Recently, I subscribed to Food & Wine magazine through an American Express promotion. I did so reluctantly because I figured nothing in it would be about nutrition or bottles of wine I could afford. But, it was almost free, so I figured what the heck.
I’m glad I did because I’ve been pleasantly surprised with many of the recipes and affordable wines and stories about regular folks. They even have a Well-Being column, and the October 2011 offering, "Amazing 600-Calorie Meals (with Wine!)," by F&W editor, Kristin Donnelly is an excellent example of how one can eat well while also eating healthy and being mindful of total calories.
Donnelly offers four recipes Julia Child would approve of for complete meals ranging from Eggs Baked Over Sautéed Mushrooms and Spinach at 323 calories to Roast Beef with Root-Vegetable-and-Green-Peppercorn Salad at 407 calories. Add one serving (5 oz.) of wine at 110 - 130 calories, and you have gourmet meals fit for a Left Bank restaurant with calories left over to sample a tasty cheese or pâté.
While living in Paris, Donnelly writes that she ate cheese, pâté and bread almost daily but still lost 10 pounds. Paris is a beautiful and walkable city (watch out for dog poop however… Paris doesn’t seem to have any laws requiring citizens to scoop poop, or the good citizens simply can’t be bothered), and, along with the regular walks along the Seine, she started eating the French way: smaller portions of better-tasting food.
We Americans eat way too large portions of bland food with all the nutrition processed out of it, and we are hungry 30 minutes after we walk away from the table or leave the drive thru. Donnelly reminds us that eating smaller portions of filling foods that are well-seasoned not only satisfies our senses, but also helps us find our swanky selves buried under all the padding.
Follow these links to the tasty recipes Donnelly shares in this article:
Warm Shrimp Salad with Kamut, Red Chile and Tarragon
Whole Fish Roasted with Potatoes and Thyme
Roast Beef with Root-Vegetable-and-Green-Peppercorn Salad
Eggs Baked Over Sautéed Mushrooms and Spinach
