Poke Is More Than a Trend: Five Ways to Build a Healthy Bowl

anasyummydiaries

While poke has been a longtime staple in Hawaii, it’s a relatively new trend that has exploded into the United States food scene. That being said, it may not be the healthiest option out there, but it’s fast and easy — just like chopped salads with all the fixings. It’s a deconstructed sushi bowl at the end of the day.

But wait — poke is more than a trend. You can make it into a healthy meal with the right choices at the counter. Just check out my list of five ways to build a healthy bowl.

1. Pick Brown Rice Instead of White Rice

When it comes to your base, your options are going to be white rice, brown rice or greens. You can’t go wrong with any of the options as they’re all good sources of fiber.

But if you’re going to choose rice, brown comes out ahead of white in terms of fiber and protein. However, white has less sodium but more calcium and iron. So the best choice depends on what your nutritional needs are. Brown also has three times as much fiber as leafy greens, but it also has 45 grams of carbs while a serving of leafy greens only has one.

2. Choose Salmon for Healthy Fats

Just like a base, you can’t go wrong with the protein you choose. If you eat poke a few times a week, you’ll want to cycle in the tofu because more than two servings of fish a week isn’t recommended because of the mercury levels. Besides being a good source of protein (one serving has 10 grams), tofu is also high in iron, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B.

But if you want to go for fish, it’s a great source of protein, healthy fats, vitamin B-12, magnesium, iron, and calcium. However, salmon comes out on top when it comes to protein, omega-3s, and vitamin B-12, while tuna has more magnesium, iron, and calcium. Your best bet? Switch up your protein sources across all the offerings to get everything you need.

3. Select Seaweed Salad for Thyroid Support

Besides being high in fiber, seaweed salad is also an excellent source of iodine and tyrosine –both of which are linked to thyroid support as it can help repair damaged cells in the body and provide an energy boost.

4. Try Not to Overuse Soy Sauce

This tip is an obvious one. Soy sauce is high in sodium, which is especially rough on heart attack survivors. The sauce(s) in your bowl should be enough.

5. Ponzu Can up Your Probiotics

Ponzu is made with rice vinegar, citrus juice, soy sauce, kelp, bonito flakes, and mirin. It’s another healthy poke bowl sauce. It can also up your probiotics, which can help with your digestion and gut health.

Did You Know? Eight Fun Facts on Tater Tots

anasyummydiaries
Photo credit: today.com

In honor of National Tater Day, I’ve decided it’d be a wonderful idea to put together a list of eight fun facts on tater tots. Yes, tater tots!

Sure, tater tots can remind you of your go-to side in grade school, but the tots remain a tasty snack that’s not only simple, but also speedy for those days and nights where you simply need a snack that’ll fill you up.

Here are eight fun facts on tater tots.

1. Tater tots were first created in 1953 when Ore-Ida founders F. Nephi Grigg and Golden Grigg tried to figure out what to do with leftover slivers of cut-up potatoes. They came up with the basic idea of chopping up the potato slivers, adding flour and seasoning, then pushing the mash through holes, and slicing off pieces of what came out on the other side.

2. When tater tots were first invented, the Griggs needed to come up with a name, so they held a contest among employees and their friends. Clora Lay Orton, a housewife, suggested the name tater tots.

3. Tater tots are a registered trademark for a commercial form of hash browns made by Ore-Ida. They’re a side dish made from deep-fried, grated potatoes.

4. Tater is a slang term for potato.

Origin: 1750–60; America; By Apheresis, tato, and substitution of -er for final -o, tater.

5. Tater tots were made available in stores in 1956.

6. Americans consume approximately 70 million pounds of tater tots per year.

7. One of the ingredients in tater tots is disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate, which is generally recognized as safe by the FDA, but is also used to remove hair and feathers from livestock.

8. In Australia, tater tots are known as potato gems, potato royals or potato pom-poms.

Let me know in the comments section if I missed any fun facts on tater tots. Thanks for reading!

