Do Your Supplements Give You A Kick Of Caffeine?

Secret Caffeine in Dietary Supplements

Half of us are taking dietary supplements on a daily basis but what you may not know is that some of them come with a kick of caffeine - and it may not even be listed on the label.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists analyzed a number of caffeine-containing products including supplements. You see, caffeine is a natural alkaloid in more than 60 plants (including tea and coffee) and in plant derivatives known as "botanicals." These botanicals, such as guarana, yerba mate, kola nut and green tea extract, are common dietary-supplement ingredients and are printed on the label's ingredient list - although you might not see any amount of caffeine listed on the label. According to the Agricultural Research Service online report on Caffeine In Selected Dietary Supplements, there is no requirement to state the amount of caffeine present in a food, beverage or supplement on the product's label. If caffeine in its pure form is added to a product, however, there is a requirement to add the word "caffeine" to the label's ingredient listing, the report explains.

Dietary supplements - predominantly weight-loss and sports-nutrition products containing at least one caffeine-containing ingredient - were chosen for the ARS analysis. Here's what they found:

[Note: According to the Nutrient Data Laboratory, one 8-ounce cup of coffee (240 milliliters) contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine.]

• Of the 53 products analyzed, 27 products provided - by way of a daily serving defined on the label - the caffeine equivalent of about 1 to 2 cups of coffee.


• 11 products had caffeine equivalents ranging from 2 to 4 cups of coffee.


• 11 more products had equivalents ranging from 4 to 6 cups of coffee.


• 4 products provided an amount of caffeine ranging from 7 to 8 cups of coffee.


• Of the 28 analyzed products that voluntarily listed a caffeine amount on the label, 25 were found to contain caffeine levels within 20 percent of the label amount.

*****

[Agricultural Research Magazine, April 2009, "Caffeine-containing Botanicals in Dietary Supplements."]


Related Topics:

• Caffeine Myths and Facts
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Taste Test Tuesday: Skinny Cow French Vanilla Truffle Bars

They look like big fudgesicles but without the fudge, although they have a chocolate drizzle on the outside. These are the new low-fat ice cream bars by Skinny Cow and they are probably going to go over really big with the vanilla-loving crowd.

The first ingredient is skim milk, followed by two types of sweetener - sugar and corn syrup. Each 100-calorie bar contains 12 grams of sugar (48% Calories from sugar), and 1.5 grams of saturated fat mainly from the coconut oil and palm oil used to make the chocolate drizzle (13.5% calories from saturated fat). That's the bad nutritional news. The good news is, each bar only contains 2.5 grams of total fat along and contributes 3 grams of fiber and 0 grams of trans fat and sugar alcohols. People who are sensitive to the intestinal side effects of sugar alcohols (gas & cramping) will appreciate this.

If you are in the mood for something chocolaty and cold, this probably won't do the trick. But if you love the taste of vanilla (and tend to order vanilla lattes or vanilla shakes), this could be an ideal 100 calorie treat or snack for you.

Related Topics:

• Study: Ice Cream = Happy
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Alcohol Use or Abuse?

Answering this one question can tell researchers a lot about alcohol abuse:

How many times in the past year have you had 4 or more drinks in a day? (Make that 5 or more drinks a day for men.)

Just answering this question about alcohol use can help raise the warning flag to primary physicians that a spectrum of potential unhealthy alcohol use behaviors may be at play.

Photo: Kyle Flood

Unhealthy alcohol use - the spectrum from risky consumption to alcohol use disorders, alcohol abuse, and dependence - is "prevalent, but under-diagnosed, in primary care settings" according to Boston Medical Center researchers based on results from their study that appears in the March 12 online issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine. "Screening and brief intervention by primary care physicians for those with unhealthy alcohol use reduces risky consumption, " according to Peter C. Smith, MD, MSc, from Boston University School of Medicine and colleagues.

The researchers recently tested the use of this one question about alcohol behavior in a sample of primary care patients. Of the 286 participants in the study, unhealthy alcohol use was reported by 31% of participants. Further review of this subgroup found that (of the 286 participants):

• 6% consumed risky amounts but did not have alcohol-related problems or a disorder


• 13% consumed risky amounts and had problems but no current disorder


• 12% had a current alcohol use disorder

It doesn't hurt to ask yourself this question:

How many times in the past year have you had 4 or more drinks in a day? (5 or more drinks a day for men.)

