FitSugar

Bagel Breakfast: Which Spread Should You Choose?

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:14:13 PST

Bagels have a bad reputation as a dieter's nightmare: one plain bagel contains 290 calories and 59 grams of carbs. Since a carb-free diet isn't the healthiest way to drop pounds or maintain a healthy weight, 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.

Keep reading to see the nutritional comparison of bagel spreads.

Would You Rather Eat a Bagel or a Croissant?

partysugar — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:30:37 PST

Source: Flickr users rusvaplauke and Kanko*

Health Confessional: Share It and Move On

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:00:00 PDT

Confessing my health and fitness slip-ups to you guys make me feel human again, especially after reading everyone else's confessions. I've got a new one to make . . .

I've purchased and gobbled down a various form of bagel for breakfast everyday for the past week. Now, I'm not talking about a mini-whole wheat bagel with light cream cheese on the side. I'm talking egg, sausage, and cheese on a huge NY style everything bagel - and I don't even usually like sausage! I seriously don't know what's come over me, especially since I am fully aware how many calories are in one bagel before all the tasty trimmings. Starting today I am going back to my usual oatmeal with fruit starter but I'm not going to lie, my naughty week of bagel sandwiches was amazing.

So there, I've confessed - hey, it happens right? Now it's your turn. Do you have anything you want to confess and get off your chest? It helps knowing that we all make mistakes and that life, and health, does indeed go on.

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Bagel For Breakfast: What Should You Put on Top?

FitSugar — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 04:00:00 PST

Who doesn't love a soft and chewy bagel on the weekend? I don't care that they're full of carbs, since our bodies need them for energy. Plus I try to go for whole grain bagels anyway, so they're healthier than ones made with white flour. I also try to choose healthy spreads like low fat cream cheese and peanut butter, but sometimes I can't help but go for sugary jams and butter. Let's see how these bagel toppings compare.

Source

Take the Quiz

Dunkin' Donuts Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:06:22 PDT

Okay, okay, we all know that Dunkin' Donuts is not the healthiest place in the world. Besides donuts, they do offer other choices. Let's take a peek and see how they measure up.

Food	Calories	Fat in grams	Cholesterol	Sodium in milligrams	Carbs in grams	Protein in grams
Plain bagel	320	2.5	0	650	62	12
Everything bagel	370	6	0	650	67	14
Multigrain bagel	380	6	0	650	68	14
Cinnamon Raisin bagel	330	3	0	430	65	10
2 oz Plain Cream Cheese	190	17	55	190	4	4
2 oz Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese	170	15	45	340	4	2
2 oz Lite Cream Cheese	120	9	30	280	5	4
Banana Walnut Muffin	540	25	65	520	69	10
Honey Bran Raisin Muffin	480	15	60	480	79	8
Cranberry Orange Muffin	440	17	65	480	66	8
Blueberry Muffin	470	17	60	500	73	8
Reduced Fat Blueberry Muffin	400	5	60	490	78	8

Well that wasn't so bad. Wait until we get to the breakfast sandwiches. You may go into cardiac arrest just reading this. Want to see? Then

Food	Calories	Fat in grams	Cholesterol	Sodium in milligrams	Carbs in grams	Protein in grams
Maple Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich	690	45	180	630	45	25
Bacon Egg Cheese Bagel Sandwich	540	18	200	1400	69	18
Sausage Egg Cheese Bagel Sandwich	660	35	225	1450	63	28
Egg Cheese Sandwich	470	15	190	1120	65	20
Egg Cheese English Muffin Sandwich	280	9	140	1010	34	15
Supreme Omelet on a Croissant	590	38	260	1040	42	21
Southwestern Chicken Panini	420	10	45	970	57	23
Meatball Panini	480	19	40	1180	56	22
Turkey Pesto Sandwich	530	23	65	1630	46	33
Vegetarian Sandwich	420	21	5	480	51	9
Caesar Salad	390	33	35	980	14	10
Chicken Caesar Salad	520	36	85	1520	16	34
Garden Salad	240	12	30	430	24	12
Mediterranean Salad	220	11	315	760	23	10
1 cup Broccoli Cheese Soup	180	13	40	71310	10	7
1 cup Chicken Noodle Soup	140	3.5	45	840	20	8
1 cup Clam Chowder Soup	230	11	30	990	20	10
1 cup Timberline Chili With Beans Soup	230	8	35	890	260	15

America runs on Dunkin'? I sure as hell hope not. Get this, Rachael Ray is now the spokesperson - let YumSugar know how you feel. She's going to lead the company into developing "better for you" food and beverage options. Way to go Rachael!

Calorie Wise: A typical bagel is equal to how many slices of bread?

FitSugar — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 13:15:17 PST

Hopefully you're eating breakfast everyday, but are you making the right choices? Take this quiz to see if you know how many slices of bread are equal to one bagel, caloriewise.

