FitSugar

New Terra Chips: Stripes & Blues

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:30:00 -0700

How very patriotic of Terra to introduce a red, white, and blue chip medley they call Stripes and Blues. They are much healthier than the Lays chips I ate as a kid since they are made with 3 kinds of harvested veggies, not just your average potato. The red chips are made from sweet potatoes, the blue chips are made from blue potatoes, and the striped chips are striped beets.

These Stripes & Blues chips take my favorite Sweets & Beets to an entirely new visual level. I love that they're made with no trans fat or cholesterol, and contain hardly any saturated fat (the kind that is bad for your heart). Plus these chips have a much zestier flavor so they don't need a whole lot of sodium.

To check out the nutritional info and see what these delectable chips really look like, read more

Serving Size	1 oz (about 14 chips)
Calories	140
Total Fat	8g
Saturated Fat	.5g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	110mg
Carbs	16g
Fiber	2g
Sugar	5g
Protein	2g
Ingredients	A seasonal mix of root vegetables (sweet potato, blue potato, beets), canola oil and/or safflower oil and/or sunflower oil, beet juice concentrate, sea salt.

Well I'm just amazed that these chips are actually as pretty as the photo on the outside of the bag, plus I can actually pronounce all the ingredients!

With only 110mg of sodium, these still taste salty and definitely satisfied my craving. Plus they have 2g of fiber (you can aways use more), 2g of protein, and 4% of your daily iron needs (I know it's not much, but every little bit counts).

I love that there are 3 different chips in this bag, so your taste buds never get bored. I definitely recommend looking for these chips in a health food store near you, or in the health food section of your grocery store.

Fit's Tip: Just remember, even though these chips are healthier than potato chips, they are still chips! So keep your portions under control.

Garden of Eatin'

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:10:00 -0800

Crunchy, salty, tasty, and sometimes an accidental meal, I'd have to say that Garden of Eatin's Blue Corn Tortilla Chips are one of my favorite snacks.

They have a whole line of chips made out of blue corn such as regular, No Salt if you're watching your sodium intake, Red Hot Blues made with a hint of zingy cayenne pepper, Little Soy Blues made with toasted soybeans, Sesame Blues uniquely made with sesame seeds and Sunny Blues made with sunflower seeds.

You'll feel good dipping them into your hummus, knowing they're:

Made With Organic Corn
No Hydrogenated Oils
No Artificial Flavors or Colors
No Preservatives
No Trans Fat
Made With Expeller Pressed Oil
Kosher Certified
Cooked in Filtered Water

As far as snacks go, that's pretty good. And what else is great? They also make Yellow Corn Chips, Mini Corn Chips (great for kids), White Corn Chips, Red Corn Chips, and Taco Shells. They also have a line of Pita Chips and Microwave Popcorn. They really know how to snack.

Want to see my faves? Then read more

View 5 Photos ›

When Going for Corn - Go BLUE

FitSugar — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 02:00:00 -0700

When it comes to corn chips, I am game for any color - yellow, white, or blue. Now, I have a valid reason to go blue. New research indicates that blue corn is more nutritious than its white counterpart.

Researchers from south of the Rio Grande have found blue corn to contain 20 percent more protein than white corn. Not only that, but blue corn also contains less starch and a lower glycemic index, meaning the sugar content of blue corn is absorbed by the body more slowly and provides a steady source of energy, with less chance of creating a blood sugar spike.

I often say, eat for color and now I know this approach to food applies to tortillas and chips as well.

Get the Snack: Cameron Diaz

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 23:30:00 -0700

Cameron Diaz has been looking very healthy and fit these days. We've seen her hit the gym and the beach for workouts lately and it sure is paying off.

