FitSugar

Food Review: KIND Plus Bars

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:00:00 PST

It's always good to have some healthy snacks you can keep in your purse, gym bag, or desk drawer, just in case you need a little something to keep you going. I'm a fan of bars made with fruit and nuts, because they contain fiber and protein to keep me full, but they also satisfy my sweet tooth. I've already raved about KIND bars, and this company just came out with a new line of bars called KIND plus. Each bar ($2.29) is made with unique ingredients which include supplements such as added calcium, omega-3s, and B vitamins to offer enhanced nutrition. These tasty bars are low in sodium, and contain no gluten, dairy, or hydrogenated oils.

To see how these six bars compare nutritionally,

read more. I'm a fan of all these new flavors, but I think the Strawberry Nut Delight and Passion Fruit Macadamia are my faves because they remind me of Summer. The fruit adds just the right amount of sweetness, and the whole nuts and bits of puffed rice add a crunchiness that makes me go "mmm." It may seem like these are high in fat, but it's the healthy fat from the nuts that your body needs in order to lower cholesterol and give you healthy skin.

Serving Size = 1 bar	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (mg)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
Almond & Cashew (Omega-3)	150	9	1	0	18	4	14	4
Strawberry Nut Delight (Calcium)	190	13	5	20	20	3	14	2
Cranberry & Almond (Antioxidants)	190	12	1.5	10	19	2.5	13	4
Almond, Walnut & Macadamia (Protein)	210	15	2	65	11	2.5	7	10
Passion Fruit Macadamia (B-Complex)	190	13	5	20	20	3	14	2
Mango Macadamia (Calcium)	190	12	5	20	20	3	15	2

Fit's Tip: If you're looking for a healthy gift idea, they sell eight-pack ($20) or 12-pack ($28) gift capsules. Not only will your friend or family member love the delicious treats, but five percent of the profits go to the PeaceWorks Foundation, which works toward fostering global coexistence.

If You're Craving Girl Scout Cookies, Try These Instead

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:13:50 PST

It's Girl Scout Cookie time! Noshing on these fund-raising treats seems like an American pastime, but it can be challenging to keep a snack session of these seasonal sweets in check. If you can enjoy your cookies in a reasonable manner, then good for you! But if you're looking for a way to scratch that sugary itch without killing your healthy eating agenda, here are some healthier alternatives.

Do-Si-Dos
Two-cookie serving: 120 calories, five grams of fat, seven grams of sugar

Quick Fix: The Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie is a perfect substitute since it's so filling - I usually only eat half of a bar at a time. One bar contains 220 calories, seven grams of protein, and four grams of fiber. Made out of dried dates, one bar equals one half serving of fruit. There are 18 grams of sugar in this bar, but the sugar content is not added; it naturally occurs in the dates. The other two ingredients in this bar are peanuts and salt.

DIY Fix: Make your own tasty peanut butter treat! Blend a little peanut butter, apple sauce, and raisins for a sweet, satisfying, and nutritious homemade spread. Two tablespoons of this peanut butter raisin spread offers almost five grams of protein and two grams of fiber.

Don't see your fave cookie? Keep on reading!

Win a Year of KIND Healthy Snacks and a Magimix Food Processor

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:30:23 PST

It's the New Year and time to get back on track, jump-start your January, and get fit for 2012. All month long, we're helping you set your path for the rest of the year by breaking down the different fundamentals of a healthy and fit lifestyle. Our focus for the next seven days is how to fuel your body.

We're giving away amazing prizes to help you meet your goals! This week's prize prepares you for a year of healthy eating. For starters, we are giving away a year's supply of KIND Healthy Snacks bars (that's 72 bars a month) - plus some KIND Healthy Grains, perfect for a superfood snack. We're also giving away a powerful food processor from Magimix. The amazing Magimix by Robot-Coupe 4200XL 14-Cup Food Processor, with a juice extractor and smoothie mix attachment, will help you prepare healthy meals, smoothies, and juices all year long.

Enter below and you could be one of two lucky winners to receive a year's supply of KIND Healthy Snacks and a Magimix by Robot-Coupe 4200XL 14-Cup Food Processor!

This giveaway has ended.

Check us out on Facebook, where we will be keeping our own fitness diary and providing tips, advice, recipes, and workouts for all of our fans. If you're craving more fitness gear and goodies, enter our Under Armour giveaway for $500 to spend on Under Armour and our Asics giveaway for a year's supply of Asics running shoes. Good luck!

DIY: Fruit and Nut Bars

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:23:42 PST

I'm a huge fan of Lärabars, but at $1.50 a pop, I can't afford my addiction. Plus each one is around 200 calories, which is slightly high when noshing on one for just a snack.

Check out these simple instructions on how to create your own dried fruit and nut bars. You'll not only save money, but since these bars are slightly smaller, they make the perfect 150-calorie snack or dessert. These bars are made with almonds, dates, and raisins, but you can get creative and experiment with different nuts and dried fruits. I can't tell you how addicted I am to these bars!

If healthy cooking is one of your goals for 2012, be sure to enter to win a Magimix food processor and a year's worth of Kind bars.

Pepper Jelly Rugelach: A Change of Spice

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:39:08 PST

This year, we're not the only ones in the mood for a little less sugar and a little more spice. Food Orleans shares an ingenious recipe for pepper jelly rugelach.

Welcome to the third installment of my Christmas Hannukah bake-a-thon!

Have you ever had rugelach? Ever heard of them? They're these awesome, petite crescents of cream cheese and butter dough wrapped around a filling such as cinnamon, nuts, or preserves. The fact that the dough is almost nothing but cream cheese and butter pretty much had me hooked. But I also saw an opportunity to inject a little deep-south peppery twist on this classic cookie.

