FitSugar

Learn to Love: Persimmons

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:00:01 -0800

Now that berry season is long gone, I'm expanding my breakfast fruit horizons. Celebrate the cold weather with pomegranate seeds in your oatmeal, or slice pears or persimmons and serve them with nut butter on toast or whole-grain waffles.

You probably know how to pick and slice a pear, but persimmons have a steeper learning curve. They're worth learning to love, so read more.

Persimmons come in two varieties: hachiya, which are orange-red and shaped like acorns, and fuyu, which sort of look like yellow-orange tomatoes. The hachiyas are bitter and astringent when they're not ripe, but when ripened, they have a soft, jelly-like texture. Fuyu persimmons are a bit firmer like a pear when ripe and can be sliced up like apples.

This fruit is an excellent source of antioxidants and chock-full of vitamins. One persimmon packs 55 percent of your daily allowance of Vitamin A and 21 percent of your recommended Vitamin C, plus six grams of fiber. In addition to having persimmon for breakfast or a snack, you can slice them up and serve them in a pretty Fall salad.

Have you tried persimmons? Tell me how you like to eat them in the comments.

Healthy Ways to Liven Up Your Oatmeal

FitSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:00:19 -0700

Now that cooler temps are moving in, there's nothing like warming yourself up with a bowl of hot oatmeal. Full of whole grain fiber, this breakfast will keep you satisfied all morning. Buying plain oats is healthier than buying packets that are already sweetened, and less expensive too, but that doesn't mean you have to go without flavor.

Add these delicious morsels to your half-cup serving of oatmeal.

One small banana (diced), two tablespoons vanilla yogurt, and one tablespoon walnuts.
Half a diced pear, one tablespoon pumpkin seeds, and one tablespoon of GoLean Crunch cereal or granola.
Half a diced apple, two chopped dates, 10 chopped almonds, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

For other tasty ideas, keep reading

Plain Yogurt vs. Flavored Yogurt

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:50:03 -0700

For breakfast, yogurt with fruit and granola has become my favorite. I love that the yogurt offers lowfat protein, and the granola gives me fiber to keep me satisfied until lunch. With all this talk about how Americans are getting too much sugar, I'm trying to do what I can to cut back on added sugars.

I was wondering if there's a huge difference when choosing between plain yogurt or one that's flavored. So here's a comparison between a few flavors of Chobani Greek yogurt. To see the chart, read more.

These numbers are based on six-ounce containers.

	Plain	Vanilla	Blueberry	Honey
Calories	100	120	140	150
Saturated Fat	0 g	0 g	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg	0 mg	0 g
Sodium	80 mg	75 mg	65 mg	75 mg
Carbs	7 g	13 g	20 g	20 g
Fiber	0 g	0 g	less than 1 g	0 g
Sugars	7 g	16 g	20 g	20 g
Protein	18 g	16 g	14 g	16 g
Ingredients	Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk.	Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Vanilla Flavor.	Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Blueberries, Evaporated Cane Juice, Locust Bean Gum, Pectin, Natural Flavor.	Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Clover Honey.

Wow. Plain yogurt is clearly the better option when it comes to sugar. The vanilla, blueberry, and honey flavors have more than twice the amount as the plain. Plain yogurt also contains fewer calories and more protein, so I'll definitely stick to plain.

If you're trying to cut down on sugar, but can't stomach the sour taste of plain yogurt, mix in fresh, frozen, or dried fruit. It not only offers added fiber, but it will sweeten your yogurt naturally, unlike the flavored yogurts that contain evaporated cane juice. Tell me, will this info make you choose plain over flavored yogurts?

Do You Eat Breakfast Every Day?

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:47:26 -0700

It took me a long time to realize that breakfast is one meal not to be compromised. Not only does it give me the energy to start my day, it revs up my metabolism, and keeps my hunger from spiking at lunchtime. If you ask me, those are three solid reasons to always eat breakfast. Eating in the morning doesn't come naturally to some people, so tell me, do you eat breakfast every morning?

Which Breakfast Choice Is Better?

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:00:45 -0700

You just woke up and your belly is ready for some breakfast. With all the choices out there, do you know which ones meet your nutritional needs best? Take this quiz before you eat to find out.

