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5 Foods That Fight Fat

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:30:08 -0700

It's pretty easy to name a list of fatty foods - french fries, donuts, and cakes are a few that come to my mind. But what about fat-fighting foods?

Besides being good for you already, there's a growing list of foods that actually help burn fat. Check out our list of what to stock up on if you want to slim down.

Source: Flickr User thebittenword.com

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Salty Series: "Healthy" Foods

FitSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:00:00 -0700

As we all know, premade foods can contain huge amounts of hidden sodium, but weren't you surprised by the disgustingly high amounts in the entrées and smaller dishes I told you about? Well here is a list of foods, published in Men's Health, that should also be ashamed of itself. These foods are posing as healthy, but they have insane amounts of salt. Just a reminder that the upper limit of daily sodium is 2,300 mg a day, which is equal to about one teaspoon. If you're concerned about high blood pressure, you may want to skip these "healthy" foods the next time you go out.

Saltiest Dessert: Atlanta Bread Company Raspberry Scone - 1,500 mg. Who new dessert could be so salty? That's as much sodium as 12 strips of bacon.
Saltiest Soup: Baja Fresh Chicken Tortilla Soup - 2,760 mg. That's more than a day's worth in just one serving.
Saltiest "Health" Food: Chili's Guiltless Grill Chicken Platter - 2,780 mg. Be a smart consumer. When food is advertised as lowfat or low in calories, what they've taken away they make up for with added sugar and salt. What's funny (or disgusting) is that Chili's Chicken Fried Steak has less sodium: 2,750 mg.
Saltiest Chinese Food Entrée: P.F. Chang's Beef with Broccoli - 3,752 mg. Sounds healthy, right? Well the special brown sauce is made mostly with soy sauce.
Saltiest Seafood Entrée: Romano's Macaroni Grill Grilled Teriyaki Salmon – 6,590 mg. Fish seems like a healthy option, but the sauce is what'll get you. Order plain grilled fish instead.
Saltiest Salad: Romano's Macaroni Grill Chicken Florentine - 5,460 mg. Those poor veggies are encrusted in salty toppings (olives, capers, Parmesan, and salad dressing). Plus the portion size is humongous.

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Ring in the New Year With Black Eyed Peas and Cabbage

FitSugar — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 03:00:00 -0800

So many holidays have special foods associated with them and now that it is the new year, it is time to say "goodbye" to those sugary candy canes and the chocolate log of goodness Bûche de Noël, and a big "hello" to black eyed peas and cabbage. These two super foods are here to help you usher in a healthy and prosperous 2008.

Black eyed peas are considered good luck in many cultures and are traditionally eaten on New Year's Day in the south. They are circular and represent the cycle of a year ending. One cup of cooked peas contains 11 grams of fiber and 13 grams of protein and less than one gram of fat. However, black eyed peas are most often cooked with hog jowls, bacon, or salt pork which adds fat and sodium to the dish, but also lots of flavor as well as luck. Pork is considered lucky because pigs use their snouts to dig in the ground in a forward direction. The forward direction being lucky.

Cabbage on the other hand is associated with prosperity. The leaves are considered to be representative of paper currency. Eating money will bring you money! Cabbage is most nutritionally prepared by steaming or sauteing, but not boiling since the leaves can lose up to 90 percent of their healthy antioxidants when cooked in water. Cabbage is high in vitamins K and C, the mineral magnesium, and even a little bit of omega-3 fatty acids. Plus it is great for cleansing your liver which might feel a little taxed today after last night's party. Now that is some veggie!

Good luck in the new year and adding these two foods to your diet, even if it isn't today, you can't go wrong.

Is there a food you always eat on New Year's Day (maybe to help your hangover)? I want to hear about it so tell me in the comments section below.

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Fittingly Mad: Why Is It So Expensive to Be So Healthy?

FitSugar — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 03:30:00 -0700

Ever since I read about the recent talks on adding a fat tax to unhealthy foods in London, I can't get my mind off the fact that I already feel like there is a health tax on healthy foods (or anything health related really).

If I were to go to the grocery store and buy processed, prepackaged unhealthy foods, my bill would be significantly lower than if I were to buy fresh, organic healthy foods. This nation is apparently in such a health crisis with obesity and disease skyrocketing, you'd think that there would be some effort to make it less expensive to be healthy.

From my gym membership, to my pomegranate juice, to my probiotics, to my fresh (and wild) Alaskan salmon, my checking account definitely pays for it (no pun intended). For example, I recently converted my husband from Wheat Thins to Kashi Thins, which are about 2 dollars more a box at my local store. I always cringe when people call Whole Foods, whole paycheck, but it's true. What's more? It's nearly impossible to get coupons for healthy foods too! I never see them in the paper and I almost feel like it is frowned upon to try and use coupons at a health food store.

I understand there is way more that goes behind it than the price tags I am seeing, but something needs to be done. Being healthy should not be so taxing on our finances, it really shouldn't. Am I alone here?

Diet Tip: Shop the Perimeter

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 03:30:00 -0700

Location is everything in the grocery store. Food placement aisle by aisle, shelf by shelf, has been studied to almost a science. Have you ever noticed that when you need to run into the grocery to pick up just a gallon of milk or some eggs you have to walk through the entire store, past cookies, chips, and soda pop just to reach the dairy aisle.

Yep, the layout of the products is literally designed to test your willpower. So my tip to you is when you visit the grocery for a full shopping excursion SHOP the PERIMETER of the store. This is where you will find all your essentials: produce, meat, dairy and eggs. If you must venture into a center aisle for some Dijon mustard (say you are making your own low fat salad dressing), stay focused. Select what you need and move on. Don't be tempted by sale items like donuts placed strategically next to the whole grain breads, or the two-for-one super sized bags of Doritos next to the spelt pretzels (which are truly high in fiber!!!).

