an unplanned lunch (lyn)

Around 10:30 my phone rings.  It’s V, my friend from Boston.  “Hi,” she says, “I ‘m sorry about the no-notice, but I’m in town and wondering if you are free for lunch?”  My first thought is, “I’d love to see V.”  My second thought is, “I can’t have two big meals in one day (as I’m having dinner out tonight).  But V makes it easy.  Although she is fit and tiny, she acts as though she is one bite away from a spot on The Biggest Loser.

We meet on a street corner around one, and decide to have something healthy and lo-cal.  V suggests a yogurt place and I recommend 16 Handles, although I’ve never been before.

It’s a cheery looking place done up in Lilly Pulitzer colors of bright pink and lime green.  It’s immaculately clean.  There is inviting bench-seating, a play area for kids, and then a wall of different frozen yogurts on tap, 16 in all.  After tasting a couple, I opt for a combination of the non-fat Grapefruit Tart and the non-dairy Mango Tango sorbet.  Everything is done by weight.  An ounce is 52 cents, but I have no idea what an ounce of yogurt looks like.  I fill up my small cup.  Next, I chose my toppings (40 cents each).   I play it safe and add blueberries and mango, although I really want the chocolate bits.  Everything is self-serve.

I’m feeling good.  Nice healthy lunch.  Inexpensive.  Great conversation.

I come home and out of curiosity decide to check the number of points.  It becomes a multi-step process that makes use of good arithmetic skills.

1. Go on 16 Handles website and look up nutritional value (a serving size is 83 grams).
2. Compute number of ounces I ate. ($5.20 less .80 for topping  = $4.40/.52 = 8.46 ounces.
3. Find conversion rate from grams to ounces; 28.35 grams in one ounce.
4. Take out my never-used points-plus counter and compute points for one serving, 2.
5. Calculate number of servings at 2.9 (8.46 ounces X 28.35 grams = 239.84 grams/83 grams).
6. Calculate total points by multiply serving size (2 points) by number of servings (2.9); the answer is 6.

Not horrible, but more than expected.  And yes, still worth every single delicious bite.