Monday, July 23, 2012

Don’t Want to Cook Tonight? Discover Healthy Takeout Options



It’s one of those nights when you don’t feel like cooking but you also don’t feel like loading the family in the car and cajoling your kids to behave at a restaurant. What you want is takeout! But you’re sick of pizza and Chinese and you’d prefer a healthier option.
Start by making a list of your favorite restaurants in the area – you’ll find that most will provide takeout. Then take a look at how you can make healthier choices…
Mexican Food: Get whole black beans instead of refried beans. Usually soft tortillas are a lower calorie option to fried taco shells. You can easily replace cheese and sour cream with salsa.
Italian Food: Make a smart choice with the sauce. Instead of a creamy Alfredo or rich pesto, try a marinara sauce or pasta primavera.
Japanese Food: Healthy options include Miso soup, steamed vegetables such as edamames, and sushi rolls with avocado. You should avoid “tempura” which indicates it’s been fried.
Hamburgers: I have a friend that always orders the kid-size portion. You can make your burger healthier by loading it with lettuce and tomato and skipping the cheese. Ask for a side salad instead of fries or onion rings.
Another option is to choose a delivery service. One of my favorites here in the Silicon Valley that uses fresh, local and organic foods is Little Spoonfuls. If you have little ones they have menus geared toward toddler meals, baby pureed foods and family meals with a variety of main courses and side dishes. Order online and Little Spoonfuls will deliver a week's worth of meals that just need re-heating.

And of course if you live here in the Silicon Valley, there's always the option of having one of our Simplify chefs cook a fresh meal for you in your home that you can eat right away. Some of our clients have even dog-eared an interesting recipe to have our assistants prepare it!

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