FitSugar -- Healthy, happy you.

Healthy Eating Tip: Ditch the Communal Snacking

FitSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0700

There's something about football season that brings big groups together. I love watching games with a group of friends, but it can do a number on my hard work at eating healthy. One thing I have realized is that it's difficult to keep track of how much I've eaten if I'm eating out of the same bowl, or bag, as my football buddies. While it's tempting to just keep taking from the communal snack bowls because everyone else is chowing down, that often leads to mindless eating and a whole lot of calories. Instead, place a reasonable portion on your own plate and limit yourself to that. This way you'll still be able to enjoy all the goodies and the game, but you won't be overeating the snacks.

Source

Food Review: Popchips

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:10:00 -0700

If potato chips are your weakness, indulging in grease, salt, and high amounts of fat might make you feel a little guilty, not to mention sick to your stomach. I just came upon an alternative marketed as a healthier chip, Popchips. They are never baked or fried. Popchips are made by applying heat and pressure (and according to their website "a little snack magic") to corn and potatoes, and presto chango a new kind of chip is formed.

As you can see they come in a wide variety of flavors, but how do they stack up against other potato chips? To find out,

Healthy Snack: Cucumber Cream Cheese Nibblers

FitSugar — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0700

In the mood for a light snack for Summer? Give this simple recipe a try. It may not seem very appetizing, but it's one of those things that you have to try. All three flavors and textures complement one another beautifully.

To see the recipe just

Diet Tip: Don't Graze! Make a Snack

FitSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0700

If you eat lunch at noon, but don't dine until the sun goes down, chances are high you're going to need a something-something to tide you over until dinner. Around three or four in the afternoon, you probably start craving some sustenance. If you're watching what you eat and trying to limit the number of calories you consume, you may be tempted to head into the office lunch room for "just one bite" of the brownies your co-worker brought in, or just one pretzel, or just one whatever. This won't satisfy your hunger though, and you'll probably end up going back again and again for more "bites." This habit of grazing may make it seem like you're eating less calories, but you'll probably end up eating more since you're not really keeping track of how much you're eating.

Instead of grazing, make yourself a healthy snack. You'll feel so much more satisfied when you can sit down and really enjoy what you prepared, and you'll have more control over the amount of calories. Here are some healthy snack ideas that should help cure your cravings.

Source

5 Things: Simple Treats Under 250 Calories

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:30:00 -0700

There's something about Summer that makes me crave sweet treats. Instead of devouring the pint of Ben & Jerry's sitting pretty in your freezer, try some of these refreshing Summer treats, all under 250 calories.

Strawberry Vanilla Milkshake (6 frozen strawberries and 6 ounces of vanilla yogurt mixed in a blender): 162 calories
Chocolate-Covered Banana (4 tablespoons melted Sunspire Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, 1 medium banana): 245 calories
Cinnamon Toast (1 slice whole wheat bread, 1 tablespoon Smart Balance, 1 tablespoon drizzled honey, 1 teaspoon sprinkled cinnamon): 240 calories

If you're craving to see the other treat ideas then

Your Healthy Snack Ideas

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 02:30:00 -0700

After reading all your wonderful snack suggestions my afternoon snack has transformed into an inspired treat. There were so many great ideas, and I love reading that you all eat your fruits and veggies throughout the day.

Aside from the various energy bars and seasonal fruit that we all eat and love, here are some great snack ideas:

Edamame
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Whole grain wheat thins with the Laughing Cow light garlic and herb cheese
Radishes or cucumbers with balsamic vinegar
2 Wasa Crackers with 2 tablespoons of Trader Joe's chipotle hummus spread on and topped with sliced grape tomatoes
100 calorie mini bag of popcorn
Non-fat or low fat yogurt (Greek yogurt is higher in protein) and fruit or cereal or both

If you are looking for a new take on the frozen banana treat, missyd has a great recipe. To check it out

Speak Up: Favorite Healthy Snack

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:30:00 -0700

When my energy level takes a nose dive in the late afternoon, I reach for a snack. Lately, my power-through-the-rest-of-the-day snack is a mozzarella cheese stick, a handful of nuts, and a piece of fruit. Let me say this though, I am getting a little bored with it. So I am curious what you reach for to energize yourself in the midmorning or the long hours between lunch and dinner.

