FitSugar

Movie Theater Food Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 09:45:00 PST

This holiday season many of us will be flocking to the movies to see the latest and greatest hitting the theaters.

Unfortunately we may not realize that the snacks we are paying WAY too much for have WAY more calories than we may realize. So to help you through, I've broken down some movie theater favorites:

Large Buttered Popcorn (20 cups): 1500 calories, 116g fat, 90g carbs
Hot Dog (1 dog with bun): 305 calories, 4.5g fat, 23g carbs
Nachos with Cheese (large, 4 oz): 1101 calories, 59g fat, 131.5g carbs
Soft Pretzel (large): 483 calories, 4.5g fat, 99g carbs
Cotton Candy (2.5 oz): 300 calories, 0g fat, 74g carbs
Junior Mints (3 oz): 320 calories, 5g fat, 68g carbs

There's lots more, so

read more Milk Duds (3 oz): 340 calories, 12g fat, 56g carbs Sno-Caps (3.1 oz): 360 calories, 16g fat, 60g carbs Raisinets (3.5 oz): 380 calories, 16g fat, 64g carbs Gummi Bears (4 oz): 390 calories, 0g fat, 90g carbs Goobers (3.5 oz): 525 calories, 35g fat, 55g carbs Twizzlers (6 oz): 600 calories, 4g fat, 136g carbs M&M's (5.3 oz): 735 calories, 31.5g fat, 105g carbs Skittles (6.75 oz): 765 calories, 9g fat, 166.5g carbs Reese's Pieces (8 oz): 1200 calories, 60g fat, 138g carbs Starburst (24 pieces): 480 calories, 10.5g fat, 99g carbs Coca-Cola with ice (large, 3 pints, 18.9 fl oz): 353 calories, 0g fat, 88.4g carbs

Candy Coded: What You Need to Know About Your Favorite Sweets

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 03:09:35 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Fitness Magazine here on FitSugar!

It seems like these days there's always a reason for a sweet treat - holidays, baby showers, birthdays, and the list goes on. We could tell you not to eat it, but unless you have the willpower of a saint everyone craves sugar once in a while. To help, we got the dish on the best drugstore treats to nibble on and the ones to completely nix.

1. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
"If you're craving chocolate, then the darker, the better," says Katie Cavuto Boyle, RD, owner of Healthy Bites. "Dark chocolate has less sugar, is dairy-free, and is rich in antioxidants that have been shown to reduce blood pressure and decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease."

Nibble: Hershey's Miniatures: Special Dark
Serving Size: 5 pieces
200 calories; 13g fat; 7g saturated fat; 25mg sodium; 24g carbs; 18g sugar; 3g protein
Nix: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures
Serving Size: 5 pieces
220 calories; 13g fat; 5g saturated fat; 130mg sodium; 26g carbs; 23g sugar; 4g protein

2. Go Nuts!
"Chocolate that contains nuts may be even better for you, because the nuts contain a variety of nutrients and healthy fats that may displace some of the total chocolate, sugar, etc.," says Marie Spano, RD, owner of Marie Spano Nutrition Consulting in Atlanta.

Nibble: Dove Silky Smooth Almond Milk Chocolate Bar
Serving Size: 1 bar
190 calories; 12g fat; 6g saturated fat; 20mg sodium; 18g carbs; 16g sugar; 3g protein
Nix: Twix Caramel Cookie Bars
Serving Size: 2 cookies (1 pack)
250 calories; 12g fat; 9g saturated fat; 100mg sodium; 33g carbs; 24g sugar; 2g protein/li>

More suggestions for making the better candy choice after the break.

Vote in Our Best Candy of All Time Bracket!

YumSugar — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:35:09 PDT

Nutty chocolate lovers, what's your favorite cocoa-and-peanut combination? Right now, Peanut M&M's are way above Mr. Goodbar in the standings. Don't agree with the current rankings? Then it's up to you to cast your vote!

From Skittles and Starburst to Sugar Babies and Milk Duds, we've selected 64 of the most beloved candies, and we need your help to pick the winner! Start by clicking above, and go through the first-round matchups by picking your favorite candy each time. Once you've done that, we'll take your favorites and pair them against each other until there is only one winning candy left. At the end of the month, we'll tally up your votes and crown our ultimate candy. Plus, when you finish voting, you'll have the opportunity to enter to win a year's supply of candy from Dylan's Candy Bar. What are you waiting for? Play now!

Have Your Gluten-Free Candy This Halloween and Eat It Too

Heather Dale — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:59:55 PDT

If the candy-lined store shelves didn't give it away, the sweetest annual holiday is just about here - no, not Valentine's Day silly . . . Halloween! For those with celiac disease or a gluten allergy/sensitivity, Halloween can be more of a trick than a treat because deciphering which candies contain traces of the gluten protein found in wheat, rye, and barley can be downright tricky.

