FitSugar

Margarine War: Earth Balance vs. Smart Balance

FitSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:00:00 -0700

As if the war between butter and margarine weren't enough to think about, now I have to choose between kinds of margarine. Have you ever wondered what the difference is between these two? They're both organic, dairy free, and made without hydrogenated oils, but what else sets them apart besides their names?

To find out, read more.


Serving Size	1 tbsp	1 tbsp	1 tbsp
Calories	100	80	102
Total Fat	11g	9g	11.5g
Saturated Fat	3.5g	2.5g	7.3g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg	31mg
Sodium	120mg	100mg	82mg
Carbs	0g	0g	0g
Fiber	0g	0g	0g
Sugar	0g	0g	0g
Protein	0g	0g	.1g

Both Earth Balance and Smart Balance are made with an expeller pressed natural oil blend, but here's the difference: In the Earth Balance, the blend is soybean, palm fruit, canola, and olive, and in the Smart Balance, the blend is palm fruit, soybean, canola, and olive. Not a huge difference, but still worth noting.

As far as taste goes, they both have a mild buttery flavor, which I prefer over other margarines that are made with hydrogenated oil. Not only is it healthier, but it also tastes lighter and doesn't make your mouth feel waxy or greasy. Both Earth and Smart Balance spreads have a smooth, spreadable consistency, and they melt well on warm bread. Since I can't tell the difference in taste or texture, I'd definitely choose Smart Balance over Earth Balance, since it has less fat and less sodium. I'd also choose it over butter since it has less saturated fat. If you've never tried Smart Balance, I'd give it a try. It tastes great on food, but you can also cook and bake with it.

Bagel For Breakfast: What Should You Put on Top?

FitSugar — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 04:00:00 -0800

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.

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Scary Recipe Ingredients to Look Out for

FitSugar — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Butter has a bad reputation in the cooking world but the truth is that there are many other cooking ingredients that are just as unhealthy for us as butter. It's scary that many of us don't even bat an eye at when tossing them into our recipes.

To see the scariest recipe ingredients to watch for, just read more

WebMD has compiled a list of the scariest ingredients, healthwise, for your recipes that you should keep an eye out for when you're cooking this holiday season (and beyond):

Ingredient	Common Serving	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)
Mayonnaise	1/4 cup	396	44	6.5
Bacon grease	2 T	250	28	13
Heavy whipping cream (liquid)	1/4 cup	205	22	14
Puff pastry	2 ounces	312	22	3
Cheese (like cheddar)	2 ounces	228	19	12
Light whipping cream (liquid)	1/4 cup	174	18.5	11.5
Sausage, cooked	2 ounces	209	18	6.1
Bacon	4 strips	150	13	4
Butter	1 T	102	12	7.2
Sour cream	1/4 cup	123	12	7.5
Cheddar cheese, 1 oz	1/4 cup	115	9.4	6
Pie crust, 9-inch deep dish	1/8 slice	115	8	2
Half-and-half	1/4 cup	79	7	4.3

Me, I always scan a recipe for any of these ingredients and if it has 'em, I typically skip it. If I am feeling creative, I'll work with the recipe figuring out ways to cut out the unhealthy stuff. For example, I'll use turkey bacon instead of regular bacon. What do you do? Share the ways you cut out the unhealthy stuff in the comments section below.

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A Breakdown of Tiny Tastes

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:15:00 -0700

I'm a huge fan of enhancing my meals with a little somethin' somethin'. A slice of cheese here, a pat of butter there, a smear of peanut butter on that. It's just a little bit, so it can't really affect my diet, right?

Well, if you're trying to lose weight, cutting calories is the way to do it. If you're always adding and sprinkling and smearing extras onto your food, well all those little things could start to add up. I'm not saying you need to ditch the little pleasures of life, like a dollop of mayo, but here's a breakdown so you can add them up for yourself. It's just good to be conscious of what they're worth, instead of just pretending that they don't mean much.

