FitSugar

Shop For Healthy and Organic Foods Without Breaking the Bank

Michele Foley — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 18:48:05 PDT

Buying healthy, organic food can be expensive, but there are ways to save money when grocery shopping. From joining a CSA to choosing the right cut of beef, find out how to keep your kitchen stocked with healthy, local, and organic foods while staying well within your food budget!

Join a CSA

Becoming a member of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is an easy way to save money on organic produce. If you're unfamiliar with CSAs, think of them as a farmers market in a box. For a monthly (or, in some cases, seasonal) fee paid directly to a local farm, you'll receive a weekly box of fresh organic produce. Besides fruit and vegetables, many CSAs offer grass-fed meats, organic poultry and dairy products, as well as a host of other organic, local, and Fair Trade items like coffee, olive oil, and homemade jams. I pay much less for my CSA-box subscription, than I would if I bought the same (nonorganic!) fruits and veggies from the grocery store. Visit the Local Harvest website to find a CSA near you. (If you don't want to commit to a CSA, shop for organic fruits and veggies at a farmers market. Prices on organic produce are generally lower at a farmers market than the grocery store.)

Picky Shopping

While you may not be able to shop organic 100 percent of the time, there are tools that can help you decide when it's best. Use the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch pocket guide to know what seafood is the most sustainable in your area. For fruits and veggies, The Environmental Working Group has two handy lists to use while shopping. The "clean 15" list is conventional produce that tested low in pesticides and contamination, and the "dirty dozen" is a list of fruits and vegetables that you should always buy organic. When it comes to meat, look for less popular cuts of beef since they are usually much cheaper. I love using both grass-fed organic flank and skirt steak in my cooking; both of these cuts are much more affordable than even what a nonorganic rib-eye steak will run me.

See even more grocery shopping tips for saving money after the break

Starbucks Bistro Boxes Target Health-Conscious Diners

Susannah Chen — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:04:35 PDT

Starbucks doesn't just want its coffee drinkers to drop in for joe each morning; it also wants customers to stay for lunch.

Today, the coffee company rolled out a new line of Bistro Boxes - all-day meals and snacks under 500 calories with a focus on healthier, more wholesome food - to approximately 5,400 Starbucks locations across the United States and Canada. The target? The 45 percent of Americans who are "wellness seekers looking for healthy options," according to one executive.

The lineup includes $7-and-under entrée-sized Bistro Boxes, such as Chipotle Chicken Wraps, Sesame Noodles, Chicken Lettuce Wraps, and a Salumi & Cheese box. Also available are the smaller-sized Tuna Salad, Protein Plate, Chicken & Hummus platter, and Cheese & Fruit box.

Given the trend of healthier on-the-go menu options, this rollout seems to make sense for Starbucks. But considering the fact that these items don't come cheap and Americans aren't willing to pay more for healthier options, it remains to be seen whether these offerings will be successful. Will you try them?

Source

Are You Willing to Pay More For Healthy Food?

Susannah Chen — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 04:14:57 PDT

A new study conducted by marketing research firm NPD shows that Americans are unwilling to eat healthier food if it means spending more. According to the report, the number of restaurant visits based on a consumers' cravings for healthful or light fare is down 10 percent from four years prior, and 70 percent of diners aren't prepared to pay a premium for wholesome food when they're eating out. The takeaway: health food needs to be priced more competitively.

I've always known that wholesome food is more costly than junk food, and I expect to pay a premium on it. I'm shocked by America's lack of willingness to pay more for something that's of higher value, and - in today's goat cheese salad day and age - even more surprised that the desire to dine out healthfully has actually declined over the past few years. What do you have to say about it?

7 Superfoods to Increase Your Brain Power

Michele Bell — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 09:00:38 PDT

When we're little, we're encouraged to eat leafy greens and fish fillets to help our brains grow into little powerhouses. While that's all good, there are plenty of other foods to provide our thinking organs the power they need to keep ticking. So before you reach for the pill bottle full of supplements or overdose on spinach, try filling up on some of these tasty bites that can fire up some brain power naturally.

Brazil nuts: What does monosaturated fat plus magnesium equal? Apparently a healthy dose of brain food. Dr. Oz says the combination available in Brazil nuts helps the body and brain communicate better.
Avocados: They don't just taste delicious, they are divine for the brain. Dr. Ann Kulze says, "It's a monounsaturated fat, which contributes to healthy blood flow . . . And healthy blood flow means a healthy brain."
Blueberries: We already know that blueberries are a fabulous source of antioxidants, which is great for aging skin. It's also an incredible boost to the aging of the brain, as they can help prevent Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

Want to see the rest of the superfoods?

Diet Tip: Health Food Doesn't Mean "Eat All You Want"

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:00:00 PDT

Healthy snacks are great for noshing. Nuts, dried fruit, air-popped popcorn, low-fat cheese, and whole grain crackers are all nutritious foods, but they still contain calories. Binging on heath food is still binging, and it isn't going to help you reach your weight goal. Overeating healthy foods won't help you maintain the weight you already have either. So this is just a friendly reminder that no matter what you're eating, you'll still need to need to keep appropriate serving sizes in mind.

