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The Cost of Convenience: Calories in Food Court Meals

Heather Dale — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:26:27 PDT

With all of the calories you can burn while shopping, it's no wonder that food courts are packed with treats to tempt your taste buds. But how many calories do some of our food court favorites have? Take the quiz to find out!

Source: Flickr User pjf@cpan

Take the Quiz

The Food Court Musical

GiggleSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:00:00 PDT

Improv Everywhere is known for busting out comedic performances in unlikely locations, so they staged a musical - in a shopping mall food court. It all started with the Hot Dog on a Stick girl crying over spilled lemonade and ended with the whole food court triumphantly singing about napkin shortage. Hungry patrons, clueless that the joke was on them, didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If you ask me, all they had to do was buy a corn dog from the crying chick and tell her to shove it. But that would have made this a lot less funny.

Food Court Survival: Part I

FitSugar — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 03:00:00 PST

The mall is almost unavoidable during the holidays, and something about all that running around and waiting in lines makes me hungry. What's worse: Not only am I hungry, but I also know there is a place where food is easily accessible. That place, like the fast food holy land, is the Food Court.

Don't worry, we can get through this.

My first idea is to stick to places where you can actually eat healthy. Deli-type places (Au Bon Pain, Subway, etc.) that don't even have a deep fryer are good options - in other words, places where you can't get french fries and onion rings. Places such as Cinnabon, where it's gooey cinnamon roles or nothing, are out.

Au Bon Pain is a favorite of mine but watch out for cheeses, mayonnaise, and any other special sauces they throw on a sandwich and opt for mustard instead. A great option is the Tuna Nicoise Salad, with 270 calories and 12 grams of fat; get the dressing on the side to lower those numbers even more. People tend to think Chinese food is healthy, but that is not always the case - go steamed or not at all. A good option at Panda Express is the Mushroom Chicken with a side of mixed veggies, all for about 220 calories and 15 grams of fat.

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8 Things You Think Are Good for Your Money . . . That Aren't

LearnVest — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:03:23 PDT

You may be wasting money when you think you're saving. LearnVest shares eight of the biggest money misconceptions.

Frugalista. Recessionista. In the past few years, people have coined a lot of silly words describing women and their approach to money, but the thought behind each of them is the same: You care about your hard-earned dollars and want to make them stretch.

That's true of most of us: We scrimp, we pinch, we try to feed our proverbial piggy bank as much as possible. Yet sometimes, in our excitement to be financial overachievers, we overreach.

It turns out there are a number of things that sound like they'd be doing good things for your money, and make you feel like you're saving more . . . when, actually, they're having the opposite effect.

Paying Every Debt Equally

When you have multiple debts to pay off (a credit card here, a student loan there) you might feel like a rock star simply for keeping up with them all and dividing your attention in a lot of different directions. Which, in a sense, you are! After all, you should always pay at least the minimums on all your loans.

But, if you have extra money to pay down your debts, you’re doing yourself a disservice by dividing it equally. The debts with the highest interest rates grow the fastest, so you should focus your muscle on the most toxic debts first.

Read on for more.

Food Court Survival: Healthy Fast Food Options

FitSugar — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 03:30:00 PST

If you're braving the mall this Black Friday, chances are you're going to need to refuel at the food court as well. Although there are choices galore on the food front, many of them are high in calories and fat, so here are some healthier options to munch on. They may not be the healthiest choices on the planet, but they're better than succumbing to a Big Mac attack.

From Subway:
6" Veggie Delite: 230 calories, 1 g saturated fat
6" Turkey Breast: 280 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat
6" Oven Roasted Chicken Breast: 310 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat

Not into those choices? Then

From McDonald's:
Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken: 320 calories, 3 g saturated fat
Premium Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken: 300 calories, 1 g saturated fat
Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken: 220 calories, 3 g saturated fat
Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad: 210 calories, 1.5 g of saturated fat

Opt for no dressing or choose from these two:

Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette: 40 calories, 0 g saturated fat
Newman's Own Low Fat Family Recipe Italian Dressing: 60 calories, 0 g saturated fat