Then honestly reflect on your answer, because your doctor might be asking you the same question in the years to come.

*****

Source: J Gen Intern Med. Published online March 12, 2009.

Related Topics:

• WebMD Alcohol Abuse Health Center
• Addiction and Substance Abuse Support Group
• WebMD Daily Newsletter - Daily health news, features & videos in your inbox

Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

The original recipe for these cookies is a top rated recipe on the Food Network website and it was contributed by Wendy Gaynor, the owner of the Ruby et Violette cookie bakery in New York City. The original recipe calls for a stick of butter; I switched to a less fat margarine with a low amount of saturated fat and no trans fat. I decreased the sugar by 1/3 and used a majority of whole-wheat flour to make the dough, which adds nutrients and fiber. The original cookie recipe calls for 3 types of chips (peanut butter chips, toffee chips and semisweet chocolate chips). I kept the two types of chocolate and took out the toffee chips.

WHAT YOU SAVE
Making these changes cut from each cookie:

• 63 calories
• 5 grams total fat
• 4 grams saturated fat
• 17 mg cholesterol

And fiber increases by about 1 gram per serving!

Lightened NYC Bakery Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

1/2 cup less fat margarine (8 grams fat per tablespoon and no trans fat)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
1 large egg, higher omega-3 if available
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup peanut butter or butterscotch chips
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (60% cocoa if possible)

Preparation:

1. In large mixing bowl, combine margarine with dark brown sugar until thoroughly blended, scarping sides and bottom of bowl frequently. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat on low speed, scraping sides and bottom of bowl, until blended.
2. In separate bowl, combine flours, salt and baking soda. Add flour mixture to margarine/sugar mixture while beating on low speed until combined. Stir in both types of chocolate chips and marshmallows with a scraper or spoon. Cover bowl and refrigerate until cold (at least two hours).
3. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and use a cookie scoop to drop balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons each), 2 inches apart, on prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes (bake longer if you like your cookies crisp and not chewy). Let them rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes then remove cookies to a wire rack and let them cool.

Yield: Makes 18 bakery size cookies

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 168 calories, 2 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 7.5 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 1.2 g fiber, 112 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 40 percent.

Journal as: 1 portion medium dessert

The Series:

• Comfort Food Makeovers
• The Mashed Potato Makeover
• Macaroni and Cheese, Please!
• The Fried Chicken Makeover
• Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf
• Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Related Topics:

• 100-Calorie Chocolate Treats
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Pistachio Recall

If you haven't already heard, pistachios are the latest food to be hit by the salmonella organism and a resultant pistachio panic has run rampant through the U.S. Here's what seems to have happened...Because the pistachios may be contaminated with salmonella, Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. (in California) has expanded its recall of roasted pistachios to include all lots of roasted in-shell pistachios and roasted shelled pistachios that were produced from nuts harvested in 2008.

A joint FDA and California Dept. of Public Health inspection indicated the presence of salmonella in critical areas of the facility and the potential for cross-contamination between raw and roasted products. Three environmental samples and one finished product sample taken during the inspection tested positive for Salmonella.

So what does this mean to you?

For a list of the specific items (including brands) being recalled in the following categories (cake & pie, candy products, ice cream products, pistachio products, snack bar products, snack and snack food products), go to the FDA website for Pistachio Product Recalls: Salmonella.

Then see the inside window on this page with the heading "FDA Salmonella Pistachio Product Recall". You click on the various product categories, and the specific brands and products recalled in that category will be listed.

The good news is that the vast majority of pistachio products and foods containing pistachio products do not contain pistachios from Setton. For a list of brands reported as NOT containing any pistachio products from Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc, go to PistachioRecall.org.

Related Topics:

• WebMD Slideshow: Salmonella
• Americans Fed Up With Food Recalls?
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf

But lighter!

One of the top-rated meatloaf recipes on the Food Network website comes from the Joe Allen restaurant. We are making this meatloaf lower in saturated fat and higher in fiber by making a few switches. Instead of using 1 cup of white bread breadcrumbs, I used 100% whole-wheat bread. Instead of sauteing the vegetables in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, I used 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Ground sirloin (around 7% fat) is the base for our light meatloaf instead of regular fat ground beef and I used 1 higher omega-3 egg plus 2 tablespoons egg substitute (or 1 egg white) instead of 2 regular eggs.