Want to see the random list of common tiny tastes? Then read more

	Serving Size	Calories	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)
Cheddar Cheese	1 slice (1 oz.)	114	9.4	176	.4	7.1
American Cheese	1 slice (1 oz.)	105	8.8	417	.4	6.2
Avocado	1/4 of the fruit	72	6.7	3.4	3.7	.9
Tomato	1 slice (1/4" thick)	4	.1	0	.9	.2
Cucumber	1/4 of whole, sliced	11.2	0	1.5	2.7	.5
Hummus	2 tbsp	54	2.6	72.6	6	1.4
Salt	1/4 tsp	0	0	581	0	0
Pepper	1/4 tsp	1.2	0	.2	.4	0
Heinz Ketchup	2 tbsp	30	0	380	8	0
Heinz Organic Ketchup	2 tbsp	35	0	355	8.8	0
Yellow Mustard	2 tbsp	6	.4	112	.8	.4
Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard and Country Mustard	2 tbsp	10	0	240	0	0
Beaver Honey Mustard	2 tbsp	30	0	90	4	0
Honey	1 tbsp	64	0	.8	17.3	.1
Peanut Butter (salted, chunky)	2 tbsp	188	15.9	150.4	6.7	8
Cream Cheese	2 tbsp	90	9	75	0
Salted Butter	1 pat	36	4.1	28.8	0	2
Balsamic Vinaigrette	2 tbsp	90	8	300	4	0
Ranch Dressing	2 tbsp	148	15.6	287	1.3	.4
Mayonnaise	2 tbsp	180	20	180	0	0
Bread and Butter Pickles	1 slice	6	0	54	1.5	.1
Sweet Pickle Relish	2 tbsp	39	.1	243	10.5	.1
Whipped Cream	2 tbsp	70	.7	60	.6	1.6
Chocolate Fudge Syrup	2 tbsp	133	3.4	132	24	1.7
Strawberry	1 large, sliced	6	.1	.2	1.4	.1

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Popcorn Breakdown

FitSugar — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 10:15:00 -0700

Popcorn is delicious, satisfying, crunchy, and fun to eat. It's nature's snack food.

There are so many different ways to make and flavor popcorn, but unfortunately, some of those tasty methods turn this healthy snack into one loaded with sugar and sodium.

So let's look at the nutritional breakdown of 1 cup of each to see how they compare.

Want to see, then read more

	Calories	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Sugar (g)
Air popped popcorn	31	0	1	6	0
Stove-top with oil & salt	55	3	97	6	0
Orville Redenbacher's Microwave popcorn (ultimate butter)	55	3	40	3	0
Orville Redenbacher's Microwave popcorn (light, butter)	40	1	35	4	0
Newman's Own Organics Microwave popcorn (butter)	46	2.6	54	4.9	0
Popcorn Indiana Kettle corn	60	1.8	48	11	5.5
Movie theater popcorn with butter	83	7	-	4	-
Smartfood (cheddar cheese flavored)	162	10	294	14.2	3
Cracker Jack with peanuts	240	4	140	46	30
Crunch and Munch (buttery toffee with peanuts)	128	4.6	147	21	12
Poppycock (cashew lovers)	280	12	180	42	24
Fiddle Faddle (Honey nut)	260	7	480	48	30
Caramel Corn	243	12	357	34	26

Fit's Tips: The sodium and sugar content of movie theater popcorn was impossible to find, so that makes me think it's even worse than I imagine. So the next time you go to the movies, forget about buying over-priced, unhealthy snacks - why not bring your own? I always pop my own popcorn and bring it along in my purse with a water bottle. That way I won't be tempted to buy the movie theater popcorn when I smell the fake, yet mesmerizing, buttery aroma. I also like to pack some dark chocolate, almonds and dried cranberries.

Since movie theaters make most of their profits by selling overpriced snacks, you gotta keep your homemade treats on the down low. Wait until the lights go dim before enjoying your tasty snacks.

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Butter or Cream Cheese?

FitSugar — Sat, 05 May 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Sometimes one the weekends I splurge and eat breakfast foods I usually don't indulge in during the week. Saturdays I often crave a soft toasted bagel.
Depending on my mood, I'll choose cream cheese or butter. Since they're both dairy products, I was wondering...

