FitSugar

What's the Deal With: Probiotic Hummus

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Predicted to be a food trend of 2009, Probiotics, those beneficial bacteria, are being added to all sorts of foods, from dairy products to energy bars. Probiotics have been found to support both the digestive and immune systems, prevent constipation, benefit your skin, and lower blood pressure. Yogurt is naturally chock full of the bacteria, but I just found a probiotic hummus made by Wildwood Organics.

To find out if its worth buying read more.

The list of ingredients reads: "garbanzo beans, garlic, probiotic cultures (L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium ssp., L. casei) . . ." The label, however, doesn't list the amount of cultures. Many of these enhanced products don't contain enough bacteria to provide health benefits, so they're not worth paying the extra cash. Studies show that doses between 100 million and 1 billion colony-forming units (CFU) are effective for improving immune function, intestinal infections, and digestion. So if you want the benefits of probiotics, it's best to take them separately in supplement form, such as Acidophilus Pearls.

Tofu vs. Sprouted Tofu

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:30:00 -0700

Even though I am not a vegetarian, I am still trying to eat less meat. So it makes me happy to see tofu becoming more popular. There is high blood pressure and high cholesterol in my family, this soy product is a great alternative to meat being that it's cholesterol free, low in sodium, and high in protein. Tofu is such a wonderful ingredient because it's so versatile. Since it naturally tastes very plain, you can add diced or crumbled up tofu to soups, tomato sauce, and casseroles for some added protein. You won't even know it's there because it takes on the flavor of whatever it's mixed with.

If you enjoy cooking this soy product at home, you may have noticed a new tofu on the scene - sprouted tofu. To find out how it compares with regular tofu read more.

The big difference is in the name. Regular tofu is made from whole soybeans, but sprouted tofu is made with sprouted soybeans. When beans or seeds are sprouted, they're more nutritious and easier to digest than the regular beans or seeds. Wildwood Organics is the only company is the US to make their tofu with sprouted soybeans. As you can see from the chart below, the sprouted tofu contains more calcium, iron, and protein. However, it also contains more fat and calories as compared to regular tofu. I didn't notice much of a difference in taste and texture, so choose between the two based on your dietary needs. If you're trying to lose weight, you may want to choose the lower-calorie regular tofu. If you're a vegan and protein is on your mind, then I'd go for the sprouted tofu.

	Super Firm Tofu (79g)	Super Firm Sprouted Tofu (85g)
Calories	80	130
Total Fat	4g	8g
Saturated Fat	.5g	1g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg
Sodium	0mg	5mg
Carbs	2g	1g
Fiber	1g	less than 1g
Sugars	0g	0g
Protein	8g	14g
Calcium	6%	15%
Iron	8%	10%
Ingredients	Water, Organic Whole Soybeans, Magnesium Chloride	Filtered Water, Sprouted Organic Non-GMO Soybeans, Calcium Sulfate, Magnesium Chloride

Fit's Tip: Sprouted tofu can be hard to find so call around to all the nearby health food stores and supermarkets to see who carries it. If you can't find this kind, see if one of those stores would consider special ordering it.

Wildwood Organic Soymilk: Unsweetened & Delicious

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:45:00 -0700

Back in my experimental college days, I dabbled into the world of dairy alternatives. I tried 'em all and was a huge fan of vanilla soymilk. It was so sweet and light.

These days I still like keeping a bit of soy in my diet though, since we know that it's a great source of protein. I discovered that Wildwood Organics makes an Unsweetened Soymilk - they're the company that makes that Soyogurt I was raving about a week or so ago.

I thought since it had no sugar added, it'd be healthy and taste more like regular milk. I was right (I am not so into super sweet tastes these days either). This is one of the best soymilks I have ever tasted! Even though there are no sugars added, it has a delicious and naturally sweet flavor. Many soymilks can be overly thick or creamy, but the consistency of Wildwood Organics is really light and thin just like cow's milk, but it has no cholesterol or lactose, and practically no saturated fat.

Want to see the nutritional info and a closeup picture? Then read more

Serving Size	8 oz
Calories	70
Total Fat	3.5g
Saturated Fat	.5g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	70mg
Potassium	300g
Carbs	3g
Fiber	1g
Sugar	2g
Protein	7g

Check that out! It's low in calories and sodium, but high in potassium and protein. Another great thing is that it contains 50% of your RDI of vitamin B12 and 30% calcium. Plus it has a deliciously crisp and fresh flavor.

Whether you are watching your saturated fat or cholesterol intake, are lactose intolerant, or vegan, I definitely recommend looking for this organic and dairy-free soymilk at your local health food store. It's kept cold, so look for it where they keep the yogurt and cheese.