WHAT YOU SAVE
Making these changes cut from each serving:

• 110 calories
• 14 grams total fat
• 5 grams saturated fat
• 25 mg cholesterol

And fiber increases by about .5 gram per serving!

Light Restaurant Meatloaf

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (1/2 teaspoon dried thyme can be used)
3 pounds ground sirloin or extra lean ground beef (around 7% fat)
1 cup whole wheat fresh bread crumbs (put 2 to 3 slices of firm whole wheat bread into a small food processor and pulse until breadcrumbs form)
1 large egg, higher omega-3 if available
2 tablespoons egg substitute (or 1 egg white)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared mustard (add another tablespoon if desired)
2 tablespoons steak sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (add more if desired)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Coat a 9 x 9-inch round or square nonstick baking dish lightly with canola oil.
2. Heat tablespoon of canola oil in medium nonstick frying pan. Stir in onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and thyme and saute until soft. Let cool slightly.
3. In large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients, along with the cooled vegetables, and mix with your clean hands or a strong mixing spoon. Shape meat mixture into a loaf in the prepared baking dish.
4. Bake for about 1 hour or until meat is cooked throughout and nicely brown on the edges. Serve with mashed potatoes or any other favorite side dish!

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 280 calories, 35 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 10.5 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 120 mg cholesterol, 1.5 g fiber, 314 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 34 percent.

Journal as: 1 serving "lean meat with sauce"

The Series:

• Comfort Food Makeovers
• The Mashed Potato Makeover
• Macaroni and Cheese, Please!
• The Fried Chicken Makeover
• Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf
• Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Related Topics:

• Cheap and Easy Recipes and Dinner Ideas
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

The Fried Chicken Makeover

To lighten up the traditionally deep fried chicken, we marinated skinless chicken pieces in buttermilk and coated them with a seasoned flour mixture, then sprayed with canola cooking spray, and baked them in the oven. This chicken is great cold, too!

WHAT YOU SAVE
Making these changes cut from each serving (compared to a deep fried chicken breast):

• 147 calories
• 22 grams total fat
• 7 grams saturated fat
• 86 mg cholesterol

Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne red pepper- increase to 1 teaspoon if extra "heat" is desired)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Canola cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Combine chicken breasts and buttermilk in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Refrigerate sealed bag in a medium-size bowl for several hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Use a pastry brush to coat the bottom of a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with canola oil.
3. In a new gallon-sized zip-top bag or medium-sized shallow bowl, stir together the flour, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, and white pepper to blend well.
4. Remove a chicken breast from buttermilk and gently shake off any excess. Immediately dip chicken into flour mixture; coat well. Holding chicken piece over a plate, spray both sides well with canola cooking spray. Dip chicken piece into flour mixture a second time and spray again with canola cooking spray. Place into prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken.
5. Bake until chicken is cooked throughout and coating is golden brown (about 25-30 minutes). If needed, switch the oven to broil, and broil the chicken 6 inches from the heat for a minute or two (until outside of chicken is nicely browned), watching very carefully so as not to burn.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Information:
PER SERVING: 194 calories, 28 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 5.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 74 mg cholesterol, 0.5 g fiber, 225 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 26%

Journal as: 1 serving "lean meat with 1 tsp fat maximum"

The Series:

• Comfort Food Makeovers
• The Mashed Potato Makeover
• Macaroni and Cheese, Please!
• The Fried Chicken Makeover
• Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf
• Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Related Topics:

• 'No-Fry' Fried Foods
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Macaroni and Cheese, Please!

That's healthful and delicious!

The two keys to a more healthful mac & cheese are to use a whole wheat or whole grain blend pasta (there are lots of products to choose from) and to make a lighter cheese sauce that's lower in fat and saturated fat. Traditional recipes call for several tablespoons of butter, whole milk or half and half and whole milk cheese, but in this recipe we cut the butter to one tablespoon and switched to whipped butter or less fat margarine, used fat free half and half and lowfat milk and reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese.

