FitSugar

Healthy Food Swap Ideas From Top Chef

FitSugar — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:35:00 PDT

Besides getting a good dose of White House chef Sam Kass, last night's episode of Top Chef highlighted Let's Move! - Michelle Obama's campaign to end childhood obesity. For the elimination challenge, each team of four was given the task of making a healthy school lunch for 50 kids with a small budget of $2.60 per child. Sounds impossible, but it's exactly the same budget restraints that public lunch programs around the country work within.

While some of the dishes -like the sherry jus chicken and the banana pudding - were big time fails, others were big hits. Not only were they made with healthy, natural ingredients, they also went over well with the kids. Here are some of the standouts to inspire your own healthy swaps:

Whole grain tacos with roasted pork. Knowing that kids love tacos, contestant Kelly Liken gave the dish a healthy twist by making tortillas from scratch with oats, then using a lean roasted pork for the protein. She topped that off with a bevy of fresh veggies. In fact, all of the side dishes that her team came up with were great: roasted corn salad, black bean cake with whole grain and sweet crispy potatoes, and caramelized sweet potatoes with sherbet.
Melon kebabs with yogurt foam. Cut up fruit in fun shapes and stick them on a wooden stick, and suddenly they look appealing to everyone. What really got the kids excited was the addition of whipped yogurt. Contestant Kevin Sbraga turned a healthy serving of yogurt into whipping cream using a whipped cream siphon.
Chicken burger with fiesta rice. Instead of using beef, contestant Tracey Bloom kept it lean by making a chicken burger instead.
Barbecue chicken and coleslaw. A good barbecue sauce and coleslaw can be filled with tons of sugar and mayo. The chef-contestants on last night's challenge made their versions healthier by swapping out the majority of mayo and sugar and replacing it with yogurt and tangy apple cider vinegar.

What are your healthy swaps?

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Healthier Tuna Salad: Hummus Instead of Mayo

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:00:39 PDT

I grew up eating tuna salad sandwiches, but when I got older, I stopped eating them since they're made with mayo, and not exactly the healthiest lunch option. Then a friend turned me on to this idea: replace the mayo with hummus. Brilliant! It adds a creamy texture and tangy flavor, with much less calories, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

To see just how much healthier hummus is

Heading to the Salad Bar? 5 Tips For a Healthier Salad

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:00:05 PDT

Low in calories but loaded with fiber and vitamins, salads are one of the healthiest meals you can have. Well, that is if you make the right choices. Adding too many high-calorie toppings can actually cause you to gain weight, so keep these tips in mind the next time you build yourself a salad.
Source: Jupiter Images

Build a Healthier Salad

FitSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:00:00 PDT

In late Spring, I find a crisp salad to be the perfect lunch. When it comes to watching your waistline, all salads are not created equal. Here are a few guidelines to help navigate the salad bar and keep your salad healthy and not a vehicle for unknown calories.

Do make your own salad whenever possible.
Don't think that the pre-made salads are always going to be healthy.
Do get the darker leafy greens, like spinach, romaine, or arugula.
Don't fill your bowl with iceberg lettuce - it offers little to nothing nutritionally.
Do load up on fresh veggies.
Don't load up on roasted veggies - salad bar roasted veggies are often coated with butter and oil.

I've got more tips for building a healthier salad, so

What's Your Advice For Easy, Healthy Lunches?

FitSugar — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 07:30:00 PST

Every so often I see a question that I know you guys will have many more great ideas than me, so here is a question from a fellow user.

"Here's my challenge... I'm looking for lunch ideas that are easy to put together, and that I can take along to work for myself. There are not many recipes out there for lunch time... on most recipe sites, they seem to fall under snack/appetizers... and we all know most appetizer recipes are higher in calories and fat... HELP!"
- kikikins1234

So share your favorite ideas for a healthy, easy lunch. I can't wait to get a few ideas for myself, too!

Healthy Gadget: Bento Stainless Lunch Jar

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 03:30:00 PDT

Lunchtime at work (or school) can be a dieter's hell. While you're sticking to your healthy turkey sandwich and yogurt, your coworkers are brining in yummy Mexican food that makes your mouth water at first sight.

