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Meet Our New Food and Entertaining Video Channel, YumTV!

partysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:43:19 -0800

I'm a huge fan of PopSugar Rush and BellaTV - that's why it brings me great honor to introduce our new food-related video channel, YumTV! We're creating an exciting lineup of original shows that will debut every week. YumTV is your ultimate guide to all things food, drink, and entertaining. We'll show you how to throw the perfect party, cook killer apps, browse the farmers markets, shake up creative cocktails, and much more!

In today's first episode, we talk about one of the most important side dishes of the Thanksgiving meal, mashed potatoes. To learn how to add a punch of color to our basic mashed potatoes recipe, watch YumTV now!

Smarter T-Day Eats: Go Gold For Your Mashers

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:00:11 -0800

I love me some mashed potatoes, especially on Thanksgiving. The problem is that this dish is usually overloaded with tons of butter and cream, which can be a big problem if you're trying to stay healthy. One way I make my mashed potatoes healthier is by using Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn potatoes instead of the old stand-by, Russet potatoes.

It might seem peculiar that switching out potatoes makes a difference, but these smaller variety potatoes are naturally creamy and sweet, and their skins taste like butter. This means that you can cut down on the amount of butter and cream you would normally add to the dish.

When shopping for Yukon Golds or Yellow Finns, look for smaller ones that aren't much bigger than one inch in diameter. Potatoes harvested early are creamier because they're more tender. Also, the more yellow the potato, the better - it's vitamin A contained in the skin that give these potatoes their golden hue. There's potassium in the skin too, so when making your mashers, don't peel! Another great thing about Yukon Golds and Yellow Finns is that their skins are pretty thin and won't detract from the creaminess of your dish if you leave them on.

For a few more tips on how to make mashed potatoes healthier, read more.

For added nutrition, add sweet potatoes to your mashers mix.
Substitute reduced fat or lowfat milk for the cream, or try making them with evaporated skim milk.
Cut back on salt by seasoning mashed potatoes with garlic, onion, and herbs.
Omit dairy altogether and mash in cauliflower and broth instead.

How do you make your Thanksgiving meal healthier? Share the details in our Healthy Recipe Group.

Source: Flickr User karindaziel

Healthy Eating Tip: Add Tofu to Your Mashed Potatoes

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Mashed potatoes are my number one comfort food, but in the past couple years, they've gotten a bad reputation for being high in carbs. So I've figured out a way to add some protein without changing the flavor or texture. Add some silken tofu to your cooked taters before you mash them (one package per 10 cooked russet potatoes). Not only does the tofu increase the amount of protein, but it also adds creaminess so I don't have to include butter, which helps reduce the fat content. Just be sure to mix the tofu and potatoes thoroughly. Since tofu has no taste, not even my husband knows there's tofu in his garlic mashed potatoes.

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Which Thanksgiving Staple Will You Indulge In?

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 03:30:00 -0800

As much as we all like to talk about eating healthy on Thanksgiving day, there is always that one item (or two, or three) that you just can't resist. So which Thanksgiving treat is worth hitting the treadmill for few extra sessions?

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Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:30:00 -0800

One of my favorite all time meals is Shepherd's Pie. Normally it's made with ground lamb, but since I'm always trying to get my family to eat more veggies, I came up with a vegetarian version that uses beans and tons of veggies.

To see my recipe, read more

What you need:

Potatoes (8 white or sweet or a mix of both, each about the size of a lemon)
1 32 oz. container of Pacific Veggie broth
2 peppers (I prefer 1 red and 1 orange)
1 zucchini
3 stalks of celery
6 mushrooms
4 big carrots
1 can of beans (I prefer black or kidney)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
2-3 tbsp butter or Earth Balance (optional)
1 clove of garlic, minced

What you do:

Place a big pot of water on the stove on High heat.
While the water is heating to a boil, peel the potatoes (unless you love mashed potatoes with the skins). Then dice them up and place them in the pot of boiling water.
Now get another pot, pour the broth in and place it on the stove on Medium heat.
While that's warming up, cut up all the veggies and place them in the broth. Feel free to add other kinds of veggies if you want. Strain and rinse the canned beans and add them to the broth too. Mix everything up and allow to cook uncovered.

Check on the potatoes, and when they're soft, strain out the water in a colander, and return them back into their original pot. Using a fork or a masher, while they're still steaming hot, mash the potatoes until creamy. If you're using regular potatoes, you can add garlic and butter (or Earth Balance) for a smoother texture. If you're using sweet potatoes, they don't really need any butter (they're creamy enough). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Set the mashed potatoes aside, and turn on the oven to 350°F. Now check on the veggies cooking in the broth. You want to cook them for only about 10 minutes or so, so they're still slightly firm.
Now take a rectangular glass casserole dish, and using a slotted spoon place all the veggies in the dish. Now pour some of the leftover liquid over them, enough so that the veggies are covered, not swimming. You can save the leftover broth (if there is any) in a container in the freezer for a later recipe.

Now carefully scoop the mashed potatoes over the veggies, smoothing them out with the back of a spoon in a nice even layer. If you like cheese, go ahead and sprinkle it on top. I did half and half so you can see what it looks like.

