Blog Posts by Hungry-Girl

Here are some copycat recipes from Hungry Girl that taste a lot like the originals from your favorite restaurants... only they're WAY lighter!



Chili's Fire-Grilled Corn Guacamole w/ Chips: 350 calories & 21g fat! (1/4 order)
vs.
HG's Rockin' Roasted Corn Guac 'n Chips: 160 calories & 4g fat! (1/3 cup guac with 9 chips)


Guacamole is tempting enough without factoring in blackened sweet corn. Although avocados have healthy fats, you don't need to eat very much to reap the benefits. And guacamole pretty much always comes with greasy corn chips! Our recipe has DIY baked chips and secret ingredients that lighten it up. TRY IT!



More from Hungry Girl: Recipe Swap for Chili's Boneless Buffalo Chicken Salad!



Applebee's Chicken Wonton Tacos: 610 calories & 24g fat!
vs.
HG's Sassy Wonton Tacos: 191 calories & 2g fat!



This is one of those apps that you'd think were absolutely out of the question for at-home cooking. Not so! There's a sneaky way of cooking those wontons without a ton of

As much fun as the holiday feast can be, a person can easily consume a whole day's worth of calories in one sitting... sometimes MORE! Here are a few tips from Hungry Girl for balancing out the indulgences...


Before the meal...

If you're the one doing all the cooking, good for you; cooking and puttering around the kitchen burns about 140 calories an hour! (Average based on a 160-lb. person.) If not, make sure you get in a little exercise in the morning and/or offer to help out with dishes or prep in the kitchen.






After the meal...

Get moving; go for a walk around the neighborhood. We're not suggesting you run wind sprints or hit the gym after dessert's served, but moving around even a little is preferable to lying around on the couch, watching Charlie Brown specials. (OK, you can watch Charlie Brown, but AFTER your walk!)





More from Hungry Girl: Thanksgiving TRUE or FALSE!




If you're hosting...

Stock up ahead of time on cheapo plastic sealable containers you don't mind giving away,

Once you decide what kind of food you want at a restaurant, there are crucial decisions that could make or break that meal. Check out these similar-sounding options. Some good and some not so good...


The Olive Garden

What You Ordered: Seafood Alfredo (1,020 calories & 52g fat!)

What You Should Have Ordered: Seafood Brodetto (480 calories & 16g fat)

Chances are, it's the seafood you're really after; something cool that you wouldn't typically prepare for yourself at home. But why get it drowned in heavy sauce and tangled up with tons of pasta? The Seafood Brodetto is WAY lighter and the marinara-saffron broth is definitely something most people wouldn't make at home. (Saffron is pricey!)


More from Hungry Girl: Olive Garden Survival Guide!



IHOP

What You Ordered: Original Viva La French Toast Combo with Bacon (1,250 calories & 77g fat!)

What You Should Have Ordered: Simple & Fruit Whole Wheat French Toast Combo (490 calories & 15g fat)

You walked into IHOP wanting a big breakfast. (Is

There are all kinds of silly things we tell ourselves when we decide to cave and get fast food, and some can seriously sabotage our calorie intake. READ NOW!

"Salad is always lighter than a burger."

Sometimes it is; sometimes it isn't. Let's look at the Wendy's menu -- get the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad, use just half the dressing (it comes with too much!), and save the packet of pecans for later, and your salad will have 410 calories and 15g fat (and still be loaded with fruit, cheese, and grilled chicken). Then, yeah, it's lower in calories and fat than even a basic 1/4 lb. Single burger. But order the Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad as is, and the thing will have 740 calories and 49g fat -- almost as many calories and MORE fat than a 1/2 lb. Double with Cheese!

More from Hungry Girl: Salad Shockers (Are YOU Ordering These?)

"It's cheaper to grab a burger and fries than to make something at home."

