FitSugar

Make Your Own Cereal With MojaMix

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:56 -0800

Bored with Breakfast? MojaMix allows you to choose from an array of nutritious nibbles, so you can make your own personally customized cereal. It's really simple to do. Just choose your cereal base (granola, flakes, Os, etc.) that costs $4.99. Then choose as many dried fruits as you want including mango and goji berries, and you pay between $.40 and $1.30 for each, depending on what you choose. Then add nuts and seeds (they even have chia seeds), which cost between $.30 and $.90 for each. Then if you want, throw in some extras like raw cacao nibs. You get to name the cereal made especially by you, and when it arrives in the mail, it comes with the nutritional info on the bag.

See what my bowl of Good Morning Medley looks like when you read more.

Here's the cereal I made with these ingredients: Three Brothers (Wheat Flakes, Rye Flakes, Oat Flakes), Mango, Raisins, Almonds, Cashew Nuts, Cranberries, Blueberries, Cherries, Sunflower Seeds, and Walnuts. This hearty cereal is delicious with milk, yogurt, or heated up like oatmeal.

Food Review: New Bear Naked Native Granola

FitSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0700

I'm a huge fan of Bear Naked products so I'm excited that they just came out with a new line of granola known as Native. They're all about unique flavors and ingredients from exotic lands. So far they have two different flavors: Yumberry Goji Currant and Mango Agave Almond. I couldn't decide which one to try so I picked up a bag of both.

To find out how they tasted read more.

Talk about massive amounts of flavor! I think these granolas are Bear Naked's best yet. I love the unique flavor of the agave nectar in the Mango Agave Almond and the dried goji berries in the Yumberry Goji Currant. Not only do both granolas have a robust flavor, but they're also low in saturated fat, sugar, and sodium, and they have a good amount of fiber and protein, too. Both flavors are delicious, but I liked the Mango Agave Almond best because of the agave-coated almonds, and the fact that mangos are one of my favorite fruits. I will most definitely buy this Native Granola again, and I highly recommend it to granola lovers. Check out the nutritional information below and know that I think a quarter cup serving is small, too, but that is the serving size for most granolas.

	1/4 cup Yumberry Goji Currant	1/4 cup Mango Agave Almond
Calories	130	140
Total Fat	4 g	5 g
Saturated Fat	1 g	1 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	10 mg	25 mg
Carbs	19 g	18 g
Fiber	3 g	3 g
Sugar	6 g	6 g
Protein	3 g	3 g

Healthy Eating Tip: Choose Cereals With Fiber

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0700

I think the easiest breakfast option in the world is a bowl of cereal. But just because it is an easy option, doesn't mean it has to be unhealthy. I like starting my day off with a cereal that is high in fiber; it helps keep me full and helps me reach the recommended 30 gram mark for daily intake of fiber. When shopping for cereal, go for ones made with whole grains that contain at least three grams of fiber per serving. Here are some great options:

Kashi Go Lean (10 g)
Kashi Go Lean Crunch (8 g)
Nature's Path Optimum Power (10 g)
Barbara's Shredded Oats (4 g)
Barbara's Puffins (6.7 g)
Barbara's Ultima (16 g)
Fiber One (28.8 g)
Bear Naked Peanut Butter Granola (3 g)
Bear Naked Apple Cinnamon Granola (3 g)
Bear Naked Fit Triple Berry Crunch Granola (3 g)
Kashi Mountain Medley Granola (3 g)
Kashi Orchard Spice Granola (3 g)

Fit Tip: Increase the fiber content of your cereal by adding nuts and fresh, frozen, or dried fruit.

Source

Granola Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:00:00 -0700

You know how I feel about breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day because it jump starts your metabolism and feeds your brain so you're more productive during the day. It helps people maintain their weight and eating breakfast gives you energy to exercise later in the day. Breakfast eaters are also more likely to consume their daily amount of fiber since so many morning foods are full of whole grains, like cereals and bread.

Granola is one of my favorite breakfast foods, but some can be high in fat or sugar. To see how some popular granolas compare, read more.

This is the nutritional info for 1/4 cup of granola.

