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Old 09-06-2007, 04:07 AM   #1  
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Default South Florida Option: Healthier Choices To Go

Hi, all.

I started this week with a regional diet delivery service. It's called Healthier Choices To go, and the webiste is here:

http://www.healthierchoicestogo.com

Let's see, I've had it delivered since Tuesday, so I've eaten two full days. I find it's pretty good, and the best part is that the food is NOT AT ALL frozen. It's cooked that day, packed in microwave-ready containers, and you just heat and eat. Or, in teh case of breakfast, just eat it if you're up when they deliver. (Mine gets here about 7 am.)

You have M through F options (no weekends) and you can pick how many meals on how many days. If you want weekend food, I guess you can pick 4 meals a day option and get extra sides.

I've had and REALLY enjoyed:

The hi-protein pancakes
The lemony chicken asparagus (garlicky and lemony and NICE!(
The mushroom steak (saucey and spicy!)
The mashed sweet potatoes
The beef and rice and beans burrito wrap
The black beans

I didn't have the baked chicken parm (cause I fell asleep early and missed dinner).

I didn't like the oatmeal-with-whey (but I never have. I like plain oatmeal, though.)
I liked, not loved, their egg-white frittatas. Much nicer with some Crystal hot sauce. I got the all veggie and the spinach-cheese ones. I love eggs for breakfast, so this is why. You can also pick different non-egg breakfasts.

For extra charge, you can order low-fat/no-sugar desserts and additional veggie or bean or rice sides. I am not wild about their brown rice. A bit on the dry side. I add water before reheating to get it moistened.

Today, I'm trying one of their few vegetarian options: a veggie burger and pea pasta salad. Tomorrow, I try their pizza.

Calorie/fat/carb counts are online for most of their entrees.

I will say that their no-sugar, low-fat tiramisu is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Delicious. It's worth trying for days when you can allow for an extra treat.

I'll try to remember to update when I've tried more of their entrees.

A five day, three meal delivery is about $120. Considering I get the food fresh in the am and not frozen, I like that.

The order form is at the site, as is the menu page which describes the food and gives the stats on most (not all). For instance, the Egg white Spinach and Cheese frittata is 153 calories with 2 grams of carbs, 4.5 of fat, 25 of protein. The yummy Lemony Chicken & Asparagus has 238 calories, 6 grams of carbs, 44 of protein, and 3.8 of fat. Most entrees are under 500 calories (but consider the sides for the hot plates and breakfasts).

This is not pre-done for you. You still have to make reasonable choices. But it is another option for those in the Miami area/South Florida, along with Healthy Creations and Fresh Diet (both of which may have much more "gourmet" fare and are pricier). It's not gourmet fare. It's regular folk food. And for Latinos, the beans and Steak dishes are reminiscent of what our taste buds like. They also have baked sweet plantains and red beans. So, that's a nice thing for the Caribbean types.

Hope that helps.
Mir
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Old 09-09-2007, 08:32 AM   #2  
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Update:

Reordered for a second week. Yes, I enjoyed the food.

The chicken burrito was amazing. They actually made an error (I had ordered a beef burrito), but I'm delighted they did. Enjoyed the chicken one much more.

The pizza with chicken and veggies was fabulous (I reheated it in the toaster over to get more of a bit of a crisp on it). The veggie burger and pasta salad was fine. I liked the flavors. I added steamed broccoli and cauliflower to it for more veggies.

Their baked sweet plantains are TO DIE FOR. Marvelous. And the mashed sweet potatoes are very delicious. Really, of the sides, the only one I haven't liked was the brown rice. Too dry.

This coming week, I ordered the lemony asparagus chicken twice cause it was so nice. And I got the low-fat, no-sugar tiramisu again on a couple days as a treat. I also ordered the pizza twice. I didn't see chicken burrito on the menu, so I ordered the beef, and I hope they make the mistake and make it chicken. Mmm.

I also ordered up black beans three times that week to get fiber up. I also ordered one of the breakfast the Waffle with turkey bacon and eggwhites, to see if it's good.

BTW, the oatmeal was very nice the second time I had it last week. It may have had less whey, and that made the difference.

Okay...Off I go.