Cameron's known for eating a bunch of small meals throughout the day, so it's no wonder that she was spotted toting around a very healthy snack recently. Honestly, it looks like a snack I could get into, so here's what she's eating:

Blue Corn Chips: They're great because they're made with organic corn, no hydrogenated oils, no artificial flavors or colors, no preservatives, no trans fat, made with expelled pressed oil, Kosher certified and cooked in filtered water.
GT's Organic Raw Kombucha: It's got probiotics, live active enzymes, L-Theanine (an amino acid), organic acids and Polyphenols (antioxidants). The taste is an acquired one, one that you love or hate.
Water. I'm actually surprised that Cameron is not drinking out of a reusable water bottle, like a Sigg, but water is important to drink through out the day. Here she's opted for a 1.5 liter bottle of Poland Spring.

It also looks like she has some healthy leftovers too, which she does have in a reusable container. I'd also be willing to bet there is some protein in there too.

There are more pics of Cammie and her healthy snack, not to mention her cute (and simple) headbands, so read more

View 10 Photos ›

Pacific Coast News & Source

Super Bowl Takeout: How to Order and Keep Your Resolutions

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:00:00 -0800

Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend, and I know it's supposed to be all about the game, but really, it's become all about the food. Chicken wings, pizza, seven-layer dip, chips, chili, sausages, and beer. Lots of beer. It's a cruel test for those who have started a health kick on Jan 1. It's great if you can make your own healthy snacks, but if the crowd you're with is all about ordering food, here are some tips to allow you to enjoy the party, while sticking to your resolutions.

When ordering pizza, go for thin crust, preferably one made of whole wheat. Skip the extra cheese and go for tons of veggies. If you must have meat on your pizza, go for ham instead of pepperoni or sausage since it contains less calories. Or you can always add your own turkey or chicken sausage once the pizza arrives.
If ordering wings, ask for extra carrot and celery sticks and tell them to forget the ranch or blue cheese dressing.

There are more helpful tips so read more.

If you like to order Chinese food, choose meals that contain chicken rather than beef or pork, since poultry contains less saturated fat. If they have seafood options, that's a good choice, just make sure not to order anything that's soaked in batter and deep fried. Forget the fried egg rolls, too, and go for dumplings instead (they're steamed). Order sides of extra steamed broccoli and snow peas so you can add them to your meal. Or when you order your entree, ask for added veggies. Soup may also be a good choice, especially if the broth is made with miso. Limit your sodium intake by skipping out on the added soy and hoisin sauces.

Just keep in mind that it's OK to enjoy your favorite foods, you just don't want to go overboard. If you snack over the entire four- to six-hour time span, you'll end up consuming a lot of extra calories. So grab a plate and enjoy your food at one time so you can keep track of your portion sizes.

Source

Terra Chips Sweets & Beets = YUM!

FitSugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:30:00 -0700

I took a flight on JetBlue last week and was loving their Terra Blue Chips. When I went to the health food store to pick some up, I came upon Terra's Sweets & Beets.

These krinkle-cut chips are made out of my favorite root veggies - delicious sweet potatoes and bold, beautiful beets. Sweets & Beets chips offer a hearty crunch, with a robust burst of sweet goodness.

Want to know what they're made with? The ingredients are simple - sweet potatoes, beets, canola oil and/or safflower oil and/or sunflower oil. That's right - no salt, no hydrogenated oils, no sugar or corn syrup (many a chip has this), and nothing but veggies and oil. I will happily recommend these Terra chips for a snack any day.

Want to see what they really look like? How about the nutritional info? Then read more

Serving Size	1 oz (16 chips)
Calories	150
Total Fat	9g
Saturated Fat	.5g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	5mg
Carbs	15g
Fiber	1g
Sugar	0g
Protein	2g

Can you believe that? The serving size is pretty big compared to some other chips (Pico de Gallo), and there's no sodium, no cholesterol, and no sugar. I love it! These are a much healthier snack than say those Pita Chips I was tricked into buying (damn advertising), because these are made of actual vegetables instead of crappy enriched wheat flour. These Sweets & Beets could be my new favorite thing.

Kettle Pita Chips SOUND Good For You...

