FitSugar

A Week in Review: FitSugar Roundup

FitSugar — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 04:00:00 -0800

In cased you missed it, here is what we've been talking about.

Check out the latest in the Sugar sites, LilSugar!

Take the quiz to win a $100 gift card to Whole Foods!

A mommy wins the NYC marathon for the ladies while Katie Holmes and Lance Armstrong finish a bit later.

Speaking of marathons, do you think Oprah ruined the marathon's reputation?

If you're not into running, here is a great workout on the elliptical.

Julia Roberts knows the importance of good humor and good genes.

Eva Longoria paired up with Bebe Sport, but how sporty is it really?

When you're running, here is a great video for tying your shoes properly.

If you're thinking about Italian food anytime soon, you might want to check out this Romano's Macaroni Grill Breakdown.

And while we're at it, here is the breakdown of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Snowboarding season is coming soon, start training for it with these great exercises.

I'm curious, how often do you use fitness DVDs? Also, which snow sport are you most excited for? Finally, which cardio machine is your favorite?

Here are some ways to curb your nighttime snacking.

What does a serving size look like anyway?

And the healthiest state in the nation is...

Romano's Macaroni Grill Breakdown

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 09:30:00 -0800

Romano's Macaroni Grill can be found at or around almost every mall and strip mall in the USA. Many years ago I ate there once, and after taking a look at their nutritional menu today, I am shocked I didn't have a heart attack on the spot (exaggeration, I know). I know it's convenient and there are those of you that love this place, so before you go, be sure to check out this breakdown of many of the popular Italian items served.

Item	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Sodium (mg)
Calamari Fritti	1210	78	13	66	4170
Tomato Bruschetta	1000	70	11	75	1810
House Salad (w/o dressing)	130	5	2	15	460
Insalata Blue (w/ chicken)	570	38	12	9	1020
Mozzarella alla Caprese (half order)	260	21	7	5	410
Grilled Asparagus (side order)	30	1	0	4	590
Lobster Ravioli	1090	78	54	55	1910
Pollo Magro "Skinny Chicken"	330	5	1	29	770
Simple Salmon	590	40	6	5	1390
Chicken Parmesan	1490	68	35	129	3510
Veal Marsala	1270	64	44	116	2660
Fettuccine Alfrredo (w/ chicken)	1370	97	56	68	1300
Spaghetti & Meatballs (w/ meat sauce)	2430	128	57	207	5290
Traditional Lasagna	1040	54	30	65	2800

Before you go saying I've only pointed out the things that are bad for you, the only dinner items (aside from salads) that had less than 830 calories are listed ("Skinny Chicken," Chicken Cannelloni, and Simple Salmon)-almost every item had 1,000 plus calories.

For deserts and kids items, just read more

Item	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Sodium (mg)
Lemon Passion	1150	56	29	149	910
Tiramisu	1000	64	36	89	160 (typo?)
Kids Double Mac 'n' Cheese	1210	62	40	107	3450
Kids Grilled Chicken & Broccoli	390	5	2	51	560
Kids Spaghetti & Meatballs (w/ tomato sauce)	500	20	8	58	1520

Are you as shocked as I am at the numbers above? Don't even get me started on the kids mac 'n' cheese.

If I were headed to this restaurant, I would be kicking and screaming, but I would have to order the "Skinny Chicken" with a house salad (w/o dressing) and a side of asparagus. I'd skip the dessert altogether unless I were sharing it with ten (or more) people. If you're getting anything other than the "Skinny Chicken," Chicken Cannelloni, Simple Salmon, or a salad with no dressing, split your meal with someone else to cut it back.

Which Romano's Macaroni Grill Item Has the Most Fat?

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Last week I mentioned that we are not able to decipher the unhealthy menu items without having the nutritional information available and you guys took the first quiz but I found the other three questions too. So let's see how well you do figuring out fat content...

Salty Series: "Healthy" Foods

FitSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:00:00 -0700

As we all know, premade foods can contain huge amounts of hidden sodium, but weren't you surprised by the disgustingly high amounts in the entrées and smaller dishes I told you about? Well here is a list of foods, published in Men's Health, that should also be ashamed of itself. These foods are posing as healthy, but they have insane amounts of salt. Just a reminder that the upper limit of daily sodium is 2,300 mg a day, which is equal to about one teaspoon. If you're concerned about high blood pressure, you may want to skip these "healthy" foods the next time you go out.

