I brought an egg salad sandwich for lunch.
Sliced Hard Boiled Egg
Biiig mistake.
When I broke out my sandwich at my desk, the stink-egg aroma filled the air. Within four days at my new job I had already become the Stinky Girl.
I felt terrible for making the entire office smell like sewage. I now know to always open every lunch in the break room, because that first whiff of smell out of a Tupperware container can stink up a small office for hours.
Lunch
Today I was reminded of my first week on the job when I popped open my egg salad and was greeted with a pungent odor.
Egg Salad
Sure, it’s stinky, but it’s also delicious.
My egg salad contained:
- 2 hard boiled eggs + one hard boiled egg white
- Light Miracle Whip
- Dijon mustard
- Sweet corn
- Sweet relish
I added a big serving of egg salad on top of a bed of freshly chopped romaine lettuce for some extra volume.
Romaine
Lunch Time!
I brought steamed broccoli to enjoy on the side, but ended up throwing that into the salad as well.
Steamed Broc
Have no fear, this entire meal was assembled in the break room where I could stink up the joint without worry. (The pictures were taken prior to leaving for work this morning.)
Of Possible Interest
- A look into the eating habits of a vegan ultra-marathoner (NYTimes.com)
- Two restaurant chains aim to keep all meals under 500 calories (The article *mentioned below* from Entrepreneur.com)
- 20 meat-free recipes to make on the grill (SouthernLiving.com)
500 Calories or Less at Two Restaurant Chains
You may already know how much I loooove Season’s 52, a restaurant dedicated to serving fresh, seasonal meals for less than 475 calories (I went there for my birthday dinner).
Season's 52
(Fun fact: I applied for a public relations job at Season’s 52 that required 10+ years of experience when I first graduated college. I never got a call. 😉 A girl can dream, right?)
I read an article today noting the success of the Season’s 52 franchise that also highlighted another 500-calorie-or-less restaurant, Energy Kitchen (locations currently in New York and New Jersey).
I hope more and more press is dedicated to covering restaurants such as these. I hope more Americans learn about healthier dining options and can visit these locations and show other restaurants that the public does care about nutrition and would like to have the option to dine out without being faced with 1,500 calorie-plus meals and portions big enough to feed multiple people.
What stuck out to me in the article was the mention of large chain restaurants, such as Applebee’s, that offer a small selection of lower-calorie fare. Though I absolutely love that these places offer healthier options, I honestly hate ordering off the “diet” menu because I feel like I’m missing out on the “real deal.” I think that’s why I love when a restaurant is all-around healthy. It helps keep me in the healthy-eating mindset without feeling like I’m missing out on more indulgent options if I choose healthier fare.
Would you visit a restaurant that offered 500-calorie (or less) entrees, or does dining out mean going all out to you?
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Oh I LOVE energy kitchen!!! It’s amazing!
I had eggs for lunch as well and I was the stinky girl who opened my container at my desk 🙁 totally grossed me out! Opps!
I love egg salad and tuna salad but both can be rather stinky! Definately, not something to open at your desk. 🙂
Yumy. I love egg salad. I think I need to find some eggs for lunch.
I like healthy options when I go out to eat. I love to indulge but the portion sizes are always SO insanely huge! So I like being able to order a meal of a lighter fare menu.
I would LOVE if DC jumped on the 500 cal or under train!!!!
PS…Just want to say that I LOVE your blog! You are so positive, ask great questions, and always have great food ideas!!! Your blog is currently the first one I check everyday 🙂
Have a great day chica!!! XOXOXOX
thanks so much lauren! i love YOUR blog! 😀
After reading so much about Season’s 52 I really really want to check it out. So yes, I would definitely go.
The placemat in your food pics is so fun!! I want!
thanks! my mom got it for me for my bday. it’s from pier 1. 🙂
Things to To Do this weekend: visit Pier 1 for cute placemats! 😀
mm love eggsalad but gotta hand it you for bringing it to work! it does stink! I made the mistake brining some hardboiled eggs on a plane hahaha that was a terrinle choice!! i got so many looks! annnd never again did I bring eggs in a small space 🙂
AH i wish I lived in FL just for seasons 52! whenever i visit my grandparents in Boca…that is the only place I want to go for dinner!!
