Snack Chips

Are you looking for a crunchy snack? Sometimes you just crave something crunchy and you have to move those jaws to get the satisfaction you desire.

Fun facts about snacking:

• The word "snack" comes from a Dutch word, snacken, which means "to bite."
• Potato chips were considered unessential food in World War II and production was halted until manufacturers protested and they were allowed to make them again.
• It takes 10,000 pounds of potatoes to make 3,500 pounds of potato chips
• Corn chips weren't popular until the 1960's with the launch of Doritos.
• Cheetos were invented in 1948.
• Pretzels are traced back to Roman times around 610 when a monk shaped the dough to imitate someone praying.
• The average person eats about 6 pounds of potato chips each year.
• The average potato chip is between 0.04 and 0.08 of an inch thick.

Need some healthier or new ideas for crunchy snacks? Check these out (some are hard to find at the store, so just order them online and get them delivered right to your doorstep):

Glenny's Soy Crisps
They come in many flavors (salty and sweet) and also in individual bags so you can eat the whole bag and not feel guilty (140-160 calories per bag). Because they are made from soy, they are a higher protein, higher fiber snack than potato chips. They also contain 30% of your calcium for the day. My favorite is the Olive oil (mediterranean spice) flavor. They also have a few organic flavors.
www.glennys.com

Glenny's Multigrain Pastry Crisps
Cinnamon and sugar flavor
All natural, no hydrogenated oil, and contain 18 grams of whole grain per serving. They
are 120 calories per ounce.
www.glennys.com

popchips
These are very new and come in potato, corn, or rice chips. They are all natural, no preservatives, no trans fat, no saturated fat, and some are organic. 1ounce is 23 chips and 120 calories.
www.popchips.com

Kashi TLC Party Crackers
Kashi has come out with a new cracker that is larger than their original TLC cracker, ideal for parties. Three flavors, whole grain, no trans fat, 3 grams fiber for 120 calories.
www.kashi.com

All Bran Snack Bites
All Bran has multigrain crackers which are fabulous at 5 grams of fiber and 130 calories per serving. They also have these All Bran Brown Sugar Cinnamon snack bites which are sweet individual packs of crackers and also contain 5 grams of fiber and just 110 calories.

Nabisco Garden Harvest Toasted Chips
They have 60% less fat (4 grams) than potato chips, have some whole grains (17 grams) and fiber (3 grams). They come in a vegetable medley or tomato basil variety which has a half serving of vegetables per serving and an apple cinnamon or banana flavor which has a half serving of fruit. While I don't think these chips can or should replace your other servings of fruits and vegetables, every little bit helps!
www.nabiscoworld.com

Photo courtesy of r@puneseLL

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Pregnant Women Need New Buzz

A new study released today in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology came down pretty hard on pregnant women and the amount of caffeine they drink. The study found that women who rarely drank any caffeine had a relative low risk of miscarriage while women who drank less than 200 mg per day had a slightly higher risk. But women who drank more than 200 mg of caffeine daily had almost double the risk of miscarriage at almost 25% of the pregnancies.

Before you panic, please understand that miscarriage is more common than we like to believe. It is such a private issue that you don't hear many people talking about it, but about 20% of known pregnancies can end in miscarriage. Most miscarriages are a result of a genetic defect and is beyond the mother's control. However, it does appear that even when researchers controlled for other risk factors such as smoking, age, alcohol use, and previous miscarriage, caffeine use was linked to increased risk.

It is well known that caffeine crosses the placenta, but it is not known really what happens to the fetus once that happens. The speculation is that it may affect cell development and decrease blood flow to the placenta.

Most miscarriages happen early in pregnancy, so if you are planning on becoming pregnant, cutting back on caffeine now is a good idea. Don't wait until you know you are already pregnant.

How much caffeine do you drink?
It depends on how long you steep your tea and how strongly your coffee is brewed, but here is a guide. Researchers are recommending that pregnant women not drink more than 2 cups, but remember that your "mug" may be more than a "cup." A "cup" is 8 fluid ounces.