Question 1 of 6

Which Bear Naked cereal offers more fiber?

Guess the Calories: Breakfast Sandwiches

FitSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:00:22 -0700

While I truly believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you can eat too much of a good thing. There are a lot of convenient breakfast sandwiches out there, but do you know how many calories you're eating when you down one while on the go? Take this quiz and test your calorie smarts.

Take the quiz

Bagel Breakfast: Which Spread Should You Choose?

FitSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:00:02 -0700

Bagels have gotten a bad reputation for being a dieter's nightmare, since one plain bagel contains 260 calories and 56 grams of carbs. But I believe a carb-free diet isn't the healthiest way to drop pounds and maintain a healthy weight, so I think it's more than OK to enjoy a warm, toasted bagel every so often. They're not all as unhealthy as everyone thinks, especially if you choose one made with whole wheat flour, whole grains, or seeds. It also depends on what spread you choose to smear on. Does butter contain more cholesterol than cream cheese? Which contains more calories, almond butter or peanut butter? To find out the answers and see the nutritional info for other bagel spreads, keep reading

Juice It: Grapefruit vs. Orange

FitSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:00:29 -0700

What breakfast is complete without a cold glass of juice? I love the flavor of both fresh-squeezed orange and grapefruit juices, but never thought about which was more healthy.

Since both are citrus fruits, they seem equally nutritious, but when I compared the two, there's more of a difference than I expected. To see what I discovered, read more.

Although the differences aren't major, I was surprised that grapefruit juice contains fewer calories per serving. So if you're trying to lose weight, and you drink juice every morning, choosing grapefruit over OJ will save you 140 calories a week. If it's potassium or protein you're concerned with, OJ has grapefruit juice beat. Will knowing these nutritional differences make you choose one over the other, or is flavor more important to you?

	8 oz. Grapefruit Juice	8 oz. Orange Juice
Calories	90	110
Total Fat	0 g	0 g
Saturated Fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	10 mg	0 mg
Potassium	300 mg	450 mg
Carbs	21 g	26 g
Sugars	18 g	22 g
Protein	1 g	2 g

Healthy Eating Tip: For Breakfast, Don't Forget the Protein

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Toasted bagels, blueberry muffins, and warm waffles with fruit are some of my favorite choices for breakfast. Although they're tasty, they don't offer much protein. This essential nutrient makes you feel full and gives you sustained energy. So after eating a breakfast that's low in protein, you'll end up feeling hungry and sluggish soon after, and are more likely to reach for an unhealthy pick-me-up before lunch. If weight-loss is your goal, or you just want to prevent unnecessary weight gain, a high-protein breakfast can help.

Since the average woman needs between 40 and 60 grams of protein a day (depending on your weight and activity level), eating 10 to 20 grams of protein per meal is a great way to make it happen. To see which high-protein foods I recommend keep reading

You Asked: Same Thing For Breakfast and Lunch Every Day?

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:50:35 -0700

Dear Fit,
For a few months now, I've been eating the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day. For breakfast, I eat Greek yogurt with half a cup mixed fruit and a cup of high fiber cereal. For lunch, I eat a big salad, topped with some kind of lean protein like grilled chicken, fish, or tofu. I do mix it up and eat different things for dinner. I get made fun of a lot at work for my "boring" diet, but it got me thinking, is there anything unhealthy about eating the same thing every day? I've just gotten into the habit, and I love that I don't have to think about it.
- Healthy or Unhealthy Hannah

Greek yogurt and high fiber foods like cereal, fruit, and veggies are excellent ingredients in a healthy diet. To find out if the way you're eating them is doing your body good, read more.

Although yogurt and a salad are very healthy foods, I'd try to mix it up a little bit. Not only is variety the spice of life, but nutritionally speaking, it also allows you to get a variety of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you need. You don't have to go crazy with a new food for every one of the 21 meals you'll have in a week, but mixing it up just a little will excite your taste buds and help you obtain more of your RDI. For breakfast, go for oatmeal, nut butter on toast, or eggs. For lunch, eat your grilled chicken with steamed broccoli and a cooked whole grain such as quinoa. Or have baked tofu on a sandwich, or make some veggie and bean soup. Do a little planning on Sunday, so you won't have to stress about it during the week.