WHAT YOU SAVE
Making these changes cut from each serving:

• 318 calories
• 36 grams total fat
• 23 grams saturated fat
• 129 mg cholesterol

And fiber increases by about 6 grams per serving!

Light Mac & Cheese

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

3 cups dry macaroni noodles, whole wheat or whole grain blend
1 tablespoon whipped butter or less fat margarine
1/4 cup fat free sour cream
5 tablespoons Wondra quick-mixing flour (white flour can also be used)
1 1/2 cups low fat milk
1 1/2 cups fat free half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch or two of cayenne pepper
3 1/2 cups shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup croutons of your choice, crumbled (optional)
Paprika to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Coat two loaf pans (9 x 5-inch) with cooking spray. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni noodles and boil until al dente (about 8 minutes depending on the noodle), then drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan melt the butter, remove it from heat, and blend in the sour cream and flour to make a paste. Whisk in the milk and half and half and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to simmer, stir in the salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, and stir frequently until the sauce thickens (about 5 minutes). Whisk in an additional tablespoon of flour if needed for desired thickness.
3. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the cheese and stir well. Pour the cheese sauce into a large saucepan, add the drained macaroni, and stir to combine. Serve immediately or pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle crumbled croutons and paprika (if desired). Bake for 30 minutes, or until the mixture bubbles and is lightly browned around the edges.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Information:
Per serving: 408 calories, 27 g protein, 43.5 g carbohydrate, 13 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 41 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 420 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 29 percent.

Journal as: 1 cup "starchy foods with 1 tsp fat" + 2 ounces low fat cheese OR 1 frozen dinner light, pasta dish with light sauce + 2 ounces lowfat cheese OR 1 1/2 hearty stews

The Series:

• Comfort Food Makeovers
• The Mashed Potato Makeover
• Macaroni and Cheese, Please!
• The Fried Chicken Makeover
• Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf
• Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Related Topics:

• Healthy Eating: Cutting Unhealthy Fats from your Diet
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

The Mashed Potato Makeover

Comfort Food Makeover #1

The original recipe for this dish comes from MarthaStewart.com and it calls for a stick of butter (which we completely deleted) and 1 1/2-cups heavy cream (which we substituted with fat free half and half).

WHAT YOU SAVE
Making these changes cuts from each serving:

• 180 calories
• 20 grams total fat
• 12.5 grams saturated fat
• 65 mg cholesterol

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

2 large heads garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
4 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice about 1/4-inch off the top of the garlic heads, throw the tops away, and place heads on a piece of foil. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the garlic heads and wrap them well in the foil. Bake until tender and golden, (about 35-45 minutes). Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel the skin away from the garlic cloves.
2. Add the garlic cloves to a small nonstick saucepan along with the fat-free half-and-half. Simmer the mixture over medium heat until cream is hot. Reduce heat, cover the pan and continue to simmer for a couple of more minutes. Turn the heat off and lift out the garlic cloves with a slotted spoon, place in custard cup, and set aside. Leave the saucepan with half-and-half on the stove until needed.
3. Place quartered potatoes in a large stockpot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook until very tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potato pieces in a colander.
4. Add hot, steaming, and drained potato pieces directly to a large mixing bowl and beat on low while you slowly pour in the fat-free half-and-half. Season with salt and pepper if desired and gently stir in the roasted garlic cloves. Serve!

Yield: 10 servings

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: 200 Calories, 7 g protein, 45 g carbohydrate, 0.7 g fat (0.1 g saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 55 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 3 percent.

Journal as: 3/4 cup starchy foods without added fat.


The Series:

• Comfort Food Makeovers
• The Mashed Potato Makeover
• Macaroni and Cheese, Please!
• The Fried Chicken Makeover
• Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf
• Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Related Topics:

• Healthy Eating: Cutting Unhealthy Fats from your Diet
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Comfort Food Makeovers

Lightening Up Your Favorite Comfort Foods!

There's something about favorite comfort foods that just speaks to our hearts as well as our stomachs.

Piping-hot macaroni and cheese with a crunchy golden-brown crust, chewy and gooey chocolate chip cookies warm from the oven, or a big mound of fluffy white mashed potatoes with a pool of melted butter dripping down the side: Who doesn't like comfort food? We all need a little extra comfort every now and then but in the current economic climate we want and need our comfort foods more often than every before.