You too can have yummy, but only healthy, dishes for lunch. You just may need to update the brown sack look. I am loving this Zojirushi Ms Bento Stainless Lunch Jar ($42.99). The stainless steel construction and vacuum insulation ensures foods remain hot or cold. This set includes two microwavable containers and an easy carry tote bag (which is kind of cute too). This way you'll have your coworkers mouth watering at the smell of your own reheated lentil tomato soup. Buy it from VeryAsia.com.

Eat Cake For Breakfast and Lose Weight, Study Says

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:21:52 PST

If your insatiable sweet tooth is preventing you from losing weight, findings from a recent study may be just the thing to help you slim down. Researchers found those who ate a large breakfast that included something sweet lost weight and were able to keep off more pounds than those who ate a small breakfast.

A group of 193 obese adults (not a huge study) were split into two groups. One ate a large, 600-calorie breakfast that included a sweet item such as a cookie, cake, or doughnut. The other group ate a 300-calorie breakfast with no dessert. Both groups ate the same amount of calories daily: 1,600 for men and 1,400 for women.

Keep reading to find out more details about cake and weight loss.

3 Ways Snacks Can Help You Lose Weight

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:09:19 PST

You might think snack time is just for preschoolers, but everyone can benefit from eating a few bites between meals. Aside from filling nutritional holes in your diet, snacking can also help you on your road to weight loss. If the numbers on the scale are on your mind, here are three ways snacking can help you lose weight.

Snacks Keep Blood Sugar Levels Steady
If you've ever gone too long between meals and have gotten a headache, the shakes, and a loss of concentration, then you've felt firsthand what it's like to have low blood sugar. Snacking between meals keeps blood sugar levels steady, which can help prevent you from grabbing the first (unhealthy) thing you can get your hands on and overindulging.

Fiber Fills You Up
Choosing snacks that are full of water and belly-filling fiber will help keep you full longer, so you actually eat less in the long run. Fruits, veggies, and whole-grain breads are great options, and if you need more ideas, here are 10 high-fiber snacks under 150 calories.

No More Overeating
You eat lunch around noon and dinner isn't until 6 p.m. or later. No wonder you hit the dinner table feeling so ravenous that you stuff yourself silly. Now if you enjoyed a pear with some almonds around 3 p.m., you'd avoid that famished feeling and have the patience to prepare a healthy, sensibly sized meal. It works the other way, too. If you're eating a meal and you know you'll be enjoying a snack in two hours or so, you won't feel the need to overeat at mealtime.

Foods That Can Make You Look Pregnant

Shape — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:29:06 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Over the weekend, I saw a photo of a female celebrity (who is in a relationship with a male celeb) leaving a café with the caption, "Baby bump?" and I had to refrain myself from shouting out loud, "Come on, can't a girl eat without the world thinking she's having a baby?!"

The truth is having a perfectly flat stomach all the time just isn't normal. After you eat or drink, food and liquids naturally expand your stomach and intestines, so at least a little "bump" is inevitable every single day. So if you regularly get stalked by paparazzi or you have family members who are anxiously awaiting news of a new addition, here's the lowdown on when you might get mistaken for being pregnant:

See which foods may make you look pregnant after the break!

5 Heart-Healthy Foods For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Leta Shy — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:58:10 PST

February is American Heart Month. You may not think you have to worry about your heart until you're older, but in fact, the healthy things you do now can help prevent serious heart conditions later.

One such healthy habit is to eat foods that help lower cholesterol or improve your heart function. We've made it easy with these five foods that you should be incorporating into your breakfast-lunch-dinner routine (don't worry, we didn't forget snacks and desserts!), so read on to find out what, how much, and why you should be adding these heart-healthy foods to your diet.

Serving Size	2 tbsp. hummus	2 tbsp. Hellman's mayo
Calories	70	180
Total Fat	6 g	20 g
Saturated Fat	1 g	3 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	10 mg
Sodium	120 mg	180 mg
Carbs	4 g	0 g
Fiber	1 g	0 g
Sugars	0 g	0 g
Protein	2 g	0 g