Good news my friends. Although most cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and doughnuts are filled with gluten, most candy bars and hard candies are gluten-free (but stay away from Twizzlers, because they surprisingly do contain gluten!). Now I'm not saying you can go crazy next Monday, but when a majority of "fun size" bars are only 100 calories, a little indulging once in a while doesn't hurt. Keep reading to see which candies made the cut for being g-free!

3 Vegetable Myths Busted

Prevention — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:32:09 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

White potatoes don't make you fat, carrots aren't made of sugar - and other myths about the produce you grew up on, dispelled
By Karen Ansel, RD

If the low-carb diet craze of the early 2000s left you believing that potatoes equal pounds and corn is no better than candy, it's time to wake up and taste the produce. Truth is, even vegetables you may think of as nutritional duds are packed with vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, not to mention varied colors, flavors, and textures. If you've been avoiding these "produce outcasts," your diet — and health — are missing out. Here, we debunk the biggest myths about a few unfairly maligned vegetables — and provide easy and healthful ways to eat more of them.

Feed Your Family for $100 a Week

White Potatoes Make You Fat
One medium baked potato has only 161 calories, plus 4 g of filling fiber
Added bonus: Chilled, cooked potato is packed with resistant starch, a fibrous substance that could help you lose weight. (For more information on resistant starch, visit prevention.com/resistantstarch.) "If you keep portion sizes in check — no more than one medium potato in a given meal — and eat the fiber-rich skin, potatoes make a satisfying, low-cal, nutrient-rich side dish," says Michelle Dudash, RD, a Gilbert, AZ-based nutritionist. They also:

Fight disease
When scientists from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service tested more than 100 potato varieties, they discovered 60 different vitamins and phytochemicals. For starters, they found flavonoids (which are credited with improving heart health and protecting against lung and prostate cancers) including quercetin, which may boost immunity.

Help maintain healthy blood pressure
Potatoes are loaded with kukoa-mines, plant chemicals that help lower blood pressure, found the USDA researchers. In addition, one medium baked potato (including the skin) provides 20 percent of your daily potassium, a known hyper-tension fighter.

Try this: To make a fat-burning potato salad, boil new potatoes in water until cooked through. Cut into one 2-inch slices and then quarter. Toss with olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and chopped fresh parsley, and chill. Or for a hearty meal, skip the sour cream, butter, and cheese, and top a baked russet potato with vegetarian chili.

9 Eating Habits to Naturally Boost Your Health

Learn why you should be eating carrot and celery after the break.

Lil Links: Jewel Shares Her Breastfeeding Plan

LilSugar — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 02:02:20 PDT

Jewel talks about her breastfeeding plans - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Healthy tips for baby's skin - Parenting
One mom explains why she laughed when her kids' pet died - The Stir
Neil Patrick Harris is full of love for his family - Celebrity Baby Blog
Milk duds and other breastfeeding problems - FitPregnancy
Do you have a coffee alternative for new moms? - The Bump
When daddy is deployed - Playground Dad
Padma Lakshmi is raising her daughter to be a lacto-vegetarian - Babble
Birthday cake bragging rights - Momfilter

Halloween Candy Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:30:57 PDT

Who isn't tempted by a little fun-sized trick-o-treating candy? From the tiny Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to the Snickers bar you can wrap your hand around, there are Halloween candy jars everywhere these days. Remember, the little indulgences add up - just because they're small doesn't mean they are calorie-free. Take a look at the chart below and see how your fave candy stacks up.

1 treat size (fun size)	Calories	Fat (g)	Sugar (g)
Snickers	72	3.7	7
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup	80	4.5	7
Almond Joy	91	5.1	9.2
Reese's Nutrageous	95	5.5	7.5

If you don't see the candy you crave,

1 treat size (fun size)	Calories	Fat (g)	Sugar (g)
Milky Way	76	2.9	10.9
Butterfinger	100	4	10
M&M's	90	4	11.5
Peanut M&M's	93	4.7	9.1
Nestle Crunch	51.3	2.7	5.6
Peppermint Pattie	47	1	8.6
Kit Kat	73	3.7	6.7
Dots	70	0	11
Skittles	80	.8	15
Jelly Belly Jellybeans	35	0	7
3 Musketeers	63.3	2	10
Milky Way Dark	81	3	11
Hershey's Bar	66.7	4	7.7
Take 5	105	5.5	9
100 Grand	95	4	11
Nerds	50	0	12
Whoppers	100	4	13
Mike & Ike	50	0	9
SweeTarts	10	0	2.4
Milk Duds	40	2	6.3
Babe Ruth	85	4	10
Heath Bar	77	4.7	8.7