Pepper jelly. You know, the jalapeno-spiked stuff that gets poured over blocks of cream cheese? Turns out it's a remedy for someone who bakes and eats lots of cookies and, quite frankly, needs a little help preventing palate fatigue (that's Melissa Clark's term, not mine, but it's well-put). I was afraid these might be too spicy in the end, but they're just spicy enough, and a welcome change of spice from the typical holiday range of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. I think you'll like them. And let's forge ahead and put pepper jelly in all kinds of sweet things! It'll be a revolution.

For a recipe sure to stun at your next cookie exchange, read on.

Can You Drink Alcohol and Still Lose Weight?

Shape — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:17:35 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to nutritional consultant Mike Roussell, PhD, for some help!

Q: Can you drink alcohol and still lose weight? What if you work out on a regular basis?

A: Yes, you can drink alcohol and lose weight - as long as you're smart about it. When looking at the weight-loss impact of having a drink, there are two things you need to consider: calories and alcohol content.

1. Calories: For most people the calories in the mixers of their favorite cocktails pose a far greater barrier to weight loss than the actual alcohol. Just four ounces of some daiquiri or margarita mixes can contain upwards of 35 grams of sugar (that’s seven teaspoons of sugar)! Plus, they're more than double the amount of calories in the shot of rum or tequila included in the drink (that is, if you're only served ½ cup of mixer). What's worse, the calories from mixers are the worst kinds of calories, simple and refined sugars. When they're combined with the metabolic effects of alcohol, it gets even worse.

2. Alcohol content: One myth about alcohol is that it will make you fat. But the truth is, it's the combination of alcohol and sugars found in mixers (or the bar food often consumed with alcohol) that causes problems. Alcohol does contain calories, but it's safe to assume that no one gains a lot of weight by throwing back shots of straight vodka. Instead, it is the metabolic priority that your body places on alcohol (over carbohydrates and fats) that causes the problem. Your body wants to process alcohol before anything else, which has been shown to create a metabolic environment that is almost the opposite of the environment your body creates following exercise - one of high circulating levels of fat and inhibited fat burning.

While this may sound all doom and gloom, there are upsides to drinking alcohol. Moderate alcohol consumption (one drink per day for women) increases your HDL (‘good’) cholesterol, and studies show that people who have a couple drinks each week live longer. How can you get the best of both worlds?

Learn the benefits of drinking alcohol after the break!

7 Costly Debt Traps and How to Avoid Them

Kiplinger — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:15:40 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

Not all debt is created equal. While most forms of borrowing entail risk, certain credit decisions are more likely to lead you into a downward spiral of indebtedness. We call these debt traps.

It’s incredibly easy to stumble into a debt trap. All it takes is a brief lapse in judgment. Opening a new credit card account without understanding the interest rates and fees, or the implications for your credit score, is just one example.

No one wants to become mired in debt - especially when common borrowing mistakes are avoidable. Read on to educate yourself about seven of the biggest debt traps and ways to avoid them.

Buying Too Much House

In general, you should not spend more than 28% of your gross income on housing expenses, and your total debt-to-income ratio (including car payments, credit card bills, student loans, etc.) should not exceed 36% of your gross income. While those numbers are not set in stone, especially if you live in a high-cost area, they provide a good framework for calculating how much home you can buy, says Adam Granger, a mortgage consultant in Weston, Fla.

Next, figure out the maximum down payment you can make. Try to put 20% toward your new home to avoid paying private mortgage insurance. You also need to factor in closing costs, which typically range between 3% and 5% of the home price. So if you want a home listed at $200,000, you would need to budget at least $48,000 to cover 20% down plus 4% in closing costs.

It is also important to account for homeowners insurance and real estate taxes, both of which can alter your debt-to-income ratio dramatically, says Granger. You’ll probably want some money for decorating, too, and it’s always good to set aside cash for emergencies. If you’re not yet there financially, keep saving. It’s best to buy a home only when you can truly afford it. Buy one when you can’t, and foreclosure is a real possibility.

Read on for more costly debt traps.

10 Off-Brand Products to Buy

Bundle — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:45:02 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart Bundle story here on Savvy!

Two-thirds of generic foods match or beat their name-brand counterparts in taste tests, according to a report, but Americans are still hesitant to give up the familiar names or logos they love to save a few bucks. For a household that spends $100 a week on groceries, store brands can mean a savings of $1,500 a year, Consumer Reports says. Here are 10 safe bets for buying generic.

Cereal: Store-brand cereal and oatmeal don't leave you wanting better crunch or flavor. Kroger brand Frosted Shredded Wheat and Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal are always in my cabinet!
Baking supplies: Basic pantry staples like salt, baking powder, baking soda, dried milk powder, and graham cracker crumbs can be deeply discounted and don’t function or taste differently.
Cream cheese: Whether it's bricks of cream cheese for baking, or tubs of the whipped stuff for bagels in the morning, that rich, creamy flavor is identical to Philadelphia brand.
Cookie dough: Kroger cookie dough often goes on sale for about $1. Out of curiosity, I tried out a bunch of varieties - peanut butter, chocolate chip, oatmeal cranberry, and they all baked beautifully and tasted delicious.
Granola bars: Like their versions of name-brand cereal, the generics do a pretty good job. They may look a little different than Special K bars, Nature Valley Granola bars, NutriGrain bars and Chewy granola bars, but the taste is more similar than you think.

For more off-brand products to buy, read on.