Share your healthy snack idea in the comments section below, because I need some inspiration.

You Asked: Handful of Nuts

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:30:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering . . .

Hey Fit!
Question for you: I've heard from different people and read in different fitness magazines that an ounce of mixed nuts is a good afternoon snack. I don't have a kitchen scale, so off-hand, how much is an ounce? A small handful?
Thanks!
– tshellyedwards

Interestingly enough, I do have a digital kitchen scale; my husband went through a period of weighing portions of food especially nuts! What a coincidence. So I decided to weigh a handful of walnuts and see if it equals the prescribed nut intake of an ounce.

To see how much that handful of nuts weighted, just

Fit Tip: Eat A Snack Before Working Out

FitSugar — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:30:00 -0800

Most of us have said that we are absolutely starving after working out, including me. To avoid this post workout, "I'm going to die unless I get some food in me" attack, be sure to eat a carbohydrate loaded snack before you work out. This snack should have at least 100 calories, but try to go no higher than 200 calories. I like to snack on a Luna Bar myself. Furthermore, be sure you're properly hydrated, as thirst can be mistaken for hunger, especially after you've just sweat buckets at the gym.

Source

Gaining Weight? Blame It on Your Co-Workers

FitSugar — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:30:00 -0700

We spend a lot of time at work, and if you're anything like me, when other people are snacking, it's hard to resist the urge not to snack too. It seems like it's always someone's birthday, or someone's mother made homemade cookies, or someone ordered afternoon pizza.

Here are some tips to help you stay healthy and fight the urge to over-eat...

Eat a delicious and wholesome breakfast before you get to work. That way if someone is going for a Dunkin Donuts run, you won't be tempted to get something unhealthy.
You don't have to skip going out to lunch all the time. Denying yourself is no good. Instead designate 1 day out of the week for eating out. Try to find a place that serves nutritious soups, sandwiches, or salads. If you know a portion is huge, share it with a friend, or save the other half for tomorrow's lunch.
Pack your own lunch the other days. That way you know you'll like it and you'll know it's good for you. Plus it'll save you time if you're too busy to pick up lunch.
Try to take at least 20 minutes away from work to eat. Get outside, eat at a park, or go to your break room. We tend to eat too fast and overeat when we are mindlessly shoveling food in our mouth. So concentrate on just eating, so you can really enjoy your food slowly. It's a great time to catch up with a co-worker and give your mind a break too.

Want to hear the other tips? Then

More LARABAR Love

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:30:00 -0700

You know what a huge fan I am of LARABARs. I love how they taste, but most importantly, I love that the ingredients are just fruit and nuts.

Another thing I love is that there are so many different flavors to choose from like Cashew Cookie and Chocolate. I recently tried Banana Cookie. Want to take a peek at the nutritional info? Then

Diet Tip: Set a Snack Time

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Snacks are important part of dieting. It is true, since if you allow yourself to get too hungry you will often over eat, plus living with hunger pangs is a sure fire way to get a serious case of the crankies. And the having the crankies is a major reason folks break their diets. However, endless snacking is no good either because you start eating more calories than you are burning in a day.

To snack healthy you need to plan ahead so you have a healthy snack on hand. You also need to set a snack time and snack just at your snack time. I know is sounds like kindergarten, but having a schedule can prevent you from over-snacking (which is just like overeating but often goes unnoticed since the eating is spread out over the course of a day).

Plan a morning snack for around 10:30 and an afternoon pick-me-up around 3:00 - this way you will eat a little something in between meals without ruining your appetite.

Don't what to snack on? Here's some suggestions for the next time you have a Snack Attack.

Alternative Chip: Lundberg Rice Chips

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0700

I'm always looking for new snacks to satisfy my crunchy-salty cravings. At the grocery store I recently came across these Lunberg Rice Chips, made by the folks that brought you rice cakes before the low carb phenomenon took off and rice cakes were banished to the back of the pantry. Their new chips are made with brown rice and corn, and they come in a ton of flavors. I like these better than rice cakes, but then again I am chip fanatic.

I tried the Sea Salt kind and the mix of brown rice and corn was really interesting - in a good way. I like how these chips are thick (perfect for dipping) and I could taste a hint of sesame which made them taste really unique. These chips will be making their way into my grocery cart again soon!!!