"When we are anxious or fearful, we fall back to foods we associate with times of lowest stress-that is, with childhood," says Dr. John Foreyt of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Comfort foods are "feel-good" foods, soothing and nurturing us, but they usually come with a rather steep nutritional price tag: they are usually high in fat, saturated fat and calories and sometimes sugar. So what are some of these all-time favorite comfort foods? While men seem to prefer warm, hearty meat-related comfort foods, such as steak, casseroles, and soup, women prefer more snack-related foods like chocolate or ice cream. A few years ago more than 6400 people took my comfort food survey on www.allrecipes.com and these were the top 3 comfort foods:

• Mashed potatoes and gravy
• Macaroni and cheese
• Chocolate chip cookies

Wondering where some of your favorite comfort foods are on the list? Pot roast was the 7th ranked comfort food with fried chicken as the 8th, pasta as the 9th, and meatloaf as the 11th.

For the next few days, I'll be lightening up some of these all-time favorite comfort foods... proving to you along the way that you can have your favorite comfort foods and eat light too!

Sources: John P. Foreyt, Ph.D., Director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston Texas.ESHA Research, Food Processor nutrition analysis software.

The Series:

• The Mashed Potato Makeover
• Macaroni and Cheese, Please!
• The Fried Chicken Makeover
• Top-Rated Gourmet Meatloaf
• Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Related Topics:

• Emotional Eating and Weight Loss
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

What's in Your Peeps - Sugar or Splenda?

If there are peeps in your supermarket, it must be spring! They come around once a year, but what are they really...what's in that sugar-crusted, marshmallow-like treat from your youth? Sugar? Corn syrup? Would you guess both?

A 5-chick serving of peeps totals 140 calories and 34 grams of sugar. But now you can partake in sugar-free Peeps (available at certain drugstore and supermarket chains across the country). But proceed with caution...Although the package boasts "sweetened with Splenda," take note that each 3-chick serving also contains 23 grams of sugar alcohol, which is enough sugar alcohol to cause some very uncomfortable intestinal side effects in some people. You might want to keep it to a 1-chick Peeps serving until you know how your body handles the 8-gram dose of sugar alcohol per Peep.

When some people enjoy a certain amount of sugar-free confections that contain maltitol (or another sugar alcohol), there could be some resulting intestinal discomfort and a mild laxative effect. This is thanks to the part of the sugar alcohol that isn't digested or absorbed. It goes through the intestinal tract and starts to ferment and attract water into the intestinal tract. A certain, individualized amount of discomfort, ranging from gas to diarrhea can result, depending on the amount consumed and each person's intestinal tract.

The American Dietetic Association advises that more than 50 grams of sorbitol or 20 grams of mannitol per day can cause diarrhea. You can see the amount of sugar alcohol in a serving of each sugar-free product by reading the nutrition information label.

Related Topics:

• The Dieter’s (and Diabetic Person's) Guide to Buying Chocolate
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Best to Worst Easter Basket Treats

Pick your Easter basket poison. Are you partial to the marshmallow or peanut butter eggs or the milk chocolate bunnies...or, are you a Peeps person? What's the best way to approach your Easter basket, knowing you're going to indulge to some extent?

Of all the Easter basket options, these are the best to worst Easter treats. Where does the regular hard-boiled egg fit in to this table? With 70 calories, no sugar and 4.5 grams of fat, you'll find it somewhere between the Sugar-Free Peeps and the Elmer's Toasted Marshmallow Egg.

