FitSugar

Healthy Eating Tip: Add Fruit Slices to Sandwiches

FitSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0800

In my opinion, a well-made sandwich should have a little bit of all the major food groups. Generally, you end up with carbs, veggies, and protein, but don't forget that fruit is also an option for a healthy sandwich topping.

Mix it up. Bring new tastes and textures to your sammy by adding some fruit between your slices of bread. Sliced apple, pear, and grapes work really well, but I've also tried mandarin oranges, bananas, kiwi, and mango. Not only does the fruit add a hint of sweetness and distinct texture to a standard sandwich, but it also adds some always-needed extra fiber to your diet. This works with my girls, too. They love apple slices on their grilled cheese as much as I do.

Which Has More Sodium?

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:30:00 -0700

Watching your sodium intake? Then take this quiz on which has more sodium: One 6 inch club sandwich from Subway or 3 ounces (51 chips) of Lay's Salt & Vinegar potato chips?

Dunkin' Donuts Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:06:22 -0700

Okay, okay, we all know that Dunkin' Donuts is not the healthiest place in the world. Besides donuts, they do offer other choices. Let's take a peek and see how they measure up.

Food	Calories	Fat in grams	Cholesterol	Sodium in milligrams	Carbs in grams	Protein in grams
Plain bagel	320	2.5	0	650	62	12
Everything bagel	370	6	0	650	67	14
Multigrain bagel	380	6	0	650	68	14
Cinnamon Raisin bagel	330	3	0	430	65	10
2 oz Plain Cream Cheese	190	17	55	190	4	4
2 oz Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese	170	15	45	340	4	2
2 oz Lite Cream Cheese	120	9	30	280	5	4
Banana Walnut Muffin	540	25	65	520	69	10
Honey Bran Raisin Muffin	480	15	60	480	79	8
Cranberry Orange Muffin	440	17	65	480	66	8
Blueberry Muffin	470	17	60	500	73	8
Reduced Fat Blueberry Muffin	400	5	60	490	78	8

Well that wasn't so bad. Wait until we get to the breakfast sandwiches. You may go into cardiac arrest just reading this. Want to see? Then read more

Food	Calories	Fat in grams	Cholesterol	Sodium in milligrams	Carbs in grams	Protein in grams
Maple Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich	690	45	180	630	45	25
Bacon Egg Cheese Bagel Sandwich	540	18	200	1400	69	18
Sausage Egg Cheese Bagel Sandwich	660	35	225	1450	63	28
Egg Cheese Sandwich	470	15	190	1120	65	20
Egg Cheese English Muffin Sandwich	280	9	140	1010	34	15
Supreme Omelet on a Croissant	590	38	260	1040	42	21
Southwestern Chicken Panini	420	10	45	970	57	23
Meatball Panini	480	19	40	1180	56	22
Turkey Pesto Sandwich	530	23	65	1630	46	33
Vegetarian Sandwich	420	21	5	480	51	9
Caesar Salad	390	33	35	980	14	10
Chicken Caesar Salad	520	36	85	1520	16	34
Garden Salad	240	12	30	430	24	12
Mediterranean Salad	220	11	315	760	23	10
1 cup Broccoli Cheese Soup	180	13	40	71310	10	7
1 cup Chicken Noodle Soup	140	3.5	45	840	20	8
1 cup Clam Chowder Soup	230	11	30	990	20	10
1 cup Timberline Chili With Beans Soup	230	8	35	890	260	15

America runs on Dunkin'? I sure as hell hope not. Get this, Rachael Ray is now the spokesperson - let YumSugar know how you feel. She's going to lead the company into developing "better for you" food and beverage options. Way to go Rachael!

Subway Breakdown

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:00:00 -0800

Subway has done a good job marketing themselves as a fresh, low-fat alternative to other fast food chains. Turns out, Subway isn't half bad for you! I'm actually impressed.

	If you can stand to be in a sandwich place and not get a sandwich, then definitely go for the: Grilled Chicken and Baby Spinach Salad with olive oil and vinegar because it only has 185 calories, 8 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 450 mg of sodium and 11 grams of carbs.
	You should probably get the: Turkey Breast 6-inch Sandwich on wheat bread (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, pickles and olives) with 280 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1020 mg of sodium and 46 grams of carbs.
	You could also get the: Roast Beef 6-inch Sandwich on wheat bread (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, pickles and olives) with 290 calories, 5 grams of fat, o grams of trans fat, 920 mg of sodium and 45 grams of carbs.
	I know it may sound tempting, but do not get the: Meatball Marinara 6-inch Sandwich on wheat bread (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, pickles, olives and cheese) with 560 calories, 24 grams of fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 1610 mg of sodium and 63 grams of carbs.

For other ways to watch your calories at Subway, read more

Breads:	Subway offers some other lower calories options to the sandwich such as the wraps and deli style sandwiches. For comparisons sake, one 6" wheat bread has 200 calories, one deli style roll has 170 calories and the wrap has only 120 calories (8 grams of fiber). If you must stick with the 6" breads then don't get the Honey Oat or Italian Herbs & Cheese because both pack on 250 calories.
Condiments:	Stay away from Mayonnaise (110 calories) and Chipotle Southwest Sauce (96 calories). Use mustard instead (yellow or brown) and you're only adding 5 calories.
Veggies:	The more the merrier. Load your sandwich up with veggies as all of the veggies on Subway's menu are 5 calories or less.
Cheeses:	Pass or add 40-60 calories.
Double Meat (DM):	That's a double NO - NO.
Cookies:	Sorry, that's a pass too. At upwards of 200 calories, you could have another 6" sandwich.