8 oz coffee: 107 mg (most people drink out of larger mugs than 8 oz)
12 oz Starbucks "tall" coffee: 270 mg
8 oz Starbucks "short" coffee: 180 mg
12 oz latte: 75 mg
1 oz espresso: 77 mg
12 oz most soft drinks: 25-45 mg
8.3 oz Red Bull: 80 mg
8 oz black tea: 47 mg
8 oz green tea: 25 mg
8 oz hot chocolate: 5 mg

Photo courtesy of once and future.

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101 Foods That Could Save Your Life

I don't usually shamelessly plug anything in this blog, but this new book, 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life is fabulous! I just had to share it with you! It is written by Dave Grotto, who is a Registered Dietitian. It is a great guide to numerous foods and their potential health benefits. This is not another "diet book," but rather a wealth of information on awesome foods that indeed could save your life!

The book is set up listing 101 different foods, a fun fact about each food (the kiwi was renamed because it resembled the New Zealand kiwi bird which happens to be fuzzy, round, and brown), the food's origin, and "a serving of food lore." He tells you where the food is grown and then why you should eat it. There is a paragraph called "Home Remedies" that give some tips on how it may help with certain ailments such as skin, immunity, antiaging, sleep, etc. Next he gives you a "lifesaver" which describes which diseases the food is linked to helping to prevent followed by tips on how to purchase, store, and cook the food.

Every food highlighted in the book has a recipe attached so you can try out that new food. Foods are listed in alphabetical order from Acai berries to Yogurt (I guess there weren't any Z foods to include). The appendix gives a sample 2000 calorie meal plan followed by more pages than you wish to see of references. While these references may not be important or interesting to most people, scientists and nutrition geeks like me sometimes like to look up the references to read the studies cited. I also love any book that takes 43 pages to list peer reviewed scientific references because I know that author did his or her homework and it is well researched.

You can view the book online and purchase it on Amazon (I just ordered 5 copies) or look for it at your local bookstore.

Happy reading! I already have 5 recipes earmarked using quinoa, figs, cumin, buckwheat, or kale. I love that the book gives easy recipes to include these foods that you might not normally use.

Labels: prevention, Registered Dietitian, Tara Gidus

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Update on Fast Food Report Cards

If you read my post on Fast Food being advertised on report cards, you learned about a promotion that one school district in Florida was doing with report card covers. McDonald's was advertising on the report card cover and was also offering free food to children with good grades or good attendance.

An update: McDonald's just announced that they are going to stop offering free fast food for these children. They have also offered to reprint the report card covers to remove their logo. The school district took them up on the offer.

While I do believe that you can find healthy foods at McDonald's and other fast food restaurants, the issue was really involving a reward structure using fast food as a reward for grades. Many parents choose rather to reward with praise and love and try to keep food, especially fast food, out of it.

Our children are bombarded with advertising everywhere, but at least now the report cards they bring home are one less place they will be tempted with fast food.

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Thank You Sharp Brains

Thanks to Alvaro for hosting Grand Rounds this week and for including my post on the increasing price of fruits and vegetables. His theme was "What do we want our next President to address?" Check out the link to Sharp Brains Grand Rounds Blog to read about what medical bloggers would like the next president to concentrate on. Pretty interesting!

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Control Your Cravings

If I had the ability to cut out all cravings, I would wave my magic wand and be sitting on my yacht in the Caribbean right now. Unfortunately it isn't just a quick fix.

Why do we crave certain things? We have an inborn preference for salt, fat, and sugar. They all tantalize our taste buds, bringing us pleasure. We crave fat because it is very energy dense. Our body knows that it has 9 calories per gram (vs 4 calories per gram in carb and protein), so it is a large amount of energy in a small package. Sugar is instant energy. It goes into the bloodstream more quickly than any other food source, so the body craves the immediate availability of the sugar. Salt is part of the fluid balance that occurs in our cells, and it also tastes good. Salt does not contain energy, so the craving for salt is a little bit different than sugar and fat.

