Southern girl problems- Fried food

pixiechick8321

This is one of the reasons I gain weight whenever I go home (GA).

Suggestions:
eat healthy for breakfast and lunch - try and eat more of your calories when you control the food, and then eat a smaller sized supper

bring snacks with you throughout the day so you aren't starving when you get back to the house

give your cook a day off and then make it a sister event to come up with a recipe and cook together

A fun rush event could involve getting favorite "healthy" recipes together in a special book to pass down.

Finally, she's someone y'all hire, so you can dictate her food (or the president can)...just offer options (like panko instead of bread crumbs or like a light layer instead of frying triple layers or using different oil, or baking potatoes instead of frying them) and make sure the equipment is available for her.

mrsskinny629

I live in my sorority house so I can't really cook (which makes sticking to an eating plan kind of difficult), so I have to rely on what our cook makes or go out. And our cook is an old southern lady that loves to make comfort food, and it's really delicious but the girls and I would love some healthier options. We plan on talking to her at the beginning of next semester and making a "resolutions menu". I plan on saving a bunch of recipes that she could test next semester! I've already got about 6!

Look up the magazine "Southern Comfort Diet Foods" They have some amazing recipes in there that would make you feel guilty for eating, but is totally healthy!!

howajett

I live in Mobile, AL, so I definitely know your pain. Health and nutrition definitely is not forefront in the minds of the culture here. I'll have to look up that southern comfort diet foods magazine myself, sounds interesting.

lovecrystaljoy

Try This!

Balsamic-Marinated Pork Chops & Grilled Peaches
.
Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes (includes 1 hour for marinating)

Gluten Free
•1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
•1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•3 tbsp honey
•1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
•4 5-oz lean boneless pork chops, trimmed of visible fat
•Olive oil cooking spray (optional)
•Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
•4 peaches, halved and pitted
•Fresh thyme leaves for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, honey and rosemary. Reserve 2 tbsp and add the rest to a 1-gallon zip-top bag. Add pork to bag and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning occasionally.
2.Preheat broiler to high or coat a grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high over stove. Remove pork from fridge, discard marinating liquid and season pork with salt and pepper. Broil pork or cook in grill pan until pork is opaque throughout and feels firm to the touch, or until internal temperature reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 to 6 minutes per side.
3.Meanwhile, cook peaches under broiler or in a grill pan over medium heat until tender and juicy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate, season with pepper and brush with reserved 2 tbsp marinade. To serve, place a pork chop on each of 4 plates and top with 2 peach halves. Garnish with thyme leaves.

Nutrients per serving (5 oz pork chop, 1 peach, 2 tbsp marinade): Calories: 310, Total Fat: 10 g, Sat. Fat: 3 g, Carbs: 23 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 21 g, Protein: 31 g, Sodium: 125 mg, Cholesterol: 95 mg

kittzle

I'm in NW Arkansas... and trust me, it's torturing - I want my fried foods and my gravy!
I would make a list of what I miss, but that would make me too hungry...

monalissanne

I've heard of grounding down Fiber One Original Bran cereal and using that to coat chicken or something and "faux-fry" it by baking it in the oven. I've never actually tried it but some friends have and they say it's pretty good.

I did the same thing with Pork Rinds when I was doing the low carb thing. Panko bread crumbs are a fat free option. My grocery store sells them in the International Foods aisle with the Japanese products. Panko breading is crunchy even when you bake it. I think I've seen them use it on Down Home With the Neely's a few times.

CallmeSbo

I am from South Africa and I love Southern Fried chicken. Its my weakness...

KimAggie04

I am from Texas. We love fried food and mexican food! To loose weight I started eating oatmeal every morning to start the day right (no more breakfast tacos). Then I still indulge in my favorite dishes occassionally, but I just eat a lot less of it. For example when I bring fried chicken home, I'll eat one piece of chicken and steam fresh vegetables for the side. To steam vegetables, you only need a microwave. I always plan my meal for the day and make sure that I am under my calorie goal.

zbmb30

I am from Tennessee. I love fried things. I mean where else but the south can you find fried oreos, fried chicked, fried pickles. . .the list goes on. Most of the time the only fried things I like are french fries and fried chicken. One of the things that help me is just not eat out as much, so then I'm left with what I have at the house. I grill the chicken on my George Foreman grill. If it gets boring, you can add other things to it that aren't bad.

tigersword

When done properly, frying is actually a very healthy way to cook. The extra fat and calories from fried food generally don't come from the cooking oil, it's the breading that's added to the food (eggs, butter milk, bread crumbs, etc.) if you change up the breading, and keep your oil at a consistent temperature, than you should be able to have fried food without too much issue.

Here's how it works. Food has water in it. When you drop food in hot oil the water inside turns to steam and pushes out. As long as the steam is pushing out, oil can't get in. It's only when the oil is not hot enough to convert the water to steam, or when the food is overcooked to the point that all the water is cooked out of the food, that oil can be absorbed.

Fry properly, pay attention to portion sizes, and like anything else, it's nothing to be afraid of. I shallow and deep fry all the time.