It looks like eating three meals a day from there can be anywhere from 1200 to 1500 calories, depending which you choose and what sides you ask to go with the hot platters. And if you have dessert, yeah, that goes up more. So, really, the calorie level is a matter of choosing to suit your needs according to the nutritional info given on the Menu page.

Later,
Mir

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Old 09-13-2007, 05:37 PM   #3  
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Okay, had a raging PMS week, but I'm calm now.

Another menu update:

The Beef Paprika didn't do it for me. Eh.

The Turkey Sofrito is very tasty. Nice spicing. Latino taste-bud friendly. Has beans, so fiber! I have it with a side of baked sweet plantains and black beans for more fiber.

Breakfast: Tried the BEW (turkey Bacon, Egg, Waffles) breakfast and LOVED IT. Loved it so much, I have it for every day next week. What's great is that the square of egg white topped with one slice of turkey bacon is actually nice. The bacon adds flavor that eggwhites need. And if you like having a split breakfast (like some of us do), you can have the egg/bacon part, then the waffles. Or have the E/B with one waffle, and have the second waffle as a snack. (These are low-fat waffles). It comes with a small container of Smuchers sugar-free syrup. (You can even save part for the next day. Eating half the egg/bacon with one waffle would serve many nicely for a breakfast. Then have the rest the next day or for lunch or for a snack.)

MY ABSOLUTE TOP CHOICE from this week: The Chicken Penne. Oh, Lordy was that delicious. Whole Wheat Penne, not overcooked. White, moist chicken in a to-die-for tomato and garlic and spinach with basil sauce. Not overwhelming. Very flavorful. Love it. 442 calories, 4.5 grams of fat. That's 8 to 9 WW points. But it's a generous and filling entree. Add some points free veggies and a zero-point drink, and it's a solid dinner. Yum. I kid you not about the tastiness. I have it down for three times next week. Or, have half with lots of veggies and salad, and take half for lunch. That would cut the points to about 4.5. Depends on your allowances.

Oatmeal has been yummier this week. Less whey?

What I ordered to try next week: Turkey Lasagna, Turkey Meatballs with Whole Wheat Pasta.

So, while I screwed up with extra crap last week (including a Pizza insanity on the weekend cause my sister wanted PIZZA for birthday...and that's one of my trigger binge foods), my Red Visitor is here and I'm feeling much calmer with the debloating that happens when the Flo Flows. I had bloated up to 284.5 yesterday, versus today at 281.5. Lost 3 PMS water pounds just cause of you-know-what finally getting here. I hope I lose the rest today.

NOTE: When I don't add extra stuff to the HCTG meals, I find it comes out to about 26 to 28 WW points. That's about 1300 to 1400 calories. However, I get extra sides of Sweet Potatoes (mashed) and beans (for fiber and cause I'm Cuban) and Sweet Plantains (baked). That will easily add another few hundred calories a day (and that's not counting days I allow dessert).

So, if I just ate their food without extras, that's a weight loss range.

I just need to stop the "extra" eating.

BTW, do not get the brown rice unless you have somethign to dump it into that's moist. It really is just not the best brown rice. Stick with the great Sweet Potatoes or Sweet Plantains. Those rock and have oodles of Potassium to flush out sodium bloat.

Happy Eating.

Mir

Last edited by Mirtika; 09-13-2007 at 05:40 PM.
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Old 10-12-2007, 03:59 AM   #4  
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Just to report that I"m still using the service.

Now that I'm used to portions, I've started cutting back to TWO meals a day, four days a week, and using the other three days to sort of see if I can keep on portion-control. I've lost 11 pounds since I started, and having learned what I really enjoy, I just order those things.

Breakfast: I've stuck to the BEW (egg whites, turkey bacon slice, sprinkle of low-fat cheese, with 2 low-fat waffles and a small container of Smuckers sugar free syrup) or the spinach frittata with pancakes or waffles. Thier breakfast burrito is yummy (egg whites, turkey bacon, low-fat cheese, beans in a tomato wrap). But I still find the BEW the most filling of all, and keeps me satisfied longest.

I decided I prefer my own homemade oatmeal, which I make with half-water, half-milk and add oat bran for thickening and extra fiber.