Want to see how they measure up nutritionally then

You Asked: Banana Smoothie

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 03:30:00 -0700

Smoothies are such a great treat. Especially in the heat of summer. A Sugar user recently asked for a good smoothie recipe that doesn't contain berries since she is allergic.

I just found this recipe from Healthy Chef Alex. She is Mogan Spurlock's girlfriend - you might know him as the Super Size me guy and she is the "vegan girlfriend."

This recipe is tasty - everyone in my family loved it. It is definitely a healthy redo of the Peanut Butter Moo'd from Jamba Juice. Before you mock my bruised bananas, let me just say the more ripe the bananas the sweeter the smoothie. Once it is frozen fruit just doesn't taste as sweet, so put those overripe bananas to use.

Want to see the recipe? Then

Kashi TLC Crackers

FitSugar — Mon, 14 May 2007 10:15:00 -0700

You know how much I am in love with Kashi. Their granola bars, their cereal, their oatmeal, their frozen entrées - all are made with whole grains and REAL food. When I buy one of their products, I don't have to wonder if it's good for me - I KNOW it is.

I was excited to try their TLC Original 7-Grain Crackers.

They have such a unique sweet and salty flavor - not at all bland. I love that you can actually see all the grain goodness. This is one healthy snack my mouth is happy about.

They are a delicious combination of whole grains including oats, hard red winter wheat, rye, long grain brown rice, triticale, barley, buckwheat, and sesame seeds. Plus they're made with no hydrogenated oils so they've got no trans fat!

Each serving size of 15 crackers contains 130 calories, 3g of fat, no cholesterol, 160mg of sodium, 22g of carbs, 2g of fiber, 3g of Sugars, and 3g or protein.

Perfect for snacking on their own, topping with cheese, or dipping in hummus, I definitely recommend picking up a box.

Want to see some other pictures? Then

Chip Substitute: Jicama

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 07:30:00 -0700

For me, the word snack is synonymous with crunch. I find snacks more satisfying if they have some snap to them. Needless to say I am a chip lover, but they are not the most nutritious food on the planet and can be rather fattening too.

Luckily, my love affair with chips is cooling now that I have found jicama. It is a Spanish word; so pronounce the "j" with the sound of "h".

Native to the Americas and sometimes called the Mexican potato, and a mix between a potato and a pear. You can also compare it in texture to a water chestnut, and in fact jicama is made up of almost 90 percent water. A cup of jicama has almost 6 grams of fiber and only 50 calories. It is also high in vitamin C, potassium and folate.

Peel the coarse, papery skin and julienne the white flesh, into carrot stick size pieces, and squeeze some lime juice on it to keep it from browning. Add a pinch of chili to the lime juice and you have an excellent treat right there. It is also great in salad. I like to use jicama as a vehicle for salsa, and that is why I call it a chip substitute.

Source

Diet Tip: Don't Grocery Shop Hungry

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 12:30:00 -0700

Recently, I read the saga of some chocolate covered raisins over at The Weighting Game blog. It's entertaining and informative with the moral of the story being - you just shouldn't enter a grocery store on an empty stomach, no matter what.

Whether you are dieting or not, chances are you will listen to the grumbles in your tummy rather than your common sense as you walk up and down the aisles. A hungry shopper buys snack foods for quick fixes, completely forgetting about the grocery list designed to make well balanced meals.

If you plan to shop post workout, post work, or pre-meal and are starving, do yourself a favor and buy a little snack first. Get yourself a yogurt, nuts and/or a piece of fruit. Sit in your car and calmly eat your snack. Then reenter the store with normal blood sugar levels and shop with the discipline you have been working on. When you get home, your bags will not be filled with unhealthy snacks, but wholesome good food.

No Wonder Kids Are Fat

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 14:30:00 -0700

Have you watched TV lately? Prime time evening shows are overflowing with commercials advertising junk food. Pizza, ice cream, candy bars, soda, sodium-filled snacks, and fast food. Where are the ads with fresh salads, fruits and whole grain snacks? Can you blame kids for the unhealthy choices they make when all they're exposed to is crap?