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:30:00 -0700

I like snacking, and often I crave salty crunchy things. I just tried a new tasty snack called Kettle Pita Chips? They're a cross between a cracker and a chip - very light and flavorful, and great for dipping (in homemade hummus).

These chips come in two varieties: Salt Kissed, and the one I tried, Salt & Pepper. I'm annoyed because these pita chips are a bit deceiving. They sound healthy, and are sold in many health food stores next to other healthy snacks (like those Sesame Blues made by Garden of Eatin'), but they contain the dreaded "enriched flour." Although it is organic enriched wheat flour, so I guess that makes it a little better. Let this be a little reminder to make sure you check the ingredients on food labels.

Want to see the nutritional info and a photo of what these really look like? Then read more

Serving Size	1 oz
Calories	120
Total Fat	3.5g
Saturated Fat	.5g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	230mg
Carbs	20g
Fiber	1g
Sugar	1g
Protein	3g

These could be a lot worse for you - the sodium is much lower than I expected - but the fact still remains that they're made with "enriched flour." It stinks that companies market foods to look healthy when they're really not. I guess I'll stick to Sesame Blues for my dipping pleasures.

Fittingly Mad: Serving Sizes are TOO Small

FitSugar — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Alright so I know portion sizes at restaurants have gotten out of control, but what about serving sizes on packages? Is it me or are companies totally duping us into thinking their products aren't so bad for us, when really their tiny serving sizes aren't even close to what a person would actually eat.

Take Vitamin Water for example. When I first looked at the label I thought, "50 calories - that's not so bad." When I took a closer look, I realized that that little bottle of flavored water actually contains 2.5 servings. That means that it really has 125 calories per bottle. How very sneaky because everyone knows I'm going to down that entire bottle in less than 5 minutes.

OK, well 125 calories - that's not so bad, but what about the Alternative Baking Company? I took a peak at their cookie's nutritional info and felt a little guilty eating a cookie with 250 calories and 10g of fat. Then I felt mortified and slightly betrayed when I realized that there were actually 2 servings per cookie! How could I ever eat just half the cookie? The other half would be calling my name and I wouldn't be able to resist. These cookies were tasty but definitely NOT worth 500 calories a pop. I'd rather have 1/2 a pint of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia for that many calories!

I also love those blue corn chips from Garden of Eatin'. They are so tasty and they better be, since there are 7g of fat per serving. Guess how many chips equals 1 serving? Yup, just 7 chips. What's that? Each chip has 1g of fat? Now that's just wrong!

My point is that I wish companies would come up with real serving sizes that people would actually sit down and eat. Don't try to trick me into thinking your food is healthy for me. Just give it to me straight up!

Source

Chocobillys Seem Healthy, But Are They?

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:30:00 -0800

Instead of my usual Terra Blue Chips, I decided to go for the Chocobillys Cookies while on a Jet Blue flight a few weeks ago. They seemed like a sort of healthy treat (well, I mean, cookies can only be so healthy, right?). On the package it says "Cookies with a Cause" and "made with 70% organic ingredients" and "no trans fats, GMOs or other funky stuff."

Well that last statement is interesting because I guess everyone has a different definition of what "funky" is. The very first ingredient on these cookies is "organic enriched unbleached wheat flour." Enriched means that already healthy wheat flour was refined and stripped of its nutrients, and then manufacturers add some of the lost nutrients back in to make it slightly good for you. "Enriched" sounds nutritious, but it's really a scam. So if you ask me, enriched flour is pretty "funky."

The Immaculate Baking Company, the maker of these cookies, has a goal to make "top-quality baked goods...to celebrate the creativity of folk art, and to somehow give back." I think it's great that they set up the Soul Food Fund to nurture creativity, sponsor art workshops, and raise money for charities that support art in communities. That's all great, but why not use whole wheat flour instead of enriched?

Here's the deal. Just because a product states that it's organic doesn't necessarily mean that it's good for you. Remember those Kettle Pita Chips were organic too. So be on the look out, read nutrition labels, and don't be fooled by food that sounds or looks healthy.