Granola	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
Bear Naked Peanut Butter	140	6	17	3	4	4
Bear Naked Fruit and Nut	140	7	18	3	5	3
Bear Naked Peak Protein	140	7	16	2	6	5
Bear Naked Heavenly Chocolate	130	3.5	19	3	6	3
Bear Naked Banana Nut	140	7	18	2	5	3
Bear Naked Apple Cinnamon	140	5	17	3	7	2
Bear Naked Fit Vanilla Almond Crunch	110	3	18	2	3	4
Bear Naked Fit Triple Berry Crunch	110	1.5	20	3	3	4
Cascadian Farm Cinnamon Raisin	79	1.1	16	1.1	6	1.9
Cascadian Farm Maple Brown Sugar	83	1.9	16	1.1	5.3	1.9
Cascadian Farm Oats & Honey	87	2.3	16	1.1	4.9	1.9
Kashi Cocoa Beach	115	4.5	16.5	3	5.5	3
Kashi Mountain Medley	110	3.5	18.5	3	6	3
Kashi Orchard Spice	110	3.5	18.5	3	5.5	3
Kashi Summer Berry	105	3	18.5	3	4.5	3
Kellogg's Low Fat Granola with Raisins	87	1.5	18.6	1.5	6.8	1.5
Kellogg's Low Fat Granola without Raisins	72	.95	15	1.5	5.3	1.5

Fit's Tips: When comparing granola on your own, check the serving sizes. Although the info above is based on 1/4 cup servings, serving sizes tend to range from 1/4 cup to 1 cup. So you may think a granola is low in calories, but the serving size may be small.

Food Review: Bear Naked Fit Granola

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:30:00 -0700

I'm a huge fan of yogurt and granola, and this new Bear Naked Granola has the word "fit" in the name, so I was curious to try some.

I am guessing this granola is "fit" because it's low in fat. But how does it taste and compare to regular Bear Naked Granola? To find out read more.

Serving Size = 1/4 cup	Bear Naked Fit Vanilla Almond Crunch	Bear Naked Fit Triple Berry Crunch	Bear Naked Fruit and Nut	Bear Naked Peanut Butter
Calories	120	120	140	140
Total Fat	2.5g	2g	7g	6g
Saturated Fat	0g	0g	1.5g	1g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg	0mg	0mg
Sodium	10mg	15mg	0mg	15mg
Carbs	22g	23g	18g	17g
Fiber	2g	3g	2g	3g
Sugars	4g	4g	6g	4g
Protein	4g	4g	3g	4g

As you can see, the Bear Naked Fit Granola has fewer calories, less fat, and slightly less sugar. It contains slightly more carbs though. All in all, there isn't a huge difference between the two, and they're both healthy because they're made with whole oats, ground flax seed, and brown rice syrup (instead of white sugar). Personally I prefer the Fit granola because it was really flavorful and lighter tasting. I was really impressed with the amount of whole almonds, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries - this granola definitely doesn't skimp out. I would definitely recommend trying both flavors because they were equally as tasty.

Food Review: Cascadian Farm Vanilla Almond Crunch

FitSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:00:00 -0700

One of my favorite afternoon snacks is fruit, granola, and vanilla yogurt. Not only does it satisfy my sweet tooth, but the fiber from the whole-grain oats and the protein from the yogurt fill me up and give me energy for my evening workouts.

I usually pick up Cascadian Farm Oats & Honey Granola, but I saw this box of Vanilla Almond Crunch sitting on the shelf and decided to give it a try instead. Was it as tasty as it looks? To find out read more.

Compared to the Oats & Honey Granola, this cereal ($4-5) was much lighter, since it had little rice crispies mixed in with the oats. Not only was it tasty with my yogurt, but it was great with milk, too. I liked the vanilla flavor, but it was a little too sweet for me. It does have whole pieces of almonds, which the granola doesn't have, but it would have been better if there were more. If I had to choose, as far as taste and nutrition go, I'd go for the granola. Even though this Vanilla Almond Crunch contains more calories and fat, it also has less sodium and sugar.


Serving Size	3/4 cup	2/3 cup
Calories	200	230
Total Fat	3g	6g
Saturated Fat	less than 1g	1g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg
Sodium	210mg	120mg
Carbs	41g	42g
Fiber	3g	3g
Sugar	16g	13g
Protein	4g	5g

Food Review: Feed Granola

FitSugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Times they are a changin'- granola has evolved from hippie to just plain hip. I just tried a few flavors of Feed Granola ($5.99/12 ounce bag) which hails all the way from the West Village in NYC. You can't get much hipper than that.

Just over a year ago, two health conscious former male models created five flavors of granola featuring organic whole grains. The flavors are low in sugar, about four to six grams per serving, and sweetened with either brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice or molasses depending on the flavor. Flax seeds and dried fruit have been added to the flavors to up the antioxidant quotient of the granola.