How to Lose Weight With Carnation Instant Breakfast

anasyummydiaries
Photo credit: celiac-disease.com

No, I don’t have celiac disease. I just got the header photo off of celiac-disease.com. But if you do have celiac disease, then Carnation Instant Breakfast might be the right breakfast option for you. After all, CIB can help you jump start your day with a nutritious breakfast, so you won’t have to worry about whether or not you met your dietary needs for the day.

CIB is easy to prepare, just open the packet and mix it with one cup of your preferred milk. But if you’re a little adventurous, you can prepare it in quick and easy ways such as a Vanilla Chai Swirl, Strawberry Mint Smoothie, or Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie — just to name a few simple recipes for you.

Oh, and did I mention that you can lose weight with CIB? Yes, sir or ma’am!

Of course, the key to any diet is to control your portions and overall calorie intake. But don’t forget that you can replace a meal and/or snack with CIB. Meal replacement shakes like CIB can be healthy alternatives if you don’t add artificial sugar in it. Also, a helpful tip is to add berries and/or granola on top of it for a healthy way to alter its existing flavor. When combined with healthy eating and exercise, this can be a quick, easy tool to continue your weight loss regimen, too.

10 Ways to Maximize Your Red Robin Royalty Rewards

anasyummydiaries

If you’re anything like me, you like burgers and fries, and like unlimited burgers and fries. If that’s the case, then you’re going to like this blog post.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews, or Red Robin for short, is an American fast casual chain that was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1969. Yep, Seattle isn’t in my top 10 list of foodie cities, but then again, maybe it’s because I’m a food snob since I’ve spent time in the East Coast.

Anyways, let’s get to the point. Red Robin’s a good, fast restaurant for those of you who want to leave full. If you’re a Red Robin Royalty Rewards member, good for you; and if you’re not, then you might want to consider signing up because it’s a great way to be rewarded for being a regular at Red Robin.

Here are 10 ways to maximize your Red Robin Royalty Rewards.

View from my seat

10. Newcomer Perks
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Red Robin Royalty Rewards, let me make it clear that it’s 100% legit. Just text “JOIN” and “YOUR EMAIL” to 98666 before you go out to eat. Don’t forget to opt in for emails, so you can be notified about brand-new deals and promotions as soon as possible. Also, don’t forget that you can get a $20 credit for eating at Red Robin five times in the first five weeks.

9. Claim a Free Birthday Burger Each Year
This should be a no-brainer, and you don’t have to claim your free birthday burger on your birthday if you can’t. Just remember to claim it sometime during your birthday month. You’ll also get free bottomless fries, garlic herb fries, side salad, coleslaw or broccoli, which will never be a bad thing.

8. Take Advantage of Bottomless Sides
Whatever bottomless side you choose, you can rest assured that you’ll have the chance to take advantage of bottomless sides, so you won’t leave Red Robin hungry.

Bottomless really means bottomless at Red Robin, so feel free to go ahead and munch on your bottomless fries, garlic herb fries, side salad, coleslaw or broccoli, and help yourself to extra helpings.

Bottomless Fries

7. Share a Milkshake
Let’s face it, Red Robin offers sweet, scrumptious milkshakes. Whether you’re a fan of regular or custom milkshakes, you’ll find something that you’ll like.

Fun Fact: My favorite classic milkshake is Vanilla, and my favorite custom milkshake is the Silver Spoon S’mores.

If you don’t have a big appetite, then you’re better sharing a milkshake with your friend, colleague or significant other. Why’s that? Your server will give you a second tin with the remainder of the milkshake and that’ll be too much for you. Plus the both of you will get more bang for your buck. You can thank me later.

6. Buy 9 Entrees and Get 1 Free

Royal Red Robin with Bottomless Fries

Buy nine burgers and get one free. it’s that simple. Oh, and your free birthday burger will count towards those nine burgers, so that;s an even better deal.

Note: If you’re not always in the mood for a burger, you can order an entree, sandwich, or salad and it’ll count towards your nine entrees.

5. Buy a $25 Gift Card and Get a Free Movie Ticket
When you come across a Red Robin promotion like this one, you should go for it, especially if you’re a movie theater type of person!

All you have to do is buy a $25 gift card, you’ll get a free movie ticket. It sounds like a good deal because it is. It’s like you got 50% off your gift card.