From Wendy's:
Chicken Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken Fillet: 490 calories, 7 g saturated fat
Broccoli and Cheese Potato: 320 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat
Grilled Chicken Go Wrap: 260 calories, 3.5 g saturated fat
Ultimate Chicken Grill: 320 calories, 1.5 g saturated fat
Premium Fish Fillet Sandwich: 450 calories, 3.5 g saturated fat
Side of Mandarin Oranges: 80 calories, 0 g saturated fat

From Taco Bell:
Fresco Bean Burrito: 330 calories, 2.5 g saturated fat
Regular Style Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco: 270 calories, 4 g saturated fat
Regular Style Spicy Chicken Soft Taco: 170 calories, 2 g saturated fat
Fresco Style Spicy Chicken Burrito: 340 calories, 3 g saturated fat
Fresco Style Fiesta Burrito - Beef: 350 calories, 4 g saturated fat
Fresco Style Chalupa Supreme - Chicken: 300 calories, 2 g saturated fat

From Dunkin' Donuts:
Multigrain bagel w/ reduced fat vegetable cream cheese: 520 calories, 8 g saturated fat
Turkey and Cheese Sandwich: 510 calories, 6 g saturated fat
Garden Salad: 240 calories, 5 g saturated fat
Chicken Noodle Soup: 140 calories, 1 g saturated fat
Reduced Fat Blueberry Muffin: 400 calories, 2 g saturated fat

From Sbarro:

Slice of thin-crust cheese pizza: 460 calories, 3.5 g saturated fat

Fit's Tip: Another great option is to pack your own healthy snacks or sandwiches. You'll know it's low in calories and fat, will save you money, and you won't have to wait in those long lines.

How Celeb Trainer Gunnar Peterson Keeps Sofia Looking Hot

Leta Shy — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:48:31 PDT

Whether she's hamming it up in front of Saturday Night Live cameras or going glam on the red carpet, Modern Family star Sofia Vergara always looks the part. But the self-described gym hater also works hard to keep fit. We spoke to her trainer Gunnar Peterson (whose clients have also included Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and Angelina Jolie), to learn more about how Sofia stays fit. Read his tips below.

Make it fun: How does Gunnar keep his celebrity clients sticking to their routine? "I try to keep it fun. I try and put a little bit of levity in it, but at the same time, I don’t sacrifice the work. We may goof around and stuff, but we’re definitely going to goof around while we’re working." A boring workout is one you won't want to stick to, so read our tips on how to keep a workout fun.

Whole-body workout: Gunnar doesn't like to waste time with isolated moves. Burn more calories and work more of your body at the same time instead. "I don’t do that many isolation movements, like single joint stuff," Gunnar says. "I do bigger movements. If we’re going to do a lunge, we’re probably going to add an upper body component to it, like a lunge with a wood chop, a side lunge with a wood chop, or a rear lunge with a lateral raise, or a forward lunge with a front raise." Try it yourself: incorporate this medicine ball wood chop the next time you do lunges, and check out Gunnar's cutting-edge double-duty gym equipment here.

Read on for more tips from celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson.

5 Habits of the Always-Fit

Leta Shy — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:48:23 PDT

Some people make it look so easy - they bounce out of bed in the morning, sprinkle their Greek yogurt with berries, and hop outside for their daily run. A green smoothie and a few post-workout stretches later, they're well on their way to having yet another healthy day.

For others, sticking with a healthy lifestyle isn't always so simple. Staying fit and healthy can be a struggle, since sticking to a workout and diet (aka not diving into a pint of ice cream every night) can test anyone's willpower. But the good news is that practice makes perfect, and becoming one of those enviably fit and healthy people can be just a few simple lifestyle changes away. Read on for five habits to borrow from the always-fit.

Make it a no-brainer: It can be hard to start an exercise routine, but it can be even harder to stick with it. But keeping with a regular exercise schedule gets easier the more you do it - that is, until you stop. Those enviably fit people have a secret: think of exercise as a daily must-do. You'll avoid getting into a rut, and you'll start to consider a workout as part of your everyday routine. Not only that, getting into an exercise routine makes skipping out that much harder; many people say that if they go without exercise for a few days, they start to feel anxious.

