FitSugar

Has the Recession Caused You to Gain Weight?

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:30:00 -0700

This just in: America is expanding - not by miles, but by pounds. New data from Gallup-Healthways shows that in the past year, the number of Americans considered obese has jumped by 1.7 percent. That's almost 5.5 million more people who have a body mass index (BMI) over 30.

People are gaining weight because their eating and exercise habits are changing. They're no longer able to afford healthy foods, and since fast food is much less expensive, more and more people are turning toward Big Macs and Happy Meals instead of pricier lean protein, whole grains, fruits, and veggies. Not only that, but the stress of losing a job or worrying about keeping yours can cause people to indulge in junk food. Pinching pennies also means luxuries such as gym memberships and personal trainers may no longer be in the budget. Since many people have been laid off, the ones who still have jobs are asked to pick up the slack and do extra work, so there's not much energy or time to exercise, even for those who can afford it. So tell me, has saving money affected your waistline?

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Organic Frozen Veggie Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Since Winter is in full force, getting fresh produce can not only be tough, but even if you can find it, it's usually pretty pricey. That combined with the bad economy makes frozen veggies a great option. You can use them in soups, pasta dishes, for pizza toppings, or in stir-fries. It is nice to always have some veggies on hand to make sure you're eating your five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Here's the nutritional breakdown of Cascadian Farm Organic veggies that you can find in the freezer section.

Veggie	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
2/3 cup Asparagus Cuts	20	0	85	3	less than 1	2	2
2/3 cup Garden Peas	70	0	95	12	4	4	4
2/3 cup Sweet Peas	70	0	95	12	4	4	4
3/4 cup Sugar Snap Peas	35	0	140	6	2	3	2

To see the rest, read more.

Serving Size = 8 ounces (about two servings per container)	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
2/3 cup Broccoli Cuts	25	0	20	4	2	2	2
2/3 cup Broccoli Florets	25	0	20	4	2	2	2
3/4 cup Green Beans	30	0	0	6	2	2	1
1 cup Whole Green Beans	25	0	95	5	2	2	1
3/4 cup Sweet Corn	90	1	0	19	2	4	3
3/4 cup Super Sweet Corn	70	1	90	16	2	7	2
3/4 cup Peas and Pearl Onions	60	0	160	11	3	5	4
2/3 cup Peas and Carrots	50	0	75	10	3	4	2
2/3 cup Mixed Vegetable (corn, peas, and carrots)	60	0	20	12	2	4	2
3/4 cup Gardener's Blend (corn, peas, green beans, and carrots)	60	0	35	12	2	4	2
2/3 cup California-Style Blend (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and zucchini)	25	0	25	5	2	2	1
1 cup Chinese-Style Stir-fry Blend (green beans, broccoli, carrots, red pepper, onions, and mushrooms)	25	0	15	5	2	2	1
3/4 cup Thai-Style Stir-fry Blend (green beans, broccoli, carrots, bean sprouts and onions)	25	0	15	5	2	2	1
1/3 cup Spinach	20	0	130	3	3	0	2
3/4 cup Country Style Potatoes (potatoes, onions, red pepper, and green pepper)	50	0	10	12	1	0	1
2/3 cup Edamame	120	5	10	9	3	2	10
2/3 cup Shelled Edamame	120	5	10	9	3	2	10

How to Eat Healthy on a Tight Budget

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0800

With the economy the way it is, many people are tightening their budgets and trying to spend less. Although food is something we need to buy every day, eating healthy doesn't have to break the bank. While it's true that junk food can be less expensive than fruits, veggies, and other nutritious foods, it doesn't mean you should skip the produce aisle and go straight for the Nilla Wafers. Here are some tips when it comes to saving money while grocery shopping.

To get your protein, buy dried beans. While canned beans aren't that expensive, they're still pricier than bags of dried beans. All it takes is an extra hour or so to soak and cook the beans before they can be used. Aside from being less expensive than meat, beans are also a great source of fiber.
Buy the larger container of yogurt or cottage cheese. It's cheaper than buying the individual serving size containers. If you want, you can separate them once you get home, and store them in plastic containers in the fridge so they're ready to eat.
Buy rice, oatmeal, and other grains in bulk. Whole grains are full of fiber, so you won't have to eat much to feel satisfied and stay full. Buying in bulk is cheaper than buying individual packages.
Look for produce that's on sale instead of grabbing the fruits and veggies you love. Usually seasonal items are less expensive, meaning you don't need to buy fresh raspberries in the middle of Winter. It'll save you some dough and offer you different vitamins and minerals.

For other tips read more.

Look for frozen veggies and fruits. They're often cheaper than fresh produce in the Winter.
Make your own nut butter. Buy almonds or peanuts in bulk and then use your food processor to grind them up.
Bring a calculator and add up what's in your cart as you go along. That way you won't be shocked when the cashier tells you what you owe.

If you have any other money-saving tips on how to eat healthy, share them in the comment section below.

Source

Forget Low Carb - Pasta Popular Again Because It's Cheap

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:00:00 -0800

Some folks swear they've lost weight by sticking to a low-carb diet. Cheese, meat, and fresh veggies aren't cheap, though, so while this diet may help you shrink your waist, it's doing the same for your wallet. With the economy the way it is now, new stats show that pasta is back. Sales of pasta products including frozen, refrigerated, canned, and boxed pasta, soup mixes, and prepared dinners have risen five percent. That adds up to $6.4 billion worth of pasta. With this type of food being pretty inexpensive, people can feed themselves and their families on a smaller budget. Of course, the pasta companies are thrilled since the low-carb fad really hurt pasta sales. Now people are looking for ways to stretch their paychecks, and they've rediscovered pasta. This is a good thing since eating carbs can boost serotonin levels in your brain. In pasta's honor, I may have to whip out my I Love Carbs t-shirt.

