FitSugar

Amy's Kitchen: Country Cheddar Bowl

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:30:00 PDT

This Country Cheddar Bowl is my new favorite frozen entrée from Amy's Kitchen. It's in her line of Bowls (just like the Stuffed Pasta Shells), and this one is called Country Cheddar.

I would say it is a mature version of mac and cheese. The delicious cheesy sauce envelops the spiral noodles and healthy veggies – broccoli florets, carrots, red peppers, and potatoes. For added protein pieces of perfectly textured baked tofu have been added to the "bowl." The cheddar bowl meal is deliciously flavored, and the best part is that all the ingredients are organic.

The picture on the box looks great, but does it really look like that when you cook it? To find out

Serving Size	1 bowl
Calories	400
Total Fat	19g
Saturated Fat	6g
Cholesterol	20mg
Sodium	690mg
Carbs	41g
Fiber	4g
Sugar	3g
Protein	15g

On the looks front, the bowl looks close enough to the image on the box. I really liked the cheesy taste and all the veggies were cooked perfectly, and not at all mushy. This meal has only 400 calories and it was super filling. Plus I love that it has 14g of protein and 4g of fiber (although I thought it would have more than that). The sodium is a tad high, but not too bad considering you can have around 2,300mg a day.

I'm sure some of you will think it has a lot of fat, but look at the saturated fat. It only has 6g, and since the recommended amount per day is around 20g, it doesn't sound so bad. For a quick, delicious, organic, and healthy meal, I'd definitely give this Country Cheddar Bowl a try.

Straight From Amy's Kitchen: Stuffed Pasta Shells

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:15:00 PDT

Skipping meals is a bad idea in general, so in those rushed times you often have to reach for a frozen entrée. This is why I like to stock up on healthy frozen meals by Amy's Kitchen. I loved the Vegetable Lasagna, so I decided to give her Stuffed Pasta Shells a try. They're made with whole grains, real vegetables, and no artificial ingredients, so I feel good about eating them.

The shells were even tastier than the lasagna. The pasta was tender - not too firm and not at all mushy. The tomato sauce was very flavorful and abundant (don't you hate when they skimp on the sauce?). The best part was the cheese filling inside. It was so creamy and perfectly blended with broccoli and spinach to give it a wonderful texture and flavor and nutrients.

Since it tasted so rich, I was afraid to take a look at the nutritional info. Want to see what I found? Then


Calories	310	310
Total Fat	13g	12g
Saturated Fat	7g	4.5g
Cholesterol	30mg	20mg
Sodium	740mg	680mg
Carbs	30g	35g
Fiber	5g	5g
Sugar	7g	5g
Protein	19g	16g
Vitamin A	40%	50%
Calcium	40%	25%

Well that isn't so bad. Only 310 calories and those 3 stuffed shells were really filling. While 740 mg of sodium sounds pretty high, when you consider the RDI of sodium is 2,300 mg a day, the amount of sodium seems reasonable.

Here's another tempting photo.

Here's a close-up of the creamy cheesiness.

Now, doesn't that look tasty?

Happy Fish Fingers and Custard Day, Whovians!

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:59:11 PDT

It's a momentous day in the Doctor Who universe! BBC has officially decreed April 3 Fish Fingers and Custard Day in commemoration of the Eleventh Doctor's debut episode, "The Eleventh Hour," which was two years ago today. This is when we first met Matt Smith's dapperly dressed Doctor and were introduced to his human companion as child Amelia, who in the present/future is cheeky Amy Pond. As exciting as it is to witness the Doctor save humanity from destruction yet again, it's his attempt to find Time Lord-friendly nosh with little Amelia that makes the episode one for the TARDIS history books.

Get in on the celebration by adding a video response to YouTube of you eating the questionable treat. Matt Smith claims the concoction is a "dream come true in a bowl," but we think that's a clever ruse to get us to try the suspicious dish since the "fish sticks" used during filming were actually breaded coconut pieces.

If a frozen fish reality is too much to bear, try Bakingdom's fish fingers and custard recipe - which is all sweet treats, no fish involved.

Jennifer Aniston on Her "Liberating" Nude Scenes

Lauren Turner — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:00:02 PST

Jennifer Aniston on her "liberating" nude scenes - People
Which actress is trying to lose 10 pounds for a role? - Lainey Gossip
Whitney Houston items already up at auction - HuffPost Entertainment
Find out what happened when Jessica Simpson tried to cut in line for lunch - D-Listed
Becki Newton makes a splash on the small screen - SI's Hot Clicks
One take on why Michael Fassbender didn't get an Oscar nomination - The Frisky
Courteney Cox drinks a bowl of ranch dressing for TV - BuzzFeed
Is Disney in trouble with their high-budget John Carter release? - The Daily Beast
Mark Wahlberg wants his kids to avoid Hollywood - Zap2it
Coco is following in Kim Kardashian's footsteps - TooFab
See Miley Cyrus's new tattoo - Hollywood Tuna
Bar Refaeli dresses down for a movie date with friends - JustJared
Pink takes adorable Willow out in Malibu - Pink Is the New Blog
Did Mel Gibson really try to help Whitney Houston? - The Superficial
Why weren't there any pictures of Jessica Biel's engagement ring at the SNL party? - Amy Grindhouse