4. Order $500 in Gift Cards and Get 10% Off
If you really love Red Robin…or simply have a large family of four or more, then you ought to consider ordering $500 in gift cards to get 10% off your order. Sure, it’s only a $50 discount, but $50 may be a lot for a large family, so there you go.

3. If You Have Kids, Remind Them Their Sides Are Also Bottomless
For those of you have kids, you should remind them their sides are also bottomless. Bottomless sides equal happy kids, especially if they require more food than their counterparts.

Note: Kid’s meals won’t count towards your nine entrees, but hey, they’ll be grinning and smiling and that’s one of the best parts of being a parent, right?

2. Order a Bottomless Beverage and Ask for One to-Go
It’s not just bottomless sides, it’s also bottomless beverages. That’s what makes Red Robin so awesome.

So if you order a bottomless beverage, you should ask for another one during your dine-in experience, especially if it’s hot out. You don’t want to suffer from dehydration. You should also ask for one to-go, so you could sip on it later on.

1. If You Forgot to Use Your Card, You Can Claim Credit Within 30 Days
It’s self-explanatory, but if you forgot to use your Red Robin Royalty Rewards card, you can still claim your credit within 30 days. Just scan and submit your receipt using the “Add Credit” form on Red Robin’s website.

Why I Wouldn’t Eat at Koja Kitchen Again

anasyummydiaries
Ahi Tuna Salad with Salmon

Just like everyone else, I’m human. I’m not perfect. I make mistakes — sometimes a few more than I should’ve on certain days than others.

That being said, I have my moments where I decide to take a chance on a particular restaurant and end up with an unpleasant feeling that leaves me wondering a thought along the lines of “Why the heck did I try that restaurant?” Yup, I said it. I screw up sometimes.

There was a decent amount of hype surrounding the Koja Kitchen, a Korean-Japanese restaurant that claims on their website that they take what is best of both cuisines and reinvent them in a way that is fun and delicious to eat for our KoJa Kitchen fans. Moreover,
a KoJa–aka Korean-Japanese–is a special gourmet sandwich infused with a unique combination of Korean and Japanese flavors. Oh, and the KoJa Kitchen steps it up a notch by substitutes the traditional wheat buns with freshly-made crispy garlic rice buns.

But I ordered the Ahi Tuna Salad with Salmon just minutes after getting a complimentary facial at Resveralife. The service was pretty bad. The cashier had no idea if I wanted all ahi, all salmon or half ahi and half salmon. It took a few minutes before she finally got the point that I wanted half ahi and half salmon. At least she didn’t require me to leave a tip because she didn’t deserve it.

Yes, the Ahi Tuna Salad with Salmon was fairly healthy, but it wasn’t worth the money. The mixed greens were fresh. Same goes for the crab and seaweed salad. But the ahi and salmon was pretty bland and lacking in flavor, which was a surprise because the fish is normally marinated with a few sauces. Also, the soy ginger dressing was chock full of sodium and MSG because I had to drink quite a lot of water to quench my thirst, which wasn’t a good sign.

So yeah, I wouldn’t eat at the Koja Kitchen again. Their combination of poor service and average food isn’t enough for me to give it another try.

A Fast and Easy Recipe for Busy Weeknights

anasyummydiaries

If you’re like myself, you don’t always have spare time to cook what I like to call “beautiful meals.” That being said, I’m going to share with y’all a fast and easy recipe for busy weeknights…that’s if you’re a carnivore, pescatarian, and/or omnivore — if you’re a vegetarian or vegan, then you shouldn’t look at this blog post to save yourself a moment where you’re offended by something you saw on the internet.

Anyways, my recipe is Spaghetti Alfredo with Spam and Vegetables.

Now, that sounds like a simple recipe. After all, I kind of came up with this high-sodium yet semi-healthy in less than a minute when I was in the kitchen after a tiring day of work (and a workout somewhere in between). But it was pretty good. But, as I always say, I’ll let y’all decide if the recipe sounds edible or not.

Photo by Ana Kieu (@AnaKieu)

It’s actually quite simple, so simple that you can make it in one pot for yourself, your significant other and possibly your family.

