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Food Review: Earth Balance Cream Cheese Spread

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:00:00 -0800

When it comes to buttering my bread or baking, I'm a huge fan of Earth Balance natural margarine. It's cholesterol free, low in saturated fat, and dairy free. I just discovered that Earth Balance makes Cream Cheese. Yes it's made with milk, so it's not some vegan alternative, but it's made with rBST-free milk and it's supposed to be a healthier version of mainstream cream cheese.

To see how the two types of cream cheeses compare read more.

Taste-wise, there isn't much difference at all. The Earth Balance tastes slightly sweet, and has a thick, creamy texture that spread exactly like regular cream cheese. Nutritionally, there's a big difference. The Earth Balance Cream Cheese has less calories, less fat, less cholesterol, and more protein. It does contain a bit more sodium and sugars, but not a significant amount. I'm definitely making the switch. I wonder how this will work in a cheesecake recipe?

Serving Size	Earth Balance cream Cheese (2 tbsp / 30 g)	Philadelphia Cream Cheese (2 tbsp / 30 g)
Calories	80	107
Total Fat	6 g	10.7 g
Saturated Fat	3 g	6.4 g
Cholesterol	15 mg	32 mg
Sodium	105 mg	96 mg
Carbs	2 g	1.1 g
Fiber	0 g	0 g
Sugars	2 g	1.1 g
Protein	3 g	2.1 g
Ingredients	Pasteurized cultured skim milk and cream, natural oil blend (palm fruit, soybean and canola oils), whey protein, milk proteins, less than 2% of salt, natural flavor, natural plant sterols, xanthan, locust bean and guar gums.	Pasteurized nonfat milk and milkfat, whey protein concentrate, cheese culture, salt, whey, stabilizers (xanthan gum and/or carob bean and/or guar gums), sorbic acid as a preservative, vitamin A palmitate.

Healthy Snack: Cucumber Cream Cheese Nibblers

FitSugar — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0700

In the mood for a light snack for Summer? Give this simple recipe a try. It may not seem very appetizing, but it's one of those things that you have to try. All three flavors and textures complement one another beautifully.

To see the recipe just read more.

Cucumber Cream Cheese Nibblers
Learned this recipe from a friend.

Ingredients

1 cucumber
Reduced fat cream cheese
Whole grain baguette

Directions

Slice the baguette into half inch slices.
Smear cream cheese on each piece.

Slice cucumber into quarter inch slices.
Top one cucumber slice on top of the cream cheese.

If you like dill, you can sprinkle some on top. Enjoy!

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Do you have a healthy snack or recipe to share? Then share it in the Lite'n it Up - Healthy Recipe Group and I might just post it on FitSugar.

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...

Healthy T-Day Dessert: Pumpkin-Carrot Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

FitSugar — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:30:05 -0800

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and my love of all things pumpkin is hardly waning. From yogurt to muffins, I relish this tasty flavor of Fall. If you're looking for a pumpkin pie alternative, these pumpkin-carrot bars are delish. The bit of cream cheese frosting adds a deceptive element of decadence.

Low in calories while remaining full of flavor, these pumpkin bars make a great dessert - perfect for potlucks (much easier to share with large groups than pies) and they're relatively guilt-free. They're high in vitamin A - and trust me you cannot even taste the shredded carrot - and a bar only contains 70 calories and less than two grams of fat. With nutritional stats like that, it's OK to go back for seconds.

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Pumpkin-Carrot Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
Modified from SparkPeople

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Earth Balance (or other butter substitute)
2 eggs
2 large egg whites
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin pie filling
2/3 cup finely shredded carrot

Cream cheese topping:
4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon skim milk

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Spray a 15 x 10 jellyroll pan with cooking spray.
In small bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and baking soda.
In larger bowl, use electric mixer to beat sugar, Earth Balance, and brown sugar until crumbly. Add eggs, egg whites, pumpkin pie filling, and carrots. Beat until well blended.
Add flour mixture and mix until well blended. Spread onto greased pan.
To prepare cream cheese topping: mix together cream cheese, sugar, and milk until thoroughly blended.
Drop teaspoon-fulls of topping over pumpkin batter and swirl and cut mixture into batter with a butter knife.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan completely on wire rack before cutting into squares.

Makes 48 squares.

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Looking for more healthy recipes? Then check out the Healthy Recipe Group - the name pretty much says it all.

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.

Source

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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Speak Up: What Are Your PMS Food Cravings?

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0800

I try hard to eat healthy most of the time, but when PMS strikes, it's hard for me to stay on track. I end up craving everything sweet and salty like ice cream and mozzarella cheese-covered french fries. What about you? What are your fattening, greasy, creamy, fried, sugar-coated, chocolate-covered PMS cravings?

Your Healthy Food Swaps

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:00:27 -0800

Since decadent foods like ice cream, baked treats, and fried foods tend to be high in the calorie department, it's good to have a few healthy food swap ideas up your sleeve. Here are some shared by fellow FitSugar readers.

"Avocado instead of mayo . . . sure it may have fat in it but it's healthy fat and tastes delicious. Hummus instead of cream in sauces and soups . . . adds a ton of flavor and protein." - mamasitamalita
"I use balsamic vinegar (not vinaigrette) on my salads without any oil. It gives the same powerful flavor kick but for a lot less calories." - laellavita
"Replace ranch dressing on my salad with cottage cheese." - genipher85

For more great ideas, keep reading

Why We Overeat: We Crave Fattening Foods

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:00:38 -0700

Juicy hamburgers, crispy French fries smothered in cheese, brownie sundaes topped with ice cream - why can't we say no to these fattening foods? We can't help it, according to Health magazine. Dr. David A. Kessler, author of The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite says, "We’re hardwired to hunger for fatty, sugary, salty foods because, back when our ancestors were foraging for every meal, palatable eats meant extra energy and a leg-up on survival."

Well thank you Mr. Caveman for my desire for greasy pizza and cheesecake. Not only do high-fat foods taste great, but when you devour them, a signal is sent to your brain that you're satisfied and happy. Your brain also forms long-term feel-good memories of the experience, which makes you crave it again and again. Even seeing or smelling certain fattening foods can spur pleasant thoughts that make us crave it. Well I guess old habits die hard. It does make me feel better to know that my brain's hunger for triple chocolate mousse pie is a force stronger than my willpower.

How can you combat this hardwired desire? Find out when you read more.

The best thing you can do is know which high-fat foods are triggers for you. Dr. Kessler says since certain moods, times of day, or places can spark our need for our favorite treats, avoid giving into your cravings. This will prevent the link from forming between foods and their triggers. Also set yourself up for success by avoiding foods that you can't say no to. That means you might want to find a different route to work that doesn't take you past a chocolate shop.

Does It or Doesn't It Contain Dairy?

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:00:42 -0700

If you're giving up meat in honor of World Vegetarian Awareness Month, you may consider doing the same with dairy products as well. Foods containing diary can be high in saturated fat and cholesterol, so it's good to know which foods contain it. Ice cream, cheese, and yogurt are obvious, but can you figure out what other products contain hidden amounts of milk? Take this quiz and see.

Question 1 of 8

Barbara's Organic Cinnamon Crisp Granola Bars