Easter Treat	Calories	Sugar (g)	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)
Bubble King Bubble Gum Eggs	15	4	0	0
Peeps Sugar-Free Marshmallow Chicks, 3 chicks (28 g) NOTE: each serving contains 23 g sugar alcohol	60	0	0	0
Hard boiled Egg (Silver lining-6 g quality protein and all sorts of vitamins and minerals)	70	0	4.5	1.5
Elmer's Toasted Marshmallow Egg (21 g)	80	14	2.5	1.5
Sugar Free Russell Stover Jelly Beans (40 g) 35 pieces NOTE: each serving contains 30 g sugar alcohol	110	0	0	0
Starburst Sour Jelly Beans, 1/4 cup	160	30	0	0
Peeps, 5 chicks (42 g)	140	34	0	0
Cadbury Crème Egg (34 g) (Silver lining-4% Daily Value calcium)	150	22	5	3
Almond Joy Egg, (31 g) (Silver lining-1 gram of fiber)	140	14	8	6
Peanut M&M's Bunny Mix 1/4 cup (Silver lining-1 gram fiber and a small serving of peanuts)	220	29	6	5
Whoppers Robin Eggs (40 g) 8 pieces	180	29	6	5
Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bunnies (34 g) (Silver lining-1 g fiber, 8% Daily Value Calcium)	170	19	10	6
Nestle Crunch Nest Eggs (37 g) 5 pieces (Silver lining-4% Daily Value for Calcium)	180	20	9	6
Hershey's milk chocolate Eggs (40 g) 7 pieces (Silver lining-1 g fiber, 8% Daily Value Calcium)	200	22	12	7
Dove Dark Chocolate Eggs, 6 foil Wrapped eggs (43 g) (Silver lining-3 grams fiber)	220	20	14	8
Cadbury Mini Crème Egg (36 g)(Silver lining-4% Daily Value calcium)	170	23	6	4
Dove Truffle Egg (25.5 g)	150	13	10	7
Hershey's King Size Marshmallow Egg (67 g) (Silver lining-4% Daily Value vitamin A and Calcium)	260	38	8	4.5
Reese's Peanut Butter Egg (34 g) (Silver lining-1 gram fiber)	180	15	11	3.5
Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, little Foil wrapped ones, 5 pieces (38 g) (Silver lining-1 gram fiber)	190	18	12	6
Hershey's Bliss Milk Chocolate Eggs 5 pieces (39 g) (Silver lining-1 gram fiber, 6% Daily value for calcium)	200	20	13	8
Dove Solid Milk Chocolate Egg—6 oz, 1/3 egg (56.5 g)	307	31	19	10.5
1/2 bunny (2.25 oz) (Silver lining-1.5 grams fiber)	345	36	21	12
Reese's Reester Bunny—5 oz 1/2 bunny (2.5 oz) (Silver lining-2 grams fiber)	340	38	20	9

The bottom line to enjoying Easter candy is moderation. Keep certain Easter candy principles in mind before proceeding with your Easter basket massacre:

Never eat the whole chocolate Easter bunny in one sitting; the nutritional totals are likely to shock you. The entire 6- ounce Dove bunny or egg, for example, totals 920 calories, 56 grams of fat, 32 grams saturated fat, and 92 grams of sugar. You can break off the piece you want and keep the rest in there for when the next chocolate bunny craving hits.

A mini candy option doesn't mean its "mini" in calories, fat or sugar. The little foil-wrapped Reese's Peanut Butter eggs have more sugar, fat and saturated fat in a 5-piece serving than the traditional (34 gram) peanut butter egg.

Keep your eye on the portion size! You would be surprised what is considered a serving on some of the Easter candy labels. So check this out and know what you are really getting into in terms of calories, fat and sugar. If the label tells you that a serving is 1/4 of the 5-ounce bunny and it already has a fairly shocking amount of fat grams per serving...it's probably best not to enjoy more than 1/4 of the bunny!

It's better to eat jelly beans than to drink soda! Our bodies appear to be more likely to compensate naturally for the calories in a handful of jelly beans compared to the same calories in a sweetened drink. A Purdue University study found that significant weight gain might occur when carbohydrates are consumed as liquids rather than as solid food because the participants didn't decrease their intake to compensate for the added soda calories but were able to for the additional jellybean calories.

Sources:
NCA National Confectioners Association
International Journal of Obesity. June 2000, Vol. 24, Number 6, pages 794-800 "Liquid versus solid carbohydrate: effects on food intake and body weight" DiMeglio DP et al.

Related Topics:

• WebMD Video: Healthy Easter Basket Basics
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
• Healthy Cooking Newsletter - recipes, kitchen and shopping advice in your inbox

Why Kids Like Sweets

Why do kids of all cultures love sweet-tasting foods compared to adults? Here's a hint...it has to do with growing like a weed. New research from the University of Washington and the Monell Chemical Senses Center indicates that this preference for sweets is based in human biology and is related to the high growth rate in children.

