FitSugar

Salmonella Update: Mystery Solved?

FitSugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:10:00 -0700

We may be once again putting tomatoes on our plates, but the source of the salmonella outbreak has remained a mystery. The FDA just announced that a possible source of the salmonella outbreak – water. They found strains of salmonella in both irrigation water and serrano peppers at a Mexican farm in Nuevo Leon.

Since the tomato industry has lost over $300 million because so much produce had to be thrown out due to the government's warnings, the FDA has been hammered with questions, of course the most pressing one being, "Why did the investigation originally focus on tomatoes?" Officials said in the early part of the investigation, there was definitely a link to tomatoes, and that this red fruit still shouldn't be ruled out entirely. They also said it's possible that the salmonella outbreak was connected to several different kinds of produce. Well that would make sense if irrigation was the culprit.

As for now, two farms in Mexico are still under investigation: The Tamaulipas farm and the Nuevo Leon farm. People are still being advised to avoid raw jalapeño or serrano peppers from Mexico. I don't know about you, but something tells me this issue isn't a closed book. The Mexican government strongly disagrees with the FDA findings. First it was tomatoes, then it was hot peppers, and now the water. What element could possibly be implicated next?

Source

Chili's Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Chili's is one of those chain restaurants that I'm sure we've all been to at least once. This bar and grill has just about everything from wings to soup, from fajitas to steak. With such a diverse menu, it's nice to see there are some healthier options to choose from like salmon, grilled chicken, and salads. I'll have to warn you, though, that a good portion of their food contains a high amount of calories, fat, and sodium. That's not to say you should never set foot into a Chili's - you just don't want to make a daily habit of it. It's nice to be able to enjoy this kind of food every once in a while, but I'd definitely bring some friends, or place half your meal in a doggie bag so you don't end up consuming thousands of calories in one sitting.

To see the Chili's breakdown, read more.

This is the nutritional content of one order of each menu item.

Granola	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Sodium (mg)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)
Big Mouth Bites	850	75	29	1930	2	20
Nine Boneless Buffalo Wings w/ Bleu Cheese Dressing	1170	85	50	4130	4	51
Classic Nachos w/ Fajita Chicken and Pico de Gallo and Sour Cream	1630	112	55	3280	12	99
Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip w/ Tostada Chips	905	36	74	3100	21	30
Texas Cheese Fries w/ Jalapeño-Ranch Dressing	2070	160	73	3730	8	85
Cup of Baked Potato Soup	220	16	12	630	1	8
Cup of Chicken Enchilada Soup	220	14	11	650	2	13
Cup of Chili	180	8	15	720	3	12
Cup of New England Clam Chowder Soup	470	33	27	970	3	17
Cup of Southwestern Vegetable Soup	110	5	13	620	2	5
Caesar Salad w/ Grilled Chicken & Caesar Dressing	1010	76	39	1910	7	38
Southwestern Cobb Salad	970	60	56	2590	7	53
Boneless Buffalo Chicken Salad	910	58	44	4050	5	45
Mashed Potatoes (loaded)	500	32	37	970	6	15
Sautéed Mushrooms, Onions & Bell Peppers	120	10	6	360	2	3
Steamed Seasonal Veggies	80	6	8	190	3	3
Classic Sirloin	540	42	1	820	0	36
Grilled Salmon w/ Garlic & Herbs	390	25	0	300	0	40
Margarita Grilled Chicken	320	13	13	1170	1	36
Spicy Garlic & Lime Grilled Shrimp	260	13	6	1000	0	24
Guiltless Black Bean Burger	650	12	96	1940	26	38
Guiltless Chicken Platter	580	9	85	2780	5	39
Guiltless Chicken Sandwich	490	8	63	2720	11	39
Guiltless Salmon	480	14	31	1080	10	54
Mushroom Swiss Burger	1100	71	60	1590	4	53
Chicken Tacos	1200	41	137	4470	12	57
Chicken Fajitas	330	11	23	2080	3	40
Smoked Turkey Sandwich	930	57	65	2920	4	43
Chicken Fajita Pita	350	13	36	1410	4	29

This is just an sample of some of the restaurant's menu items. To see the entire list, go to Chilis.com.

FoodShouldTasteGood: It's Their Name and Their Motto

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 17:15:00 -0700

I came across this new brand of snack food called FoodShouldTasteGood. Intrigued by the name, I picked up a bag of the Jalapeño chips. I will admit they were on sale too.

The ingredients listed on the back all sound familiar like foods I would have in my own pantry, like: stone ground white corn, non-hydrogenated canola oil, jalapeño peppers, beet powder, sea salt, crushed red peppers. Not much to those chips. I liked that.

All and all the chips were pretty darn good and had a delightful crispiness to them. They were thick enough for dipping into my homemade hummus.

FoodShouldTasteGood also makes Multigrain tortilla chips with flax, sunflower, and sesame seeds, oat fiber, brown rice, and quinoa. I've never heard of a chip with such healthy ingredients before. These were great with cheese.