Horizon Organic: Amazing Dairy Products

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 08:45:00 -0700

I always see Horizon Organic products when I go shopping. Their motto is "Good from the beginning," which just about sums up their mission. They use environmentally beneficial practices, promote the livelihood of family farms, treat their animals with compassion, and provide healthy products.

I am a huge fan for what Horizon Organic stands for. They work with, educate, and support hundreds of family farms which supply 80% of their milk. All the farms are organic, which means they use farming methods that respect the earth and nurture their animals.

They use sustainable farming techniques like crop rotation and composting to ensure their soil's fertility. To control pests, they don't use harmful chemicals like most farms, but rather non-toxic materials like vegetable oil. Their cows are fed 100% organic feed and graze on pesticide free land. You won't find any growth hormones or antibiotics in their cows.

Horizon Organic makes everything from cheese, to butter, to yogurt, to milk and cream, to cottage cheese, and even smoothies. As you all know, dairy products are a great source of protein and calcium.

Fit's Tips: Look for Horizon Organic dairy products at your local grocery store. You can feel good about getting food that's good for you from a company who cares.

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The Skinny On: Natural Trans Fats

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Fat. It keeps us full. It flavors our food. It gives us energy. It also clogs our arteries and raises our cholesterol levels. While some fats are better than others, others are just plain bad for you - like trans fats.

Trans fats are generally formed when liquid vegetable oils go through a chemical process called hydrogenation. Hydrogen is added to oils to make them more solid and food processors love to use them to extend the shelf life of food, as well as to better taste and texture. Not all trans fats are manufactured though, some do occur naturally, in small amounts. They can be found in some meat, a quarter pound of ground beef has 1.33 grams of trans fat, and one cup of milk has .24 grams.

Fear not New Yorkers, the city is only banning artificial trans fats, so you will still be able to eat cheeseburgers in the Big Apple. The truth is, the majority of Americans eat more artificial trans fat than the naturally occurring kind,

The FDA, however, has a different take, and they group all trans fats, be they artificially or naturally occurring, all the same. In 2006, the FDA began requiring manufacturers to list on their products if they contain a half a gram or more of trans fat per serving. The amount must be included on the food label and the food can’t be called trans fat-free, even if butter (naturally occurring) is the only fat. Another reason to read ingredients carefully.

Want to know about trans fat and Starbucks? Then read more

Interestingly enough, the FDA label rule does not apply to foods overseen by the US Department of Agriculture, namely meat and poultry. That is why you will not see the amount of trans fat listed on the ground beef you pick up at the grocery.

Starbucks is taking a slightly different route than NYC and asking all their bakers to remove all but .5 grams of trans fat, artificial or otherwise, from their baked goods. The company feels that "trans fat free" reads better than "artificial trans fat free" - guess they think we consumers can only handle three word descriptions of our food. Bakers are reworking recipes that use butter to ensure their pastries have under a half a gram of trans fat to satisfy the new requirement. Many large scale bakeries are on the hunt for trans fat free margarine.

Earth Balance: A Natural Margarine

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Who doesn't love the taste of melted butter on a freshly baked muffin? Although that creamy taste is unforgettable, we all know that butter isn't exactly healthy for us because it contains artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol.

Margarine is in no way a better option because most of them are made with hydrogenated oils that are high in trans fat. Why are trans fats so bad? They actually raise the bad cholesterol in our bodies and lower the good cholesterol.

I've got a better choice. Have you ever tried Earth Balance? It comes in a tub like other butter alternatives, but it contains no trans-fat whatsoever. It's not made with hydrogenated oils, but rather is a blend of natural vegetable oils including canola and olive.

Ok, so it's healthier for you, but does it taste good? Yes!! It really does. It has a light buttery flavor, that melts just like butter on warm bread. Plus Earth Balance is dairy-free, so it's a great alternative if you are lactose intolerant. You can use it in place of butter when spreading, cooking, or even baking.

Fit's Tips: Look for it in the dairy section next to the butter and margarine. Most health food stores carry it, and I've also been happy to see it on the shelves of mainstream grocery stores.

Butter or Margarine?

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 04:00:00 -0700