This does actually make sense because when growth is rapid, the body's calorie demands do similarly increase and the programmed preference for sweet foods will point kids in the direction of high calorie foods.

The researchers looked at sweet preference and biological measures of growth and physical maturation in 143 children between the ages of 11 and 15. The findings, reported in the journal Physiology & Behavior, suggest that keen preference for sweet foods is related to their high growth rate and that as children's growth slows and eventually stops, their preference for sweets likewise declines.

At least we know part of the reason why children seem to gravitate toward sweets...now how do we explain why many grown ups still have their sweet tooth?

Related Topics:

• WebMD Quiz: Is Your Child Hooked on Sugar?
• Indulging Your Sweet Tooth
• Healthy Cooking with Elaine Magee, RD
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Taste Test Tuesday: Stash Chai Green Tea

You can have your chai tea and drink green tea too! I love chai tea and the wonderful combination of spices and flavors that go into making it (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, etc...) But, I like to get a couple cups of green tea a day for all the potential health benefits.

Now there's a way to do both! Stash brand of tea has a Chai Green Tea bag and it's wonderful. I found it in my local supermarket so I hope that means it's pretty easy to find in your neck of the woods. The directions on the tea bag say to brew the tea for 3-5 minutes, but if you like your chai tea flavor on the mild side, steep your tea bag more like 2 minutes.

Green tea was named as one of the "synergy superfoods" in my latest book by Rodale, FOOD SYNERGY. With each sip you get two potent flavonoids - anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin - as well as a healthy dose of catechin, which may enhance the antioxidant activity of alpha-tocopherol (a form of vitamin E) and trigger weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories and decrease body fat.

But I'm probably most excited about this research breakthrough: Green and black tea contain antioxidant polyphenols thought to block cell damage that can lead to cancer. Green tea happens to be loaded with a certain polyphenol catechin called EGCG, which has a knack for binding to a certain procancer protein, interfering with its ability to activate cancer cells, possibly stopping cancer before it starts!

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• Types of Teas and Their Health Benefits
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5-Minute Dark Chocolate Rocky Road

Photo: Elaine Magee

There's something about Easter time that conjures up thoughts of one of my favorite chocolate treats-rocky road. Was it all of those Rocky Road Easter Eggs in my Easter basket over the years?

This year, you can save yourself time (driving to the chocolatier) and money by whipping up a batch of homemade rocky road. One bag of high cacao chocolate chips, a bag of walnut pieces, half a bag of miniature marshmallows and a microwave is all you need. Get all of the food products on sale and the batch will only run you about $6.00!

5-Minute Dark Chocolate Rocky Road

Photo: Elaine Magee

Ingredients:

11 ounces 60% cacao semi sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons canola oil
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces

Photo: Elaine Magee

1. Add chocolate chips and canola oil to medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat on HIGH for a minute. Stir to help melt remaining chocolate chips or heat on HIGH for 15-second intervals until chocolate is completely melted.


2. Let cool about 5 minutes (meanwhile set up 12 muffin papers) on a flat surface or jellyroll pan.


3. Stir the marshmallows and walnut pieces into the melted chocolate mixture. Portion the mixture evenly into the 12 muffins cups. Refrigerate until set (about 30 minutes). Share them with your friends and family!

Yield: Makes 12 big rocky road servings
Per serving: 250 calories, 5 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 13 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 50%

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Pepsi and Mountain Dew "Throwback"

High fructose corn syrup is out and natural sugar is IN?

Well, not exactly. The natural sugar switcheroo is only for 8 weeks and it's in a special "throwback" version of the sodas. The limited edition sodas feature a retro look in their packaging and are sweetened with natural sugar (not high fructose corn syrup), just as they were back in the '60s and '70s. I was actually around in those two decades but can't really recall what either tasted like.

Most likely they will still taste darn sweet since their calories per can aren't going to change. Both Throwback sodas will be available nationwide beginning April 20 in 20-oz single-serve bottles and 12-pack cans.

I asked the company if they would consider permanently offering the Throwback sodas (say if millions of anti-high-fructose-corn-syrup soda drinkers made a run on this product) and they replied "there are no current plans to offer them beyond mid-June."


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• High-Fructose Corn Syrup’s Bad Rap Unfair?
• What's in Your Cupholder? Not Soda, I Hope!
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