Ingredients:
– One box of One Pot Spaghetti
– One fourth of a bag of frozen vegetables
– One fourth of a can of Spam
– One jar of jarred Alfredo sauce
– Two to four slices of provolone cheese
– A pinch of salt
– A pinch of black pepper
– A pinch of chili powder

Instructions:
1. Heat the water in the pot until it boils. Then, add the spaghetti and cook until Al Dente. After that, take the spaghetti out and set it aside. Don’t forget to drizzle some olive oil over the spaghetti as this will help the noodles not stick together later on.
2. Dice the Spam using a medium-sized knife and add pinches of salt, black pepper and chili powder to the canned meat before frying it in the pan with oil. Take out the Spam when it’s sizzling hot.
3. Heat up the jarred Alfredo sauce until it’s hot. Then, throw in the slices of provolone cheese and stir until the cheese has melted in the sauce.
4. Throw in the spaghetti and stir with the sauce until you coat the two well enough.
5. Put the desired amounts into plates and/or bowls to consume. Serve with garlic bread, soup and/or salad if desired.

Enjoy!

There’s More to Las Vegas Than Casinos and Weddings

anasyummydiaries

Las Vegas, also known as “Sin City,” is arguably one of the best cities in the country and possibly the world. Not only is it home to tens and hundreds of hotels, casinos, and wedding chapels, it’s also known for its diverse food scene. There’s never a shortage of good places to eat in Vegas.

From casual fast food joints to five-star restaurants, Vegas has a long-standing history of great eateries. The city has grown so fast in recent years, and as mentioned by my driver on my Uber ride from the Thomas & Mack Center on March 13th, eight people move to Vegas each day. Eight may not be a large number, but that’s more residents than in metropolitan areas, like, say, the Bay Area and New York City.

According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, Vegas has a well-known history of offering many folks a chance to reclaim their lives, find new love or just get away from their dreary, humdrum, boring life.

“You’ll never be bored. With tight-knit neighborhoods, tons of outdoor activities and a great food scene, living in Las Vegas defies all expectations.”

But, wait, there’s more to Vegas than casinos and weddings. There’s food and drinks, which never fails to impress even the pickiest of people. So let me get started on some restaurants I’ve came across in Vegas.

Siegel’s 1941
Located inside the El Cortez Hotel & Casino, Siegel’s 1941–named after the late Bugsy Siegel–is an old-school restaurant that will surely have you experiencing the early days of downtown Vegas, even if you don’t recall those days like myself.

Siegel’s 1941 is open 24 hours a day and will serve you skillfully-prepared classic appetizers, entrees, desserts, and drinks (non-alcoholic and alcoholic). There’s something for everyone at Siegel’s 1941. Oh, and if you book your room directly on the El Cortez Hotel & Casino website, you’ll get a free prime rib dinner. Unless if you’re a vegetarian or vegan, you can’t go wrong with that.

Le Thai
I don’t have any Thai ancestry in me, but I like Thai food and Le Thai is one of the best Thai restaurants I’ve ever dined in. There’s a great selection of food and drinks, so I took advantage of that. Also, their portions are huge.

I’d like to add that Le Thai’s employees are nice and friendly to their customers. The only downside is that Le Thai often has a long wait time, so you should make sure you have some spare time before entering the restaurant.

Claim Jumper
Yes, Claim Jumper is a chain restaurant. No, I don’t give a darn on what you think.

I tried the Claim Jumper for the first time on March 12th, and boy, it was awesome! I love my protein, so I went the traditional route and ordered a top sirloin with mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. It was so good!

Next time I step foot in a Claim Jumper, I’m going to order fish or chicken.

The Buffet
I’m going to wrap up my list with The Buffet in the Golden Nugget. Yes, the buffet is actually called The Buffet, so it shouldn’t be too hard to remember.

