looking for food that won’t kill me

Pizza is a weakness for me and something that can pack a high cholesterol punch.   Sure you can make it “lighter” or better for you, but when I think pizza I really think pepperoni and cheese.   So, I tried Hormel’s version of Turkey Pepperoni vs. their normal pepperoni to see if I could eat a little healthier without sacrificing flavor.   

Looking at the nutrition facts I was happy to find that the turkey version of this popular dried meat has 70% less fat than the regular kind.   Guess what else…..I can’t taste the difference.    I took a slice of both, plain, without anything else to distract me and ate them one at a time….to me there was no difference.  So imagine when you throw in the sauce, a little cheese, etc.  you won’t miss the fat.    This is the best find yet.  

I haven’t reviewed the various types of burgers yet but I do like turkey burgers. I’ve tried different ways to prepare them but below is my current favorite.

1 package ground Turkey (I prefer Jennie O Turkey Store)

½ of a red onion diced

½ cup of reduced fat feta (more if you prefer)

¼ cup chopped fresh mint

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 tlbs dried oregano

Salt and Pepper

Place turkey and all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well with your hands. Form into patties and grill until done. I use my Forman grill most of the time for these and they turn out great. Put on a whole wheat bun and top with some baby spinach leaves or some watercress to give it a little crunch. My condiments of choice are Grey Poupon, and a little Ketchup.

When I was thinking about what foods I eat that can’t be good for me, Hot Dogs came to mind right away.   So I bought a couple of options.   I picked a soy based dog called “Smart Dogs” by Lightlife and Turkey dog by Louis Rich.

I started with the one I was least excited about trying, the Smart Dog.   The marketing says, “The world’s first FAT FREE hot dog.  Real hot dog flavor with the snap of a meat frank…without the fat, calories or nitrites.”   How could I have not heard about this earlier?  Fat Free and real hot dog flavor…..that sounds like exactly what I was looking for…..hey why is it a light brown?   After getting over the color I took my first bite and honestly that is as far as I got.     To get an idea of what it’s like take a banana (for the texture) and marinate it in liquid smoke for about 3 months.    Then slap some mustard on it and slam it down.    I kept the pack in my fridge for a few weeks and then tossed them, but luckily they were only $4.29 for a pack vs. the $1.25 I got the Turkey dogs for.  Smart Dogs get a VETO!

Next on to the Turkey dogs by Louis Rich.   Again the color was different than a normal hot dog, but not as off as the soy dog of death.     For these I was pleasantly surprised, I could eat em and they tasted pretty good.     Looking at the numbers these have 8% of my Saturated fat and 8% of my cholesterol for the day, but compared to a normal dog that has 24% of my Saturated fat and 18% of my daily cholesterol I’m saying this first test is a victory.

So here is how I eat em.    Louis Rich Turkey Dog, store brand wheat bun, Grey Poupon and Sabrett’s Onion in Sauce.     Is it a Nathans, Pinks or Dodger Dog?   Nope, but a very real alternative.