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The Best Breakfast Cereals

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

The following are my number one picks for cereals. All high in fiber, low in sugar and as few ingredients as possible. You’ll notice that all of these cereals are made with REAL food. Hard to find in a cereal box these days!images-1

Bite Sized Shredded Wheat - Whole Grain Wheat.

*Come on! This is an amazing cereal with ONE ingredient! How rare!

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Kashi Whole Grain Cereal Puffs - Kashi Seven Whole Grain & sesame ( Hard red wheat, brown rice, whole grain oats, triticale barley, try, buckwheat, sesame seeds)

*All food, no sugar. Try adding 1/4 cup of Grape Nuts or Original All Bran to add some fiber!

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Weetabix : Whole Wheat, Barley Malt Extract, Sugar, Salt, Iron, Niacin, Thiamine Hydrochloride.

* Yes, there is sugar in there- but it’s not corn syrup and it’s not some chemical like Aspartam or Sucralose. Plus your only getting 2 grams of sugar in one serving!

NP-SmartBran-US

Smart Bran – Organic wheat bran, organic oat fiber, organic evaporated cane juice, organic psyllium seed husk, organic barley malt extract, organic oat bran, organic whole oat flour, sea salt.

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Grape Nuts – Whole grain wheat flour, wheat flour, malted barley four, salt, dried yeast, soy lecithin. *Enriched with the following vitamin and minerals- iron, vitamin B6, zinc to name a few

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Original Kashi Go Lean - Soy Grits, Kashi Seven Whole Grain & sesame ( Hard red wheat, brown rice, whole grain oats, triticale barley, try, buckwheat, sesame seeds), evaporated cane juice, corn meal, corn flour, soy protein, wheat bran , oar fiber, corn bran, honey, evaporated cane juice, natural flavors, calcium carbonate, salt, annattoo color.

* 13 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber in one bowl! Wow! And no chemicals or corn syrup to boot!

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All Bran Original (The sticks) – Wheat bran, sugar, malt (corn flour, malted barley), salt, vitamins (thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, d-calcium pantothenate), iron.

Type Serving Size Caloires Carbs Protien Fat Fiber Sugar
Bite Sized Shredded Wheat 1 cup 160 37 5 1 6 0
Kashi Whole Grain 7 Cereal Puffs 1 cup 70 15 2 .5 1 0
Weetabix 2 biscuts 130 28 4 1 4 2
Smart Bran 2/3 cup 90 24 3 1 13 6
Grape Nuts 1/2 cup 200 48 6 1 7 4
Original Kashi Go Lean 1 cup 140 30 13 1 10 6
All Bran Original (The sticks) 1/2 cup 90 27 4 1 12 7

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Healthy Brand of Tomato Sauce

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

I have found THE MOST delicious tomato sauce. You could drink it it’s so good!!! It tastes as if there’s an Italian women from the old country making sauce in your kitchen. It’s delicious. I am currently putting it on everything! I’ve made my Chicken Parmesan , Turkey Meat loaf , Spaghetti Squash , Stuffed Chicken, No Noodle Lasagna , Egg Pizza and Pizza Muffins with it. I’ve also heated it up and ate it with just a spoon. No joke.

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Here is why I love it so much:

  • It’s ingredients include : Tomato, Carrots, Basil, Olive oil, Onions, Celery, Salt and Seasonings.
  • This sauce has no added sugar, preservatives, thickeners or trans fats. Finding a store bought sauce without sugar or corn syrup is hard to do!

For 100 ml (a little less than 1/2 a cup)

Calories Carbohydrates Protein Fat Fiber
15 4 1 0 0

I’ve tried both the Garden Fresh Tomato & Basil and the Arrabbiata (Spicy! But in a good way!) I found the Mediterranean Garden brand at Fiesta Farms. It’s a local grocery store in Toronto, Canada. The Mediterranean Garden site does not have much information on it but have a click – it may be worth a call to see if they sell it in a store near you!.  www.stellarfood.com

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Fat Free and Crispy Snack!

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

We can all thank my fabulous cousin Heather for this sweet find that will satisfy a sweet tooth and ‘that grab out of a bag and munch’ craving. It’s another dehydrated fruit product and I love it!