The El Cortez is my go-to hotel in downtown Vegas, but I frequent the Golden Nugget for its Starbucks, and now, The Buffet. Oh my gosh! The Buffet has over 100 types of foods ranging from American to Italian to Asian. The list was endless. However, my favorite foods were the teriyaki catfish, roasted chicken, and prime rib. Plus The Buffet had a dessert bar with regular and sugar-free desserts alike! I didn’t see that everyday, but I took advantage of it, and headed straight to the sugar-free section, where I picked up a scoop of sugar-free Dreyer’s ice cream. So sweet…and no artificial sugar!

It was worth the money and I was glad I finally tried it out. I’ll be back.

I’ll leave y’all with this photo…

Good Eats in Arizona

anasyummydiaries

Arizona may not be the most diverse state in the country, but the Grand Canyon State is home to some of the tastiest restaurants.

Unless if you’re driving, you’ll likely start your Arizona journey at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), which has been described as America’s Friendliest and Tastiest Airport. Summer is just around the corner, and if you’re looking to escape the dreary cold temperatures, than Arizona may be your next vacation spot.

Anyhow, let’s get to the main point of this post — the good eats in Arizona!

Let me start with the Waffle House in Apache Junction. Okay, Waffle House is a no frills breakfast, lunch, and dinner restaurant — especially the breakfast, which always hits the spot! Plus the Waffle House is open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, so you’ll never need to worry about the Waffle House being closed when you want to order a quick meal after hours or on holidays!

I can’t drink regular coffee, but the decaf coffee did the trick.

For the main course, I tried the Two Egg Plate with scrambled eggs (with grilled mushrooms), bacon (which came with four strips of bacon, which was good!), and Texas toast. The grilled mushrooms were an extra $0.50, but I didn’t mind because I like mushrooms and the mushrooms perked up my classic breakfast plate.

Two Egg Plate

Yes, Einstein Bros. Bagels is a bagel and coffee chain, but I don’t care about what I’m munching on — especially if I just got off the plane!

I made a pit stop at Einstein Bros. Bagels and ordered the Nova Lox bagel on a six cheese bagel along with a strawberry banana smoothie. The smoothie (not pictured) was fresh and quenched my thirst, but the Nova Lox was scrumptious for a chain bagel! The lox and cream cheese were delicious, and the bagel was toasted just right.

I’ll be back, even if it’s not in downtown Mesa, just for the Nova Lox.

Nova Lox

Dirtwater Springs is a shack-style restaurant in Apache Junction. It’s not the biggest restaurant, but it’s quite cozy and the staffers are very friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant. They have everything from classic American eats to unique Tex-Mex plates. They even have daily specials, which are great if you want to order something that’s not on the menu.

When I dined at Dirtwater Springs, I ordered the Crispy Chicken Salad, which turned out better than I expected. I like crispy chicken, but I wasn’t in the mood for French fries, so that’s why I ordered it. It was served on a bed of greens, tomatoes, and shredded cheese, along with garlic toast as well as my choices of ranch and honey mustard — and yes, I had both condiments! Nom nom nom…

Crispy Chicken Salad

Mickey D’s Cafe, not to be confused with McDonald’s, is a breakfast and brunch restaurant in Apache Junction. It’s arguably the best breakfast and brunch restaurant in Apache Junction, too.

Mickey D’s biscuits and gravy are the highlight of their menu, but I decided to be adventurous and opted for the Mushroom and Swiss Chicken Sandwich with fries and a side of honey mustard. Overall, it was pretty good, and I’d recommend it if you’re not in the mood for breakfast.

Mushroom and Swiss Chicken Sandwich

Last but not least, the Philly Up food truck proved that I don’t have to be in Philadelphia or Wilmington, Delaware, to enjoy a Philly cheesesteak! This food truck checks off all the boxes. Their menu features Philly cheesesteaks, gyros, and even Philly cheesesteak and/or gyro fries! Yes, Philly cheesesteak and/or gyro fries!

I had the Philly cheesesteak fries. The steak was perfectly seared and seasoned, the cheese sauce was creamy and not too salty, and the fries were crisp but not greasy. The portions were huge, but I expected nothing less since it was event food at the Blues and Brews Festival. It was so good!

Philly Cheesesteak Fries

I’ll definitely try Philly up again, and who knows, maybe I’ll even give them a catering call one day!