If you like olives they've got a tortilla chip for you. Want something a little sweeter? They also make a Chocolate tortilla chip. These 2 flavors were just newly released, so they'll take a while to make it to your health food store shelves. But once again I am intrigued.

Fit's Tips: If you can't wait to try those 2 flavors, you can order them online directly from the FoodShouldTasteGood website.

FDA Gives the OK on Eating Tomatoes

FitSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0700

If you've been avoiding certain tomatoes since this horrific salmonella outbreak, go ahead and bite into any tomato you want. Since no strain of salmonella Saintpaul was found on any farms that were tested, the FDA believes that consumers can now enjoy all types of fresh tomatoes.

The mystery still stands though as to what caused this outbreak in the first place, which has now sickened 1,220 people in 42 states - the earliest case on April 10 and the latest so far on July 4. Hot peppers are still on the list of things to watch out for, so people with weakened immune systems and the elderly should avoid fresh jalapeños and serranos.

I'm wondering, have you been avoiding tomatoes recently? If so, will the FDA's announcement settle your mind and let you enjoy tomatoes again, or are you still a little leery?

Source

Food Review: Sunshine Burger

FitSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 09:00:00 -0700

I'm so psyched for BBQs now that the weather is so warm. I always like to keep a box of veggie burgers in the freezer just in case I don't feel like a regular burger, or if we have vegetarian guests over. Now that meat alternatives are so popular, there are so many different kinds to try out, like this Organic Sunshine Burger. Not only are they vegetarian, but they're also vegan, soy free, and gluten free.

Want to see what these burgers really look like and find out how they taste? Then read more.

When I read the ingredients, I was surprised to see that these burgers are mostly made from ground up raw sunflower seeds and rice, which gives them a soft, slightly squishy texture. The mild flavor came from the black beans, peppers, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño peppers, cumin, and onion. It was slightly spicy, but I was expecting more of a kick. It did grill well and didn't stick to the grate like some meat alternatives, like tofu pups, can. Since these burgers are pre-cooked, they only need a few minutes on the grill to heat through. Overall, I found these Sunshine Burgers to be just OK. They were a little too dry for my tastes and honestly, I wanted more flavor.

Serving Size	1 patty
Calories	240
Total Fat	12g
Saturated Fat	1.5g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	240mg
Carbs	26g
Fiber	9g
Sugar	2g
Protein	6g

Food Court Survival: Part II

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 03:30:00 -0800

The mall is almost unavoidable during the holidays, and something about all that running around and waiting in lines makes me hungry. What's worse: Not only am I hungry, but I also know there is a place where food is easily accessible. That place, like the fast food holy land, is the Food Court.

Don't worry, we can get through this.

I already shared a few survival strategies, and another idea is to bring your own snacks. Healthy snacking options are limited at the food court: Think french fries, bagels, candy, and cookies. Last year user redsugar suggested carrying a zip top bag full of nuts so you can satisfy your hunger without heading to Cinnabon.

If you forget your baggie of healthy munchies, then pretzel shops are not always a bad option. The Jalapeño Pretzel without butter from Auntie Anne's has 270 calories and no trans fat (this was the best I could find at Auntie Anne's in terms of nutrition) - not horrible. If you're cutting out white flour, then try the Whole Wheat Pretzel (no butter) with 350 calories and 1.5 grams of fat.

Source

Food Review: Amy's Cheddar Cheese Burrito

FitSugar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 03:30:00 -0700

If you don't know by now, I'm a huge fan of foods from Amy's Kitchen. I love her Vegetable Lasagna and Stuffed Pasta Shells, and her canned Vegetable Barley Soup is really tasty and filling.

Sugar users juju and james bond girl suggested I try Amy's burritos. You can find them in the freezer section of most health food stores. They weren't too expensive - about $3 or 4 each - and they have a few varieties such as Bean & Cheese (I tried this one), Bean & Rice, Black Bean Vegetable, Breakfast (with tofu and potatoes), Indian Spinach Tofu Wrap, and Southwestern (with jalapeño peppers and black olives).

Want to know what I thought of Amy's Bean & Cheese Burrito? Then read more

Serving Size	1 burrito
Calories	300
Total Fat	9g
Saturated Fat	2.5g
Cholesterol	10mg
Sodium	580mg
Carbs	43g
Fiber	6g
Sugar	1g
Protein	11g

This burrito was the perfect size, and it was very tasty - not very spicy, with just enough seasoning. The pinto beans and cheese were mixed to create a soft and creamy consistency. When I looked inside, I could still see whole pinto beans, which is always a good thing.

The whole wheat flour tortilla was wrapped tightly enough and never once unraveled, so I didn't have to worry about it becoming a huge explosive mess as burritos often tend to be. I also liked that after taking this burrito out of the freezer, it only took 2 1/2 minutes in the microwave to warm up.