The granola is tasty and not too sweet, and even my girls love it. Their favorite is the Bittersweet-ness, which contains dark chocolate chips since chocolate is high in antioxidants. I do find it a bit funny that granola is fortified with chocolate, one item I have no trouble working into my diet. My favorite flavor is the Blueberry Almond Crunch.

To see how it compares nutritionally to Bear Naked Granola read more

Brand	Serving size	Calories	Fat (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugar (g)	Protein(g)
Feed Blueberry Almond Crunch	1/4 cup (39 g)	140	4	4	6	5
Bear Naked Blueberry Walnut	1/4 cup (30 g)	130	6	2	5	5

I was shocked to see that a quarter cup is considered a serving size, it looks like nothing when you put it in a bowl. The serving size for all the other cereals in my cupboard were 2/3 cup to one cup. Once, I got over the shock I could see how Feed compared favorably with Bear Naked. I definitely like this granola, mixed with some nonfat plain yogurt and some fresh fruit it made a filling breakfast (I did eat a half a cup though).

Feed Granola can be found at Whole Foods. Or you can order it online from Amazon and get 6 bags for $25.54 – a nice little price break although you will have to pay for shipping.

If you're a DIY kind of person, you can save yourself some bucks and make your own granola. Check out: Weekend Well-Being: Make Your Own Granola.

Weekend Well-Being: Make Your Own Granola

FitSugar — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 02:30:00 -0800

Granola is one of my favorite breakfast foods. I must admit, I munch on it for an afternoon snack, too. Add a little fruit and a little yogurt to the granola and you've got yourself a well-balanced meal or snack.

Granola, however, is often made with lots of oil and sweeteners. I have taken the matter into my own hands and made some of my own. This recipe uses frozen apple-juice concentrate, which decreases the amount of sugar and oil needed to make tasty, crunchy granola. Plus, the recipe contains wheat germ, my new favorite super food.

This is a great Winter recipe because the stove is on for almost an hour. So turn off your heat, turn on your oven, and make your own granola.

To check out the recipe just read more.

Cinnamon, Walnut Granola
adapted from Everyday Food

What you need:
3 cups rolled oats
½ cup toasted wheat germ
¾ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup frozen apple juice concentrate (thawed)
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup dried cherries (chopped)
½ cup dried cranberries

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Spread oats evenly on pan and bake for 15 minutes.
Add wheat germ and walnut to oats and cook for 10 more minutes.
In a small bowl, combine apple juice concentrate, sugar, oil, and cinnamon.
Pour mixture over oats and add dried fruit. Stir well to combine.
Increase heat of oven to 325 degrees and bake oat for another 20 to 30 minutes or until they are golden brown. Stir the mixture halfway through the cooking process.
Allow oats to cool in pan, about 25 minutes. Transfer to an air tight container. Granola will keep at room temperature for one month.

Print recipe with images | without images

In the original recipe, I found the temperature too high. I changed the temperature and the timing.

Here's nutritional information:

Serving size	1/2 cup
Calories	271
Fat (g)	11
Protein (g)	7
Carbs (g)	38
Fiber (g)	4.6

TLC Chewy Granola Bars From Kashi

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 02:00:00 -0800

Yogurt is one of my favorite afternoon snacks. The protein is just what I need to give me enough energy to get through a late afternoon workout session before heading home for dinner.

If I just eat yogurt, I get hungry while at the gym, and won't work out as long. If I eat a granola bar with my yogurt, I feel pumped and energized. I can do my cardio, my abs, my weight lifting, and work my love handles, all with a smile.

My new favorite granola bars are made by Kashi, so you know they're healthy. They're called TLC Chewy Granola Bars. They contain Kashi's unique blend of 7 whole grains and sesame, plus whole roasted nuts, sun-dried fruit, and a touch of wildflower honey.

There are no hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial anything. What you will find are granola bars that are minimally processed and made with pure and natural ingredients that you can see and taste.

They come in 4 flavors: Trail Mix, Peanut Peanut Butter, Honey Almond Flax, and their newest one, Cherry Dark Chocolate.

Get "Bear" Naked

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 08:30:00 -0800

Bear Naked Granola, that is. It's made with whole grains, and contains no trans fat, no refined sugars, no cholesterol, and no high fructose corn syrup.

It's made with all-natural, barely processed and utterly naked ingredients, that you can actually pronounce.

It's made in small batches, so it has that soft-baked texture. It's been voted "Best-Tasting Granola in the Country," by Organic Style Magazine.

You can eat it naked right out of the bag, as a topping on yogurt and fruit, splashed with milk, or baked in your favorite recipes.

Fit's Tip: For a warm winter treat, pop a bowl of granola and milk in the microwave and heat it up.