FitSugar

Analyze This: Nutrition Data Recipe Feature

FitSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:00:00 PDT

If you have a recipe that you've followed for years, but are not quite sure how it stacks up nutritionally or calorically, then I have an answer to your query - or at least a website for you to check out. One of my favorite healthy eating sites, Nutrition Data just created a new feature for analyzing recipes. After entering your ingredients by pulling them from the website's database of food, Nutrition Data creates a very complete analysis of the recipe, from fat content to sodium content and everything in between.

I just analyzed my recipe for Potato Salad with Cornichon and Capers. While the recipe is high in vitamin C, it is also very high in sodium. Darn those salty capers and pickles! If you have the time, because looking up all the ingredients for a recipe can be a bit time consuming, this is a fun and useful tool. After analyzing my potato salad, I am going to decrease the salt and double rinse the capers and cornichons.

4 Surprising Things You Don't Know about Calories

Prevention — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:12:55 PST

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

Only 12 percent of Americans can estimate the calories they eat in a day! Find out why we're so clueless and get easy ways to stop calorie confusion.
By Mara Betsch, Prevention

You know what calories are, and you probably know that if you eat too many, you’ll gain weight. But do you know how many are in your favorite deli sandwich? Or how many calories you should really eat each day? Most Americans don’t. Only 12% can accurately estimate the number of calories they should consume in a day someone their age, height, weight, and physical activity, according to a 2010 survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation. So what is it about calories that keeps us baffled? Here are 8 reasons you’re confused about calories and the simple steps that will help you do the math.

8 Healthy Foods That Help Fight Disease

1. Portions Sizes Are Out of Control
You’ve all heard about the rapidly expanding serving sizes of restaurant and fast food portions, but just how bad are they? Portions sizes in restaurants may contain double or triple the calories of home-cooked meals, and studies show eating out is associated with a higher BMI. Unfortunately, those portions affect our waistlines. When there’s more food on the plate, people eat more-up to 30% more, according to an analysis of several studies.

Stop the confusion: Use this cheat sheet of portion sizes. We know it’s hard to look at your plate as decks of cards, tennis balls, and all the other, so start by measuring out your food servings at home and take a good look at what a half-cup of pasta looks like. Until the serving sizes are engrained in your brain, when dining out, aim to eat half of your meal, saving the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Comfort Food That’s Actually Good for You

2. Serving Sizes Are Deceiving
"There really aren’t standard serving sizes for packaged foods, which makes them confusing," explains Elisa Zied, RD, author Nutrition at Your Fingertips. She gives the example of cereal. A standard serving size of breakfast cereal is approximately 50 g, but depending on the cereal, that could mean a cup and a half of flakes or half a cup of heartier granola. Depending on the type of cereal you’re eating, just eyeing how much you put in the bowl, like most people do, can lead to inaccurate calorie counts.

Not only that, but larger-than-life snack foods may seem like single servings even though they often contain two to three servings per packet. Buy a 16-ounce bottled Coca-Cola, and the nutrition label reads 100 calories . . . for one of the two servings in the bottle. Drink the whole thing, as many people do, and you’re really getting 200 calories. Eat the whole bag of Austin Zoo Animal Crackers, commonly found in office vending machines, and you’re getting 230 calories, nearly two servings, instead of just one.

Keep reading to learn even more about calories!

Happy Hour: Midas Touch

Susannah Chen — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:24:59 PDT

The balmier the weekends get, the more I reach for a beer over cocktails or wine. So I've been clearing out the beer aisles at the local Whole Foods, going by no methodology other than what sounds delicious and looks appetizing - and I've yet to encounter a brewski that disappoints.

My latest fixation is Midas Touch, a year-round specialty from craft brewing pioneer Sam Calagione of Dogfish. I was drawn to its unique ingredients - barley, honey, white muscat grapes, and saffron - but also discovered its uniquely storied history.

Dogfish's Midas Touch recipe is based off of chemical analysis of residues found in clay vessels belonging to King Midas and dating back to the eighth century BC. At the time of its release, it was the oldest fermented beverage in the world. If what King Midas was drinking tasted anything like what I've been sipping, then he had it pretty good. The liquid is half aromatic wine, half beer, with a nice honey nose and a lingering finish, thanks to the addition of the floral and fruity muscat grapes. A glass makes me feel like ancient royalty, too. What's your craft beer of the moment?

Try These 5 Savvy Weekend Saving Tips

SavvySugar — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:15:00 PST

You know the drill - you've saved all week long, been smart about your spending and tuned into your finances, so you're not going to blow it all over the weekend, right? Well, just to keep you on track here are a few helpful weekend tips to maximize your fun and make the most of your funds.

Put It to the Test: Would It Be Cheaper to Make Yourself? - Run a little cost-benefit analysis and find out how much you could save making some of your grocery staples at home. You might even find you like your home-cooked recipes better than store-bought.
Take a Hands-Off Approach to Spending Less - This doesn't mean you have to banish yourself from stores, but research shows you're more likely to spend if you touch the merchandise. So browse, but keep your hands to yourself to avoid overspending.
Have a Valentine's Day Spending Strategy - Celebrate heart day without spending a fortune. Enjoy dinner or drinks at home, or celebrate your sweetie by gifting a floral arrangement instead of long-stemmed roses.

To get the rest of my savvy weekend saving tips just read more