How can we control our portions of the food we crave as well as reduce cravings? It isn't always easy, but here are a few things to think about:

• Eat light and eat often. Do not go more than 3 hours between meals and snacks to prevent yourself from getting too hungry which promotes choosing the wrong foods (sugar, fat, salt) and overeating them.
• Arrange your food into individual servings instead of sitting down with an entire bag of something. I am sure you are familiar with the popular "100 calorie" packs, but you can make your own with snack sized baggies for a portion of the cost.
• Do not sit down with the entire package of something and expect to eat just one portion. Sit down with a plate, bowl, utensils, etc. instead of standing in the kitchen, eating out of the container.
• Don't eat when you are bored. Often we eat (especially in the evening) out of boredom and often when we are watching television.
• Eat mindfully. Food is meant to be enjoyed. Do not eat when you are driving, distracted, at your desk, ,or otherwise not fully concentrating on the full enjoyment of your food.
• Savor every bite of food. Close your eyes and pay close attention to the smell, taste, and feel of the food in our mouth.
• Set a limit for yourself as to how much you will indulge in. For example, eating chocolate is fine, but eating the entire bag of chocolate is too much. Decide how many pieces or how big of a serving, or how many calories you will allow yourself to have ahead of time and stick to it.
• Look for lower calorie options. Just because it is lower in calories does not mean you can eat more, though. If you don't enjoy the lower fat or lower sugar variety, stick with the original and just eat less of it.

Photo courtesy of ayelie

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Food Trends for 2008: Part 2

If you are wondering what to expect in the year to come, check out Food Trends for 2008, Part 1 and keep reading below!

Shopping and eating is becoming a whole experience, not just a quick in and out of a restaurant or store anymore.

Grocery stores are getting in on the trend and setting up more in-store dining, warmer lighting, and built-in sampling stations to allure shoppers and keep them in the store longer.

In restaurants, smaller is bigger. Mini desserts are becoming the trend (see picture above). The first few bites of any dessert are the best, so restaurants are making mini portions of rich desserts and keeping the price tag down on these mini-indulgences. Season's 52 restaurant was one of the first to go with this trend. They are a healthy dining concept and wanted lower calorie desserts but still tasted good. After testing low fat and low sugar desserts, they decided to go with the full fat, full sugar but just reduce the portion. Brilliant!

Along with the mini indulgences, smaller plates are all the craze. Restaurants are listening to customers who are asking for smaller portions. Some restaurants are basing their entire concept around "small plates," hoping people will get several and share. Hopefully some people will realize that one of these small plates are just enough for just one!

Other trends:

• Trans fat eliminated
  
• Sea salt and gourmet salt is in, balsamic vinegar is out
• Pudding is in (who knew?), Cupcakes (Sex in the City!) are out
• Tea is in, coffee is out
• Phytochemicals are in, artificial chemicals are out
• Probiotics are in
• Dark chocolate is still in! Hallelujah!
  

Photo courtesy of Season's 52

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Food Trends for 2008: Part 1

Are you wondering what to expect for this year in the world of food? I have lots of predictions (some are my own and some are from other experts). I have so many that I am dividing this into two posts. Make sure you check back tomorrow for the rest of the predictions!

With more and more emphasis and concern on the environment, food trends are going green and getting back to basics, too. Food companies are making huge changes in manufacturing practices and packaging to try to reduce their carbon footprint.

Bottled water is going to be one of the first casualties. Not only are we putting a ton of plastic into our landfills (not everyone recycles), but there is an environmental impact of shipping all of these crates of water all over the globe. Tap water is bad in, and some experts think you will see flavored tap waters at restaurants (they add some flavoring before bringing it to the table).

Organic is a trend that has been growing for a few years and has no signs of slowing down. We are going to see more and more locally grown produce and things like farm fresh eggs. People want to know where ingredients and foods are coming from, hoping they are from local sources. Farmer's markets are on the rise in towns big and small.