Saltiest Dessert: Atlanta Bread Company Raspberry Scone - 1,500 mg. Who new dessert could be so salty? That's as much sodium as 12 strips of bacon.
Saltiest Soup: Baja Fresh Chicken Tortilla Soup - 2,760 mg. That's more than a day's worth in just one serving.
Saltiest "Health" Food: Chili's Guiltless Grill Chicken Platter - 2,780 mg. Be a smart consumer. When food is advertised as lowfat or low in calories, what they've taken away they make up for with added sugar and salt. What's funny (or disgusting) is that Chili's Chicken Fried Steak has less sodium: 2,750 mg.
Saltiest Chinese Food Entrée: P.F. Chang's Beef with Broccoli - 3,752 mg. Sounds healthy, right? Well the special brown sauce is made mostly with soy sauce.
Saltiest Seafood Entrée: Romano's Macaroni Grill Grilled Teriyaki Salmon – 6,590 mg. Fish seems like a healthy option, but the sauce is what'll get you. Order plain grilled fish instead.
Saltiest Salad: Romano's Macaroni Grill Chicken Florentine - 5,460 mg. Those poor veggies are encrusted in salty toppings (olives, capers, Parmesan, and salad dressing). Plus the portion size is humongous.

Source

Uno Is America's Healthiest Chain?

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:30:00 -0700

Health magazine just unveiled a big feature on the healthiest restaurants in the US, which breaks down eateries by category, including sit-down chains, fast food, and independent restaurants. The magazine studied 43 chains (each with at least 75 locations) and ranked them based on the nutritional information provided.

It sounded intriguing, until I started perusing the list and found many of the choices downright puzzling: Uno Chicago Grill, known for its deep-dish pizza, is the first restaurant on the list of sit-down chains. Health lays out its reasons, but I'm still not sure I agree. To see the reasons and the rest of the list, read more
Like Au Bon Pain, Uno Chicago Grill has added nutrition kiosks to its lobbies, where customers can look up the ingredients and nutritional content of its foods. Here's more on why Health chose Uno:

Sure, its famous deep-dish (read high-fat) pizzas still hold court, but nutrition has become the word of the day with a completely trans fat–free menu and plenty of grilled entrees (including antibiotic-free chicken). Adding to the healthy variety: whole-grain pasta and brown rice, organic coffee and tea, and flatbread pizzas that have half the calories of deep-dish ones. Plus, you can add a salad to your pizza for half-price because, according to the menu, “We want you to get some greens in your diet.” Now that’s a blue-ribbon commitment to health.

Can we really award a "blue ribbon" for health to a restaurant known for its deep-dish fat explosions? While I appreciate the low-fat menu options and the transparency about ingredients, there's something that just seems wrong about Uno now being able to proclaim that it's the healthiest chain in America on its website. I think it would be better to reward individual dishes, or just make smart choices when you're eating out), rather than deeming a pretty unhealthy chain "healthy."

Check out the healthiest fast food joints here. Here's the full list of the top 10 sit-down chains.

Uno Chicago Grill
Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes
Mimi's Cafe
P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Bob Evans
Ruby Tuesday
Romano's Macaroni Grill
Chevy's Fresh Mex
Olive Garden
Denny's

What do you guys think? Does this list bother you?

Source

Salty Series: Entrées

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:30:00 -0700

When it comes to restaurant fare and processed food it seems sodium lurks in unexpected places and unexpected quantities. The theory is that salt makes everything taste better, so more salt means tastier food, right? Not really, but you wouldn’t know that after seeing the amounts of sodium used in some of the entrées at some popular food chains. Take a look and see what meals you should avoid, especially if high blood pressure is a health concern of yours. Just to remind you that the upper limit of daily sodium is 2,300 mg a day, which is equal to about one teaspoon. Here's a list of the top saltiest dinners you can order.

Saltiest Burger: Hardee's 2/3 pound Monster Thickburger - 2,770 mg. Most of the sodium comes from the bun and the three slices of processed cheese which make up for 780 mg.
Saltiest Pasta: Fazoli's Rigatoni Romano - 3,180 mg. This dish is made with Italian sausage, meat sauce, and cheese, all of which have high amounts of sodium. Put them together and bada-boom, baba-bing, you've got one salty dish.
Saltiest Beef Entrée: Bob Evans Steak Tips and Noodles - 4,131 mg. Think beef stroganoff soaked in gravy. The steak on its own has 638 mg of sodium. That's some salty gravy.
Saltiest Frozen Dinner: Swanson Hungry-Man XXL Roasted Carved Turkey - 4,480 mg. The label on the box says that the meal is actually two servings, but what kind of hungry man is going to share?

To see the rest of this atrocious list read more.

Saltiest Comfort Food: Denny's Meat Loaf Dinner (with Mashed Potatoes and Corn) - 5,080 mg. It's best to make your own.
Saltiest Mexican Entrée: Chili's Buffalo Chicken Fajitas - 5,690 mg. Where does it all come from? Fried chicken, Buffalo sauce, blue cheese, smoked bacon, ranch dressing, and sour cream.
Saltiest Dish in America: Romano's Macaroni Grill Chicken Portobello - 7,300 mg. This is well beyond your three day limit of salt. That's so bad.

Source