Road Tripping to US... need good food ideas... - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

Little Engine · 03-02-2002, 11:08 AM

Hello all... I live in Toronto and my fiancee and I decided to take a little road trip tomorrow to the US to do some shopping - both for food and for clothes! We'll be crossing over at Buffalo and will be heading straight for the Military Road Wegmans store ... and I need ideas. There's tons of stuff that we can't get in Canada that I'd love to know about so that I can pack up the trunk and bring it all home with me. If anyone has ideas of things I can get, let me know. But remember, whatever I get has to be able to survive a 2 hour car ride, so this means no Skinny Cows ice cream or WW type frozen meals.

I welcome any other suggestions you might have!

Thanks.

Christine

Pook · 03-03-2002, 06:08 PM

Why don't you just get a cooler to put in the trunk for any frozen foods? Fill it with ice and it should last for a couple of hours, right?

Not necessarily for ice cream, but frozen foods should be OK.

Little Engine · 03-04-2002, 08:33 AM

Hey there... thanks for the suggestion. I did take a cooler, but it was mostly to keep things chilled, not frozen. The grocery store wasn't the only place we were going, and even with the temps outside as cold as they were, I didn't want to take the chance that any real food would partially thaw in the journey. In the end I did take a chance on the Skinny Cows ice cream sandwiches, though... they were a little soft by the time we got home, but still salvagable! For 2 pts each, boy are they good!!! Quite expensive (even without the exchange rate) but well worth it!

Some of the other things I got... 1 pt english muffins (Wegman's own brand), Fat Free Pringles (not just reduced fat...) - they work out to 1 pt per 15 chips, and from what I've been told they're just as good as the original full fat brand. I also got some Lays chips that are also 1 pt for about 15 chips. Both these products use Olean (Olestra) which wreaks havoc on some people's digestive system, but I've had it before and in moderation it doesn't seem to cause me any problems. I also stocked up on I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray... this is fabulous on popcorn and veggies if you want a hint of butter taste without the points. Cheese was high on my shopping list. I didn't find all the things I was looking for, but Kraft puts out a fat free cheddar cheese in the US that you can't get here. It comes pre-shredded and I keep it in the freezer and take out a tablespoon or 2 at a time to put in eggwhite omlettes... I don't know how well it would cook on top of pizza or anything like that, but in these things it works really well! Finally, to satisfy my sweet tooth, I got some Milky Way Lite bars... they're only 4 pts each and taste just like the full fat version, which is about double the points.

Anyway, just wanted to let eveyone know that if they have the chance to get across the border, there are some great Points-friendly deals to be had!!! There's so much available there that we can't get here.

Christine

angel-eyes · 03-04-2002, 11:22 PM

Hi LittleEngine. Nice to see you again. I wish I knew before so I could chat to you about all the delicacies the States has. If you don't remember.....I've met you in "Calling all Canadians" and most recently I've moved to North Carolina 3 months ago.

You are so right!!!...they DO HAVE SO MUCH MORE HERE!! It sure sounds like you hit all my favorites....SKINNY COWS RULE!!! Glad to hear your trip went well. Another item I would look for on your next trip is a magerine by Brummel and Brown. It is a great tasting margerine made with yogurt. 1 T = 1 pt, they also make a fruit margerine spread and an apple/cinnimon magerine spread....and both are great!!!
Another great item is a veggie burger made by Morning Star products. Now I know what you're thinking...."a veggie burger???" but honestly....these are so great, and one burger has 2 servings of veggies and is 1 pt only. I often have them as a meat serving in a typical supper meal with a fat free gravy. (which by the way is fabulous....made by Heinz....1/4 C = 1 pt) I love the grocery shopping here....although seeing all the different labels, and product assortment often takes me 2 hours to do!!!

Enjoy your Pringles....Skinny Cows.....and ICBINB spray. YUMMY!!

angel-eyes · 03-06-2002, 10:38 AM

Hi, Its me again. My leader just told me of another great snack item, and you might be able to look for it next time. Its a type of pretzel that is "sandblasted" with a cheddar cheese coating. I say sandblasted because it is not a powder that comes off onto your fingers....but they are soooo good!! 22 pretzels are only 110 calories and 2 pts!!! They also have a honey mustard kind...also reccomended by my leader. These are made by "Rold Gold" brand, and are close to the nugget types. Don't be fooled though.....the nugget ones are much higher in fat content. Haha...you're going to need an extra suitcase next time you go State bound!!!