FitSugar

Healthy BBQ - Grilled Veggies

FitSugar — Fri, 18 May 2007 14:30:00 -0700

BBQs aren't just about hot dogs and hamburgers - oh no. When you start grilling veggies, your BBQ options become endless.

Here are some tips for grilling vegetables:

First off you've got to get yourself a Stainless Steel Grill Wok Topper like this one ($24.99). It prevents smaller foods like shrimp and chopped veggies from falling through the grate onto the coals or gas.
Cut up your favorite fresh vegetables. I love red, green, yellow, and orange peppers, carrots, zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, Vidalia onions, and broccoli. But cut slightly larger pieces than you usually do, because grilling makes them shrink a little.
Brush your veggies with olive oil (for flavor and to prevent them from sticking to the metal) and sprinkle them with rosemary, minced garlic, salt and pepper, then place them on the grill.
Shake or stir them quite often, and watch them closely since they don't take very long to cook.
When they're ready, pour them onto a plate and serve. They're delicious to eat plain with the rest of your BBQ food, or you can top them on your burgers or hot dogs.

Fit's Tips: Vary the flavor of your grilled vegetables and experiment with different sauces, herbs and spices. Sometimes I'm in the mood for adding fresh grated ginger and lemon juice. Other days I'm into adding hot sauce - it's great for clearing the sinuses when my allergies are really bad.

10 Foods that Are Hard to Digest

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:30:00 -0700

Some foods are rough on your digestive system creating serious discomfort and gas. Not fun at all. You may have your own culprits, but MSN.com has come up with the top ten foods that are hard to digest:

Ice Cream: Can cause stomach trouble when eaten in large amounts because it’s essentially all fat, and fat lingers in the stomach longer than other foods before getting digested. Plus it's a sure fire way to flare up Lactose Intolerance.

Citrus Drinks: Can irritate the esophagus, stimulating the sensory nerves to feel more inflamed; may feel like acid reflux, but in reality is just irritation.
Mashed Potatoes: Can really do a doozy on anyone suffering with Lactose Intolerance as they are usually loaded with milk and/or cream.
Spicy Foods: Can irritate the lining of the esophagus on the way down giving an unpleasant heartburn-like feeling after you eat.
Beans: Can cause gas and bloating because if you don’t routinely eat beans, you might not have enough of the enzyme needed to comfortably digest them.
Chocolate (brownies): Can cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, allowing stomach acid to come back up.
Raw Onions: Can really distress the stomach, not to mention the taste buds, if eaten raw.
Fried Foods (chicken nuggets): Fried foods inevitably are greasy and high in fat, both of which spell trouble for the stomach.
Broccoli and Cabbage: Can cause major gas buildup in the gut due to their fiber- and nutrient-rich qualities.
Sugar-Free Gum: Can cause an uncomfortable buildup of gas in your gut due to Sorbitol, the ingredient found in many sugar-free gums.

View 10 Photos ›

To read the full article, visit MSN.com.

Taco Hell Continued

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 12:00:00 -0800

Just as I thought the Taco Bell Hell was coming to a hault, new reports are claiming that the E. coli contamination was not found in the green onions, as originally suspected, but possibly in the lettuce. While findings are not final, they are also looking at the cheese and ground beef.

While the lettuce is served in approximately 70 percent of all Taco Bell menu items, thought is that they should probably just focus on everything at this point.

White onions were also suspect at one point and health officials found the produce was contaminated with E. coli, but the strain was not the same as the one identified in the wider outbreak. Gross.

Interestingly enough, officials are still saying that the Taco Bell outbreak does not have anything to do with the Taco John E. coli outbreak.

As of Wednesday evening, the Center for Disease Control had reported 71 confirmed cases of E. coli infection in five states. New Jersey had 33 confirmed cases; New York had 22; Pennsylvania had 13, Delaware had two, and South Carolina had one.

Moral of the story? Stay away from taco joints right now.

Garlic and Onions: More Than Flavor

FitSugar — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 02:30:00 -0800

It seems like every savory meal starts with sauteing garlic and onions. Our favorite pungently flavored veggies might just provide a lot more than flavor when it come to cancer prevention.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently published a report suggesting that folks consuming significant amounts of onions and garlic may be decreasing their risk of developing certain types of cancer. Cancers of the mouth, kidney, colon, ovaries and throat were much lower for adults in Europe and China who ate 7 or more servings a week of onions and garlic.

Before you start going crazy with your Garlic Genius one of the researchers suggested that study participants who eat garlic and onion heavy diets might just have healthier diets loaded with all kinds of veggies.

So roast yourself some nice winter veggies and make sure to put some onions and garlic in the mix.

Source

Healthy Holiday Recipe: Onion Bread Pudding

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:00:00 -0800

The other day I had a baguette that was past its prime, and my first thought was "I'll make bread pudding." But with all the holiday sweets around, I didn't want to add to the temptation with another dessert. So I dug up this recipe for a savory Onion Bread Pudding instead.

The recipe comes from Cooking Light, and despite the fact that the main ingredients are bread and cheese, this holiday side dish is comparatively low cal and low fat. For nutritional details and step-by-step photos, read more.

Made with sweet onions and Gruyere cheese and seasoned with thyme, this bread pudding has the consistency of stuffing. The flavor is delicate and subtle, like a lighter twist on French onion soup. I served mine as a main dish with a simple salad, but it would also make a delicious side dish for your holiday dinners. Get the recipe here, and check out my photos below.

View 7 Photos ›

Nutritional Info Per Serving: 364 calories, 12.2 g of fat (5.7 g saturated fat), 19.7 g of protein, 43.8 g of carbs, 3.4 g of fiber, 136 mg of cholesterol, 2.1 mg of iron, 806 mg of sodium.