Place it in the oven, uncovered, and bake for about 10-20 minutes. You'll know it's ready when either the cheese is melted and bubbly, or the potatoes are slightly hard on top.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. If you have any leftovers, place them in plastic containers in the fridge.

Print recipe with images | without images

8 Most Fattening Foods of Fall

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:30:00 -0700

Fall is coming, which means so are fall yummies. In fact the chills of the evening lead me to mash up a side of red potatoes last night with dinner, and they were delish. Turns out, mashed potatoes made MSNBC's list of the eight most fattening foods of Fall. Damn.

Here's the complete list of things you may want to stay away from (or at least eat in moderation):

Halloween candy
Mashed potatoes
Venti Pumpkin Spice Latte
Apple pie
Cider
Stuffing
Candy Apple
Turducken

Do you know what "turducken" is? Tell me what you think it is in the comment section below!

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The Same Turkey Dinner Without the Fat: Mashed Potatoes

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 02:45:00 -0800

Thanksgiving brings us wonderful times and great things to eat. And those things are often loaded with calories and fat.

It doesn't have to be that way. Here are some tips on how to make mashed potatoes have less of an impact on your waist line:

Use a butter substitute like Smart Balance. It contains no hydrogenated oil, no trans fatty acids and a balanced oil blend to help balance fats in your diet. It also provides a favorable ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids they call an Omega Balance.

If you can manage then skip the butter altogether and use skim milk, low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, or non-fat plain yogurt (this adds a little bit of a zing to the flavor, kind of like sour cream).

FitSugar Roundup

FitSugar — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:50:03 -0800

You can go easy on the butter in your mashed potatoes when you use Yukon Gold spuds.
New Moon star Nikki Reed says hiking with her boyfriend is her fitness secret.
How well do you know the calorie counts of Starbucks's holiday drinks?
Worried about falling off the healthy wagon? Here are eight ways to get back on track.
I'm curious to know how many days a week you work out.
Ashlee Simpson-Wentz firmly believes in taco night and baby weights.
If you're starting to strength train, check out this guide to beginning weights for lifting.
Learn just how long you need to exercise in order to burn off a slice of T-day pumpkin pie.
I have some great gift ideas for the healthy cook in your life.
Learn a bit more about the fat-burning zone.

Turkey Breakdown: Light, Dark, and Tofurky

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:00:29 -0800

The main course for Thanksgiving has traditionally been turkey. This meat can be a great source of lean protein, but some parts of the bird are healthier than others. To see how your turkey choices add up, check out the nutritional info of this meat and also a meat-free option.

Which has more calories, white or dark meat? To find out read more.

Meat Type (4 ounce serving)	Calories	Saturated Fat (g)	Cholesterol (g)	Protein (g)
White meat	158	.4	97	34.1
White meat with skin	185	1.4	107	32.5
Dark meat	183	1.6	127	32.6
Dark meat with skin	206	2.4	132	31.3
Wing (2.1 oz.)	98	.7	61	18.5
Wing with skin (3.2 oz.)	186	2.4	104	24.9
Leg (thigh and drumstick)	180	1.4	134	333
Leg (thigh and drumstick) with skin	192	1.9	79	32.2
Tofurky Feast (1/5 of the roast, 5.2 oz.)	250	6	0	34

While dark meat does contain more calories, fat, and cholesterol, it also contains a considerable amount of iron, so go ahead and eat that drumstick you crave. Keep in mind that the skin contains a ton of calories and fat, so feel free to indulge a little, but don't go overboard. As for the Tofurky, I'm surprised to see that a serving size contains so many calories, but at least it's low in saturated fat and high in protein.

Enjoy whichever main course you choose, but remember that these numbers don't include stuffing, mashed potatoes, or gravy on the side. If you want to save room for a slice of grandma's famous pumpkin pie, limit the turkey fixings.

How to Work Off Thanksgiving Calories

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:08 -0800

If you're worried about devouring a huge Thanksgiving meal and what that will mean to your waistline, have no fear. You can have your cake - I mean pie - and eat it too, you just have to get moving afterward. After the break, check out the calorie amounts for your favorite Thanksgiving foods and find out some ways you can work off those tasty calories.

To see the chart, read more.

Food	Amount of calories	Activity
6 oz. mulled wine	156	Swimming laps moderately for 20 minutes will burn 158 calories.
3.5 oz. white turkey meat	156	20 minutes of football burns 158 calories.
3.5 oz. dark turkey meat	186	Sneak away for a 20-minute jog and burn 197 calories.
1/2 cup mashed potatoes	150	Burn 158 calories by walking briskly for 40 minutes.
1/2 cup gravy	150	44 minutes of cleaning burns 152 calories.
1 small baked sweet potato	54	Stretching for 15 minutes burns 59 calories.
1/2 cup stuffing	180	A 23-minute bike ride at a moderate pace will burn 181 calories.
1 slice apple pie with 1/2 cup ice cream	555	Hiking for an hour and 35 minutes will burn off 561 dessert calories.
1 slice pumpkin pie	180	Take the family bowling for an hour and burn 180 calories.