Veggie Burger Breakdown

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 05:50:16 -0700

If you're watching your saturated fat and cholesterol intake, veggie burgers are a great option when grilling. According to my burger poll, many of you actually prefer them. There are so many different brands and flavors out there now, the selection can be a little overwhelming. Some burgers are made with soy and others with grains. Other veggie burgers are just that and made from veggies. Sunshine even makes gluten-free burgers with sunflower seeds. Depending on the main ingredients, your options will differ in calories, sodium, carbs, and protein, so check out this breakdown to see which one you might want to grill up at your next BBQ.

1 Patty	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)
Amy's Kitchen All American Veggie Burger	120	3	0	390	15	3	10
Amy's Kitchen California Veggie Burger	140	5	0	430	19	4	6
Boca All American Flame Grilled	90	3	5	280	4	4.5	14
Boca Original Vegan	70	.5	0	280	6	4	13

There's plenty more, and to see them, just read more.

1 Patty	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)
Boca Grilled Vegetable	80	1	0	300	7	4	12
Boca Cheeseburger	100	4.65	10	360	5	4	13
Boca Garden Vegetable Made With Organic Soy	130	3	0	400	9	4	15
Boca Roasted Garlic Made With Organic Soy	130	.5	0	470	9	4	16
Gardenburger Original	100	3.5	5	420	14	5	5
Gardenburger Sun-Dried Tomato Basil	100	3	5	310	15	5	5
Gardenburger Portabella	90	2.5	5	360	15	5	5
Gardenburger Black Bean Chipotle	80	2.5	0	250	13	5	5
Gardenburger GardenVegan	100	1	0	230	12	3	10
Gardenburger California Burger	90	3.5	0	380	12	2	3
Morningstar Farms Cheddar Burger (contains partially hydrogenated soybean oil)	150	7	10	480	10	3	13
Morningstar Farms Mushroom Lover's (contains corn syrup solids)	110	6	0	220	8	less than 1	7
Morningstar Farms Veggie Medley made with organic soy	120	4	0	260	11	2	11
Morningstar Farms Classic Burger made with organic soy	150	6	0	280	9	3	14
Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Veggie	120	4	0	350	13	4	11
Sunshine Burger Southwest	240	12	0	240	26	9	6
Wildwood Tofu-Veggie Burger, Original	180	13	0	330	8	1	12
Wildwood Tofu-Veggie Burger, Southwest	190	13	0	320	9	2	11

I'm curious to know what your favorite veggie burger is, so tell me in the comments section below.

FREE Sample Alert: Wildwood Soyogurt

FitSugar — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:15:00 -0700

Wildwood Organics, makers of the delicious Southwest tofu burgers, have just come out with a new product - Soyogurt.

To show you how delicious it is, they are offering free coupons to FitSugar readers. Just go to the Wildwood Organics website, fill out the information form, and they'll send you coupons for 2 free cups of Wildwood Soyogurt.

Want to hear more about this soyogurt and see what it really looks like? Then read more

This Soyogurt is great news for people who want the beneficial bacteria found in yogurt, but who can't eat dairy products, or are watching their cholesterol. It's certified organic, kosher, vegan (contains no animal products), cholesterol free, low in fat, high in fiber, made in a nut, dairy, and gluten free facility, and contains 210mg of Omega-3 fatty acids.

How does it taste? I have to say that if you are used to eating cow's milk yogurt, this Wildwood Yogurt has a much closer consistency than Whole Soy's soy yogurt. I liked it just as much as Stonyfield Farms O'Soy yogurt, but Soyogurt has more fiber. It tastes fresh and creamy, and has just the right amount of sweetness. The fruit flavors are my favorite (mmm Peach).

	Wildwood Soyogurt Vanilla	6 oz Whole Soy & Co. Vanilla	6 oz O'Soy Stonyfield Farms Vanilla
Calories	160	150	150
Total Fat	3g	3g	2g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg	0mg
Sodium	40mg	25mg	40mg
Carbs	30g	28g	26g
Fiber	5g	2g	4g
Sugar	21g	12g	21g
Protein	5g	6g	7g
Calcium	20%	30%	15%
Taste	Perfect consistency - not at all lumpy. It was thinner than the Whole Soy, but not as runny as the O'Soy. The vanilla flavor is not very strong, but still tasty, and not at all tangy.	Thick and creamy, not as sweet as the O'Soy, delicious vanilla flavor	Thinner than the Whole Soy, closer in consistency to regular cow's milk yogurt and has that same slight tangy taste, and a great fresh vanilla flavor

Soymilk Taste Test

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

So you grew up drinking cow's milk. Why would you even think of switching? Well, for starters, soymilk is a healthy option because it's cholesterol free, plus it's low in saturated fat and high in protein. It also comes in different flavors, like carob or chocolate, and you can bake and cook with the unsweetened or vanilla flavors.

