FitSugar

Chip Substitute: Jicama

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 07:30:00 PDT

For me, the word snack is synonymous with crunch. I find snacks more satisfying if they have some snap to them. Needless to say I am a chip lover, but they are not the most nutritious food on the planet and can be rather fattening too.

Luckily, my love affair with chips is cooling now that I have found jicama. It is a Spanish word; so pronounce the "j" with the sound of "h".

Native to the Americas and sometimes called the Mexican potato, and a mix between a potato and a pear. You can also compare it in texture to a water chestnut, and in fact jicama is made up of almost 90 percent water. A cup of jicama has almost 6 grams of fiber and only 50 calories. It is also high in vitamin C, potassium and folate.

Peel the coarse, papery skin and julienne the white flesh, into carrot stick size pieces, and squeeze some lime juice on it to keep it from browning. Add a pinch of chili to the lime juice and you have an excellent treat right there. It is also great in salad. I like to use jicama as a vehicle for salsa, and that is why I call it a chip substitute.

Source

A Doctor Dishes: Which "Superfoods" Are Worth the Cost?

LearnVest — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

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

Most people you speak to these days are trying to stretch every dollar as far as possible - even the ones they spend buying apples and oranges.

Food prices are expected to increase yet again this year, and food manufacturers are making portions smaller without reducing prices. Not surprisingly, a recent Rasmussen poll found that 93 percent of adults report paying more for groceries now than they did a year ago.

So how can we supercharge our grocery dollars and get them to do overtime for us?

Yes, some foods are obviously a better nutritional deal than others (think apples vs. potato chips), but there’s another class of foods that blows the rest of the field away in terms of nutrients and health-protecting qualities: superfoods.

Superfoods can help prevent diabetes and heart disease, repair damage to your body’s cells, and more. But before you go piling them into your cart, know that some superfoods are better nutritional bargains than others. As a doctor and a mom, I’ve sleuthed out which ones are worth the extra cost in terms of their long-term health benefits. Below is the scoop on which ones may help you age better, ward off cancer, and more.

What to Know Before Buying Superfoods

Before we dive into what to buy, there are a few important things to remember about consuming these foods:

Eating foods fresh and in their natural state, especially fruits and vegetables (rather than in pill or powder supplement form), usually allows us to absorb the greatest amount of their nutrients. The way a superfood is processed or cooked can significantly lower its antioxidant content.
If the superfood can’t be eaten fresh, look for easy and appetizing recipes containing it. No matter how “super” a superfood may be, if you don’t know how to cook it, you’ll probably let it go to waste.

Are Superfoods "Good Buys" If I’m Shopping on a Budget?

Read on to find out.

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!

Truffle Mac and Cheese

OnSugar Blog — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:55:45 PST

Winter's prime time for comfort foods, and what could be more reassuring on a bleak day than truffle mac and cheese? Cooking in Pajamas expounds.

You could go to a restaurant and pay $15 for a bowl of this decadent pasta, or simply make it at home for a fraction of the price. That's right. You can make this at home for a surprisingly reasonable price. The secret is truffle oil.

The use of truffle oil has become controversial in culinary circles. Ask any chef what they think of truffle oil, and they will most likely turn up their noses and declare it to be an unacceptable substitute to the real thing. One of the biggest reasons for this is that many truffle oils on the market do not contain any actual truffles. They use a synthetic ingredient to duplicate the aroma of the truffle, but their are a few brands that contain natural truffle to infuse the oil.

Keep reading for her truffle macaroni and cheese secrets.

Weekend DIY: Pantone Chip Magnets

Kelly Schwarze — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 06:17:57 PST

Wear your design snob badge on your refrigerator with pride by whipping up this weekend's DIY. Take chip samples from the source for color, Pantone, to revamp the tired food delivery magnets covering the fridge. The Pantone chip magnets from How About Orange involve a little cutting, paper glaze, and magnet pieces for a home accessory to mirror your design geek personality.

If you don't have Pantone chips handy and don't want to invest in the full chip book, everyday paint chips from a hardware store make a good substitute.

A Reader Recipe: Chocolate Chickpea Protein Cookies

Fit Community — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 04:07:42 PST

Here's a sweet protein treat from reader For the Love of Fiber. She posted this chocolate chickpea cookie recipe in our Healthy Recipe group.

Inspired by Jessica Seinfeld's recipe in Deceptively Delicious, after a few rounds and ingredient tweaks, I cracked the code to a not-too-sweet, soft, and tasty chocolate chip cookie, with, wait for it . . . chickpeas. Yes, protein and fiberlicious chickpeas. You can almost hear the "Hallelujah" chorus, can’t you?