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They are called Yoga Chips:

  • Made from Organic Fuji Apples.
  • 5 Different flavors: Original, Apple Cinnamon, Caramel, Peach and Strawberry.
  • 2 ingredients- Organic Fuji Apples and Fruit flavor derived from natural fruit extracts (WONF).
  • Great for kids and adults.
  • Great grab and go pre-portioned snack for your car or purse.
  • CLICK HERE for the store locations near you.

What I really love (aside from all the obvious things I just mentioned) is that the serving sizes are one apple. A lot of these dried or dehydrated fruit products give you a big bag of fruit. Because the pieces are smaller then the real thing, you have no idea how much you’re actually eating- by the end of your snack you could have eaten 4 apples or 6 cups of grapes!!!! With these pre-packed yogachips, you know that your getting just one apple’s worth of fruit.

Here is the breakdown:

Calories Carbohydrates Protein Fat Fiber
35 9 0 0 <1

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The Simply Bar

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

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It’s very hard to find healthy energy/protein bars. Most of them are filled with chemicals, fake food and tons of sugar. They are branded andmarketed as healthy, but for 99% of the bars out there- healthy – they are not. This is why I love the LARA bar so much. It’s simple two ingredence make it top bar pic on my list. BUT I FOUND A NEW BAR I LOVE! It’s called The Simply Bar.

Here is why I love it:

  1. Although it has more than two ingredents, all it’s ingredence are real whole foods. No preservatives, no chemicals.
  2. It’s low on the glycimic index scale which means it won’t spike your insulin levels. AKA – you won’t feel hungry after you eat it.
  3. Lower in calories than most bars, it’s a great mid – afternoon snack.
  4. It’s packed with protein! For an all natural bar the amount of protein is very impressive at 16 grams a bar.
  5. Great for those with food allergies- it’s milk and gluten free.
  6. It contains 20% of you recommended daily intake of iron.

My favorite flavors are Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cinnamon Raisin (obviously) and Cocoa Coffee. You can find these at most health food stores. Big supermarket chains such as Loblaws are selling them as well.

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Caloires and Fat in Movie Theatre Popcorn

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Yes. It really is that bad for you! And come on, it always smells WAY better than it tastes. Normally it’s cold and stale – or so salty that you scrape the roof of your mouth off.images

A small popcorn, buttered (5 cups) has approximately 470 calories and 37 grams of fat. Of which, 22 are saturated.

A large popcorn, buttered (20 cups) has approximately 1640 calories and 126 grams of fat. Of which, 73 are saturated. AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

A large un-topped popcorn has approximately 1, 200 calories- more than half a day’s worth for most people. And that’s without the topping!

This does not even factor into account the amount of sodium you get from a small bag of popcorn. Not to mention the sugary pop you may have to wash it down.

NOW THAT YOU KNOW… IS MOVIE THEATER POPCORN REALLY WORTH IT?

Some Ideas to avoid popcorn at the movies:

  1. Bring your own home made air popped popcorn and save 345 calories, 35 grams of fat and 21.7 grams of saturated fat for 5 cups.
  2. Get a large tea and drink it during the show! This is what I do :-) The hot beverage takes any cravings I may have away. Plus it takes a long time to finish, leaving less time to think about popcorn.
  3. Bring a bag of fresh cut veggies, an ounce of nuts or even a snack like a Lara Bar.
  4. Some movie theaters now have Yogen Fruz in them. I sometimes get a small low fat with strawberries. Yumm.
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Healthy Crunchy Snack

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

I love finding new food products. It makes me so happy!

I know this may sound funny, but I’m always on the look out for snacks that feel like chips. You know that feeling of reaching into a bag and grabbing something crunchy, then reaching into the bag again and grabbing another and another. Munching on something that’s not celery! (Although I do love celery!) We’ll I think I just found the answer to my snack in a bag dilemma! It’s called Sensible Foods and it’s simply freeze dried fruit. Nothing added, nothing taken away (expect the water!) They are crunchy and sweet and taste just like a treat. ( I fully had not intention of rhyming, but I’m leaving it) But the secret is- they are really healthy! All natural, no added preservatives no added sugar! Packed with fiber and Vitamin C!

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Have a look in your local health food store for them! I just discovered the Cherry Berry Flavor – freeze dried blueberries, strawberries, cherries and apples. Yumm. I’m almost tempted to go buy a freeze drying machine because I loved them so much! I figure they must be crazy easy to make with the right equipment! Anyway, for now, they are worth of the pricey two or three dollars that I paid for them.