Vegetarian and vegan diets have also been rising in popularity (really for the past 30 years), but with new books like the Skinny B---ch Diet advocating vegan diets, more and more young women are adhering to the vegan diet trend. Flexitarians, people who are vegetarian most often but occasionally eat meat, are also on the rise. People are looking for more and more dishes sans meat.

Whole grains have also been on the rise, but we are going to see even more variety of whole grains, not just whole grain varieties of the same products. For example, experts predict that we will see quinoa (I love quinoa, pronounced, keen-wah), amaranth, teff, kamut, and millet. These grains have been around for many years, lurking in health foods stores, but now we will see them more mainstream.

Gluten-free is also gaining in popularity, mainly because of the increased incidence of celiac disease. The whole grains mentioned above will take the place of wheat and barley to match the demand for more gluten free options.

Artificial is out and authentic is in. We are going to see more "junk-free" foods, meaning foods without additives, preservatives, colors, flavors, or other unfamiliar ingredients. Some are calling it clean living. Everything you eat has ingredients you can find and pronounce.

Tune in for Food Trends for 2008 Part 2, specifically what you might see in restaurants and grocery stores.

Photo of farmer's market in Hilo, Hawaii courtesy of syntheticperture

Labels: food trends, Tara Gidus

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Is That a Bean in Your Brownie?

Since I went on and on in my passionate post yesterday on beans, I ran out of room and had more to say. Well, not a whole lot more to say other than get creative with your beans. I think you got the point that beans are really good for you. They have been shown in numerous research studies to be helpful for people trying to lose weight, control their blood sugar, lower cholesterol, and even prevent cancer! They have a low glycemic index and naturally high in fiber, protein, and antioxidants and that is what makes them such a superfood!

The biggest barrier most people have to eating beans is knowing how to cook them and what to do with them. Cooking them is easy. Gone are the days of soaking them overnight, just get them canned, drain, and rinse them to remove excess sodium. Beans are naturally low in sodium, but they taste like it, too! I hear complaints that canned beans are high in sodium, but there really isn't that much in there, and you can reduce it by half if you rinse them. And if you cooked your own beans, you would likely add your own sodium anyway (they are quite bland without some sodium and flavoring).

Eating them is easy. You can include them in soups, casseroles, dips, salads, pasta dishes, appetizers, and even desserts! Yes, I did say desserts!

Who would have though to put black beans in BROWNIES? Now you are talking my language (my second language is chocolate). Check out this recipe for black bean brownies. If you don't want to make the brownies from scratch, just put the whole can of black beans in the blender (juice and all) and blend it up. Add it to a box of brownie mix and bake as directed. You do not need to add the other ingredients (egg, oil, water, etc.), just the black beans. Let me know if you try them and how they turn out for you! Also tell me if anyone noticed (if you were able to keep it secret!).

For more bean recipes, check out these sites:

Bush's Beans

Michigan Bean Commission

Bean Bible


Photo courtesy of avlxyz

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Thank You Grand Rounds

Thank you to Trent McBride of pathtalk.org for including my post on weight wars between men and women in this week's edition of Grand Rounds. Grand Rounds is a compilation of medical blogs each week. Check it out if you like to read and click.

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Bean, Beans, the Magical Fruit

You know the saying...The more you eat, the more you....let's just leave it at that! Beans have a reputation that makes us giggle (or blush), but beans have a serious side, too!

My nickname at a previous job used to be The Bean Queen. Everyone would come out of a consultation with me with the goal of eating more beans!

What exactly am I talking about? I am not talking about green beans (although they are good, too), but rather legumes, which is a big word for "dried beans." We don't actually eat them "dried" but that is the technical term for them. You do not need to purchase them dry (and soak overnight) to get the health benefits. Purchase them canned, open the can, and enjoy! It couldn't be easier!

