My husband and I have been wanting to try Teppan Edo at Epcot for years, and finally we did for a nice Valentine's Day evening! This Walt Disney World restaurant is one of my new favorites and I had to review it for you all to see why - plus, a few tips for not going overboard at a hibachi are at the end if you're on Weight Watchers like I am!

There are affiliate links throughout this blog post where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page on my blog!

Teppan Edo is a Japanese hibachi grill in the Japan Pavilion at Epcot, located in the World Showcase. Teppan Edo and Tokyo Dining are both located on the second floor of Mitsukoshi, the gift shop of the Japan Pavilion. There are some gorgeous views of the Japan Pavilion here (and when you get your pager after checking in, you can roam the entire Japan Pavilion with it - you are not restricted to just the lobby!). 

You will likely need a dining reservation, which you can book on the Disney website or the My Disney Experience app. To check in, head up the stairs (or elevator) and you will find yourself in the lobby. A cast member helped us check in, and as the restaurants share a lobby, it was helpful - but note that Teppan Edo is on the left side when you enter.

Like most hibachi restaurants, your table is communal style. Your server sets you up with your drinks and your order, and will ask if anyone would like - as our server Ryo called them - “cheater chopsticks” which a few people at our table accepted. Ryo took the paper sheath the chopsticks came in, turned them into origami cranes like it was as simple as folding the paper in half once, and then used the crane to attach the chopsticks, held together by a rubber band. Color me impressed! 

Our chef was Yasuka, and let me just start off by saying if I could hire her to cook for me every night, I would. The atmosphere was very fun, and because you are at Disney, as Yasuka said, “Mickey is everywhere!” This started with her putting the soybean oil on the grill in the shape of Mickey Mouse ears (plus added a bow to make it Minnie Mouse), and continued with the onion volcano being transformed into Mickey with the help of other vegetables. Even when she put the butter on our vegetables, she put the little scoops on there to resemble Mickey ears! This is such a cute touch, even for adults.

My husband and I both ordered the chicken and shrimp. When you get an entree here, you get a ton of food - ours came with a salad (with a delicious ginger-based dressing), then udon and vegetables, then white rice, and whatever your protein options are. 

So it goes without saying that hibachis can strike fear in the hearts of Weight Watchers - after all, as you can see, we got a ton of food with our meal, and it can be scary to tackle when you are out and far from home. But have no fear! Here are some tips for managing if you're worried about going overboard.

1. Don't be afraid to ask for a to go box. This is a great tactic at any restaurant, especially when you ask for one right off the bat. Then, you can practice some portion control while you're there so you don't feel bloated beyond belief if you, like me, don't trust yourself to not eat everything put on your plate.
2. Pace yourself. The beauty of hibachi grills is that you don't usually get all your food served at the same time. You're watching them cook it up and it is being served to you piece by piece - this was the case at Teppan Edo, at least, and has been at other hibachis I've been to. If you find them serving it to you piece by piece, take it slow and give yourself time to digest and ask yourself how full you're feeling. You can even try a few bites of everything, but save some for later so you can sample everything and then do your fullness check - and then if you are full, your to go box will come in handy!  
3. Pre-track your meal to the best of your ability. Do this before you track any of your other food for the day. This way, you know what you are working with in two regards: you can plan for lower SmartPoints (but still healthy and nutritious - don't starve yourself!) for your other meals, but also you can go into the restaurant with a game plan, especially if you checked the menu beforehand. Unfortunately, Disney does not include the nutritional info for any of their restaurants, so the best I can do for tracking is generic options in My Fitness Pal and the WW app. That being said, I'm also sure to track a little butter and soybean oil since I know they typically cook with it. I also like to plan to go on the higher side to play it safe. 
4. To avoid deprivation, try something you wouldn't normally have. This is something I like to do with desserts because I have a sweet tooth. To avoid eating my trigger foods, I stick to a rule with desserts that always works for me: try something I can't just get at the grocery store, and if I'm to have anything, have it while I'm out. I tried the Green Tea Mousse Cake at Teppan Edo and it was delicious, worth however many Weekly SmartPoints I spent on it, but because it's not like I can just go buy that at Publix, I didn't feel the need to go on a sweets binge the next day. If savory foods are more your thing, you could apply this method to that as well. It allows me to not feel deprived while also not setting me back into a cycle of bad habits.
5. Enjoy yourself and use your Weekly SmartPoints! Sometimes, special occasions come up and you're going to want to enjoy your evening without obsessing over calories. If we were not allowed to use our Weekly SmartPoints on WW, we would never have been given them in the first place, so don't be afraid to dip into that budget and be kind to yourself. Remember, no one lost weight from eating one salad, so you won't gain a ton from one meal either. 