Check them out:

http://www.sensiblefoods.com/

Here is the breakdown for one bag (21g) :

Calories Carbohydrates Protein Fat Fiber
84 19 2 0 2

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What to Look For In Food Ingredient Lists

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight, from most to least. The first few ingredients are generally a tell-tale sign of how nutritionally sound the item is. So, if the first ingredient is glucose or high fructose corn syrup you’re in trouble.

Other things to consider:

  • The purer the product, the fewer ingredients.
  • Look for ingredients that you can understand, read, pronounce and recognize as food.
  • Even though Trans Fats may not be listed in the nutritional breakdown, they could still be hidden in the product. Hydrogenated oils ARE Trans Fats.
  • Food dye is not food.
  • Although “cane sugar” may be purer and less processed than corn syrup, if it’s listed as the fist ingredient – than that product is still high in sugar.

Let’s compare three labels, all are peanut butter. Which would you pick ? Unknown

Peanut Butter Number One: Note that for 1 Tbsp this peanut butter contains 100 calories, 8 grams of fat (1.5 saturated), 0 mg of Sodium, 1 Sugar and 4 proteins.

Ingredient List : FRESHLY ROASTED PEANUTS

Peanut Butter Number Two: Note that for 1 Tbsp this peanut butter contains 85 calories, 8 grams of fat (1.5 saturated), 75 mg of Sodium, 3 Sugar and 3.5 proteins.

Ingredient List : MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT.

Peanut Butter Number Three: Note that for 1 Tbsp this peanut butter contains 85 calories, 6 grams of fat (1.25 saturated), 125 mg of Sodium, 2 Sugar and 4 proteins.

Ingredient List : PEANUTS, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, SUGAR AND SOY PROTEIN, CONTAINS 2 PERCENT OR LESS OF: FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), SALT, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, MOLASSES, NIACINAMIDE, FOLIC ACID, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, ZINC OXIDE, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, AND COPPER SULFATE.

At first glance just looking at the nutrition stats and not the ingredients you may be inclined to buy peanut butter number three. It’s lower in fat than number one and lower in calories than number two. But looking closer at these ingredients, this is a no brainer. My pick is with Number One. Although higher in calories it contains one ingredient. Peanuts. No filler, no sweetener, NO TRANS FATS! And although number two and three say nothing about Trans Fats on their nutritional label, hydrogenated oil is another word for Trans fat! Not to mention the “light” peanut butter (number three) seems to be the worst of the bunch with ingredients I don’t even recognize. And the reality is – sure you’re saving 2 grams of fat, but your getting the same number of calories, you getting more sugar (FROM CORN SYRUP!), more sodium, Trans fats and chemicals to boot!

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Tuna Two Ways : Raw

Friday, November 13th, 2009
You don’t have to go for sushi to enjoy raw fish. Almost all grocery stores now carry Sashimi grade fish in their seafood section. I just picked up 1 pound of sashimi grade Ahi Tuna and made my husbands favorite dish. If you’re ever in Los Angeles, Diachan is an amazing sushi restaurant. It’s here we discovered The Poki Bowl. Of course whenever we covet a dish, I always try to find a way to make it at home. And this one is so easy to make. The prep takes 5 minutes! The most annoying part is waiting for the rice!
Here is what’s you’ll need:
  • 1 pound Sashimi Grade Tuna
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove mashed
  • 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
  • 2 green onions dices
  • Pepper to taste
  • Optional 1/2 tsp Wasabi paste
  • Brown Rice
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • Toasted Sesame Seeds

Brown Rice

  1. Bring 2 1/4 cups of low sodium chicken broth or stock to a boil
  2. Add 1 cup brown rice
  3. Simmer on low until rice is cooked. About 45 minutes.

Tuna Poki

  1. In a bowl combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, green onions, sesame oil and lemon juice. If you are suing wasabi paste, put it in the bowl as well. Stir well.
  2. Dice tuna into 1/2 inch cubes (or however you choose to dice it) and place it in the bowl with your sauce. Stir and let soak for 5 or 10 minutes.