You probably know them by the different varieties: pinto, black, kidney, pink, red, cannelini, navy, adzuki, cranberry, great northern, and garbanzo. You had no idea there were so many, did you? I even consider split peas, lentils, and blackeyed peas to be legumes, too.

Why should you eat beans? Well, for one they taste great! They are versatile and work in numerous recipes. Other nutritional highlights:

• Low fat
• High fiber
• High protein (for a vegetable)
• Folic acid, potassium, magnesium
  
• Rich in antioxidants
  

Beans have soluble and insoluble fiber. Most beans have between 6-8 grams of fiber per half cup cooked. That is almost a third of your fiber for the day! Fiber and protein are filling, so eating beans will keep you full longer, helping you to manage your weight. They are also low in glycemic index, so they keep your blood sugar under control.

Interesting Facts:

• In the 17th Century, beans were thought to be a magic cure for everything from the common cold to baldness
• The US is the world leader in dried bean production
• Michigan grows and exports 12 different varieties of beans
• Red beans are the highest antioxidant vegetable (higher than spinach or broccoli!)
• Pinto beans are the most popular bean consumed in the US at an average 2.67 pounds per capita
• Duke, the loyal dog in the Bush bean family, is actually camera shy and they hired a stunt double named Duffy to act in the commercials and travel to events to get pictures taken with loyal fans.

My favorite bean is the garbanzo bean, also known as the chickpea. Bush's beans has an awesome recipe for Crunchy Garbanzo Beans as a snack! This is a very healthy alternative to chips or high fat nuts!

Another recipe favorite is Chocolate Lover's Chili. I LOVE chili, and this is a tasty twist on chili!

Oh, and one more thing.....if you are concerned about beans being too "magical", give Beano a try! It is a wonderful thing!

Check out these links for more bean information:
www.vegetablewithmore.com
www.bushbeans.com
www.michiganbean.org


Photo courtesy of istockphoto.com

Labels: beans, fiber, legumes, Tara Gidus

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Battle of the Sexes

Have you ever tried to compete against someone in a weight loss contest? Good luck if you are a woman competing against a man! Have you ever seen The Biggest Loser on TV? They measure by percentage of weight lost instead of total pounds lost because it is absolutely true that men and women are NOT created equally!

Men lose weight faster, and they lose more of it. I know ladies, life is just NOT FAIR! Why do the men have the advantage in weight loss wars?

1. Higher Metabolism. Men have more muscle than women, meaning that they have a higher metabolism. Men burn more calories every second of the day--sitting, standing, and even sleeping!
2. Less Body Fat. Women genetically have more body fat. We need more body fat for reproductive purposes, so our bodies like to hang on to that body fat on women more so than men (simplistically speaking).
3. Less Conscious. Men tend to be less conscious than women when it comes to diet. Many women are already using lower calorie foods, so there is not as much room for improvement when they decide to cut calories. Once a man becomes "enlightened" to what he can improve in his diet, he makes a few simple changes and sees immediate results.
   
4. Emotional Connection to Food. Men seem to be able to decide that they will cut back on their intake and lose weight without much effort. It is very black and white for a man. Women have a stronger emotional connection to food and it is more difficult for them to eliminate calories that are close to their heart (chocolate!)
5. Exercise Burns More Calories. Similar to number 1, men will burn more calories during exercise because of their higher metabolism. Higher calorie burn equals faster weight loss.
6. Men Can Eat More. Men need more calories to maintain their higher weight, so when they cut back on their calories, they do not have to cut back as much as women to lose weight.
   

Hang in there, ladies! You can and will lose weight. Just don't compare yourself to the man in your life. You have a different genetic (and emotional) makeup and your cannot compare your weight loss to his. Remember, the slower the weight comes off, the more likely it is to stay off. Slow and steady!

Illustration courtesy of cosmonova

Labels: gender differences, Tara Gidus, weight loss

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Skinny Mocha

If you are a Caffe Mocha drinker at Starbucks....listen up! Starbucks has just announced that it has Sugar Free Mocha syrup for it's Caffe Mochas! This is huge news....the mocha is one of the most popular drinks at Starbucks, and as you know, Starbucks is everywhere! Even if you don't get your coffee from Starbucks, keep reading because you may get some tips on how to lighten up the calories of your coffee drink.

