offers a good source of fiber and the salmon is full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids (which are good for memory).
- Moroccan Chicken Salad: California Pizza Kitchen offers this delicious salad that is loaded with avocado, beets, red bell peppers, roasted butternut squash, romaine lettuce, dates, and dried cranberries. Not only will you get all sorts of good nutrients from the veggies and dried fruits, but you also get plenty of protein from the chicken!
- Chicken on Flatbread with Hummus Artisan Snack Plate: Starbucks has added this healthy snack sized meal to their menus to help give their customers some healthy choices. It comes with a mix of veggies; including grape tomatoes, carrots and cucumber sticks, and also packs plenty of protein in the chicken and hummus.
- Roasted Eggplant, Spinach, and Feta Multigrain Pizza: Uno Chicago Grill's pizza has a crust that is mainly made with whole-wheat stone-ground flour and is light on sodium compared with most other pizza venues. The veggies are also good for you too! Just a few slices of this pizza would make a good meal or you could share one with a friend.
- Mayan Chicken Harvest Rice Bowl with Brown Rice: Au Bon Pain has created this rice bowl to be full of veggies and whole grains. While it does contain partially hydrogenated oil, the amount is small enough that the company can claim the dish has 0 grams of trans fat.
- Broccoli Beef with White Rice: Panda Express houses this healthy Asian dish. It's sodium content is lower than most other Asian food and also includes the super nutritious vegetable broccoli! This meal would be made even better if you could get it with brown rice.
- 6-Inch Veggie Delight with Swiss: Subway's sandwich, full of veggies is so light in calories that it can really be made with both cheese and mayo without packing on too many more calories. However, the nine grain bread can be deceiving because while it does contain barley, flaxseed, and millet, it's main ingredient is still enriched wheat flour..
- Asian Sesame Chicken Salad: Panara Bread (one of my personal favorite restaurants) includes this healthy salad on their menu. It pack in the protein through the inclusion of chicken, almonds, and sesame seeds. The only qualm with the salad is that the romaine lettuce is the only vegetable in the salad and the dressing contains high-fructose corn syrup and preservatives.
- Snack Size Fruit and Walnut Salad: Interestingly enough, even the mega fast food restaurant McDonald's has moved to include some healthy choices such as this dish on their menus. The salad is served with sliced apples and red grapes along with low-fat vanilla yogurt. The walnuts in the salad, however, are presweetened, which seems unnecessary.
- Soft Serve Chocolate Frozen Yogurt: Finally, TCBY had given customers a desert option that may actually be good for them. Frozen yogurt is a better choice than a big cookie or cinnamon bun found in the mall. The frozen yogurt actually contains healthy bacteria that can help digestion. But moderation is always best with these items!
Next time you're out shopping in a mall and have a desire to eat, check out the menus and see if you come across any of these options. It is wonderful that now we have available healthy foods that taste good in public places like shopping centers!
Today's Workout: Back to the Pool! From this week on, Tuesdays and Thursdays will be dedicated to working out in the pool.
50 Freestyle
50 Pull Freestyle
50 Kick Freestyle
50 Freestyle
(Repeat this set a total of 6 times today)
Total Meters/Yards: 1200
Today's Food Tip: Pita bread and hummus is something great to snack on, especially when you are hungry. Take one round of pita bread and tear it up into pieces. Then make up a batch of your own hummus (chick peas and tahini- can be bought in a can. Pour this into a bowl and mix with some extra virgin olive oil and paprika.) and separate it into small containers that hold about 1/4 a cup. One of these cups and a baggie of your torn up pita bread will fill you up when you start feeling hungry in the middle of your day!
Today's Relaxation Activity: Today the roads are going to be especially nasty! So if you're driving anywhere, you might end up being in your car longer than usual. Since this is the case, pop in your favorite music or tune into your favorite radio station. Turn the music up and let yourself sing it loud! Who cares if you don't think you have the greatest voice or if you know all the words. Just singing aloud and at the top of your lungs is a great energy releaser. Plus it will certainly bring a smile to your face. :)
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