My mom, Susan, the Weight Watchin' Vegan, is back today with another colorful lunch box creation. Today's lunch features a generous serving of Sweet Potato Salad (4 points) from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites.
She veganized the salad by using soy yogurt in the Cilantro Lime Yogurt Dressing, and packed it with some carrot and celery sticks (free), 15 Triscuits (2 points), and one Cinnamon Raisin Gnu Bar (2 points).About these "Flavor & Fiber" bars: my mom loves them. Each bar contains a whole heap o' fiber -- 12 grams, half an adult's daily value -- from a blend of whole wheat, oats, wheat bran, psyllium, flax, and millet. Bran and psyllium don't sound too appetizing to me, but she wants you all to know that her WW friends recently performed a side-by-side taste test, and "these taste much better than those Weight Watcher bars. They have the same points but they're better because they're all natural and aren't made with that artificial sweetener."
So there you go: another 8 point lunch with lots to enjoy! By the way, Susan was thrilled to hear that there were so many of you Weight Watching veggies out there -- thanks for all your kind words!
26 comments:
From a longtime lurker... I can vouch for both the lunchbox and the bars! I have that same box, as well as a few other Fit & Fresh containers. I love them! There's a variety of styles and sizes, and how convenient is a lunchbox with a built-in (and long-lasting!) ice pack?
As for the bars, they are so good. The texture is chewy and crispy and interesting, and the flavors are very true and clean. I'm a vegetarian and a former Weight Watcher, and while I believe in the program, I have issues with their "food" products. To make them light, low fat, and low in calories, they tend to be full of scary fillers, additives, and preservatives. But Susan and Gnu Foods prove that the WW program can be followed while maintaining an all-natural diet. Hip, hip, hooray!
I used to do WW but have recently switched to CalorieKing - but I heard that WW have added points to carrots now!
Looks great!
Those bars sound really interesting, and it's nice that they have only as many points as the WW ones. That is one thing that really gets me about WW; they are about weight loss, not health, and so they rely on a lot of artificial sweeteners and fake foods. It's great to see a healthy substitution!
I've been thinking about getting one of those Fit & Fresh containers. I think they're cool. And I think they might be really good for sandwich based lunches. I first discovered them over at Amazon.com and then checked out the company's website.
I didn't know they carried them at Bed Bath & Beyond, and I'm all about using those 20% off coupons.
I think the coolest thing they make is the salad container which, if you haven't already seen it, holds like 4 cups of salad. It has an ice-pack built into the lid along with a compartment to hold your salad fork. The coolest thing is that there is also a compartment in the lid for your salad dressing that keeps the dressing separate from the salad until you are ready to eat it. Right before you eat your salad, you just turn this knob on the lid and it lets your dressing run down onto your salad. Then just just shake it up and you're good to go. I just think that is so cool. I WANT ONE!
I've been thinking about getting one of those Fit & Fresh containers. I think they're cool. And I think they might be really good for sandwich based lunches. I first discovered them over at Amazon.com and then checked out the company's website.
I didn't know they carried them at Bed Bath & Beyond, and I'm all about using those 20% off coupons.
I think the coolest thing they make is the salad container which, if you haven't already seen it, holds like 4 cups of salad. It has an ice-pack built into the lid along with a compartment to hold your salad fork. The coolest thing is that there is also a compartment in the lid for your salad dressing that keeps the dressing separate from the salad until you are ready to eat it. Right before you eat your salad, you just turn this knob on the lid and it lets your dressing run down onto your salad. Then just just shake it up and you're good to go. I just think that is so cool. I WANT ONE!
I've been thinking about getting one of those Fit & Fresh containers. I think they're cool. And I think they might be really good for sandwich based lunches. I first discovered them over at Amazon.com and then checked out the company's website.
I didn't know they carried them at Bed Bath & Beyond, and I'm all about using those 20% off coupons.
I think the coolest thing they make is the salad container which, if you haven't already seen it, holds like 4 cups of salad. It has an ice-pack built into the lid along with a compartment to hold your salad fork. The coolest thing is that there is also a compartment in the lid for your salad dressing that keeps the dressing separate from the salad until you are ready to eat it. Right before you eat your salad, you just turn this knob on the lid and it lets your dressing run down onto your salad. Then just just shake it up and you're good to go. I just think that is so cool. I WANT ONE!
Hey how does the lettuce wrapper thing work for keeping the salad items in place? I haven't tried that box with anything goopy, for fear of a mess in my computer bag.
I love the fact that Susan is not only concerned with losing weight, but also with a natural diet. A lot of people assume that because they lose weight on a program, means they are getting healthy. It sounds like the Weight Watcher foods are filled with yucky artificial ingredients and not very healthy at all, even if they are low in calories.
