FitSugar

Totino's/Jeno's Frozen Pizza Recall!

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:45:00 -0700

I've been laying off doing a post on every single product recall, but when I saw that there was a frozen pizza recall, I figured I should let you guys know, because I know how popular these pizzas are. (I, for one, lived off them in college.)

General Mills announced today that it has recalled about 5 million frozen pizzas sold nationwide under the Totino's and Jeno's labels because of possible E. coli contamination. The voluntary recall covers pizzas containing pepperoni that have been produced since July.

The company asks consumers to throw away recalled pizzas. You can get replacements by clipping the bar code from the box and mailing it with your name and address to Totino's/Jeno's, P.O. Box 200 _ Pizza, Minneapolis, MN 55440-0200.

Let me also take this opportunity to let you know that six Totino's Pepperoni Pizza Rolls have a whopping 210 calories, 2.5 grams saturated fat, 1.5 grams trans fat, and 480 mg of sodium. Half of the Totino's Pepperoni Party Pizza (you know you can eat half easily) has 360 calories, 5 grams saturated fat, 4 grams trans fat, and 870 mg sodium. My suggestion? Throw them all away and never look back. If you're not ready to totally give up frozen pizza, then check out Kashi frozen pizza for a healthier alternative.

Domino's Pizza Quiz

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 03:30:00 -0700

Everyone loves to have a pizza delivered - it's easy, fast, and sometimes tasty. The problem is, just like eating out, what you order doesn't come with nutritional information.

Italian Food Break Down: Numbers to Know Before You Mangia!

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:00:00 -0800

Who doesn't love a slice of cheese pizza, Lasagna or Anitpasto? And those Italian desserts like gelato or a cannoli - they're just so delicious, it's hard to hold back.

Each of these are based on a regular restaurant portion:

Antipasto Salad: 136 cals, 8g fat, 13g carbs
Bruschetta (1 piece with tomato and basil): 102 cals, 3g fat, 17g carbs
Chicken Cacciatore: 370 cals, 22g fat, 4g carbs
Capresse Salad: 154 cals, 11.8g fat, 4.2g carbs
Eggplant Parmigiana: 670 cals, 32g fat, 75g carbs
Fettuccine Alfredo: 780 cals, 55g fat, 53g carbs
Parmesan Garlic Bread: 259 cals, 13.4g fat, 29.2g carbs
Lasagna (meat): 400 cals, 17g fat, 36 cals
Lasagna (vegetable): 250 cals, 13g fat, 21g carbs
Manicotti (cheese and tomato): 230 cals, 14g fat, 18g carbs
Minestrone Soup: 260 cals, 6g fat, 28g carbs
Spinach and Mushroom Risotto: 219 cals, 5g fat, 37g carbs
Pizza (1 slice cheese): 222 cals, 5g fat, 35g carbs
Pizza (1 slice pepperoni): 249 cals, 7.5g fat, 35g carbs

Want to see the rest? Then read more

Ravioli: 300 cals, 12g fat, 30 carbs
Spaghetti with tomato sauce: 540 cals, 13g fat, 105g carbs
Spaghetti with meatsauce: 650 cals, 16g fat, 90g carbs
Cheese Tortellini: 530 cals, 20g fat, 74g carbs
Veal Parmigiana: 350 cals, 20g fat, 5g carbs

Dessserts:

Cannoli: 142 cals, 7.1g fat, 14.2g carbs
Almond Biscotto: 110 cals, 2.5g fat, 21g carbs
Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato: 241 cals, 16g fat, 24 carbs
Raspberry Napoleon: 243 cals, 4g fat, 34g carbs
Pasticiotti: 305 cals, 12.4g fat, 42.5g carbs
Tiramisu: 310 cals, 15g fat, 39 carbs

Super Bowl Diet Killer: Pizza

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 10:45:00 -0800

The Super Bowl is quickly approaching and if you're like me, you're not concerned about who is going to win, but more concerned about what you are going to eat without gaining a zillion pounds.

The one food that goes hand in hand with the Super Bowl is pizza. Most people won't consider a Super Bowl party to be legitimate without pizza so instead of taking the pizza out of the party, let's think of ways to take the unhealthiness out of the pizza.

Toppings: Avoid the "meat lovers" pie, but if you can't then, choose ham over pepperoni or sausage. You'll reduce your calories dramatically by going with ham. Want to go a step further? Make your own and use turkey pepperoni or turkey sausage. If you get just plain cheese or vegetable, the sodium level is going to be a lot less than if your pizza is loaded with meat.

Ordering Out: Ask the restaurant to go light on the cheese, so you'll still get cheese but not mounds. Some restaurants will even go light on the oil, you just have to ask. Getting thin crust will drop the calories as well. And, don't be sucked into deals, just because the cheese stuffed crust is free, doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Sizes: For obvious reasons, don't eat the biggest slice on the plate (or box). We often judge how much pizza we eat by slice, so having two small slices is a lot different from 2 huge slices.

Make Your Own: Try making the crust out of whole wheat flour and use part skim mozzarella cheese on top. Load it with more veggies and less cheese to decrease calories. Check out YumSugar.com for a yummy mushroom garlic pizza recipe but to make it healthier, I would use part skim mozzarella cheese.