If you don’t have palm sugar (get some), you can substitute it with brown sugar. Why palm sugar? Made from coconut tree nectar, it’s naturally low on the glycemic index, meaning that it won’t spike your blood sugar like white or brown sugar, and has significantly more potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, phosphorus, nitrogen, and sodium than its white and brown counterparts.

Learn how to make the recipe after the break!

Nutrition Myths That Can Cause Weight Gain

Shape — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:04:23 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Myth: Going Vegan Will Make You Lose Weight
"While various research shows that vegetarians and vegans, on average, consume fewer calories and less fat than omnivores (a 2009 Oxford study found that vegetarians weigh 3 to 20 percent less than their meat-eating counterparts, and a National Cancer Institute study found that subjects who consumed four ounces or more of red meat weekly were 30 percent more likely to die of any cause than those who ate less), these numbers may be misleading," says Rania Batayneh, MPH, a certified nutritionist and owner of Essential Nutrition for You.

Going vegan solely for weight loss can backfire, big time. If you aren’t vigilant with a vegan diet, it’s easy to lack in vital nutrients, vitamins, and proteins, which give you energy and help keep your metabolism stoked. Many first-time vegans may also find themselves reaching for more processed foods like vegan cookies, chips, or even ‘ice cream’ more often with such a restricted diet, and many end up packing on the pounds instead.

If you do decide to adopt a vegan diet, be sure to keep the ‘treats’ to a minimum and plan balanced meals (we love ‘Domestic Vegan’ Diva Jessica Olson’s tips for "going veg"). "Aim to get about 10 to 20 percent of your calories from protein (or about 1 gram per kilogram of body weight), replacing animal protein with healthy plant proteins, like those found in beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy products," Batayneh says. "And, whether you are vegan or not, eating more green, leafy vegetables is great for your health and your waistline."

See which other diet habits may also being causing weight gain after the break!

4 Ways to Fight PMS

Leta Shy — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 02:01:26 PDT

Most women experience some form of PMS every month, ranging from a slight irritability to full-blown moodiness. And while we can't prevent all symptoms from occurring, there are some important lifestyle changes we can make to make the most of that time of the month. Here are four ways to combat PMS.

Change your diet: Many times, experiencing harsh PMS symptoms can be attributed to what you've been eating. Eating salty foods, for example, can cause bloating from fluid retention, which can lead to sore breasts. It's not just about limiting your diet, however. Adding certain foods can help reduce PMS symptoms. Check out our list of five foods that fight PMS here.

Don't stop exercising: Feeling fatigued, moody, bloated, and sore? Chances are your daily gym trip is the last thing on your mind. But instead of dragging yourself from bed to work to couch, try to stick to your normal routine, just make your workouts lighter in intensity. Regular exercise can help fight PMS fatigue, and if you stick to it now, you'll be more apt to continue exercising when your period starts - which can help relieve menstrual cramp pain. Here are low-impact exercises perfect for workouts during that time of the month.

Find two more proven ways to fight those dreaded PMS symptoms after the break.

3 Great Cookbooks For Delicious Vegan Baked Goods

Anna Monette Roberts — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 02:26:06 PDT

As a vegan newbie, or someone looking to learn more about vegan baking, it's best to leave the science experiments to the experts and purchase a vegan cookbook. Avoid substituting vegan ingredients in regular recipes, because it often results in a disastrous, disappointing experience. I've baked from dozens of vegan cookbooks, but these three offer moist, succulent, and totally indulgent vegan baked goods (minus the cholesterol and extra fat). Here's what makes them so good, plus which recipes you've got to try.

The Joy of Vegan Baking ($11): Colleen Patrick-Goudreau offers decadent but doable recipes from vegan scones to cheesecake to cobblers. Several of the recipes use a buttermilk blend made of almond or soy milk and a teaspoon of white vinegar, which gives the goods a tart and tangy flavor, tenderizes the gluten in the flour, and helps the batter rise quickly. The result is soft, fluffy vegan treats. For breakfast, I love making the "Blueberry Lemon Muffins." I dare you not to lick the bowl clean.

Giada De Laurentiis Offers Meatball Tips and Food Predictions

YumSugar — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:15:13 PDT

We've hit the ground running at the New York City Wine and Food Festival, and last night we kept busy (and full) stuffing our faces at Meatball Madness (our favorite: a brilliant duck and porcini creation).

While our mouths were pretty much full the entire time, we'd have been remiss not to catch a word with the evening's host, Giada De Laurentiis, who had the weighty task of evaluating all 25 meatball contenders at the event. She took a minute to tell us what makes a great meatball at home, as well as her Halloween plans and her latest big project.

More on meatballs, her favorite homemade Halloween candies, and food trends she's over when you keep reading.