7 Steps to a Healthier Sandwich

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:04 -0800

Whether it's the recession or our increasing need for simplicity, sandwiches are having a moment. They're one of my favorite easy lunches and very healthy if you make them right. But it's important not to get stuck in an unhealthy or unimaginative sandwich rut.

Some healthy-sandwich strategies are obvious: avoid fried foods and super-oily sauces, opt for whole-grain bread instead of sliced white. But that's only the beginning. For my seven tips on making sandwiches that are both delicious and nutritious, read more.

Open it up! An open-faced sandwich made with one slice of wheat bread instead of two can save around 70 calories.
Go green. In place of empty iceberg lettuce, opt for iron-rich greens like spinach or romaine. Try pressing a cup of raw spinach into a hot panini.
Load up on veggies. Sneaking veggies into sandwiches is a great way to get your five a day. Think beyond tomatoes and add everything from roasted beets to cucumbers to carrots.
And don't forget fruit! Similarly, you can increase your fruit intake through your sandwiches. I suggest sliced apples and cheese or figs and nut butter.
Hold the mayo. I'm sure you know this, but here's a reminder: mustard is a much better choice. One ounce of yellow mustard has just 19 calories and one gram of fat, while the same amount of mayo packs 210 calories and 21 grams of fat.
Speaking of mayo, try swapping it out for nonfat yogurt to make a healthier tuna or chicken salad.
Don't say cheese. Rather than eliminating the creamy texture of cheese, replace it with sliced avocado. One ounce has just 45 calories and loads of healthy fat.

Strive For 5: Salad on Open-Faced Sandwich

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:00:40 -0700

I found the news that only 14 percent of the adult population in the US eats at least five servings of fruits and veggies depressing. I know there are days where I fall short too, but I am striving for five servings daily.

One way I have started to incorporate a serving of greens into my day is to place them on top of an open-faced sandwich. Think of it as a salad, minus the dressing, and sandwich, minus a piece of bread, all in one. This is a simple way to use up all those salad greens you picked up at the farmers market. How to you add produce into your daily diet?

Build a Better Sandwich: Pepperoncini

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:00:07 -0700

A sandwich is a wonderful vehicle for a well-balanced meal, but the calories can add up. Lately I have been skipping the cheese, since two slices adds up to well over 200 calories. For taste, I have been covering my sammie with pepperoncinis, small, yellow, pickled Mediterranean peppers. These little peppers add crunch as well as a sweet tangy taste to almost any sandwich, and they're great on salads too. Calorically speaking, they bring little to the plate. Two of these peppers contain only 10 calories. The only downside to pepperoncinis is, being a pickled item, they are high in sodium. My go-to sandwich of late: turkey on whole wheat with avocado, tomato, lettuce, mustard, and pepperoncinis. It's tasty.

Source: Flickr User afiler

Guess the Calories: Breakfast Sandwiches

FitSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:00:22 -0700

While I truly believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you can eat too much of a good thing. There are a lot of convenient breakfast sandwiches out there, but do you know how many calories you're eating when you down one while on the go? Take this quiz and test your calorie smarts.

Take the quiz

Breakfast Sandwich Breakdown

FitSugar — Mon, 21 May 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Buying or heating up a breakfast sandwich may seem like a fab idea until you read this post. Most breakfast sandwiches pack a whole lot of calories in a small amount of food. Personally, I am going to stick to cooking my own eggs.

Want to see how many calories are in your morning sausage, egg and cheese? Then read more

Sandwich	Calories	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Sugar (g)
Starbucks' Sausage, Egg & Cheddar	470	25	850	37	3
McDonald's Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddle	560	32	1360	48	20
Dunkin' Donuts Sausage Egg & Cheese (on Bagel)	660	35	1450	63	8
Tim Hortons' Sausage, Egg & Cheese	520	37	940	30	3
Lean Pockets' Bacon, Egg & Low-Fat Cheese	150	4.5	280	21	2
Hot Pockets' Biscuit, Sausage, Egg & Cheese	280	13	760	30	8
Einstein Bros. / Noah's Bagels' Bagel Omelet Sandwich, Turkey Sausage & Cheddar	660	23	1170	74	7
Burger King's Croissan'wich w/ Sausage Egg & Cheese	470	32	1060	26	5
Arby's Wrap, Sausage, Egg & Cheese	689	45	1849	50	2
Atlanta Bread Company's Sausage Egg & Cheese on Croissant	690	48	1300	39	4
Pillsbury Toaster Scrambles, Cheese, Egg & Sausage	180	11	360	15	1
Van's Stuffed Sandwiches, Sausage, Egg & Cheese	330	19	450	29	3

Partner Yoga Pose: Double Sandwich

FitSugar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:45:00 -0700

I just told you how to do Seated Forward Bend on your own, so now you can try it with a partner. It feels amazing since you can have your partner gently pull you into a deeper stretch for your hamstrings and lower back.

It's so important to communicate when doing Partner Yoga. Be sure to speak up and say "pull harder," or "that's too much," or "stay there," or "I've had enough."

This pose is called Double Sandwich, named by my girls, because when we do Kids Yoga, a Seated Forward Bend is called "Sandwich." Here's how to get into it:

Begin sitting on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you. Place the soles of your feet against your partner's feet.
Both partners bend forward at the hips, reaching for your partner's hands. If you can't reach, hold onto one end of a small towel or strap, and have your partner hold the other end.
Gently pull each other closer. As you get deeper into the stretch, you can move your hands closer to each other. Relax your shoulders away from your ears, and let your forehead release down to your legs.
Stay here for at least 5 deep breaths, or as long as you want.

Fit's Tips: Looking for more Partner Yoga poses to try? Double Tree and Standing Straddle are great poses to try.

Source