I hate when someone has eggs at work. The smell really grosses me out. So there’s this girl at work who microwaves raw eggs into a puff. I almost can’t enter the kitchen when she’s doing it because I feel nauseous. I’m sure it tastes good, but man is it gross! 🙂
Did you eat that in a sandwich or just on lettuce? How do you eat such small meals after working out in the morning? I’m ravenous all day after my workouts. Help a girl out!
in between my breakfast & lunch i have a snack that’s about the same size as both of those meals which goes undocumented on my blog. 🙂 today it was a cup of greek yogurt, with pecans & granola. 🙂
also, i know it’s weird, but i find myself hungrier when i DON’T work out. on my days off from the gym i want to eat a lot more. it’s so odd!
I would most definitely visit restaurants with a 500 or less meal on their menu. That’s why I have 2 places i’ll actually eat it. Applebees being one, not my fave but it’ll do.
I fix this for Mike on the weekends.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Egg-Salad-English-Muffins/Detail.aspx
I would love to see more healthy restuarants! I know exactly what you mean about ordering off the “diet menu”. It’s hard to pass up the other items on the menu when I feel like their tastes might be more indulgent. So usually dining out for me does end up meaning a higher calorie meal. I’m glad that restuarants have made their nutritional information available (either on a seperate menu or online) so that people can see how much food they’re REALLY consuming!
I would definitely eat at a healthy restaurant. The problem is that there’s none around me! Oh well..hopefully there will be in the future.
I’m not an egg salad fan myself. But hey-to each his own!
I wish more restaurants did the 500 calorie menu! I would love to try Season’s 52 . . . maybe they’ll come to Michigan someday???
they’re working their way north – they just opened a location in schaumburg, illinois!
I’ve actually tried two of the items off of the Applebee’s under 500 menu, and they were AWESOME! The portions were “small” for restaurant standards, but “normal” for what I’d feed myself at home. I had the Grilled Dijon Chicken & Portobellos, and my husband had the Asiago Peppercorn Steak. We were both pleasantly shocked and pleased with how delicious they were. I’d have them again any day! 🙂
oh man, i’ve done the stinky girl thing before…OOPS! i’d say eggs, tuna, and popcorn MUST be opened in the break room!
I have definitely done the stinky egg thing! It’s mortifying but hey, a girls gotta eat! I wish we had more healthy options here in OK.
I feel so bad for my last officemate. Everyday I brought in thinks like boiled eggs and cans of sardines to snack on… I would definitely be more inclined to go to a restaurant knowing it offered 500 calories less, but I don’t think it would make me eat out more. I still like my homecooked meals best! 🙂
I would LOVE to go to a healthy restaurant like those…the pictures you posted of your scallops looked delicious and the fact that its under 500 calories is a huge bonus! I’m moving to NYC so hopefully I can check out that new restaurant and give a little review 🙂
At work my co-workers always know when its eating time for me-especially when I have to steam my veggies (brocoli)…hey girls gotta have her veggies and eats:)
I wish Canada had Season’s 52:(
Have a great rest of your day
have you ever made your egg salad with hummus? SO GOOD!
I just made the mistake of going to Energy Kitchen’s website… now I’m obsessed… I NEED that in my life!! Sooo many good things!! It says they’re opening 4 in Boston – HURRY HURRY!!
I’m seriously debating a long weekend in NY just to try it 🙂
Oh man, I always feel bad for stinkin’ up my dorm with my eats! Indian food, broc, it’s all pretty nasty to smell, but it tastes so darn good!
I don’t think I’ve ever been to a restaurant like that – it looks very neat though! I love going out to eat and I usually just let myself have what I want and don’t really think about calories!
I would definitely, definitely, definitely dine out at restaurants that had every 500 calories or less. In fact, I would choose to go to those places over places that didn’t have that guarantee. I believe that it is completely possible to make delicious meals for less calories. 🙂
Haha, awww that is funny but kind of sad that you were named “stinky girl.” My CEO likes to give everyone a nickname and he deemed mine “meat!” because I am a vegetarian. Cleaver. Could be worse. At least he doesn’t go around calling me pork or cow. LoL
I wish so badly that we had a Seasons 52. I think they are only in the south but if I ever come across one, you better believe I am stopping!
hahah! do I know about the “stinky” foods at work! What is worse though is that since I teach, I have 20 fifth graders saying “what smells so bad?” and then they pretend they are gagging. So dramatic! haha. I actually brought hard boiled egg sandwich today too… and DIDN’T care :).
Oh, by the way, I mentioned you today on my blog, all about peanut butter!! I’d love for you to come and tell us YOUR favorite kind of pb :).
Thanks for your wonderful, entertaining blog!
I would love if more restaurants had under 500 calorie options. I really think all restaurants should be forced to display the calorie count on their items anyways. Portion control in North American restaurants is basically non-existent and I think it would really be an eye opener to people if they knew how many calories were in what they eat.