....Comparison....

I did a little experiment last night. I normally do not make myself separate meals - different from what the family is eating. It makes for double cook time in the kitchen and can leave me feeling deprived when faced with what everyone else is eating. However, I will make variations to my meal to make it more Linds friendly.

On the menu last night was spaghetti. The kids love it and its easy. But with ground beef and pasta - I could be headed for the danger zone. So, I did a little comparison. Exactly what difference does it make to switch some ingredients around? Will I feel satisfied with my plate over theirs or will I feel left out?

Here's option A:

These are the ingredients of option A plate-
1 cup white spaghetti pasta
4 ounces ground beef
1/2 cup Traditional Ragu sauce
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
2 slices white bread (only one is pictured)
1 Tbs Country Crock Plus Calcium

Plate A contains the following:
Calories: 914
Carbs: 77
Fat: 48
Protein: 40

Here's option B:

These are the ingredients of the option B plate:
1 cup spaghetti squash
4 ounces ground turkey
1/2 cup Full Circle Organic Pasta Sauce
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms
1 stick mozzarella string cheese
8 medium spears of Asparagus
1 Oroweat English Muffin
10 sprays I Cant Believe Its Not Butter Buttery Spray

Plate B contains the following:
Calories: 509
Carbs: 53
Fat: 13
Protein:41


Holey canoli!! Look at the differences in plates! On plate option B, there were 405 less calories, 24 less carbs, 35 less grams of fat and 1 more gram of protein - all on a plate that was overflowing with food, to say the least! I was completely stuffed when I was done. I actually had a hard time finishing it.

I was very skeptical on using the spaghetti squash in place of the pasta. Wev'e all seen where nutritionists and weight loss idols have said to do it. Seriously, it was good. The texture was a little different, more crunchy. But I bet this could be solved by simply steaming the squash longer.

Overall, this experiment proved that by making wiser choices, we can be more satisfied and have better results on the scale. Who can go wrong with that??