A Tall (12 oz) Mocha contains almost as many calories as some of us should be having for a meal! If you are ordering a larger size, remember that you are ordering a lot more calories, too.
Tall Mocha (made with mocha syrup, whole milk, whipped cream)
290 calories
15 grams of fat
9 grams saturated fat
25 grams of sugar

Here's how to Skinny it down: Order it with nonfat milk, sugar free syrup, and no whip
Skinny Mocha
90 calories
0 grams fat
0 grams saturated fat
12 grams sugar (it is naturally in milk)

Tips to make your drink skinnier:

1. Use sugar free syrups. Starbucks has sugar free caramel, hazelnut, or cinnamon dolce syrups. Most coffee shops have at least one sugar free syrup to choose from. They contain zero calories and zero fat.
2. Skip the whip. You can ask for extra foam instead. Depending on the drink, skipping the whip can save you 60-110 calories and 6-11 grams of fat.
3. Switch to lower fat milk. Most coffee places will have 2%, nonfat, or soy milk. You can save up to 120 calories and 15 grams of fat!
4. Add sugar free sweeteners (Splenda, Equal, etc) to your drink to satisfy your sweet tooth.
5. In the summertime, an iced coffee or frozen Frappucino can hit the spot. Get the light variety and you can save yourself up to 250 calories!

Nutritional Bonus:
A 12 oz latte has a full serving of milk and contributes 30% of your calcium for the day!

To find out how many calories are in your morning Starbucks drink, click here.
20 Starbucks beverages for less than 200 calories.

Logo and coffee photo courtesy of starbucks.com

Labels: calories, coffee, Starbucks, Tara Gidus

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New Year, New You!

I know I said in my last post, that I don't usually set Resolutions but rather think carefully about a few goals I have for the coming year. I know many of you are looking for making some changes in your life to improve your health and lose weight. What better time to start than a New Year?

I think most people fail at meeting their New Year's Resolutions because they think for a few minutes on New Year's Eve and decide what they want to set for their resolution. Then....that is it! They don't spend the necessary time and effort to make a PLAN on how to achieve that resolution. If you are serious about fulfilling your resolution this year, take a few minutes to write out a plan on how that is going to happen.

1. Why do you want to lose weight? Make a list (actually write it down!) of reasons why you want to lose weight. How is your life going to be different once you lose the weight? How is your attitude, mood, physical size, etc. going to change how you live your life? Everyone has different reasons for wanting to lose weight, but digging deep into yourself to figure out your motivations is key. Losing weight is HARD, and you will not be successful at it unless you see a reason to do it.
2. What are your barriers? Why is it so hard for you to lose weight? Think about physical reasons (I don't have anywhere to exercise) to psychological reasons (I am addicted to chocolate) to lifestyle reasons (I don't have time right now in my day to cook and exercise). Write down every reason you can think of that is preventing you from losing weight.
3. Make a plan. Start with the list of barriers and write down ways that you are going to overcome those barriers. Find a gym near your house, talk to your spouse or friend about exercising together, buy some quick and healthy cookbooks, sit down once a week to plan dinner menus, plan what you will pack or purchase for lunch, etc.
4. Be specific. Be very specific in your plan. You cannot simply just say you are going to start to exercise. You need to write down what time, where, and how you will exercise. You cannot just say you will eat fewer calories. You need to write down specific ways you will cut calories and start to cook healthier foods. The more details you have in your plan, the more successful you will be.

Budget a few hours in your day to create your New Year's Resolution Plan. If weight loss is not a necessary goal for you, then apply the advice above to whatever it is you desire to change (quit smoking, increase exercise, etc).
Photo courtesy of el copilot

Labels: New Year, resolutions, Tara Gidus, weight loss

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