Not All "Healthier" Ice Cream Is On My Recommend List (Product Review)

One thing I miss terribly from my "eat whatever I feel like whenever I feel like it" days is McDonald's chocolate shakes.  Oh, how I love them.  I have to admit, on the rare occasion that I get my kids each a small chocolate shake from McD's, I have to take a little taste.  Just a small one.  And then I'm satisfied.  I can taste it and go on with my day.  Not like before when I'd down a medium shake in like 10 minutes.  Do you know how many calories and carbs are in a McDonald's chocolate shake, btw?  A 16oz cup is an enormous 710 calories, 21g fat, 13g saturated fat, and OMG 115g carbs!!!

But a McDonald's shake is not what I'm here to talk about today.  I had an emergency where I needed a chocolate shake.  Trying to be good, I went for a healthier alternative.  I found Skinny Cow "Slimited Editions" (cute, huh?) Double Chocolate Crumble Shake-Stirs.  Doesn't the name of it sound simply divine?  Yes, I thought so too.  Here's what it looks like:

I was really leery about buying it at first, because it's really not very big (8.1 oz) and packs in at 230 calories (and then add the milk that you put in it on top of that), and it has 40g carbs (not including the milk).  But, I tell you, it was an emergency!!! :)  When you open it up it's just frozen ice cream with cookie crumbles in it with a well down the center.

Then what you do is add 1/3 Cup milk and let it sit for a minute.

Then after a minute or two you stir it up and it's more like soft serve ice cream than it is a shake.  And it's very messy.  When I stirred it I couldn't easily get to the bottom without all the ice cream on top spilling over the sides.

Here's the nutritional information for one of these Shake-Stirs:  230 calories, 2.5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 40g carbs, 6g fiber, 7g protein.  So, all in all it is a WAY better option than a McDonald's milkshake.  But I have to say, I thought the taste was a little flat and bland.  By the name "Double Chocolate Crumble", I expected TONS of chocolatey wonderfulness.  It tasted good, but not great.  I was left feeling cheated out of a big 230 calories from my daily calorie budget.

The better option is definitely the Skinny Cow Chocolate Fudge Brownie single serve ice cream cup that I reviewed a few posts ago.  You can read that here.  The chocolate flavor is much better, and even though it's a smaller serving, it has way less calories (150) and it actually lasts longer than the bigger Shake-Stir.  I think that's because it takes longer to savor it and let it melt in your mouth since it's frozen, rather than the soft-serve of the Shake-Stir that melts easily and gets swallowed quickly.

Yes, it tasted good, but not good enough to warrant "spending" 263 of my daily calories on it (230+33 for my 1% 1/3 cup milk that got added in).

btw, talking about the Skinny Cow single serve ice cream cups, I tried the Strawberry Cheesecake, and it was marvelous!  So rich and creamy.  I wish I had one of those again instead of the Shake-Stir.

Eat Wisely,

Lisa
happyfairylove@live.com

A Twist on Pretzels (Product Review)

I don't know about you, but for me plain pretzels are so...boring.  I really like having a salty crunchy snack, though, and pretzels are much better for you than greasy chips.  I found a new (to me) product, that I want to tell you about.  It takes pretzels to another level.

Pretzel Crisps by Snack Factory

These pretzels are flattened out thin and are very crispy.  duh.  I guess it says that in the name. lol.  But they really are nice and crunchy.  What I really like about them, though, are the flavors they come in.  This week I bought Jalapeno Jack and Garlic Parmesan.  I love love love garlic, and I also like things with a little kick.  These two flavors are perfect for me.  They also come in Original, Buffalo Wing, Everything, and Sesame.  Get this.  For the holidays they even have limited edition flavors of either Dark or White Chocolate and Peppermint.  And then it says you can buy other flavors in specialty stores...Classic, Supreme, Tuscan Three Cheese and Cinnamon Toast.  Given their flat shape and crispiness, they are perfect for dipping and topping.

They are better for you because they are baked and not fried in oil, therefore they have much less total and saturated fats and calories than other fried types of chips.  Here are the nutrition facts:  Serving size, 1 oz.  110 calories, 1.5g fat (0g saturated fat and trans fat), 410mg sodium (Garlic Parmesan) and 530mg (Jalapeno Jack), 22g carbs, 1g fiber, 3g protein.  They are a little high on the sodium compared to some other choices such as Sun Chips Creamy Roasted Garlic, which only has 150mg sodium; however, the Sun Chips have more fat and overall calories (6g fat, .5g saturated fat, 140 calories per ounce).