Ball Park Foods Breakdown

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Batter up! Summer means it's time to hit your nearby stadium and see a baseball game. Before you hurl yourself at the peanuts and Cracker Jacks, check out this breakdown after you read more.

Food	Serving Size	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Sugar (g)	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)
Hot dog	6.4 oz. dog	464	21	7	1,046	50	7	16
Corn dog	2.7 oz. dog	210	12	3.5	350	23	8	6
Pepperoni pizza	3.8-oz. slice	298	12.1	5.3	683	34	4.1	13.3
Roasted salted peanuts	30 large peanuts (1 oz.)	166	14.1	2	231	6.1	1.2	6.7
Cracker Jacks	1/2 cup	120	2	0	70	23	15	2
Nachos with cheese	40 chips and 4 oz. cheese	1,101	59	18.5	1,580	131.5	1	23.6
Soft pretzel	5.5 oz.	488	3.4	1	557	101	30.2	12.4
Beer	8 oz. cup	102	0	0	9	8.5	0	1.1
Soft serve ice cream	1/2 cup	191	11.2	6.4	52	19.1	18.2	3.5
Snow cone	3 oz.	270	0	0	0	68	-	0
Chili fries	4.3 oz	310	16	6	370	35	1	8

What do you normally eat when you watch a game?

Getty

Super Bowl Takeout: How to Order and Keep Your Resolutions

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:00:00 -0800

Super Bowl Sunday is this weekend, and I know it's supposed to be all about the game, but really, it's become all about the food. Chicken wings, pizza, seven-layer dip, chips, chili, sausages, and beer. Lots of beer. It's a cruel test for those who have started a health kick on Jan 1. It's great if you can make your own healthy snacks, but if the crowd you're with is all about ordering food, here are some tips to allow you to enjoy the party, while sticking to your resolutions.

When ordering pizza, go for thin crust, preferably one made of whole wheat. Skip the extra cheese and go for tons of veggies. If you must have meat on your pizza, go for ham instead of pepperoni or sausage since it contains less calories. Or you can always add your own turkey or chicken sausage once the pizza arrives.
If ordering wings, ask for extra carrot and celery sticks and tell them to forget the ranch or blue cheese dressing.

There are more helpful tips so read more.

If you like to order Chinese food, choose meals that contain chicken rather than beef or pork, since poultry contains less saturated fat. If they have seafood options, that's a good choice, just make sure not to order anything that's soaked in batter and deep fried. Forget the fried egg rolls, too, and go for dumplings instead (they're steamed). Order sides of extra steamed broccoli and snow peas so you can add them to your meal. Or when you order your entree, ask for added veggies. Soup may also be a good choice, especially if the broth is made with miso. Limit your sodium intake by skipping out on the added soy and hoisin sauces.

Just keep in mind that it's OK to enjoy your favorite foods, you just don't want to go overboard. If you snack over the entire four- to six-hour time span, you'll end up consuming a lot of extra calories. So grab a plate and enjoy your food at one time so you can keep track of your portion sizes.

Source

Frozen Pizza Breakdown

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:30:00 -0800

I'll admit that when I need a quick meal, a frozen pizza sure comes in handy. It's easy, the kids love it, and many are made with wholesome ingredients, so they're not as bad for you as ordering a pie from your local pizzeria. If you ever wanted to know how all the frozen pizzas at the health-food store compare then check out this chart organized by brand that I made.

1/3 of Pizza	Calories	Saturated Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)
Kashi Five Cheese Tomato	290	3.5	570	37	4	14
Kashi Mediterranean	290	4	640	37	5	15
Kashi Roasted Garlic Chicken	300	4.5	650	39	4	16
Kashi Thin Crust Roasted Vegetable	250	4	630	28	4	14
Kashi Thin Crust Mushroom Trio & Spinach	250	4.5	660	28	4	14

To see the others how other brands compare, just read more.

1/3 of Pizza	Calories	Saturated Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)
Frontera Sausage and Roasted Pepper	300	4	580	42	2	15
Frontera Four Cheese	310	5	520	42	3	16
Wolfgang Puck Margherita	330	6	700	36	2	15
Wolfgang Puck Barbecue Chicken	360	6	800	40	2	18
Wolfgang Puck Uncured Pepperoni	360	8	870	32	2	16
Amy's Kitchen Pesto	310	3.5	480	39	2	12
Amy's Kitchen Margherita	250	3.5	550	32	2	11
Amy's Kitchen Cheese	290	5	590	33	2	12
Amy's Kitchen Roasted Vegetable	270	1.5	490	42	2	6
Amy's Kitchen Mushroom and Olive	250	3	560	33	2	10
Amy's Kitchen Veggie Combo	300	3	680	36	1	10
Amy's Kitchen Spinach	310	4	590	39	2	12

As you can see, for the most part, these pizzas are fairly healthy. They contain a good amount of protein, and the Kashi pizzas are also high in fiber. It's the sodium content you have to watch out for, especially because most people eat half the pizza rather than the suggested one-third serving. I'd aim for choosing the ones that contain 700 mg of sodium or less, and five or less grams of saturated fat. Of course, the ones loaded with veggies are probably your best option.