What is your favorite spot around the World Showcase? Japan is my favorite by far! Let me know in the comments where you tend to hang out the most at Epcot. 

*Disclaimer: There are affiliate links throughout this blog post where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page on my blog!
As promised in myreview of Paddlefish for Christmas, it’s time to review its next door neighbor at Disney Springs: Terralina Crafted Italian! Italian food can be admittedly really difficult to eat out when you’re on any sort of meal plan. Pasta and cheese can be high in Weight Watchers SmartPoints no matter what plan you’re on (because, even if you’re on myWW Purple, it’s only the whole wheat variety that is Zero SmartPoints!); if you’re on a plan like the South Beach Diet or keto there are carbohydrates abound; and even if you’re just tracking your calories or macros on an app like MyFitnessPal, it’s very easy to go overboard at an Italian restaurant.

But, there’s no need to fear at Terralina - there are a few options that you can make work, especially if you are mindful. However, I recommend just enjoying your night and using this restaurant as a “cheat meal.” Don’t forget, you’re likely getting a ton of walking in on your Disney vacation - even if you’re a local who visits often like me, it’s easy to rake in over 10,000 steps without trying at Disney in a relatively short period of time.

​Related articles: Ways to get more steps at Walt Disney World!

There aren’t a lot of options at Terralina that are Weight Watchers friendly, however you can get a salad and add a grilled protein (my recommendations are the chicken or shrimp). I’m trying to cut back on my refined carbohydrates and incorporate more healthy fats into my diet, so I switched to the myWW Green Plan for the 30 Daily Points and opted for the Terralina Crafted Italian Salad topped with grilled chicken. It was super delicious and filling! The fresh mozzarella made for a filling fat to replace any carbs, but there wasn’t so much of it that it was overkill. Also worth noting that this salad also normally includes salami and pepperoncini, but I’m not a fan of either, so I asked for them to be omitted (hence them not being in the photo). I tracked it as 10 SmartPoints using some generic foods I found in the WW app. I found that the salad was lightly dressed with red wine vinaigrette, but you could also try asking for it on the side and measuring it out with some tools you bring yourself if you wanted to get really specific with your tracking.

If you aren’t avoiding carbs, I also recommend trying one of their pizzas. My mom got their margherita pizza, which was very flavorful. It's a larger sized personal pizza with six slices, so if you’re concerned about portions, consider splitting it with your family or a friend! The crust was thin, too, so that knocks another SmartPoint off of it in your tracker! You could probably also ask for a grilled protein to be placed on top of the pizza; not sure if they do that, but it’s always worth asking! Plus if you are worried that you won’t have enough, you can get a side of broccoli for an additional $8 (a bit pricey for a side, in my opinion, but that’s Walt Disney World for you!). ​

What’s your go to Italian dish when you’re trying to stick to your plan as best as you can? Let’s discuss!

*Disclaimer: There are affiliate links throughout this blog post where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page on my blog!

For Christmas Day, since it’s just my fiancé, parents and I, we like to keep things pretty lowkey. We got a reservation at Paddlefish for lunch, which I was excited about since I’ve been here before for a company Christmas party and knew it would be good but also manageable for my SmartPoints budget. 

Let’s take a look at some of my recommendations for a delicious lunch you can enjoy even on myWW (Weight Watchers): the chicken breast, fish tacos, and blackened catfish sandwich. ​

We got the shrimp cocktail for an appetizer, which is a good choice on really any diet plan. I didn't photograph it, but it came with about seven large pieces of shrimp, some cocktail sauce with horseradish, and a lemon for squeezing. If you're trying to either go low-carb or resist temptation, also note that our server did not bring bread to our table - I'm sure they would have if we asked, but we didn't, so that was nice to know that I wouldn't be loading up on just straight carbs before my meal.

I opted for something I knew to help me track it on Weight Watchers that I also knew was really good: the chicken breast. You get a large portion of chicken between some salad greens and a succotash, and it’s cooked in a Carolina mop sauce, which is flavorful yet light since it’s vinegar-based. The mop sauce from the chicken is also on the bacon succotash, which consists largely of edamame and corn with some real bacon bits thrown in the mix (not a lot of bacon in there to worry about it, and if you aren’t a fan it’s easy enough to pick out). This made for a lower in SmartPoints dish that was extremely filling and satisfying to my tastebuds. It’s also a great option if you’re carb-cycling and on a low carb day.

