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My favorite EPCOT festival is back: Flower and Garden Festival! If you can't make it to EPCOT this year and want a taste of Disney at home, check out some of my Disney recipes! EPCOT offers Dole Whip exclusively during Flower and Garden Festival, but you can whip it up at home easily (and for no SmartPoints!) with my recipe.
In the past, I've included the entire menu for Flower and Garden. But to keep things more simple for you, I'll just include some highlights of things that I think are easily adaptable to any Weight Watchers plan. Beyond a ton of beautiful topiaries throughout the park and yummy food samplings, there are also a bunch of photo opportunities and fun things to check out. The Butterfly Garden is back this year with a socially distanced queue (we saw Pooh frolicking nearby while we waited). Plus, there are butterfly wings you can pose in front of that jazz up some of the construction walls around the park. General Tips
My favorite menu picks for Weight Watchers and Calorie Counters
I'll bring us around the world by location. I'll keep the order of the restaurants the same as they're listed in the Disney Parks Blog to keep things convenient!
Flavor Full Kitchen (Future World West) The two entree options here are fantastic for any Weight Watchers program. They are:
EPCOT Sunshine Griddle (Future World East)
I would love to try this Avocado Toast as a brunch option when starting my way around the World Showcase. It has marinated toybox tomatoes and a small amount of goat cheese on top. Its on a slice of toasted ciabatta bread, and its beautiful presentation will help your eyes feel as satisfied as your stomach. The Honey Bee-stro (Showcase Plaza) Everything here has either a lot of cheese, honey (aka sugar), or both, which is something to watch out for in abundance on Weight Watchers. However, the Lavender Honey Mustard-marinated Chicken Flatbread with Whipped Honey-Ricotta Cheese, Marinated Vegetables, and Purple Haze Lavender Goat Cheese is great for sampling and sharing a bite with your family. The Citrus Blossom (Showcase Plaza) I am excited to try the Meyer Lemon-poached Lobster Salad with Grapefruit-Rosé Vinaigrette, Yuzu-marinated Hearts of Palm, and Avocado-Yuzu Panna Cotta! It's new this year, friendly to those with gluten or wheat allergies, and sounds super refreshing - perfect for a warm Florida day.
Refreshment Port (Showcase Plaza)
While there are other plant-based options throughout the festival, I want to call this out for those of you who are on a plant-based diet. You can get a plant-based Italian sausage and peppers poutine here which is great for sampling with your family or having as a hearty snack. Pineapple Promenade (Showcase Plaza) If you've been here before, you already know what I'm about to say. Dole Whip is a great sweet treat for Weight Watchers! It's only 5 SmartPoints and 90 calories per half cup, so it's not going to break your Weight Watchers budget. Trowel & Trellis (Showcase Plaza) This entire stand is plant-based! While plant-based doesn't necessarily mean it's lower in calories, fat, or SmartPoints, I've found in my personal experience that I feel less bloated after eating plant-based foods, so I enjoy recommending these dishes for those looking to try something different. I'm really excited to try the Grilled Street Corn on the Cob with Savory Garlic Spread as a snack. I also think the Boneless Impossible Korean Short Rib with Cilantro-Lime Rice, Danmuji Slaw, and Kimchee Mayonnaise is a great base for a light meal before snacking around the world. Refreshment Outpost The only thing served here is a pineapple skewer, but it's got tajin seasoning on it. This is a great snack option to try for Zero SmartPoints and is low in calories.
Bauernmarkt: Farmer’s Market (Germany)
I would recommend going for the options that have ham included. This extra protein will help you feel more satisfied with these heavier dishes. Magnolia Terrace (America) Oysters are Zero SmartPoints on myWW Blue and myWW Purple! The Cajun-style Roasted Oysters are a great protein-packed choice. Taste of Marrakesh (Morocco) Both entree choices are actually great since they both have lean protein sources as their base. Those are:
La Isla Fresca (between Morocco and France)
I would opt for the Sugar Cane Shrimp Skewer with Steamed Rice and Coconut-Lime Sauce, which sounds like a refreshing and light option in the Florida heat! Festival Favorites (World Showplace; this is the building over near the Canadian Joffrey's coffee stand) The lightest option here sounds like the Watermelon Salad with Pickled Onions, Feta, and Balsamic Reduction! EPCOT Farmers Feast (World Showplace) The Duck Confit with Carrot Purée, Roasted Root Vegetables, Rainbow Chard, and Duck Jus packs some protein and has plenty of vegetables, so I'd say this is a great option. If you like beets (often labeled a superfood), the Off the “Beet”en Path: Profiteroles with Red Beet Mousse, Golden Beet Pastry Cream, Whipped Goat Cheese Cream, and Candied Walnuts sounds like a sweet way to sneak in some veggies. Northern Bloom (Canada) A fantastic and delicious way to get in your protein is with the Seared Scallops with French Green Beans, Butter Potatoes, Brown Butter Vinaigrette and Apple-wood-smoked Bacon. I'm looking forward to trying this! Jardin de Fiestas (Mexico) All of these options are probably fairly equal to one another as far as nutritional value goes. However, the plant-based or pork options would be my go-to since you're looking at an option without cheeses, which will help keep the SmartPoints lower. Lotus House (China) Most of your options here are fried. However, of the three:
Anthony and I tried all three of these and have to say they were all excellent. You only get three wontons, so it's great to split if you want to try it but are watching your calories and don't want to have too many fried options. Because its not fried, the skewers are definitely the most healthyish of the bunch (and was actually Anthony's favorite thing that we tried all day). We got two cakes when ordering the Papas Cakes, so we each one one cake. The flavor combo was surprisingly delightful!
Primavera Kitchen (Italy)
I would definitely recommend the Margherita Pizza here over the Arancini, since Arancini is fried. Also, if you want a little something sweet, their cannolis are pretty small. You get two miniature ones. Hanami (Japan) I absolutely love these two menu items both in terms of flavor and being great options for the calorie conscious:
Fleur de Lys (France)
Everything here is either pretty cheesy or sugary. That being said, I'd look to the Braised Duck Confit à l’Orange with Parisian Gnocchi since its packed with more protein. If you want dessert here, you can enjoy in moderation with the chocolate macaron - they come on a stick!
Flower and Garden Festival runs now through July 5th. You can check out the full menu of food on Disney Parks Blog.
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SearchAuthorJessica is a huge Disney, anime, and Star Wars nerd who channeled that love into motivation to lose 75 lbs. Categories
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