Source

Antioxidants and Alcohol: The Health Conscious Cocktail Trend

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 02:00:00 PDT

I guess you can tell the health movement is taking off when organic booze and veggie purées are the main ingredients in trendy new cocktails. Restaurants (and not just vegan ones) and bars in New York and LA are concocting mixed drinks where sugary syrups are substituted with organic fruit purées, making a "healthier" cocktail for the healthy consumer. It has been suggested that substituting puréed kiwi for simple syrup does have significant benefits. Kiwi is loaded with vitamin C and would provide fiber as well.

When it comes down to it though, a cocktail could never be really guilt free or without consequence since they still contain alcohol. Combining puréed organic lemon tomatoes infused with cilantro vodka will still provide a buzz and possibly a hangover depending on how many you drink, no matter the antioxidant count. After all organic rum is still rum.

This healthy cocktail trend certainly interests me. Take the green trend, mix in equal parts organic movement, add a splash of the health conscious living, shake or stir in your martini shaker proving and then we can have our organic cucumbers and drink them too.

Source

From Amy's Kitchen: Vegetable Lasagna

FitSugar — Wed, 23 May 2007 11:45:00 PDT

If you've have ever stepped into a health food store, which I'm guessing 99% of you have, chances are quite high that you've heard of Amy's Kitchen. This kitchen kicks out all sorts of tasty dishes, like: soups, pizza, burritos, mac n' cheese, pot pies, and pasta sauce.

These prepared meals and sauces are made with organic vegetables, organic pasta, and whole grains. Not only are they completely trans fat, preservative and GMO's free, they're completely vegetarian. They even use rBST hormone free cheeses, but Amy's Kitchen also makes dairy and gluten free versions of many dishes for folks with dietary intolerances to those ingredients. I must say, I am liking the attention to detail.

The frozen entrées are great in a pinch, especially if you're looking for a quick, healthy lunch. Check out this Vegetable Lasagna.

Layered between organic lasagna noodles, perfectly tender organic spinach, zucchini, and sweet carrot mingle with low fat cheeses and mix with fresh organic tomato sauce. It is a veritable vegetable party.

Want to see the nutritional info and some more pictures? Then


Calories	310
Total Fat	12g
Saturated Fat	4.5g
Cholesterol	20mg
Sodium	680mg
Carbs	35g
Fiber	5g
Sugar	5g
Protein	16g
Vitamin A	50%
Calcium	25%
Taste	Delicious! Very flavorful tomato sauce, pasta had good consistency - not too hard or squishy, the vegetables had great texture. The serving size was perfect. I felt satisfied, but not like I needed to unbutton my top button on my pants.

The nutritional info looks great considering this is fit for one meal. 680 mg of sodium may seem a little high, but it's recommended to have about 2,300 mg, so if you split that up between 3 meals (766 mg per meal), 680 mg isn't too much at all. Here are some more pictures. It looks a lot different than the lasagna on the box, but I guess that's to be expected. The actual lasagna didn't have as much cheese and veggie filling, but it still tasted great!

Yo!Naturals: Healthy Vending Machines

FitSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 08:45:00 PDT

Wouldn't it be great if you could get your favorite health food from a vending machine? Well, my buddy YumSugar just told me about the San Diego based company YoNaturals, and they are bringing health food to the ultimate icon of snacking convenience - the vending machine.

YoNaturals is on the front line in the battle against junk food vending machine, and I wholeheartedly applaud their efforts. In their Yo!Zone and Yo!Thirsty machines you won't find the junk food staples of your youth. Gone are the fluorescent orange cheddar crackers filled with hydrogenated oil laden peanut butter, in their place you will find Annie's Organic Cheddar Bunnies and Pirate Booty. Instead of candy bars, you can choose from a selection of energy bars, like some of my faves - Luna, Clif and LARABARS. Soda is replaced with organic milk and organic juices. Yippee!!!

Yo!Naturals distribution is growing ever wider and you should be on the look out for their machines in hospitals, hotels, offices and schools - you know large, kind of institutional places. Just the kinds of places where you need a snack and can never find anything healthy to satisfy your hunger.

Healthy Food From a Vending Machine?

YumSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 08:58:31 PDT

I blame my unhealthy college eating choices on the fact that there we were located on top of a hill with miles to the nearest store and the only thing providing sustenance between the hours of 9pm and 6am was a nearby vending machine. I cannot tell you how many papers were finished with a diet coke in one hand and a bag of chips in the other. Imagine how healthy I could have been if there had been, oh say, a vending machine that dispensed healthy treats instead.

YoNaturals is a rapidly expanding network of healthy vending machines called: Yo!Zone and YoThirsty? (which are snacks & drinks). With their distribution circle growing wider by the day, the machines are currently found in some offices, schools, hospitals, hotels, etc. They offer more than 100 types of natural snacks/beverages including: Clif Bars, Vitamin Water, Horizon Organic Milk, Bumble Bars and Stacy's Pita Chips.

After all my vending binges in college, I sort of made a pact to myself to avoid them whenever possible. However, if we had one of these in our office, I know I'd hit it up more often than not.

Speak Up: What's Your Favorite Health Food?

FitSugar — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 02:30:00 PDT

Do you have a favorite health food that you can't live without? Every day I'm telling you about the nutritious and delicious gems I love, (like Annie's Low-Fat Gingerly Vinaigrette) so now it's your turn.

Is there some new health food you've discovered that you think others should know about? Maybe you support a certain brand because you agree with what they stand for. Or maybe you just love the taste or nutritional value of a specific healthy product, and buy it every time you go shopping.

There's got to be something you absolutely love more than anything else and I want to hear all about it, so TELL ME below.