Eat Out Eat Well

Takeout, Prepared Food, Junk Food

Here’s The Original Girl Scout Cookie Recipe (circa 1922)

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Girl-Scout-cookie-signThin Mints may account for 25% of Girl Scout cookie sales, but the thin chocolate wafers bear little resemblance (other than being  cookies) to the original girl scout cookies.

The first Girl Scout troop was organized over a hundred years ago (March 12, 1912) in Savannah, Georgia. Selling cookies — a way to finance troop activities — began as early as 1917 when they were sold in an Oklahoma high school cafeteria as a service project.

Girl Scout cookies were originally baked in home kitchens with moms as the “technical advisers.” In July 1922, The American Girl Magazine, which was published by Girl Scout national headquarters, printed a cookie recipe that had been distributed to the Council’s 2,000 Girl Scouts. The approximate cost of ingredients for six- to seven-dozen cookies was estimated at 26 to 36 cents; the suggested sale price was 25 or 30 cents for a dozen.

In the 20s and 30s the simple sugar cookies baked by Girl Scouts and their mothers were packaged in waxed paper bags, sealed with stickers, and sold door to door.

Girl Scout Cookie Recipe (circa 1922, from GirlScouts.org)

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

Additional sugar for topping (optional)

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

Cream butter and the cup of sugar; add well-beaten eggs, then milk, vanilla, flour, salt, and baking powder. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Roll dough, cut into trefoil shapes, and sprinkle sugar on top, if desired.

Bake in a quick oven (375°) for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Makes six- to seven-dozen cookies.

Present Day Recipes

For present day cookie recipes, check out the websites of the two licensed Girl Scout cookie bakers: ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers, and on www.pinterest.com/GSUSA. For a list of specific cookie ingredients go to Meet the Cookies.

The cookies, all of which are kosher, are sold by weight, not quantity. The size and number of cookies in the package varies with the baker, but is displayed on every package. The cookies are sold for different prices in different areas of the country with each of the 112 Girl Scout councils setting its own price based on its needs and its familiarity with the local market.

How Much (fun) Exercise Do You Need To Do To Burn Off Super Bowl Food?

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Super-bowl-food-exercise-bigstock8491255Check out these amusing (and possibly alarming) stats on how much and what kind of exercise you need to do to burn off some common Super Bowl food. Get ready to walk, dance, and act somewhat ridiculous for a lot of minutes! (Thanks to the Diet Detective for compiling these stats.)

Remember – it’s just one day so enjoy your favorite foods.  You can compensate for the extra calories by adjusting the amount you eat the big day and the days before and after, mixing in wise choices with the splurges, and increasing your exercise.

Game Food and (fun) Exercise:

  • Downing six bottles of Budweiser means you’d have to do “The Wave” 4,280 times. And don’t drive.
  • Just four swigs of Bud Light (36 calories) means you’d need to play 8 minutes of professional football – that’s action time, not standing around on the field or on the sidelines.
  • If you eat a 12-inch Italian sub you’d have to walk the length of the Brooklyn Bridge more than 14 times (or 16.2 miles).
  • Six large Chili’s Fajita beef classic nachos means you have to run 242.5 football fields at 5mph.  Six nachos is about half an order.
  • One giant New York City street or stadium pretzel clocks in at about 455 calories.  You’d have to spend 111 minutes acting like a team mascot (no comment!!!).
  • Four Tostitos Scoops! Tortilla chips with guacamole means 122 end zone touchdown dances. Each chip is about 11 calories, each scoop of guacamole is 25 calories – maybe more. One KFC extra crispy drumstick and an extra crispy chicken breast means 203 end zone touchdown dances.
  • Five pigs in blankets (67.5 calories each) means taking over the job of a stadium vendor selling food for 36 minutes.
  • One 16-ounce bowl of beef and bean chili (about 550 calories) with a few tablespoons of sour cream and shredded cheese (another 150 calories) means 73 minutes of cheerleading.
  • Three slices of Pizza Hut Pepperoni Lover’s Pizza Works (440 calories a slice) means you’d have to clean the post-game stadium for 322 minutes – that’s more than 5 hours of work.
  • If you have 10 sliders with cheese (about 170 calories per slider) you’d have to perform with the marching band for 363 minutes.
  • If you want cheese sticks, four of them from Papa John’s dipped in their garlic dipping sauce with cheese (370 calories for 4 sticks and 150 calories for the dipping sauce) means you’d have to paint the faces of 23 “going nuts” fans.
  • One piece of crunchy cheese flavored Cheetos (7.14 calories) is equal to two minutes of waving a foam hand, chanting and pointing.
  • One Ritz cracker (16 calories) piled high with Cheese Whiz (45 calories for a tablespoon) will require 21 minutes of preparing, cooking, serving, and post Super Bowl clean-up.
  • One Doritos chip (12.75 calories) means that during half time you’d have to dance the entire 3.54 minutes of Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven.” Imagine if you ate your way through the entire bag! Eating ten Lay’s classic potato chips with Kraft French onion dip means you’d have to dance to Madonna for 134 minutes.
  • Ah, wings.  Fifteen Pizza Hut Buffalo Burnin’ Hot Crispy Bone-in Wings with ranch dressing (100 calories per wing and 220 calories for 1.5 ounces of ranch dressing) means you’d have to do the wave 9, 461 times.  Of course by then your arms would hurt so much you wouldn’t be able to pick up any more food!

