Quick answer – YES!

Longer answer – yes – BUT  with thought and a degree of willpower.

So here’s the scenario – family wants to go out for a fun evening – decides on Pei Wei.  I groan inwardly…love their food, but the deep fried yumminess is daunting.  What’s a HLS girl to do?  Answer – ASK and REVIEW!

ASK – on ordering, I looked for chicken and veggies, plus flavor.  Decided on Thai Basil Chicken,  and I inquired if they could prepare my dish with less oil…

ANSWER – not only could they make the sauce with less oil, BUT…they have this great option where you can have the chicken cooked in stock vs. oil!  Called “stock velveted” here…By using this cooking process, according to their nutritional guide you reduce the fat by a minimum of 30% – YAY!

REVIEW – here’s the trickier part – that delish dish is actually 2 servings!  So – I asked for a box to go to begin with, portioned out a half when it came – and was down to 390 calories and 13g sugar.  The nutritional menu says 21g of fat – even with the stock preparation – but I asked for less oil and less sauce.  So this is still a bit unknown.

HINDSIGHT – Because I was so caught up in the stock cooking, I forgot about the rice.  I ended up with a big lump of uneaten rice which I now have found out I could have substituted for steamed veggies for a slight upcharge.  That would have been perfect!

BENEFIT – End game – I have dinner for tonight ready (my leftover plus I’ll add veggies), my family was happy, and I left feeling satisfied and proud of my choices.

Ultimately, this is what the HLS Program is all about.  Living your life while making healthy decisions.  I think I’m headed in the right direction!

Here’s to eating healthy this week –

Monika