FitSugar

Food Review: Sticky Fingers Blueberry Scone Mix

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:00:05 -0700

I love a good baked good. And even though I resist the croissants, scones, and muffins that stare at me through coffee shop windows, my desire remains true. I've been searching for a healthier version of these delightful treats with little success until now. Enter: Sticky Fingers Wild Blueberry Scone Mix.

These things are so easy to make: just add water, stir, and bake. The ease of it made me dubious at first but as the scent of fresh blueberries began to fill my kitchen I knew I found a winner. The scones are the perfect amount of sweetness and not dry at all. Whenever I buy a scone from a bakery it feels like a paperweight but Sticky Fingers scones are much lighter - somewhere between a piece of cake and a biscuit.

Best of all they are completely natural, no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, no cholesterol, and they don't have any trans-fats or saturated fats in them. They contain a total of seven pronounceable ingredients in them that include freeze-dried wild blueberries. One Sticky Fingers scone contains 150 calories and 3.5 grams of fat, compared to a blueberry scone from Starbucks, which contains 460 calories and 18 grams of fat.

The company offers a bunch of other flavors and baked goods like breads and muffins, I can't wait to try everything!

Speak Up: Your Healthy Go-To Convenience Store Snack

FitSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:00:03 -0700

July strikes me as the month for Summer travel. Hitting the road is a great way to see the country, but finding healthy food in the middle of nowhere can be a challenge. One of my must haves for this month is healthy and informed car snacking, and I have also told you about ways to keep the calorie count under 300 when fast food joints are your only option and you're watching your waistline. The convenience store has so much to offer, but you have to steer clear of the Doritos and Chips Ahoy. What's your healthy go-to convenience store snack?

Packaged Hard-Boiled Eggs: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:00:00 -0700

The company Eggology, known for selling pasteurized egg whites, is now selling packaged hard-boiled eggs - $1 for two eggs. They're cage-free, organic, and pre-cooked and peeled, so if you enjoy eggs for breakfast, in your salad at lunch, or as a pre-workout snack, you don't have to boil or peel their shells off. Not that boiling and peeling an egg is that difficult, but anything that makes it easier to eat healthy seems like a plus. So are you eggcited about these pre-cooked eggs?

Snack Attack: Creamy Peanut Butter Dip and Fruit Slices

FitSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:00:00 -0700

One of my favorite go-to snacks is apples and peanut butter, or ants on a log, but a serving of peanut butter (two tablespoons) contains 180 calories. So if you're watching your calorie intake, here's a way to enjoy that creamy, nutty taste without all the calories. It's made with nonfat Greek yogurt so it's creamy, low in fat, full of protein, and I swear it tastes like peanut butter ice cream!

To find out how to make this creamy peanut butter dip read more.

Take one 5.3-ounce container of nonfat Oikos Greek Vanilla yogurt.
Mix in two tbsp. peanut butter (I prefer crunchy), 1/2 tbsp. honey, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.
Serve with slices of apple, banana, and pear. Store unused portion in the fridge.

Makes four, two-tbsp. servings. Each serving contains 80.5 calories, 3.75 grams of fat, .5 grams of saturated fat, .75 grams of fiber, and 5.5 grams of protein.

Food Review: Gnu Flavor & Fiber Bars

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Perusing the well-stocked snack bar section at Trader Joe's the other day, I was hoping to find something a little lighter than the typical energy bar. Gnu Flavor & Fiber Bars ($1.69 at TJ's, $1.99 online) seemed just right: with fewer calories than most bars, 50 percent of my daily value of fiber, and sweetened with 100 percent fruit juice, the colorfully wrapped bars seemed too good to be true.

I scooped up three of the five flavors, each of which was deliciously moist and chewy. Because Gnu is entirely natural, I didn't miss the strange aftertaste other bars often have. I tried the Orange Cranberry, Peanut Butter (don't worry, they weren't recalled), and Chocolate Brownie and plan on picking up the Banana Walnut and Cinnamon Raisin on my next grocery run. To see what the Orange Cranberry bar looks like and the nutritional information, read more.

Each bar has 130 to 140 calories and 3 to 5 grams of fat depending on flavor, plus 12 grams of fiber and 3 to 4 grams of protein. The ingredient list on these bars is reassuringly short and recognizable - love that. Are you a Gnu fan?

Diet Tip: Stock Your Kitchen With Healthy Convenience Foods

FitSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:00:00 -0700

If you're watching your waistline, you're probably watching what you eat, too, not to mention exercising regularly as well. Yay for you and your healthy and possibly new habits, but in truth they can sometimes leave you hungry. Set yourself up for success by loading your cupboards and fridge with healthy convenience foods. Stock your kitchen with ready-to-eat snacks that are healthy, delicious, and packed with fiber. These will satisfy your cravings and keep you feeling full longer, so you're less likely to return to the kitchen for more snacks. Here are some ideas:

Fresh fruits like bananas, apples, pears, and berries
Real fruit and veggie juices
Frozen edamame
Tomatoes (slice one and sprinkle a little cheese on top)
Hummus and whole grain crackers

What else makes for delicious and quick snacking ideas? To find out read more.