Love Pizza? Here’s 7 Ways To Cut Down On Pizza Calories

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pizza, mouth watering pizzaIf your mouth starts watering at the thought of melted cheese and pepperoni or veggies on some kind of crust, take comfort that you fit the stats:

  • American men, women, and children eat, on average 46 slices of pizza a year.
  • 94% of Americans eat pizza regularly
  • In the US, 61% prefer regular thin crust, 14% prefer deep-dish, and 11% prefer extra thin crust
  • 62% of Americans prefer meat toppings; 38% prefer vegetables
  • 36% order pizza topped with pepperoni

Is Pizza Junk Food?

Pizza can be a pretty good food – both in calories and nutrition.  On the other hand it can be pretty lousy – both in calories and nutrition.

It’s difficult to estimate the number of calories and fat grams in a slice of pizza because the size and depth of the pies and the amount of cheese, meat, or other toppings vary enormously.

Here’s the good news: pizza can be a healthy food choice filled with complex carbs, B-vitamins, calcium, protein, vitamin A, and vitamin C and calorically okay if you choose wisely and don’t eat more than your fair share.

The not so good news:  the amount of fat, calories, and portion size. If your mouth starts to water at the thought of golden brown crust and cheesy goodness — here’s the downer:  that luscious slice of pizza that should be about the size of two dollar bills – not the size of a small frying pan or a quarter of a 12” circle.

7 Ways To Build a Better Slice of Pizza

  1. Order thin crust rather than a thick crust or deep dish.
  2. Resist the urge to ask for double cheese — better yet, go light on the cheese or use reduced-fat cheese (if they have it).
  3. Ask for a pizza without cheese but topped with veggies and a little olive oil. You can always sprinkle on a little grated parmesan for flavor; one tablespoon has only 22 calories.
  4. Instead of cheese go for big flavors like onion, garlic, olives but use them somewhat sparingly because of the oil.  And don’t forget anchovies  – a lot of flavor for minimal calories – but you have to like them!
  5. Choose vegetable toppings instead of meat (think about the fat content in sausage, pepperoni, and meatballs) and you might shave 100 calories from your meal. Pile on veggies like mushrooms, peppers, olives, tomatoes, onion, broccoli, spinach, and asparagus. Some places have salad pizza – great if it’s not loaded with oil.
  6. Order a side salad (careful with the dressing) and cut down on the amount of pizza.  Salad takes longer to eat, too.
  7. If you’re willing (and not embarrassed or grossed out), try blotting up the free-floating oil that sits on top of a greasy slice with a napkin. Blotting (it’s easy to do this on the kind of hot slice where the oil runs down your arm when you pick it up) can soak up a teaspoon of oil worth 40 calories and 5 grams of fat.

Deep Dish, Hand Tossed, Thin Crust?

Check out the difference in calories for the same size slice of Domino’s classic hand-tossed, deep dish, and crunchy thin crust pizzas – each with the same toppings.  Then check out the difference in calories fort the various toppings.

Domino’s 14 inch large classic hand-tossed pizza

  • America’s Favorite (Peperoni, mushroom, sausage, 1/8 of pizza):  390 calories
  • Bacon Cheeseburger (Beef, bacon, cheddar cheese), 1/8 of pizza:  420 calories
  • Vegi Feast (Green pepper, onion, mushroom, black olive, extra cheese, 1/8 of pizza):  340 calories

Domino’s 14 inch large ultimate deep dish pizza

  • America’s Favorite (Peperoni, mushroom, sausage), 1/8 of pizza:  400 calories
  • Bacon Cheeseburger (Beef, bacon, cheddar cheese), 1/8 of pizza:  430 calories
  • Vegi Feast (Green pepper, onion, mushroom, black olive, extra cheese), 1/8 of pizza:  350 calories

Domino’s 14 inch large crunchy thin crust pizza

  • America’s Favorite (Peperoni, mushroom, sausage, 1/8 of pizza:  280 calories)
  • Bacon Cheeseburger (Beef, bacon, cheddar cheese), 1/8 of pizza:  310 calories
  • Vegi Feast (Green pepper, onion, mushroom, black olive, extra cheese), 1/8 of pizza:  230 calories

How Does Restaurant Decor Affect How Much You Eat?

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restaurant sign, front of restaurant

In most restaurants, the décor isn’t an accident — it’s intended to keep you seated at the table longer or to get you to eat and run.

Think about how long it takes you to gobble down a Big Mac or a shortstack of pancakes with bacon.  The red and gold color schemes, noise levels, and general hustle and bustle in many diners and fast food restaurants encourage you to eat quickly – and allows the restaurant to “turn the tables,” or to get another group of people seated at the table you just vacated pretty quickly so they can serve more food and make more money.   The white tablecloths, soft music or hushed sounds  of fancier restaurants make it pleasant for you to linger longer — and order another glass of wine, dessert, coffee, and after dinner drink – from which the restaurant makes more money.