Due to soymilk's current popularity many companies make it, and the the brands all taste different: some soymilk is thicker like Edensoy, all vanilla flavors are sweeter, and some taste more like real milk such as Silk brand. My advice is to taste more than one brand and flavor. Why not buy a few at a time and have a soymilk taste test. Don't drink them directly from the grocery-store sheIf; stick the container in the fridge for at least an hour or two because soymilk tastes much better cold.

Aside from texture and taste, the soymilk brands differ nutritionally as well. To see how they compare, just read more.

Serving Size = 8 ounces	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
Organic Edensoy Carob	170	4	.5	95	28	13	7
Organic Edensoy Chocolate	180	3.5	1	105	28	14	8
Organic Edensoy Extra Original	130	4	.5	100	13	7	11
Organic Edensoy Extra Vanilla	150	3	0	90	23	15	7
Organic Edensoy Light Original	100	2	0	90	15	10	5
Organic Edensoy Unsweetened	120	6	1	5	5	2	12
Silk Unsweetened	80	4	.5	85	4	1	7
Silk Vanilla	100	3.5	.5	95	10	7	6
Silk Very Vanilla	130	4	.5	140	19	16	6
Silk Chocolate	140	3.5	.5	100	23	19	5
Wildwood Unsweetened	70	3.5	.5	70	3	2	7
Wildwood Vanilla	90	3.5	.5	70	8	7	7
Pacific Select Soy Unsweetened	90	4.5	.5	15	4	2	9
Pacific Select Soy Vanilla	80	2.5	0	115	11	9	5
Soy Dream Enriched Refrigerated Original	100	3.5	.5	140	9	5	8
Soy Dream Enriched Refrigerated Vanilla	120	3.5	.5	130	14	10	8

Fit's Tip: If you're trying to get more protein in your diet, skip out on the cow's milk in your cereal and go for Edensoy Unsweetened instead. It contains 12g of protein while cow's milk only contains 8g.

Veggie Burger Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0700

The Fourth of July is just around the corner, and I'm sure you're gearing up for some BBQs. If you're watching your saturated fat and cholesterol intake, veggie burgers are a great option. And according to my burger poll many of you prefer veggie burgers, too. There are so many different brands and flavors out there now, the selection can be a little overwhelming. Some burgers are made with soy and others with grains. Other veggie burgers are just that and made from veggies. Sunshine even makes their burgers with sunflower seeds. Depending on the main ingredients, all your options will differ in calories, sodium, carbs, and protein, so check out this breakdown to see which one satisfies your needs.

Veggie Burger (1 patty)	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)
Amy's Kitchen All American Veggie Burger	120	3	0	390	15	3	10
Amy's Kitchen California Veggie Burger	140	5	0	430	19	4	6
Boca All American Flame Grilled	90	3	5	280	4	4.5	14
Boca Original Vegan	70	.5	0	280	6	4	13

There's plenty more and to see them just read more.

Veggie Burger (1 patty)	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)
Boca Grilled Vegetable	80	1	0	300	7	4	12
Boca Cheeseburger	100	4.65	10	360	5	4	13
Boca Garden Vegetable Made With Organic Soy	130	3	0	400	9	4	15
Boca Roasted Garlic Made With Organic Soy	130	.5	0	470	9	4	16
Gardenburger Original	100	3.5	5	420	14	5	5
Gardenburger Sun-Dried Tomato Basil	100	3	5	310	15	5	5
Gardenburger Portabella	90	2.5	5	360	15	5	5
Gardenburger Black Bean Chipotle	80	2.5	0	250	13	5	5
Gardenburger GardenVegan	100	1	0	230	12	3	10
Gardenburger California Burger	90	3.5	0	380	12	2	3
Morningstar Farms Cheddar Burger (contains partially hydrogenated soybean oil)	150	7	10	480	10	3	13
Morningstar Farms Mushroom Lover's (contains corn syrup solids)	110	6	0	220	8	less than 1	7
Morningstar Farms Veggie Medley made with Organic Soy	120	4	0	260	11	2	11
Morningstar Farms Classic Burger made with Organic Soy	150	6	0	280	9	3	14
Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Veggie	120	4	0	350	13	4	11
Sunshine Burger South West	240	12	0	240	26	9	6
Wildwood Tofu-Veggie Burger, Original	180	13	0	330	8	1	12
Wildwood Tofu-Veggie Burger, South West	190	13	0	320	9	2	11

I'm curious what your favorite flavor is? Tell me in the comments section below.