I have really enjoyed having an ounce of Pretzel Crisps here and there when I get a little munchy craving.  As long as you can limit yourself to a single serving and not the whole bag, these would be a good option for you to try.  If you would like to find a store near you that carries these, click here.

As always, I can be reached at happyfairylove@live.com.  Feel free to leave a comment here or drop me a note in my email.

Happy munching!
Lisa

(Almost) Guilt-Free Decadence

For some people complete abstinence from sweets is the only way that works, because for them it is a landslide...one taste and they go haywire and crave more and more sugary treats.  I have a very good friend, as a matter of fact, for whom this is the only way to go.  For her it works.

For me, it doesn't.  My thought process is that by allowing yourself treats that are not as loaded with carbs, fat and overall calories, you will have your craving satisfied and can refrain from binging.  If I didn't allow myself treats (I have a small something every day as a matter of fact), I would go absolutely insane and go on a binge-fest.  But, seeing as how I am trying to stay in the 1400 calorie per day range, at 180g carbs/day, and at or under 7% saturated fat a day, (more on that another day) I have to be very choosey about what I decide to indulge in.

One of my most favorite things is ice cream!  Creamy, rich, luxurious, cold bites of yumminess...I'm smiling just thinking about it.  I thought I wouldn't be able to have any again.  One of the hard parts is getting a big container of ice cream and then limiting myself to just one 1/2 cup serving.  Sorry, but that just ain't happening.  My very favorite used to be Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie in the pint container.  How many servings is that?  One, if you ask me!  But no.  It's actually FOUR 1/2 cup servings.  Riiiight.  Do you know how many calories are in a serving?  Better yet, I'll tell you the nutritional facts of the whole container because that's how I used to polish them off.  Ready for this? 1040 calories!  36g saturated fat! 128g carbs!  Holy cow it makes me cringe in horror at the thought of that's what I used to have.  Well, sometimes if I was "being good" I'd only have 1/2 a container.  lol like that would really make a difference.  The point is:

No more Ben & Jerry's for me!  So what is a girl to do when the unbearable craving for some good ice cream hits?  I have the perfect solution.  Skinny Cow ice cream in the single serving containers!  Single serving is great because it means there is no room to over indulge.  To replace the B&J Chocolate Fudge Brownie I first tried Skinny Cow Chocolate Fudge Brownie.   

Hallelujah!

Oh, I thought I had died and gone to Heaven!  It is rich and creamy, just the way good ice cream should be.  Chocolatey and delicious!  Each container has 150 calories, just 1g of saturated fat, 29g carbs, and it even has 4g fiber and 5g protein for good measure!  What a glorious concoction.

But wait!  There's more!  I got daring and decided to try a different flavor.  Tonight I had Skinny Cow Caramel Cone.  Holy cow! (Nope, Skinny Cow) It was absolutely Heavenly, and it is now my new favorite!

Now, I have to tell you that mine did not look like this picture.  Sorry, I should have taken a photo of my actual container before I devoured it.  Mine had one pocket of caramel off to the side, so with each little bite I gave a little dip into that golden pool of goodness.  In addition to the caramel, it had little bits of chocolatey crunchies in it.  Yum-o!  This single serving of ice cream has a few more calories at 160, 2g saturated fat, 33g carbs, 4g fiber and 4g protein. 

Granted, these are not treats I would have every single day, but for that "omg I need some ice cream" moment, you have got to try the Skinny Cow ice creams.  Take little bites, though.  A single serving doesn't last long if you go at it like I used to when hitting a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's.  I will for sure be buying the Caramel Cone again.  I'm sure it varies in different parts of the country, but for me it was cheapest for $1.22 at my Super Wal-Mart.

Learn to have treats in moderation, of course.  And buying single serving packaging can really help in not over-eating a sweet delight.  I cannot wait to try the strawberry cheesecake flavor!

Want to contact me?  I'm at happyfairylove@live.com.

Happy Treats!
Lisa