Emma Bunton Likes Her Pizza and Eats It, Too

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:30:00 -0800

It seemed to be the year of celebrity babies in 2008, so it makes sense that we've been hearing so much about the famous new moms' post pregnancy bodies these days. More often than not, it seems celeb mamas shed extra weight in the matter of a few months, which just isn't feasible for most women. It's refreshing to learn when moms take a slow and steady approach, like Spice Girl Emma Bunton.

It took Emma a year to get back to her previous weight, and while Naomi Watts insists that breastfeeding is the key to her weight-loss, Emma explained her breastfeeding reality and said, "I did it very naturally and slowly, I went to the gym two or three times a week and ate healthily. I breastfed, so you can't go on stupid strict diets."

Aside from taking care of her baby ~~spice~~, Emma makes time for her boyfriend Jade Jones and her friends. Her attitude toward food is all about moderation, and the proud mom said, "It's got to be about balance though, being healthy but not letting it rule your life. When my friends ask me 'round and say, 'Let's get a pizza,' I would hate to be the only person picking at the pepperoni."

Source

Food Review: Papa John's Whole-Wheat Pizza Crust

FitSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Trying to reconcile my love of pepperoni pizza with my love of whole grains just became a little easier. Papa John's is now making pies with a whole-wheat crust ($11.99/large). I am not sure if most pizza eaters care if they are eating whole grains, but it definitely makes me happy to have the option. I think this might just be the first delivery pizza to come with the 100-percent Whole-Grain Stamp. I tried a couple of these new pizzas with some of the gals here at Sugar Inc. and our opinions varied.

The whole-grain crust is a little thicker than Papa John's regular crust, which I didn't mind but others found disappointing because it wasn't crispy. The crust is sweet, too, making it a nice contrast to the spicy pepperoni for me. My buddy Buzz, on the other hand, found the sweet crust distracting. Nutritionally though, there is no way around the fact that the whole-wheat crust is healthier for you. One slice of a large whole-wheat pizza pie offers you five grams of dietary fiber, to the regular crust's two grams of fiber. Papa John's pizza made with whole-wheat crust is slightly lower in calories, sodium, and sugar, too. You can't beat that. I wish I had a photo to show what the pizzas looked like, but it was gone in a flash.

Next time you have pizza on the brain, but don't feel like completely throwing your healthy-eating habits out the door, try the Papa John's whole-wheat crust (here's the store locator). If you already have, tell me what you think about it in the comments section below.

5 "Healthy" Foods That Cause Weight Gain

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0800

You're a smart cookie. You know that oatmeal is healthier than a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats, and veggie pizza is better for you than a slice of pepperoni. Some foods that we consider to be healthy, though, are still full of calories. You may not realize that these supposedly good-for-you foods are packed with hundreds of calories, so day after day, you may be eating more than you thought, which could cause gradual weight gain. Here are some foods to watch out for:

Veggie lo mein: Veggies are healthy on their own, but if you order veggie lo mein from a classic Chinese restaurant, you're looking at veggies and noodles that are fried in oil. One dinner from P.F. Chang's contains 1,340 calories. It is healthier than the chicken lo mein, which contains 1,610 calories, but not much. Go for steamed veggies and rice instead.
Banana Bran Muffin: Bananas are full of potassium and have a fair amount of fiber, and bran is a healthy carb that keeps you regular. Two great things, right? Well, when you bake them with eggs and sugar, the outcome is not so nutritious. A Starbucks Banana Bran Muffin will run you 410 calories. You're better off eating a bowl of bran cereal with sliced banana.

To see the other three "healthy" foods, read more.

Odwalla Super Protein Vanilla Al'Mondo shake: I'm a huge fan of Odwalla juices because they're fresh and made with a short list of ingredients you can pronounce. A bottle contains more than a single serving though, and if you end up drinking the entire bottle of the Super Protein (which is totally normal, by the way), you'll have consumed 356 calories. Plain milk or soy milk is a better option if you're looking to drink a beverage that's high in protein, yet low in calories.
Chicken and broccoli quiche: Quiche can be a healthy meal since it's made with eggs, but even if you add healthy ingredients to it such as chicken and broccoli, it doesn't take away from the fact that quiche is also made with cheese, cream, and butter. Aside from being high in fat (67 grams a serving), one slice from Ruby Tuesday is super high in calories - 872. Go for grilled chicken with a side of steamed broccoli instead of the quiche.
Whole wheat bagel with lowfat veggie cream cheese: Sounds like a healthy breakfast, but one whole wheat bagel from Bruegger's contains 390 calories. Add a scoop of Garden Veggie Light cream cheese, and that tacks on 90 calories, making the grand total 480 calories. I'm not saying you should give up on bagels altogether, but I wouldn't have a bagel for breakfast every day. Two scrambled eggs and one slice of whole wheat toast add up to 266 calories, and one cup of Kashi Go Lean and 1 cup of skim milk contain 230 calories, so opt for these lower calorie options in the morning.

Source