Miss Moon Gets Healthy: About the Way She Does Take Out...

This is a map of my wonderful home in Brooklyn called Bed-Stuy. Those little red dots? Oh, those are just all of the restaurants I have the choice of when I and the other inhabitants of Casa di Miss Moon don't feel like slaving over a hot stove!

Let's take a look at my choices: I have two (count 'em!) TWO McDonald's, Burger King, Popeye's, Applebee's, Papa John's, Domino's, Little Caesar, KFC, Dunkin Donuts, Checker's, Six Chinese Restaurants, Three Pizzerias, 8 West Indian Restaurants, and dare I mention the bodegas that will gladly make you a processed meat and cheese hero (LOADED with mayo) at 3 o'clock in the morning upon request? LOL

And to be fair, there are also 3 West Indian/Asian Fruit Markets, 2 Health Food Stores, and a newly opened restaurant called Island Salad (Foursquare users can check in at their Bed-Stuy location!) which I've tried once so far and I loved the salad I got from them!

With not too many healthy choices available to me, what's a girl who is all about getting healthy to do? Well, of course I should be cooking more at home... but this post is all about how I've revamped my Take Out food choices, so I will tell you the first step... I AVOID 95% of all the restaurants within walking distance from your house. Yes, no McDonald's... no Popeye's... no Burger King... no Pizza!! This has been my life for the past two months. Do I miss it? Sometimes... but I do not miss the heartburn, and the overall non-specific feeling of crappiness I experienced immediately after consumption!

To illustrate the change, I will share with you how I used to nom-nom on Chinese Food (Which I LOVE!):

Deliciously decadent Sesame Chicken... How I love thee? Let me count the ways.... all 1028 calories worth!!!! Again, I've been advised to maintain a 1300 calorie per day diet, so.. yeah! LOL

This is what I'm working with nowadays... Steamed Shrimp with Broccoli with a side of brown rice. What's great is that one of the Chinese Restaurants in the area actually gives you a "no sauce" option, which I of course take. To drink? Water!!!!

And the damage calorie-wise? Around 377 calories! Drastic difference, huh? The steamed shrimp and broccoli will run you around 161 calories, while one cup of brown rice is 216 calories.

When you are encountering a lazy day and do not want to cook (it happens.. often! lol), you can enjoy food from your local take out joints, but you have to be savvy as to what you're putting in your body. And since I've adopted this change, I have truly noticed the difference in the way I feel after meals.

Comedian Louis C.K. has a joke about his doctor asking him to describe his "eating habits". His doctor is curious to know how soon into eating a meal does he stop because he's feeling full. Louis' classic response is, "The meal is not over when I feel full... the meal is over when I HATE myself! That's when I stop!" LOL

That pretty much sums up my past experiences with take out food. But lately... I get full and I STOP! So full, in fact.. I can't finish the meal! Which means.. Yippee!! Leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day! As the weeks progress, I will be exploring the healthier meal options at my local restaurants, instead of running to the big chain fast food joints when the family graves takeout. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.. so please leave a comment!