My mom enjoyed her fish tacos which included a red cabbage slaw, papaya-mango salsa, sweet chili aioli on top of whatever the catch of the day was. In her instance it looked like tilapia or flounder. The tortillas weren’t massive, so this is another dish I’d recommend if you’re trying to not overdo it but also not sacrifice on taste or being filled!

My dad ordered the blackened catfish sandwich - he said the bun wasn’t buttered, so that’s a plus! However he said for sides, the asparagus was delicious but, in his words, you’d be just as good off getting the French fries (unless you’re doing a high fat diet like keto) due to how much oil the asparagus was sitting in. This is definitely something worth noting! If you do opt for a veggie side, my fiancé got the green beans for his, which had significantly less oil but still some in the dish. But as for the sandwich itself, the fish was light and flavorful without being super oily. Definitely a good choice if you’re in the mood for a sandwich! 

On top of everything else, the atmosphere and the view is awesome at Paddlefish. You have a gorgeous view of the water and Disney Springs while you dine, and is definitely one of Disney’s finer-dining locations without being super expensive. Prices here can get pricey for certain seafood dishes, but it’s really comparable to anywhere else at Disney Springs that isn’t a quick-service place. 

• Check the menu in advance! You can also turn to my Restaurants Guide for Disney Springs if you're heading that way to see what I've combed through. There are plenty of options here where you can still enjoy your meal without having something fried, greasy, or heavy if you're trying to avoid that. 
• Try to find a dish that is higher in protein; here, that should be fairly simple between the chicken dish I got and a variety of seafoods. 
• If anything comes with a sauce or dressing, ask for it on the side (or, you can do what my mom and I do sometimes which is bring our own in a to-go condiment/dressing container).
• If your entree doesn't necessarily come with a side (mine did not, as the succotash was built in to the entree), ask yourself if it really needs it or if what you'll be served is filling enough as is. This will save you some money and calories while helping you practice mindful eating. If you receive your dish and realize it's not enough, you can always ask for a side once your meal arrives!
• If your dish is too big to finish, if you aren't going anywhere afterwords, ask for a box so you can take it to go! I also like to ask for a to go cup of water from restaurants so I have something to sip on if I go for a walk around the park or Disney Springs after.

For New Year’s Eve I’ll be at Terralina, so look forward to that review next! But in the meantime, I want to hear from you: what’s your favorite restaurant at Disney Springs?

This Father’s Day, we took a trip over to Paradiso 37 for a Taste of the Americas! My dad had been wanting to try this place out for a while but we don’t go out to eat super often, so Father’s Day was the perfect excuse to check it out.

The atmosphere was great with some hints of Central and South American flair, but not too much as to represent all of the countries in the Americas. It was pretty laid back, which felt nice compared to the hustle-and-bustle that Disney Springs provides. Because it covers everywhere from North to South, there are quite a few menu options, many of which I found to be great for dieters. There’s something for everyone here, and as I’ll get more into, they work with you if you want to change something around!

I honestly don’t really have any negative things to say about this restaurant. They were so accommodating that the only thing I could potentially list as a con would be if you struggle to control yourself when faced with tortilla chips at a Mexican restaurant.

Everything was absolutely delicious and I did not feel guilty walking out of this restaurant, which made me so thrilled!

My dad really wanted one of their burgers that has pineapple on it, but with grilled chicken since we don’t eat beef. They were able to make the switch for my dad without any problem or eyebrow raising, and my dad said that his chicken was grilled to absolute perfection. If you’re watching what you eat, his order - the Columbian Bacon-Pineapple Burger - also usually comes with queso, cilantro-crema, and (as the name suggests) bacon, but it made for a good cheat meal with the grilled chicken swapped out for beef. But if beef is your thing, it’s normally cooked with an
​8 oz. Angus steak burger.

Anthony got the ribs and also said they were great, so if you or someone you know is curious about these, they sound worth it based on Anthony’s description!
​He mentioned that the meat was tender, but still stayed on the bone so it was easy to eat. They came with fries, but if you wanted a different side, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to oblige. Anthony is just lucky and has the metabolism of a Derby race horse, haha!