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

Your Healthy Food Swaps

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:00:27 -0800

Since decadent foods like ice cream, baked treats, and fried foods tend to be high in the calorie department, it's good to have a few healthy food swap ideas up your sleeve. Here are some shared by fellow FitSugar readers.

"Avocado instead of mayo . . . sure it may have fat in it but it's healthy fat and tastes delicious. Hummus instead of cream in sauces and soups . . . adds a ton of flavor and protein." - mamasitamalita
"I use balsamic vinegar (not vinaigrette) on my salads without any oil. It gives the same powerful flavor kick but for a lot less calories." - laellavita
"Replace ranch dressing on my salad with cottage cheese." - genipher85

For more great ideas, keep reading

Not So Peachy: Pesticides and Peaches

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:45:00 -0700

One of my favorite summer fruits is the peach. When I bite into a perfectly ripe peach, I am in heaven. I just read a new report on pesticides and produce put out by the
Environmental Working Group (EWG). They listed peaches as having the highest pesticide load out of 42 fruits and vegetables they tested.

The EWG, a not-for-profit research group, ranked popular produce based on the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2004.

Here's the produce list that EWG created, ranked in order of greatest pesticide load to least.

1 Peaches (highest pesticide load)
2 Apples
3 Sweet Bell Peppers
4 Celery
5 Nectarines
6 Strawberries
7 Cherries
8 Pears
9 Grapes - Imported
10 Spinach

Interested in seeing the rest of the list? then read more
11 Lettuce
12 Potatoes
13 Carrots
14 Green Beans
15 Hot Peppers
16 Cucumbers
17 Raspberries
18 Plums
19 Grapes - Domestic
20 Oranges
21 Grapefruit
22 Tangerine
23 Mushrooms
24 Cantaloupe
25 Honeydew Melon
26 Tomatoes
27 Sweet Potatoes
28 Watermelon
29 Winter Squash
30 Cauliflower
31 Blueberries
32 Papaya
33 Broccoli
34 Cabbage
35 Bananas
36 Kiwi
37 Sweet peas - frozen
38 Asparagus
39 Mango
40 Pineapples
41 Sweet Corn - frozen
42 Avocado
43 Onions 1 (lowest pesticide load)

While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

Source

Alexia Foods: Great in a Pinch

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:15:00 -0700

Tonight was one of those nights when I didn't really feel like making an elaborate meal for dinner. Mostly I just didn't want to have to clean up a big huge mess - I know you know what I'm talking about.

Good thing I had a bag of Alexia fries in the freezer. I just baked them in the oven, steamed up some broccoli, carrots, and other veggies, topped them with melted cheese, and dinner was served. Now I know these aren't the world's healthiest food you can eat, but looking at the ingredients, they're not bad for you either.

Alexia makes all kinds of delicious foods. I always keep a couple bags of their frozen fries in my freezer. I love the Olive Oil, Rosemary & Garlic fries, and my girls love the Waffle-Cut Potatoes with Seasoned Salt.

They also make organic frozen fries like Yukon Gold Julienne Fries with Sea Salt. My favorite has got to be the Sweet Potato Fries. When you bake them, they have the perfect combination of a crispy outside and a soft, tender inside.

At the grocery, I also saw that Alexia makes appetizers now too like Mozzarella Stix, Mushroom Bites, Onion Rings, and Pizza Snacks. These may be good to have in case someone pops in for a surprise visit.

I also saw Mashed Potatoes which I have a weakness for, and Artisan Breads like French Rolls, Focaccia, and Whole Wheat Rolls with Flaxseed.

Alexia makes their foods out of 100% natural ingredients. Not only that, they're also trans fat free. I can't say that much about mainstream frozen foods.

Fit's Tips: Not sure where to find Alexia products? Check out their website for store locations. You can probably find them at your nearest health food store, Whole Foods, or Wild Oats.

What Causes Heartburn?

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 11:45:00 -0700

I'm sure you've all experienced heartburn once in your life, some unfortunately more than others. Maybe you ate a spicy meal, a huge meal or a huge spicy meal and got that overwhelming burning sensation in your lower chest. But it doesn't stop there, it can start to creep up into your esophagus and into your throat.

You may know this already, but heartburn doesn't actually affect the heart at all. When you eat, food passes from your mouth down a tube called the esophagus. In order to enter the stomach to be digested, the food must pass through an opening between the esophagus and the stomach.

This opening is like a gate, and soon closes after food passes into your tummy. Sometimes it doesn't quite close, and stomach acid can get through that opening and move into your esophagus. This is called reflux and it's what causes that burning sensation.

Heartburn can be affected by being overweight, smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee or other beverages that contain caffeine, alcohol, citrus fruits, tomatoes, onion, chocolate, mints, fatty or spicy foods, or taking aspirin or ibuprofen.

If you do get a sudden case of heartburn, try to keep yourself upright. If you are lying down, prop yourself up with some pillows since this will prevent more acid from seeping into your esophagus.

Taking an antacid can help (it neutralizes the acid in your stomach). Take ones that contain both magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide (one causes constipation while the other causes diarrhea so they counteract each other) like over-the-counter brands include Maalox and Mylanta.

Want to know how you can prevent it? Then read more

Don't overeat.
Stop eating 2-3 hours before lying down for bed.
Lose excess weight.
Don't wear belts or clothes that are tight fitting around your waist - this will squeeze your stomach and force food and acid back up towards the esophagus.
Eat high-protein, low-fat meals.
If you've eaten something in the past and it's given you heartburn - don't eat it again.