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    Serving

    1. Feel free to serve this in 4 individual portions. *You’ll see from my picture I served the dish as a whole and then we helped ourselves to a serving.
    2. Place brown rice at bottom of bowl.
    3. Top with Tuna.
    4. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and sliced avocado on top.

    *Nutritional Information – makes 4 servings

    Calories Carboyhrates Protein Fat Fiber
    355 28.9 30.3 13.2 4.6

    * If you don’t like raw fish, fret not! Next week- using the exact same marinade- I’m going to give you a great way cook your tuna. It’s so easy and such a crowd pleaser. Stay tuned

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    Does Organic Mean Healthy ?

    Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

    No.

    Just because something says organic does not necessarily mean it’s good for you.

    Organic chocolate is still chocolate my friends!

    Next time your going to buy the box of cookies or cereal because it says “organic” read the nutritional label and ingredient list. This is where you will really find out the truth about what the product contains and whether it’s a better choice then the less expensive non-organic option.

    Have a look back at yesterday’s post to learn how to better understand a nutritional label. And check back next week when I deconstruct the ingredient list on the back of food products.

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    How To Read A Nutrition Label

    Monday, November 9th, 2009

    food_labelStart at the top!

    • Look to see how much a serving is and how many servings are in the package.
    • A lot of the time one muffin or one bag of nuts contains 2 or 3 servings. Looking at the serving size and comparing it to how many servings are in the package will help you asses how much your supposed to eat.

    Calories

    • This tells you how many calories are in each serving.
    • 400 calories or more for a single serving is considered to be high.

    Calories From Fat

    • Of the 230 calories in the product – 100 are coming from fat.

    % Daily Values Of Fat

    • It’s important to note that these are based on a 2000/day calorie diet.
    • Here you will see Fat,  Saturated Fat and Trans fat.

    FAT

    • 5% or lower of % daily fat is considered to be low in fat
    • 20% or higher of % daily fat is considered to be high in fat.
    • This product is considered medium to high in fat.

    Saturated Fat

    • You want this number to be low or nonexistent.
    • According to the FDA – based on a 2000/day calorie diet, you should eat less than 20 grams of saturated fat a day. (Or no more than 10% of your calories)
    • This product is in the medium range of saturated fat.

    Trans Fat

    Cholesterol

    • You want this number to be low or 0. Once again under 5% is low, 20% or higher is high.
    • FDA recommends you consume less than 300mg of cholesterol a day based on a 2000/calorie diet.
    • If the % daily value of cholesterol is 20% – that’s 60mg of cholesterol and considered high.
    • CLICK HERE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND CHOLESTEROL.

    Sodium

    • Again this is another number you want to be low.
    • The FDA recommends a maximum daily intake of 2400mg of sodium based on a 2000/calorie diet.
    • Many processed and diet products are high in sodium. When buying these types of products be sure to check for this number. 5% or lower is great- anything over 20% ( 480mg of sodium is something you should try to stay clear of ) – or at the very least watch your sodium intake for the rest of the day.
    • CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SODIUM.

    Potassium

    Total Carbohydrates

    • Let’s you know the number of carbohydrates in the product.
    • The % daily values are based on a 2000/calorie diet is 300g of carbohydrates a day. So 30g would be 10%.

    Sugars

    • Of your carbohydrates how many calories are coming from sugar.
    • You want this number to be low.
    • This is where you will also want to read the list of ingredients to see what kind of sugar is in the product and where the sugar ranks on the ingredient list. Check back here next week – I’ll be posting about how to read the list of ingredients at the back of a package.

    Fiber

    Protein

    Vitamins and Minerals

    • Here you’ll find things like Calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Iron. You want to make sure you get plenty of these in your diet.
    • The information on these will generally be listed as % daily value instead of a number.
    • So for instance the recommended daily intake of calcium is 1000mg. If a product contains 10% it has 100mg of calcium in it.
    • CLICK HERE to read about Vitamin C and how much you should get in a day.
    • CLICK HERE to read more about Iron and  your recommended daily intake.
    • CLICK HERE to read about Vitamin A.

    These labels are based on an average individual. As you know, none of us are average- were all different and special! Use these labels to help you judge how nutritious a product is and try to base it on how much you consume in a day.

    * Stay Tuned! Next week I’ll go over how to read a the list of ingredients a product contains.

    * Please note these numbers are based on the 2005 dietary guidelines. New guidelines will be released in 2010.

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