By Samantha Taylor
My next stop was a restaurant nestled on the lake in Land O’ Lakes called Rapscallions.
They have a wide range of healthy options, including whole wheat bread for sandwiches. The first thing I advise is, tell them not to bring the chips. Oh boy, these have to be the most fattening chips I have ever tasted!
I don’t fault them for that since they’re not claiming their chips are healthy. But, make it a point to tell them not to bring the chips. It’s one of those things that can totally derail your healthy eating experience.
Instead, skip straight to the black bean soup, which is unbelievably awesome. It’s high in fiber and even higher in flavor, but definitely not too high in fat. It comes with white rice though, so ask for no rice.
The other dish I ordered was a salad with an awesome twist. Anyone in the mood for wings? Well, they aren’t really wings, but rather buffalo chicken on a bed of greens. The best part of it is that you can get it grilled, always a good thing.
It can satisfy your craving for that wing sauce flavor since there is so much of it in its sauce, there isn’t even a need for dressing. As I always recommend, ask to substitute Romaine lettuce, put the dressing on the side and hold the shredded cheese, please.
It does come with blue cheese crumbles. It’s OK to have a little fat in your salad since the chicken is grilled and you won’t be using most of the dressing anyway. Don’t use all the crumbles, though; just sprinkle them on your salad. I didn’t do this and figured out it was too much. This delectable salad is so huge, you will have plenty left to take home.
It sounds fun that it comes in a tortilla bowl but unfortunately, that adds too many calories to your otherwise healthy meal, so just ask for a regular bowl.
Another healthy dish they offer is tilapia, which is available grilled or Cajun, with a side of veggies. Anytime you order fish, tell them to cook it dry, meaning it won’t be dipped or basted in butter or oil. Don’t worry, it will still be moist, only with way less fat. Oh, and tell them to not add butter to the veggies. You may not realize it, but these little details could save you from those extra 500 hidden calories!