Lunch: The beef or chicken or egg white burrito, the popeye chicken wrap. The chicken pita

Dinner: lemon asparagus chicken (so good, I order it a couple times a week or three time, sometimes), steak with mushroom, chicken florentine, chicken penne pasta, chicken teriyaki.

Sides: My faves are the sweet baked plantains, the mashed sweet potatoes, the black beans, the steamed asparagus, and the steamed veggies. Don't like their brown rice.

Dessert: The tiramisu (low-fat, no sugar) is the best. I wouldn't bother with the sugar-free cakes (sometimes fresh, sometimes a little stale). The fruit bowl is delicious, but I'd rather make it myself.

I wish they had more good solid vegetarian offerings. I like eating vegetarian several days of the week.

But it's been a great plan to teach me portions and give me savory meals that are re-educating me in portions.

I've already begun making some of the things myself (ie, weaning off), like my own BEW made at home with fresh egg whites, turkey bacon, 2% shredded cheddar from Kraft, and low-fat, high fiber waffles from the freezer section of my grocery store. (Granted, the Healthier Choices to Go waffles are REALLY REALLY nice and their high-protein pancakes are good. Even my hubby likes them and he's mister finicky.).

I'm really satisfied with this delivery service (nice and flexible about how many meals, how many days of the week, etc), but I wish their menu offered more variety. AFter a while, it does get boring (like probably most delivery services).

But fresh food beats frozen EVERY time, hand down. And I haven't suffered the bloating one might get from just eading pre-processed (ie frozen dinners, canned soups). The HCTG stuff is not high in sodium, and that's great for my BP.

BTW...I've been eating snacks in addition to the regular meals, so I add at least 400 calories more to what they deliver. Just so you know. Eating three regular meals by them and no more would likely mean a much faster loss.

Okay, hope this bit of reporting helps.

Enjoy, everyone. ONWARD AND...DOWNWARD!

Last edited by Mirtika; 10-12-2007 at 04:01 AM.
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Old 10-12-2007, 05:09 AM   #5  
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Thanks for the updates, Mirtika. I've enjoyed reading the options, even if they might consider me slightly out of their delivery range.

What are the calories like in the sweet baked plantains? The only recipes I've tried use huge amounts of oil and sugar.
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Old 10-12-2007, 10:40 AM   #6  
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Because they're just baked, count the calories as you would for plain sweet plantains, no oil added.

Here's a recipe for you to try at home: http://www.recipezaar.com/80130
There is nutritional info at this recipe site.

If you've never made these, make sure you let the plantains ripen (my mom would put them in the dark, under the sink) until the skin has a lot of black spotting (a lot, but not rotted). My mom would sometimes let them get mostly black. I know, that sounds gross, but she knew when they were just so. Me, don't have the culinary sense. Anyway, waiting for the black to show...That will ensure the plantains are super-sweet, and you don't need to add ANYTHING. They taste so rich.

Enjoy.

OH...and I don't know what area you are in, but I wish THESE folks--http://www.fitcuisinemeals.com/ --would deliver to mine. Their menu rocks my world, I can tell you.

Mir

Last edited by Mirtika; 10-12-2007 at 10:50 AM.
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Old 10-15-2007, 09:28 AM   #7  
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Thumbs up Thanks for Plantain recipe

That recipe looks good, Mirtika, Thanks.

I'll get some plantains this week and try it.

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Old 10-15-2007, 11:00 PM   #8  
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Oooh, you're making me want to move to Miami! That looks really good. I'm glad you're doing so great at it!!

I had my first fried plantain recently. It was DELISH! I am definitely not going to look at any of those recipes. I'll let it be a nice memory from that very high calorie but ohhhhhhhhh so delicious Carribean restaurant.
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Old 04-21-2009, 11:48 PM   #9  
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Question Fit2Go?

I don't mean to resurrect a dead thread, but it seems Healthier Choices To Go is no longer in business. I tried in vain to find Bites on Wheels and it seems they too have gone out of business.

Maybe other south Floridians can help me out here.... I just heard about a company called Fit2Go in Miami. They don't offer breakfast, but do package lunch and dinner for $15/day including delivery. Can't post links due to my low post count, but the addy is: fit2gomeal.com

Has anyone heard of or used this delivery service? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
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