My mom and I both got the fish tacos, but with a twist. I asked if it was possible to get grilled fish as opposed to battered like it lists on the menu, and again, this was absolutely no problem. The grilled fish was perfect and everything came on the side: corn salsa, a lightly dressed cabbage slaw, and the cilantro-lime crema. There are enough generic options of all of these things to track it with a good guesstimate in My Fitness Pal or Weight Watchers, so I was able to do so with confidence and feel in control of how much food I was eating. ​

The service was great, the food was wonderful, and I couldn’t recommend this place highly enough! I also wanted to give an honorable mention to their house-made fire-roasted salsa. It comes when you order some tortilla chips, and it was super smooth and mild with a great black bean salsa flavor. 

Have you been to Paradiso 37? What did you think?

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I recently went to Tony's Town Square at the Magic Kingdom with my soon to be in-laws and parents! It was the only place I could grab a reservation for as we planned the Disney day with them on a relatively short notice (at least in the world of Disney reservations where things get snagged so far in advance), plus Anthony had been wanting to try this place for a while now.

The atmosphere was very charming once you got past the waiting area (a noisy spot next to the lobby where you go to meet Mickey or Tinkerbell), with cute nods to Lady and the Tramp throughout the restaurant. But I couldn't help but worry about my Weight Watchers points and calories since everything on the menu was looking to be high in carbs and loaded with sauces.

But all hope was not lost! With some mild caution, you too can make it work here without fearing the scale the next day. Here's my full review, keeping a Weight Watchers oriented lens on the whole while.

From a healthy eating standpoint, none of your options are truly healthy. Even the salads are loaded with stuff! That’s not necessarily bad - just head in to the restaurant with the mindset that you’re going to enjoy an Italian meal in a pretty location and track as best as you can.

My mom had the margherita pizza, which wasn’t really a margherita pizza - it was basically your typical thin crust cheese pizza with basil on it, so she was a bit disappointed that it was lacking in plum tomatoes and ricotta cheese. The pizza wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t extraordinary either, so if you’re tracking Weight Watchers points or calories, I’d recommend spending those points or calories on something else.

There are a few menu options here that are very trackable. My dad enjoyed his gnocchi, which appeared to be about a cup’s worth so he could track that with ease. My spinach and ricotta ravioli, as well, was trackable, especially since I found a generic option for spinach ravioli in my tracking apps. The sauce is what the diet killer here is, but I found that my plate was essentially a pool of it when all was said and done, so you can easily still enjoy the flavor of it without overindulging. Also, both my dad and I found that our plates had a decent amount of vegetables!

Also worth noting that there are some nasty reviews of Tony’s on TripAdvisor, but it appears as if they’ve revamped their menu and tried to make it a more enjoyable experience for guests. If you go into it expecting it to be a step or two above Olive Garden or Carrabba’s, then you definitely won’t be disappointed.

• Plan ahead if you can help it. If you book your reservation before the day of, take a look at the menu and play around in your Weight Watchers or calorie tracking app. Like I said, I found some generic options for what I ate and was able to guesstimate pretty fairly for how many points I had. If you book your reservation the day of, try to get a quick glance at the menu (available on the My Disney Experience app) when you can. If you're really stressed about it, you can always check my recommendations in my Restaurants Guide (or use this blog post!).  
• Watch the sauce! If I could go back in time, I'd ask for the sauce on the side if at all possible. But if, like me, you forget to do this, don't worry - try your best to wipe some of the sauce off or to the side and use it more like a dip (the 'dip your fork in sauce before the food' trick is a beautiful thing in situations like this) so you aren't eating food smothered in sauce that will rack up your points. 
• Use this as your cheat meal. Lots of programs allow some sort of cheat meal, whether it's a designated cheat meal for the week or WW Weekly Smart Points. Just relax and enjoy! There are plenty of other restaurants at Walt Disney World where you can enjoy the food without having to modify much of anything, so use this opportunity to just enjoy some Italian food.
• Evaluate the menu options. Like I said, the pizza was mediocre. Whether you're trying to watch your points/calories/etc. while you're on vacation or using this as a cheat meal, I personally find it's always good to ask myself if this meal is worth it. In the case of the pizza, no - I can get better pizza elsewhere on property, so I opted for a pasta dish with grilled chicken (that provided some much needed and filling protein to an otherwise carb-heavy dish!). 
• Bring a measuring cup! I know you're probably sick of me recommending these portable, collapsible measuring cups, but situations like this are perfect for them! This way, you can accurately measure out a serving of pasta. 

Have you ever eaten out and thought to yourself, "Oh no, this meal was so not worth it?" Let's chat about our restaurant blunders in the comments!

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