Naomi Campbell Feels Carbs Are a Treat

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:07:03 PST

With the birth of the Atkins diet, carbs immediately got a bad reputation. It seems like everyone I know has gone on a carb-free diet at least once in their lives to lose weight, and even Naomi Campbell is no stranger to forgoing carbs. In the March issue of Harper's Bazaar, the 41-year-old model admits that she's blessed with a high metabolism, but she also exercises and watches her diet. Naomi works hard to maintain her famous model figure and says, "For me, carbs are a treat now."

I can see ditching refined carbs - foods made with white flour, like bagels, cookies, cakes, and pasta - since they have very little nutritional value. But whole grain bread and cereals, whole wheat pasta, and whole grains like quinoa and barley are super nutritious. These complex carbs contain protein to sustain energy levels and filling fiber to curb hunger, both of which can help you lose weight. However, there is definitely some validity to cutting carbs and losing weight. A recent study showed that cutting carbs twice a week was more effective than eating a low-calorie diet, so I can see why some women may choose to limit their carb intake in the name of weight loss. How do you feel about carbs?

Source: Karim Sadli for Harper’s Bazaar

Dunkin' Donuts Is Banking on All-Day Sandwiches

Susannah Chen — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:15:17 PST

Looks like Starbucks and McDonald's aren't the only two chains who want a piece of breakfast between bread: starting this week, Dunkin' Donuts introduces two new sandwich offerings, to be offered at DD locations throughout the day - including breakfast, of course.

The new sandwiches will "be familiar, but with a twist," said Stan Frankenthaler, Dunkin' Brands' executive chef and head of product innovation. The Ham & Cheese Bakery Sandwich contains Black Forest ham, white cheddar, and a creamy dijon mustard sauce; Turkey, Cheddar, & Bacon is made with turkey, white cheddar, bacon, and ancho chipotle sauce. Both are made to order on a croissant, bagel, or the new baked-fresh-daily French roll.

The announcement of these all-day sandwiches arrives just as Taco Bell rolls out its First Meal menu of breakfast items. Still, Dunkin' is quick to explain what differentiates the brand's ham and bacon sandwiches from similar breakfast sandwich offerings already on the market. "We think our bakery leadership is a real differentiator in our brand," Frankenthaler told us. "Our guests already know us and love us for our fresh bagels (we're the number one retailer of bagels in the United States) and croissants."

Providing all-day options is "extremely important for Dunkin’ Donuts," he added. "Breakfast sandwiches are popular with our guests, and they like the flexibility to enjoy them throughout the day."

With first Taco Bell and now Dunkin' Donuts taking the mornings to another level, it's clear that the fast-food AM wars won't be letting up anytime soon. Will you try a new sandwich from Dunkin' Donuts?

Source

5 Ways to Work With Hummus

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:21:38 PST

Hummus is good for much more than serving as a simple dip. The bean-based food is a great source of protein and fiber, and at only 27 calories per tablespoon, it's perfect for filling up without filling out. Try these five tricks to add more hummus to your diet:

Add it to your meat: For a dish that packs double the protein punch, coat chicken breasts in a layer of hummus before baking or roasting. Get creative by mixing and matching different flavors of hummus with a variety of meat and seafood picks, like spicy hummus with beef kabobs.
Use it as a salad dressing: Spice up your standard salad by adding hummus over the greens. Prefer a thinner consistency? Toss in a small amount of hummus, lemon juice, olive oil, and vinegar.
Make it your go-to sandwich spread: Swap mayonnaise and mustard for your favorite flavored hummus. Regularly use pesto? Try hummus made with basil and pine nuts. Love hot sauce? Try this smoky chipotle hummus recipe.

Keep reading for more ways to work with hummus.

4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Eating

Jenny Sugar — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 12:44:03 PST

Between meetings, appointments, work deadlines, errands, family obligations, and trips to the gym, our lives can be so busy that we fill our bellies with the quickest, easiest bites we can get our hands on. Whether your goal is to drop unwanted pounds or eat healthier, it's in your best interest to pause before you take your first bite and ask yourself these four important questions.

Am I hungry? Seems like a silly question, because you're eating, so you must be hungry, right? Many times we reach for food out of boredom, convenience (the bag of chips was open), depression (chocolate to drown your breakup sorrows), happiness (to celebrate a promotion), or desire (who could pass up the amazing brownies your co-worker brought in?). But if we recently ate, then we're not even hungry. Make sure you're due for a snack or meal before sitting down to eat one.

Is this food filling holes in my diet? We eat to live and that means the food we gobble down should offer our bodies the vitamins and nutrients it needs to function properly. Aside from being healthy, our daily diet should also be balanced. If you ate a high-protein breakfast of eggs and Greek yogurt topped with nuts, then for a morning snack, you probably want to eat something that offers your body something besides protein, such as fiber, potassium, or vitamin A. Think of each snack and meal as a piece of your daily diet puzzle; an opportunity to take in what your body is lacking.

Keep reading to find out the other two questions you should ask yourself before eating.