Heidi Klum Speaks Out About Her Split From Seal

Lauren Turner — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:35:25 PST

Heidi Klum thanks fans for their support - People
Channing Tatum pulls a funny penis prank on Rachel McAdams - Lainey Gossip
The most memorable Bachelor one-liners from last night - Huffington Post
How adorable is Joseph Gordon-Levitt on stage? - The Frisky
The latest on Halle Berry's family drama - D-Listed
Watch Robert De Niro audition for The Godfather - Next Movie
The 20 most effective Super Bowl ads - The Daily Beast
Minka Kelly gets gorgeous in a red dress - Hollywood Tuna
Zac Efron wears tiny Hawaiian print shorts - Pink Is the New Blog
Reese Witherspoon talks Justin Bieber - The Superficial
Selena Gomez shows skin on the cover of Cosmo - JustJared
Get to know Camille Grammer's hot new guy - TooFab
Will J Lo bring Casper Smart to the Oscars? - Amy Grindhouse
Adele will perform post-surgery at the Grammys - Hollywood Reporter

The Secrets of the World's Healthiest Women

Health — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:45:10 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

From pouring on the olive oil like the Greeks to slashing stress like the Scandinavians, what we
can learn from the happiest, slimmest, longest-living cultures around the globe.

The secret to a long, healthy life in America? According to longevity researchers, it may be to act like you live somewhere else.

It seems like every year another country's lifestyle is touted as the new magic bullet to cure us of obesity, heart disease, and premature death: for an unclogged heart, herd goats and down olive oil like a Mediterranean. Avoid breast cancer and live to 100 by dining on tofu, Japanese-style. Stay as happy as Norwegians by hunting elk and foraging for cowberries.

Health.com: Weight-Loss Secrets From Around the World

The places we're usually told to emulate are known as Blue Zones or Cold Spots. Blue Zones were pinpointed by explorer Dan Buettner and a team of longevity researchers and are described in his book The Blue Zones: Lessons For Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest. They're areas in Italy, Japan, Greece, California, and Costa Rica where the people have traditionally stayed healthy and active to age 100 or older.

Keep on reading for more great tips from around the globe.

Another Spice Girls Reunion in the Works?

Allie Merriam — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:55:05 PST

Will the Spice Girls reunite for the Olympics? - Huffington Post
Etta James has passed away at 73 - People
Anne Hathaway gets an outfit right in a major way - Lainey Gossip
The coolest Bond cars ever - The Daily Beast
Elton John's husband apologizes to Madonna after a Globes feud - The Insider
Why is Jessica Biel still hiding her ring? - Us Weekly
See Johnny Weir's new wedding ring - TooFab
Excited for a production from Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna? - Rotten Tomatoes
Get pumped for the premiere of Robert Pattinson's Bel Ami! - Hollywood Reporter
Halle Berry's stalker sentenced to jail time - Wonderwall
Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood team up for a Super Bowl special - Lifeline Live
The latest Joshua Jackson action on Fringe - BuddyTV
Jude settles with News International over the phone hacking scandal - Zap2It
Have Johnny and Vanessa been over for a year? - Celebitchy

Our Favorite 5 of YouTube's Top 2011 Videos

Kelly Schwarze — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:21:53 PST

It's hard to go a couple days (or hours) without a friend, parent, or co-worker directing you to the "most amazing video EVER" on YouTube. Following the world's video sharing trends closely, YouTube unveiled the Top 10 YouTube videos of 2011. We'll admit we've watched videos one through 10 multiple times, but have our own list of top five favorites. While "Friday" was catchy, it didn't make our cut, which you can check out below.

Nyan Cat - Coffee break? Try a Nyan Cat break whenever a moment of zen is needed throughout the day. How many of the 56 million views made it through the whole video of the pop-tart cat, the meme that launched a thousand parodies, crafts, and costumes?
Talking Twin Babies - We may not know what they're saying, but these twin babies are in the midst of a heated discussion that'll likely go on the rest of their lives. Over 56 million views attempted to debunk their baby talk.
Cat Mom Hugs Baby Kitten - Imagine a world where everyone watched this video of a mother cat pulling her restless sleeping kitten into a hug daily. It would be rather sweet and cuddly; 39 million viewers agree.

Two more YouTube faves after the break.

26 Fresh Ways to Reuse an Old Yoga Mat

Health — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:06:03 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on FitSugar.

By Su Reid-St. John

If you’ve just eked your millionth sun salutation out of that thin, raggedy rectangle you call a mat, it might be time to spring for a new one. But what to do with the old? Certainly, you could recycle it or even donate it if it isn’t too far gone, or you could tap your inner Martha and try a little creative repurposing:

1. Hang it horizontally in your garage to keep car doors from scraping the walls.

2. Use it as a kitchen mat in front of the stove or sink.

3. Lay it under your sleeping bag on your next camping trip; it won’t provide much in the way of cushioning, but at least you won’t feel every rock and stick.

4. Scrub the heck out of it, then cut it up as liners for shelves and drawers.

5. Make it into floor covers for the backseat area so your kids’ muddy shoes and cleats won’t ruin your mats.

6. Carpet the tree house!

Health.com: Blast It Off With Yoga

7. Cut it into small circles and use them under furniture legs to protect the floor.

8. Wrap it around that attic beam or basement pole you keep running into.

9. Put it under the litter box so the cat won’t track stuff all over the floor.

10. Cut it to fit under slippery rugs to keep them in place.

There are 16 more things to do with that old mat, so keep reading.

Nuking Up Amy's Light and Lean Pasta and Veggies

Angelica Marden — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 03:05:21 PST

I try to eat fresh foods whenever possible, but when I need a quick microwavable meal fix, I typically turn to Amy's. The brand offers a range of vegetarian and lactose free options and is my go-to if I want to satisfy my marinara and pizza craving at home without eating pizza. The company recently put out a range of "Light and Lean" products so I decided to nuke up the Light and Lean Pasta and Veggies and try it out.

Was it as flavorful as the regular versions?