Tell me, are you eating more pasta because it's less expensive?

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Speak Up: What Healthy Expensive Food Do You Splurge On?

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:00:00 -0800

Times are tough. Not only is the economy bad but for many of us, Winter is a time when buying food, especially produce, can be pricey. There are certain foods though that I refuse to live without. Cashews are one of my weakness, and even though cherries and avocados cost more than I want to spend, they're nutritious and so very tasty and end up in my grocery cart. So tell me, what healthy expensive foods do you splurge on? Are there certain foods you used to buy organic, but are forced to buy conventional now because they're cheaper?

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Top 5 Unhealthiest Fast Food Value Meals

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:08:15 -0800

There are a few reasons why you might find yourself in a fast food restaurant, two of them being cost and convenience. Whether you're in a rush, looking to save money, or simply have a hankering for fast food, know that some of the big menu options are better than others.

The Cancer Project surveyed the largest fast food chains in the US to come up with a list of what the initiative has deemed the five unhealthiest items. The survey coincides with new research that says cancer is projected to be the world's leading killer, with particular concern about high-fat diets in Western countries, and comes at a time when people might be sacrificing their health to save money. To see the five unhealthiest fast food items on value menus, read more.

Wendy’s junior bacon cheeseburger ($1.53): 310 calories, 16 grams of fat
McDonald’s McDouble ($1): 19 grams of fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol
Burger King breakfast sausage biscuit ($1): 27 grams of fat (15 grams of saturated fat), more than 1,000 milligrams of sodium.
Taco Bell cheesy double beef burrito ($0.89): 460 calories, 20 grams of fat, 1,620 milligrams of sodium.
Jack in the Box junior bacon cheeseburger ($1): 23 grams of fat (8 grams of saturated fat), 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 860 milligrams of sodium.

Source

As the Economy Suffers, McDonald's Sales Are Up

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 03:00:00 -0800

We're all feeling the effects of the recession right now, and many of us have had to buckle down on how much we spend. Since nutritious and wholesome food costs more, we may not be able to afford it, and are turning toward cheaper alternatives. People who were used to frequenting pricier sit-down restaurants are now opting for crappy fast food to save money. That translates to an increase in sales for McDonald's. Their sales are up 8.2 percent, which is a huge deal. I guess when the credit market froze, it didn't stop McDonald's-lovers from "Lovin' It" even more. Who could pass up the dollar-menu with this economy? It's disheartening that McDonald's is actually making a profit with this recession.

When was the last time you ate at Mickey D's? Tell me in the comment section below.

Has the Economy Affected Your Healthy Eating Habits?

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:30:00 -0800

In case you missed it, the economy is in the dumps. It is affecting us all in a variety of ways, and we're being forced to cut back on spending in many parts of our lives to save money. One of those areas is food. It doesn't help that food prices have risen, especially produce and organic foods. Many healthy but costly foods are no longer part of people's grocery budgets, and they're skipping out on nutritious foods to buy junk food instead since it's cheaper. What about you?

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The Dollar-a-Day Diet

FitSugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:30:00 -0800

I've heard of the Grapefriut Diet, Carb-Free Diet, and the Morning Banana Diet, but a Dollar-a-Day Diet? This eating plan has nothing to do with weight loss, and everything to do with income. Since the economy has taken a nose dive, many people are living on tight budgets, and opting for junk food since studies show it's cheaper than fruits, veggies, and other nutritious foods. So a young couple in California, Christopher Greenslate and Kerri Leonard, decided to conduct an experiment - to live one month on a diet that costs one dollar a day, and see if it was possible to eat healthy. For details on their One Dollar Diet Project, you can check out their blog. They lived mostly on dried beans, rice, cornmeal, and oatmeal they bought in bulk. They also baked their own bread and made their own tortillas. To find out what they ate read more.

Breakfast: 1 cup cooked oatmeal ($.06)

Lunch: PB & J sandwiches ($.36) and two cups air-popped popcorn ($.07).

Dinner: 2 bean and rice burritos (beans - $0.07, rice -$0.11, tortillas - $.05 each, small strips of lettuce - $.07, 1 tablespoon taco sauce - $.12)

Dessert:1 tablespoon of peanut butter ($.05).

That's not too healthy, huh? The couple discovered that lack of money is a huge issue when it comes to a nutritious diet. They also realized this experiment was a luxury for them, considering they chose to eat for a dollar a day - most people don't have the choice. The economic downturn has obesity researchers worried that this will begin a trend of eating calorie-rich, nutrient-poor foods. It's unfortunate that eating fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains costs so much. Affordable nutrition is definitely something that needs to be addressed.

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No Money, No Problem

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:00:00 -0700

The economy is going through some serious hard times and it's hard enough keeping up with the bills, let alone finding the cash to buy organic and pay for a posh gym membership. Being healthy does not mean that you need to pay out the big bucks; there are plenty of ways you can get moving and eat right without thinning out your wallet. I've rounded up five of my favorite ways to save the dough and still be healthy, so check out this slideshow to get a few ideas for yourself.

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