Pick up a package of ground turkey, a tomato and an onion, a

Who hasn't had mornings like this? You want breakfast: You don't feel like eating cereal or yogurt, but you don't feel like busting out dishes and making a mess either. That drive-thru is tempting but... DON'T DO IT! Keep breakfast items like these Hungry Girl picks around for quick, hot morning meals that require minimal effort.


Lean Cuisine Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Panini

PER SERVING (1 package): 290 calories, 6g fat, 450mg sodium, 44g carbs, 5g fiber, 11g sugars, 14g protein

This is one fun morning sandwich! Egg whites + sausage + cheese = an already delectable b-fast. Put that on cinnamon-y multigrain bread with a maple sauce, and it's ALLLL good. Love it.


More from Hungry Girl: Our Big Break(fast)... New Recipes!



Smart Ones Morning Express English Muffin Sandwich

PER SERVING (1 sandwich): 210 calories, 5g fat, 610mg sodium, 27g carbs, 2g fiber, 3g sugars, 13g protein

If you're hooked on Egg McMuffins, there are MUCH better ways to go. You could make one yourself, or

GREAT news! These days, not only are many vending machines stocking better-for-you packaged snacks, but also some are dispensing fresh fruit, veggies, yogurt, and string cheese. So cool!!! When it comes to the average vending machine, here are a few good -- and not so good -- snack finds...


Pick It! Baked! Cheetos 1 oz. = 130 calories, 5g fat

Skip It! Cheetos 1 oz. = 160 calories, 10g fat

Cheese snacks with twice the fat? What's the point? Think about it. If you need a crunchy, cheesy munchie, get a BAKED version. It's kind of a no-brainer. Baked conventional snacky foods are popping up in vending machines, so be on the lookout. (Heads up: These kinds of snacks come in different bag sizes, so ALWAYS check to see how many servings there are per bag!)

Bottom Line: Look for key words like "baked," "light," and "reduced-fat" to identify a decent snack choice when you can't see the back of the pack.


More from Hungry Girl: Travel Snacks Worth Packing!



Choose It! Mr. Nature Fat Free Oriental

If you frequently fall victim to your cravings, here are a few simple buys that can help satisfy 'em without breaking the calorie bank...


Pizza!

A single piece of by-the-slice cheese pizza can pack in over 500 calories and dozens of fat grams! So how do you feed a pizza craving safely?

Step 1: Go frozen. For real. Your local market likely has some good stuff that's lower in fat and calories than the commercial stuff.

Step 2: Go thin. Picking thin crust over hand-tossed or deep-dish crust can save plenty of carby cals.

Step 3: Go veg. Why not eat a little something good for you while you satisfy your junk food needs? Get a pie with a TON of vegetables on top.


HG Recommends: Kashi Thin Crust Roasted Vegetable Pizza (1/6th of pizza = 125 calories and 4.5g fat)

For almost the same amount of calories and fat as a slice of the standard stuff, you can have MORE THAN HALF of this pizza. Plus, this crust isn't just thin; it's also packed with grains and other good stuff.



More from Hungry

Sippable sweets can be super seductive. After all, if you can consume it through a straw, it counts as a drink, right? WRONG-O! The nutritional info on these frosty "drinks" is less than refreshing... reader BEWARE!


Jamba Juice Chocolate Moo'd = 570 calories!!!
PER SERVING (one 22-oz. smoothie): 570 calories, 5g fat, 380mg sodium, 116g carbs, 3g fiber, 103g sugars, 15g protein

Sure, it's technically a smoothie, but that doesn't make it exempt from certain laws of the universe... like, "If it's huge and full of chocolate, it's probably going to be high in calories!"



More from Hungry Girl: Chocolate-Banana Smoothie Recipe!



Starbucks White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino Grande Blended Beverage = 610 calories!!!
PER SERVING (one 16-oz. beverage with whole milk and whipped cream): 610 calories, 19g fat, 420mg sodium, 92g sugars, 0g fiber, 79g sugars, 15g protein

WHOA! You can now get pretty much whatever you want in your Frappuccinos now, but be careful... that stuff adds up! A blendy