For years, health officials have warned us that kids were flooded with too many commercials glorifying unhealthy foods. Finally researchers studied the effects of these commercials.

Researchers monitored thirteen TV networks from late May to early September of 2005. On average, children ages 8-12 saw about 21 food commercials a day - that's 7,600 a year.

Of the food ads, 34% were for candy and snacks, 29% for cereal, 10% for drinks, 10% for fast food, 4% for dairy, 4% for prepared meals, and the rest for breads, pastries, and restaurants.

In December 2005, The Institute of Medicine concluded that these food commercials contradicted dietary guidelines for children and were putting children's health at risk. The Institute recommended that these companies change their marketing strategies and gear them towards healthier choices for impressionable and budding consumers.

In November, 10 major food and beverage companies including Coco-Cola Co., McDonald's, and PepsiCo Inc., agreed to voluntarily devote at least half of their kid-directed ads towards advertising healthier diets and lifestyles.

Don't get too excited just yet. Nothing has really changed so far, but researchers believe that this study that was recently released will help jumpstart these companies into following through with their health kick.

Fiber One Oats and Chocolate Bar

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 02:30:00 -0800

Fiber is good for you, we all know that. Since the recent study on fiber decreasing risks for breast cancer I have been extremely interested in upping my intake of fiber. Plus soluble fiber can decrease bad cholesterol levels. So I tried these new Fiber One Oats & Chocolate Bars - they have 9 grams of fiber per bar. Which is a significant portion on the 20 grams of fiber RDA.

The bar was tasty and all the ladies in the office agreed that we couldn't really taste the added fiber. The bar also kept me feeling full; all the fiber was working double duty. The bar is quite sweet with 10 grams of sugar - that is roughly 2 teaspoons (as I have learned recently). The sweetness comes from high fructose corn syrup - my least favorite sweetener on the planet. Plus reading further into the label I found partially hydrogenated coconut oil. Ironic, no? I am eating fiber for my heart and hydrogenated oils are really bad for my heart. Hmmmm, something seems amiss.

It comes down to this - this Fiber One Bar is better for you than a candy bar - a Snickers has 30 grams of sugar, and only 1 gram of fiber. The Snickers also contains partially hydrogenated soybean oil. I think it is always better to eat less processed food. Especially when it comes to fiber, I say eat an apple in your oatmeal and snack on some carrots.

Fit Find Follow Up: Energy Bars

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 16:35:00 -0800

Energy bars are a wonderful and convenient snack - they are all packed up and ready to go. Plus their shelf life is long, so you can keep them in your glove compartment for emergencies of all kinds.

They are way better for you than a Snickers or a "drive-thru (Taco Bell) repellent" (such a great phrase yamahamama).

A while back I asked you all to Fit Find some energy bars.

We all have our favorites and two of you agree with me about LUNAbars - during both of my pregnancies there were days when I could only eat the Lemon LUNAbar.

So thanks baltimoregal and DesignRchic for your finds.

I am intrigued by the ELEV8ME whole foods energy bar that crispet1 found. I hope to try one soon.

A lot of the energy bars look great and tasty. Click here to see all of the energy bars.

Warm Yourself Up with Squash Soup

FitSugar — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 12:00:00 -0800

Now that it is getting colder, I crave something warm to fill me up. Why not take a relaxing Sunday afternoon to make a big pot of soup? You can store it in the fridge, and scoop out a cup to warm up for a quick meal or snack.

And since squash is in season, and full of healthy vitamins, why not try this?

Creamy Butternut is one of my favorites. Want to know how I make it? Then

Snack Attack: Banana Ice Smoothie

FitSugar — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 09:00:00 -0800

Here's a great snack that requires a little bit of planning ahead, but after you've done the prep, it's a cinch to make.

To make this Banana Ice Smoothie:

Peel several very ripe bananas
Break them into 1-inch pieces
Freeze the pieces in a sealed plastic bag
Just before serving, put a few pieces in the blender with a small amount of water, juice or milk
Serve immediately

You can add berries for a different flavor or top with fruit or nuts. YUM.

Why we love it:
Bananas are high in potassium. And this is a fun way to use up ripe bananas, without making yet another loaf of banana bread. Plus, how often do you get to use that blender you got from your wedding?