Watch your waistline, too.  According to Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating and director of Cornell’s Food and brand Lab, the atmosphere of a restaurant can get you to overeat in two ways:  if it’s really pleasant you want to stay longer — and therefore order and eat more.  If it’s very brightly lit and possibly loud and irritating you usually gulp and run, probably overeating before you realize that you’re full.

Know your restaurant and its setting:  think about pacing yourself in the speed environment and avoiding the temptation to keep ordering in the relaxed environment.

30 Easy And Doable Eat Out Resolutions To Try — Pick One!

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eat out, resolutions

Eating out can be a real challenge to your waistband.  It can be pretty hard to make the best choices on the spur of the moment.

There are times to go all out and eat everything – maybe a special meal or celebration.  But for everyday eating, whether it’s at the coffee shop, takeout for lunch at work, or dinner at the local diner — why not resolve to stick to certain personal rules that are the most workable for you.

Here’s a list of some possibilities – all of them pretty doable – some easier that others depending on your preferences.  If you make up your mind to do one thing – and consistently stick to it – that behavior will eventually become your default habit pattern.

Ideas To Try:

  1. I will not stick my hand in the breadbasket and eat what comes out.I will only have one piece of bread with dinner instead of two or three (harder breads tend to have fewer calories).
  2. I will only have one piece of bread with dinner instead of two or three (harder breads tend to have fewer calories).
  3. I will have my bread naked — without butter or olive oil (one teeny pat of butter has 36 calories, a tablespoon has 102, and a tablespoon of oil has 120).I will not use bread to sop up every last bit of sauce or dressing on my plate.
  4. I will not use bread to sop up every last bit of sauce or dressing on my plate.
  5. I will not eat all of the leftover broken pieces of cookies, brownies, crackers, etc.I will not taste everyone else’s meal at the table and then eat everything I ordered.
  6. I will not taste everyone else’s meal at the table and then eat everything I ordered.
  7. I believe it’s not necessary to clean my plate in a restaurant because (a) I paid for the meal, (b) it’s really good, or (c) it’s sitting in front of me.I will order pizza without extra cheese and meat.
  8. I will order pizza without extra cheese and meat.
  9. I will eat only two slices or pizza instead of three or four.I will have a two-scoop ice cream sundae instead of three – or maybe even one scoop.
  10. I will have a two-scoop ice cream sundae instead of three – or maybe even one scoop.
  11. I will order a single scoop sugar cone instead of a large waffle cone in the ice cream store. Sprinkles (jimmies) are a pretty low calories bonus.I won’t eat the crusts of grilled cheese or pizza off of my kid’s plate.
  12. I won’t eat the crusts of grilled cheese or pizza off of my kid’s plate.
  13. I won’t help with my kid’s ice cream cone, either – under the pretense of helping to keep it from dripping all over or falling on the sidewalk.I will hold my dinner wine to two glasses (a 5 ounce glass of wine has around 120 calories).
  14. I will hold my dinner wine to two glasses (a 5 ounce glass of wine has around 120 calories).
  15. I will keep my hand out of the bar snacks:  peanuts, goldfish, chips, etc.I will ask for salad dressing on the side and then use only a couple of spoonsful – not ladles like those commonly used in restaurants or salad bars.
  16. I will ask for salad dressing on the side and then use only a couple of spoonsful – not ladles like those commonly used in restaurants or salad bars.
  17. I’ll skip the pie a la mode and just have pie.I’ll eat the filling and leave most of the piecrust on the plate (can save around 200 calories).
  18. I’ll eat the filling and leave most of the piecrust on the plate (can save around 200 calories).
  19. I’ll order the smaller cut of steak in the steakhouse.I’ll ask for mustard instead of mayo on my sandwich (saves about 100 calories).
  20. I’ll ask for mustard instead of mayo on my sandwich (saves about 100 calories).
  21. I’ll have a cheeseburger instead of a bacon cheeseburger (two strips of bacon are about 100 calories).I’ll have plain coffee or tea instead of a mocha latte or hot chocolate.
  22. I’ll have plain coffee or tea instead of a mocha latte or hot chocolate.
  23. I’ll ask for veggies instead of mashed potatoes; salad instead of French fries.
  24. I’ll have a regular burger or even a regular cheeseburger instead of a big mac, whopper, etc.
  25. I’ll skip the mid-morning donut or pastry and have yogurt, fruit, or a small portion of nuts instead.
  26. I’ll have grilled chicken or fish instead of fried.
  27. I’ll only have one stadium-sized beer instead of two.
  28. I won’t buy a candy bar when I stop for gas.
  29. I’ll have a giant bagel only one of the weekend days instead of both.
  30. I won’t use a road or plane trip as an excuse for non-stop candy and chip indulgence.

What are some of your eating out resolutions?  Post them on Facebook so others can try them, too.

Get more ideas.  Subscribe to EatOutEatWell digital magazine available from the iTunes stores.