Containers of low-fat or drinkable yogurt
Granola bars
Dried fruit and nuts
Whole grain bread and real nut butter (peanut or almond)
Mini carrots
Cans of soup
Cooked brown rice (store it in the fridge)

What else do you keep in your kitchen for healthy snacking in a pinch?

Source

Snack Attack: Pre and Post Workout Snack Ideas

FitSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:00:00 -0700

People are always asking me what they should eat before and after working out and the math is simple: aim for a high-carbohydrate, moderate protein, low-fat meal or snack. The problem comes in when trying to figure out what snacks and meals fall into those basic guidelines. I did a fun little quiz on foods for working out a while back, but recently Weight Watchers has summed up their favorite pre- and post-workout snacks/meals. They sound tasty and look easy, so I wanted to share them with you so you can get a few more ideas for yourself. They are:

Five pre-workout snack ideas:

Half a chicken, turkey or lean roast beef sandwich on whole-wheat bread
Low-fat yogurt with a sliced banana
Low-fat string cheese and 6 whole-grain crackers
Hard-boiled eggs, yolks removed and replaced with hummus. (Check out my own recipe here!)
Skim milk blended with frozen fruit to make a smoothie

For post-workout meal ideas just read more.

Five post-workout replenishing meal ideas:

One or two poached eggs on whole-wheat toast
Bean burrito: a whole-wheat tortilla filled with black beans, salsa and reduced-fat cheese
Stir-fried chicken and vegetables (try pepper, zucchini and carrot) over brown rice
Whole-wheat pasta tossed with chicken, broccoli and eggplant
Whole-grain cereal or oatmeal, with milk and fruit (such as a sliced banana)

Source

Super Bowl Snack: Make Your Own Hummus

FitSugar — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:00:00 -0800

The Super Bowl seems to be a lot about snacking, and it's easy to eat mindlessly when there are munchables right in front of you. So if you're throwing a Super Bowl party or attending someone else's, forget the cheesy nachos, buttery popcorn, and creamy veggie dips. Make some homemade hummus instead. It is so simple to make yourself and fresh veggies go so well with hummus.

Want to see my recipe? Then read more.

What you need:

1 can of garbanzo beans (strained and rinsed)
2 cloves of garlic, minced (you can always use more)
1 - 2 tbsp tahini (it's made out of ground up sesame seeds)
Juice from 1/3 of a lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor for a few minutes, or until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
Serve in a bowl with fresh veggies (carrots, red peppers and cucumbers are my fave), sliced pita bread, corn chips or whatever else you like to dip. You can also make these homemade pita chips and add those to your hummus platter.

Fit's Tips: This is a basic recipe, so play around with it. Add your own special ingredients like grated carrots or artichoke hearts.

Print recipe with images | without images

Diet Tip: Set a Snack Time

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Snacks are important part of dieting. It is true, since if you allow yourself to get too hungry you will often over eat, plus living with hunger pangs is a sure fire way to get a serious case of the crankies. And the having the crankies is a major reason folks break their diets. However, endless snacking is no good either because you start eating more calories than you are burning in a day.

To snack healthy you need to plan ahead so you have a healthy snack on hand. You also need to set a snack time and snack just at your snack time. I know is sounds like kindergarten, but having a schedule can prevent you from over-snacking (which is just like overeating but often goes unnoticed since the eating is spread out over the course of a day).

Plan a morning snack for around 10:30 and an afternoon pick-me-up around 3:00 - this way you will eat a little something in between meals without ruining your appetite.

Don't what to snack on? Here's some suggestions for the next time you have a Snack Attack.

Micro Chip - More Than Potatoes

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:30:00 -0800

We all love potato chips - who doesn't crave that salty crunchy snack? We avoid them because they're not exactly the healthiest thing to eat coupled with the fact that they are so dang easy to over eat.

I just came accross this super cool kitchen gadget - the Micro Chip Maker. Supposedly it makes crunchy, low-fat, potato, carrot, radish, or squash chips with no frying. Plus it's multi-functional and can be used to crisp pitas and steam veggies. Wow! Will it crisp up my dress shirts too?

Sorry to say, it is really not all that exciting. Basically you use this special tray in your microwave instead of deep-frying your chips. Purchase it from the As Seen on TV website for only $7.99.

It's a great idea for making healthier alternatives to potato chips, but it sounds a wee bit silly if you ask me. I can't imagine that any "chip" cooked in a microwave will taste anything like real potato chips.