Fit's Tip: I know this seems obvious, but don't go to grocery store without a list. If you have a list and don't stray from it, chances are slim of coming home with a food item you really don't need.

Fit Find Faves: Healthy Food

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Here are some recent Fit Finds of things that will nourish you, literally and figuratively. Check 'em out!!!!

I love this book that Bonne found. Written by the daughter of You On A Diet Dr. Oz, The Dorm Room Diet: Creating Lifestyle is a survival guide for dealing with food while living at college. Seems like it is more about lifestyle than diet. It looks great and Bonne says "It works!"
It looks like Genie loves green tea even more than I do. Here is one of her favorite varieties: Huang-Shan Mao Feng. Looks like it would be a nice cuppa' tea.
GlitterGlam likes a healthy recipe and she found this one to share with us Chicken Pot Pie recipe from Hungry Girl. It looks tasty, healthy and easy to make.

Check out what other Sugar users are bookmarking as Fit Finds. Chances are high you will find something to satisfy the happy, healthy you. If you want to lean more about bookmarking in the Sugar pages, read geeksugar's excellent tutorial.

If you find anything out there that helps you stay happy and healthy, do bookmark it and share it with us.

Healthy Holiday Eating: Keep a Food Journal

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:22 -0800

If the thought of decadent holiday food is stressing you out already, take control and try keeping track of your holiday eating with a food journal. It seems simple, but by writing down what you're eating throughout the day, you'll develop a real awareness of what you're putting in your body. A treat here and there, if you're not keeping track, can feel like it's no big deal, but writing it down will give you a real record of what you've eaten and make it easier to judge if you really do want dessert.

As a trial, test out how food journaling works for you over Thanksgiving, and if it seems to boost your healthy eating habits, keep it going through Christmas and the New Year. Plus, you can make it even easier to keep track by using your phone to journal, or if you decide to get into it, pick up one of these inconspicuous little journals or try an iPhone app. You might just find that this is a health trick you want to stick with.

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

5 "Healthy" Foods That Cause Weight Gain

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0800

You're a smart cookie. You know that oatmeal is healthier than a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats, and veggie pizza is better for you than a slice of pepperoni. Some foods that we consider to be healthy, though, are still full of calories. You may not realize that these supposedly good-for-you foods are packed with hundreds of calories, so day after day, you may be eating more than you thought, which could cause gradual weight gain. Here are some foods to watch out for:

Veggie lo mein: Veggies are healthy on their own, but if you order veggie lo mein from a classic Chinese restaurant, you're looking at veggies and noodles that are fried in oil. One dinner from P.F. Chang's contains 1,340 calories. It is healthier than the chicken lo mein, which contains 1,610 calories, but not much. Go for steamed veggies and rice instead.
Banana Bran Muffin: Bananas are full of potassium and have a fair amount of fiber, and bran is a healthy carb that keeps you regular. Two great things, right? Well, when you bake them with eggs and sugar, the outcome is not so nutritious. A Starbucks Banana Bran Muffin will run you 410 calories. You're better off eating a bowl of bran cereal with sliced banana.

To see the other three "healthy" foods, read more.

Odwalla Super Protein Vanilla Al'Mondo shake: I'm a huge fan of Odwalla juices because they're fresh and made with a short list of ingredients you can pronounce. A bottle contains more than a single serving though, and if you end up drinking the entire bottle of the Super Protein (which is totally normal, by the way), you'll have consumed 356 calories. Plain milk or soy milk is a better option if you're looking to drink a beverage that's high in protein, yet low in calories.
Chicken and broccoli quiche: Quiche can be a healthy meal since it's made with eggs, but even if you add healthy ingredients to it such as chicken and broccoli, it doesn't take away from the fact that quiche is also made with cheese, cream, and butter. Aside from being high in fat (67 grams a serving), one slice from Ruby Tuesday is super high in calories - 872. Go for grilled chicken with a side of steamed broccoli instead of the quiche.
Whole wheat bagel with lowfat veggie cream cheese: Sounds like a healthy breakfast, but one whole wheat bagel from Bruegger's contains 390 calories. Add a scoop of Garden Veggie Light cream cheese, and that tacks on 90 calories, making the grand total 480 calories. I'm not saying you should give up on bagels altogether, but I wouldn't have a bagel for breakfast every day. Two scrambled eggs and one slice of whole wheat toast add up to 266 calories, and one cup of Kashi Go Lean and 1 cup of skim milk contain 230 calories, so opt for these lower calorie options in the morning.

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Stamp of Approval: Au Bon Pain

FitSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:00:00 -0700

Look, it's not surprise that I am not the biggest fan of fast food restaurants. However, I do know that sometimes you just have to eat there so I am always on the hunt for healthier fast food joints and Au Bon Pain gets my stamp of approval.

Au Bon Pain provides Nutrition Kiosks, which allow guests to plan their meals before ordering them. You can sort the menu by a specific nutritional requirement (high fiber, high protein, low carb, low fat, low calories, etc.). They also launched Kids Nutrition Kiosk in their suburban and hospital locations. The children's version includes interactive games intended to teach the basics of making healthy meal choices. What's more? They've moved to using preservative-free chicken and they've recently introduced a new product line called Portions - a line of 14 dishes made fresh daily, packaged individually and with 200 or less calories per dish. And to bring it home, all products at Au Bon Pain have zero grams trans fat.

So next time you're going for fast food, you may want to think about stopping at Au Bon Pain. They have made every effort to help you become aware of the healthy choices they offer, all you have to do is choose them.