FitSugar

Why Mushrooms Are Important For a Vegetarian Diet

Leta Shy — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:15:17 PST

It's National Nutrition Month, and while you may be eating all the bright colors of the rainbow, don't overlook that less flashy color - brown. As in, the brown crimini button mushroom, a market and salad bar staple for good reason.

The common mushroom is hiding some important nutrients that vegetarians should make sure they get enough of. One such important nutrient is selenium. While meat, seafood, grains, and nuts have excellent levels of the mineral, mushrooms are the only produce that have high levels of it, so they are especially important to include in your diet if you are vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free.

Selenium helps produce antioxidants and also keeps your immune and thyroid systems healthy. Studies have even shown that it may reduce LDL cholesterol levels as well as help with inflammatory diseases. Crimini mushrooms are packed with the stuff: five ounces of the mushrooms provide over half of the daily value of selenium.

The benefits don't stop there, however. Mushrooms are also high in other important minerals, including iron, zinc, and potassium, as well as vitamin D.

I love to sauté crimini mushrooms in a little olive oil and seasoning for a quick side dish, but if you're into Meatless Mondays or thinking of giving up meat for Lent, try a mushroom leek tart, a vegan mushroom and garlic bisque, or a hearty broccoli and mushroom quiche for dinner.

5 Healthy Ways to Eat Your Heart Out

Michele Bell — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 04:00:12 PST

It's easy to roll out the sugar cookie dough and toss on some sprinkles for a quick Valentine's Day treat. While a cookie may taste delicious, it can be the downfall to a healthy diet. 'Cause who can truly make a batch of cookies without licking the bowl and eating about half a dozen when they are baked in your kitchen? Instead of tempting yourself with the usual suspects, consider showing your sweetheart or your girlfriends how much you care about them and their health with these simple and easy Valentine shaped dishes. They're sure to win their hearts over.

Fit Quiz: Fiber For Thought

FitSugar — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 04:30:00 PDT

Does your brain automatically imagine a bowl of dark brown cereal every time you hear the word fiber? Let's change that. It's easy and delicious to add more fiber to a diet. Take my quiz to see if you know where fiber is hiding in your diet.

Take the Quiz

Easy Eats For an Antioxidant-Rich Diet

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 03:47:00 PDT

Why all the hoopla about antioxidants? Well if you want to keep a young look about you and prevent some serious diseases, they may be your best friend. Considered a magical and sometimes essential part of one's diet, antioxidants help to keep existing cells alive and healthy. While many people rely on supplements or shakes to get their daily dose of antioxidants, there are easy and tasty ways to have an antioxidant-rich diet. Come check them out.

Learn to Love: Beet Greens

FitSugar — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:00:32 PST

The other night while roasting up some beets with the mister, I nearly panicked because he tried to throw away the leafy tops. Deal breaker! Well not really, but didn't he know the power of beet greens? Obviously not and he's not alone. Even though more and more folks are handling raw beets in the kitchen, beet greens are still viewed as being disposable.

If you're a fan of Swiss chard, then you'll love beet greens, as they are pretty much synonymous in look, taste, and use. When using beet greens, I'll rip the leaves from the stems and toss them raw in a salad or cook them up as a warm side dish. Because the stalks take a little bit longer to cook, I remove the leaves first and blanch the stems before sauteing everything together with olive oil, sea salt, chili flakes, lemon juice, and garlic. Beet greens also taste great in a hearty soup or in a veggie lasagna.

Besides tasting good, beet greens are packed with vitamins A and C and have a good amount of iron and calcium too. They're also pretty low in calories and don't contain any fat. The next time you buy beets, snap off the tops as soon as you can - this helps your beets retain moisture - and store the greens in a plastic bag in the fridge. They'll keep pretty well for about four days. One trick I learned is to ask for discarded beet greens at the farmers market. Since most people don't use the tops, the farms have a lot of beet greens that are just going to be thrown out. I usually end up with a ton for free!

How do you feel about beet greens? If you love them, tell me how you like to prepare them.

A Look Back: Healthy Food Trends of 2009

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:30:32 PST

In addition to having you vote on who the best of 2009 is, we're also looking back at the biggest stories of the year. When it came to healthy eating, buzzwords like all-natural, grass fed, and localvore ruled the roost. Check out this slideshow to see my top healthy food trends of 2009 were.

Food Review: Dorset Cereals

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 03:00:00 PDT

I was tired of my usual cereals for breakfast, so I perused the shelves for a new one and found Super Cranberry, Cherry & Almond Dorset Cereals (about $5).

The creative packaging definitely caught my eye. I loved that you could see the dried cherries and cranberries floating around with flakes of cereal and seeds. I knew it looked good, but how did it taste? To find out

With all those natural ingredients - 50 percent being fruit and seeds - this cereal was delicious. It reminded me of my homemade muesli recipe, but was even better because it was already made! It's great on its own, in yogurt, in milk, and was especially delicious with almond milk. I love the combination of the sweet chewy dried fruit and the crispy crunchy flakes. This is seriously my new favorite cereal because it's so wholesome and satisfying. It's also high in fiber and protein, and low in sodium and cholesterol. It seems high in fat, but it's mostly healthy fat from the almonds and sunflower seeds. I am definitely going to buy this cereal again, and am excited to try the other flavors including Berries and Cherries and Organic Fruit, Nuts & Seeds.

Serving Size	1/2 cup
Calories	200
Total Fat	4.5 g
Saturated Fat	.5 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Sodium	90 mg
Carbs	39 g
Fiber	4 g
Sugar	17 g
Protein	5 g

When It Comes to Healthy Food, What's the Better Choice?

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 06:23:00 PDT

With so many food choices out there, it's tough to know which one is the healthier option. So take this fun quiz to test your food smarts.

Question 1 of 6

Which nut contains more protein?

Match the Food to Its Health Benefit

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:30:00 PDT

National Nutrition Month encourages us to eat right, and I think it's easier to add more healthy food when you know how it's benefiting your body. Increase your enjoyment by learning how different foods are working to enhance your health. Can you match the food to its benefit? Take the quiz!

Source

Take the Quiz

5 "Healthy" Foods That Cause Weight Gain

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:00:00 PST

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,

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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