Amy's burritos definitely get a thumbs up from me. With 11g of protein and 6g of fiber, they're a great option when you need a quick meal.

Kashi Entrées: Black Bean Mango

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 17:15:00 -0700

I recently tried a new flavor of the frozen entrées from Kashi (they're the company that makes those TLC Chewy Granola Bars I love). I loved the Pesto Pasta Primavera so much, and was excited to try another vegetarian option - Black Bean Mango.

As with all of Kashi's products, I was impressed that I could pronounce every ingredient on the list, and they were all things I've heard of like canola oil, ginger, cilantro, and garlic.

I wasn't expecting this entrée to be so deliciously flavorful. It was a combination of sweet from the mangos, and spicy from the jalapeño peppers. The texture was really satisfying too. There were many tender veggies like carrots and red peppers.

There were soft and sweet mangos, and another amazing thing - you could actually see the grill lines on the roasted green peppers and onions. I thought that was a nice touch.

The protein-filled black beans were surrounded not only by rice like you usually see, but also by other chewy whole grains like oats, rye, hard red winter wheat, buckwheat, barley, and sesame seeds.

For a frozen vegan meal, this was very tasty. It only has only 340 calories, 430mg sodium, and no cholesterol (obviously). It also has 430mg of potassium, 8g of protein, 7g of fiber, 150% of your daily vitamin A needs, and 100% of your daily vitamin C needs.

Want to see what it looks like when you heat it up? Then read more

I recommend this 100%. Kashi does such an amazing job of incorporating pure, all natural ingredients, that are full of protein, fiber, and other nourishment. They prepare their products in such a way that respects the food's natural flavors and textures. I love that the grains and veggies are all intact, not overcooked or overly processed. The ingredients look and taste just as if you prepared them yourself.

Fit's Tips: Try heating this up and wrapping it in a flour tortilla with some cheese and you'll have an instant burrito. Or your can heat it up and use it as a delicious dip for tortilla chips.

Lighten Up: Turkey Chili for the Super Bowl

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 11:53:17 -0800

There are so many foods associated with watching the Super Bowl. My friend Yum recently posted a Chili recipe that sounds both super tasty and heart attack inducing (12 pieces of bacon!). So if you are looking for a healthier alternative try this recipe for Turkey Black Bean Chili.

Here's what you need:
1 large onion chopped
2 medium sized red bell peppers, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 pounds ground turkey
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried coriander
3 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed well and drained
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 can tomato paste
3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 ounce dark chocolate, chopped
4 chipotle chilies rinsed, seeded and chopped

Spray the bottom of a large pot with canola oil. Add onion, bell peppers and garlic and sauté over medium/high heat until vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add turkey and sauté until no longer pink, breaking up large pieces with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Mix in dried spices and stir for 1 minute. Add beans, tomatoes with juices, tomato paste, broth, chocolate and chipotles. Bring chili to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with low fat sour cream, sliced avocado and grated low fat cheddar cheese.

FYI: Chipotle is smoke-dried jalapeño chilies and they are sold in cans packed with adobo sauce. The peppers get their heat from the seeds so be sure to scrape them off before chopping the pepper. Wash your hands with cold water when you have finished with the chilies.

Don't Get "Malled" by the Food Court

FitSugar — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 05:30:00 -0800

I hate to be the one to bring it up, but it's that time of year again -- time to think about getting that holiday shopping done. [Insert scream heard round the world.] I usually try to do a lot of my shopping online, but I always still have to make the obligatory trip to the mall for something that I couldn't get online.

While I'm there, I get hungry. It's unavoidable, and it just happens. What's worse? Not only am I hungry but I also know there is a place where food is so easily accessible. A place that reminds me of the fast food holy land: The Food Court.

For ways to hit the food court without hitting rock bottom on your diet, read more

Stick to places you can actually eat healthy.
Deli type places that don't even have a deep fryer are good options -- french fries and onion rings couldn't be worse for you. Au Bon Pain is a great choice but watch out for cheeses, mayonnaise and any other special sauces they throw at you. Opt for mustard. A great option is the Tuna Nicoise Salad, 270 calories and 12 grams of fat (get the dressing on the side to lower those numbers).

When you want a snack, your options are more limited.
The pretzel shops may seem like a daunting place but at Auntie Anne's the Jalapeño Pretzel without Butter has 270 calories, and no trans fat (this was the best I could find at Auntie Anne's in terms of Nutrition). If you're cutting out white flour then try the Whole Wheat Pretzel (no butter) with 350 calories and 1.5 grams of fat.

Skip cookie shops, like Mrs. Fields and Nestles, altogether. They are just too tempting. If you need something sweet head to a candy store and get some dark chocolate with a high cocoa amount. If I still can't convince you to stay away from Dairy Queen, then go with the vanilla soft serve (small). It has about 140 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.

And if you get out of there without eating a single french fry, you are so good! I wish you luck!