Way to go Susan! I hope you will continue to share your lunches with us!
>>I love how the lunchbox and contents match the tablecloth you photographed them on almost exactly!!!
Me, too! Both of the tablecloths in my mom's pictures are thrift shop finds.
>>Hey how does the lettuce wrapper thing work for keeping the salad items in place? I haven't tried that box with anything goopy, for fear of a mess in my computer bag.
Susan says she hasn't had any trouble with the container leaking, but she puts the container in a handle bag and always carries it upright.
>>I heard that WW have added points to carrots now!
Susan says she thinks raw baby carrots are free, but she will check.
I'm loving the Weight Watchin' Vegan. Keep up the great work, Susan!
My husband is on a low-fat vegan diet (for weight-loss) and he says he feels healthier now than he ever did eating processed "diet" food.
I love that you are showing these adult lunches, thanks! I think it is great that your mom is doing this. I know that since I have been more careful about avoiding dairy, my feet have stopped hurting when I get up after sitting for a while, which I suspect was arthritis, even though I am only 36! I am going to check out those bars and start thinking about my healthy lunches again. This is just the inspiration that I need. Thanks again!
I went in to Whole Foods today and they were offering samples of those bars. They are pretty yummy!! When I told the sample guy that I had seen them on a blog...he knew it was yours!
Thanks for posting about these containers. I ran out yesterday and got this one and the salad one and I'm using them today. They work great!!
This is very awesome...I have been reading this blog for a while now, and I'm a Weight Watchers life member. Vegan recipes that give Weight Watchers POINTS values are good.
Fantastic post! Your mom's lunches look great. Thanks for sharing! I have that Moosewood cookbook and haven't used it much. Will have to dig it out and flip through it for some recipes! Sweet Potato Salad sounds good. :) Regarding the carrots, I did WW as a vegetarian, not vegan, and followed the Core plan so I only had to count points for non-Core foods. Don't know if the program is different in Canada than the US but here, 1 cup of cooked carrots is 1 point and 1 cup of uncooked or 10 baby carrots is 0 points. If you're following Core plan, carrots are a Core food regardless. This info comes from the new book that was issued up here at the beginning of the year.
Please keep on doing weight watchin vegan lunchboxes. I love them. It would make a great second book.
I made something similar to the Jan 30 veight watching lunch box. It is good. They sell something like it at taco bell. Exact same thing. No meat but cheese.
I'm currently on WW as well, it is so much easier as a vegan because most of my main meals have always been low in fat, it was all of the sweets that put on the pounds. So now I snack on fruit instead (and if i'm really craving something sweet I make it without oil and reduce the sugar), and the weight seems to be falling off thus far.
All of the food i've been posting lately has been low(er) fat.
Congradulations to your mom. I have been on WW for almost two years. I am about 35 pounds overweight and have remained at the same weight for over a year. The issue for me really is the promotion of lots of food with chemicals etc. While I eat minimal amouts of dairy (mostly yogurt), I wax vegan most of the time. Thanks again for vegan WW discussion.
Thanks for the blog which my partner I have followed for a year. We love your book. You have given us ideas for our 4 year olds' food.
Cliantro lime yogurt dressing sounds sooo good!
and the bar. I want one too!
I have followed your blog for about 6 months now and have enjoyed it. I've gotten lots of ideas for my son's lunch. Although I am not vegan, I am slowly making the switch to vegetarian and trying to take my family with me (hence the slow part) I am on WW as well and appreciate these new posts with the point values. I also just bought the Moosewood Low Fat cookbook and looking forward to using it.
Perhaps there is a vegan WW cookbook in your future?
I love pretty much anything sweet potato and the salad is a great recipe!
oh Jennifer, these two lunch boxes of your mom's look so wonderful, and I love the look of that southwest-y salad in the first one.
It also made me sad and happy at the same time...sad for my friends of my parents' and grandparents' generation who suffer the effects of poor nutrition, and how our time together will be shorter because of that. Not that I won't continue to try nudging them in the right direction with yummy and healthy food.
...and of course, happy that your mum has improved her quality of life! What a difference it makes.
I am glad you told your mom about McDougall! No "points" to count; no going hungry.... just good food, and enough to feel full!
Thanks, chickadee! You're right -- my mom just checked her brand new WW guide and 10 baby carrots or 1 cup uncooked carrots equals 0 points.
First - beth I used the search tab on the top of the page. March 16, 2006 is the date you're after.
Second - This blog has inspired me to look into Weight Watchers. I'm trying to get some opinions about Weight Watchers while being a vegan, and just WW in general. If anyone has any strong or not so strong opinions one way or the other could you visit my blog and post them? I'm trying to get some info before I plunk down the money to join. :)
Thanks!
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