Take control of your food choices: It's an easy excuse to fall for: you can't eat right because you're surrounded by fast-food options, or you just don't have time to prep a healthy meal. People who are fit and healthy anticipate their hunger so they're not caught off guard with a grumbling stomach at the mall food court. Prepping meals and bringing your own snacks may take a little more time, but spending a few extra minutes to make meals and pack snacks will help you stay away from a fast-food fix. Stock your pantry with these healthy staples (think canned tuna, frozen veggies, and energy bars in bulk) that'll make throwing together a meal or to-go snack a breeze.

Read on for more healthy habits.

Omm My! 5 Annoying People You'll Find in Yoga Class

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 03:07:52 PST

Yoga is about self-acceptance and embracing little quirks in others, but let's face it - we've probably all found someone in our yoga class annoying. You may smile at them and even throw out a polite "namaste," but on the inside, you're rolling your third eye.

1. The Show-Off
Oh, you can do a handstand? Wow. Oh, you can do Scorpion Handstand with your feet on your head. Impressive. Wait, now you're folding into Lotus, lowering your knees onto your arms, and coming into some crazy Crow variation?! We get it. You're strong, flexible, and amazing. But do you need to show off all your Cirque du Soleil tricks when the rest of us are doing the humble Tree pose? Come on!

2. The Om-ing Exhaler
Every yoga class has some degree of group om-ing, chanting, and deep breathing, but it's the spontaneous and abnormally loud om-ing exhales, the huge sighs, and other random noises that really annoy. We get it, you're releasing and relaxing, but keep the feel-good noises that border on sex sounds to a minimum.

Keep reading to hear about three more annoying people in your yoga class.

Black Friday: Food Court Survival Guide

FitSugar — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 02:30:03 PST

Black Friday. A day full of deals, long lines, and schlepping bags full of gifts around the mall. It's a shopping marathon and a gal needs to fuel for endurance events.

The holiday season is full wonderful home-baked treats, you don't want to waste precious calories on run-of-the-mill food court fare. I have found a few items that are lower in calories and saturated fat and though may not be the healthiest choices overall, like celeb trainer Valerie Waters says, sometimes you just have to just make the better choice.

From Dunkin' Donuts:
Multigrain bagel w/ reduced fat veggie cream cheese: 510 calories, 6.5 g saturated fat
Egg White Turkey Sausage Flatbread Sandwich: 290 calories, 3 g saturated fat
Egg White and Cheese Wake-Up Wrap: 150 calories, 3 g saturated fat

From McDonald's:
Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken: 320 calories, 3 g saturated fat
Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken: 220 calories, 3 g saturated fat
Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad: 210 calories, 1.5 g of saturated fat

Opt for no dressing or choose from these two:

Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette: 40 calories, 0 g saturated fat
Newman's Own Low Fat Family Recipe Italian Dressing: 60 calories, 0 g saturated fat

Not lovin' those option? Then look for more choices after the break.

Is It Hard to Stick to Your Diet Over the Holidays?

Leta Shy — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:05:42 PST

Chances are you've been to a holiday party or two already. And besides the guaranteed drinks and merriment with your friends and family, there's another guarantee - the table of never-ending treats.

It can be hard to think about diet and exercise during a month chock-full of cookies, candy, and eggnog. I've asked my friends if it's been easy to stick to a diet as the holiday festivities ramp up, and most of them answer with a resounding, "No!" I'm the same; for me, the holidays mean less a focus on diet than ensuring I stick to a pretty normal workout routine (regular exercise is one of the best ways to prevent holiday weight gain), so I don't feel a compelling need to limit myself when the treats roll by.

If you're having the same trouble staying with a diet plan, don't worry; we have some tried-and-true tips for staying healthy whether you're at a holiday party or if you're eyeing the food court while gift shopping. But if you've abandoned all hope until after New Year's Eve, you're not alone - after all, January's a big month for renewed diet resolutions for a reason, right? So tell us: do you conveniently forget about your diet plans over the holidays, or do you make sure you stick to your normal healthy eating plans?