Healthy Recipe Doctor

Summer Salads: What About the Mayo?

2008-07-02T17:27:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to pass along one of my favorite RECIPE DOCTOR tips for those creamy and popular mayo-drenched salads that seem to typify summer eatin'.

Here's the tip:
Instead of adding mayonnaise to salad recipes (as called for), use a combination of light mayonnaise and fat free sour cream. This works really well - I've doing it for years. I use the fat free sour cream that comes in the container that looks like a cowhide (Naturally Yours is the brand I believe). It has a subtle flavor so it extends the flavor of the light mayonnaise nicely.

You can use 1/3-cup light mayo and 2/3 cup fat free sour cream to replace a cup of regular mayonnaise.

If that seems too gutsy, start off with 1/2 light mayo and 1/2 fat free sour cream.

Here's what you save:
If a recipe that makes 8 servings calls for a cup of mayonnaise and you use the 1/3 cup light mayo and 2/3 cup fat free sour cream suggestion, then each serving of your salad will have about 150 fewer calories and 18 fewer grams of fat! Saturated fat also goes down (from 3 grams per serving to .7) along with cholesterol (from 10 milligrams to 5).

And it tastes great too - pretty cool huh?

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Technorati Tags: summer salad, mayonnaise, healthy diet

Frugal Friday: Taco Bell Value Menu Best Bets

2008-06-27T06:43:00.001-04:00

Just in case you find yourself at a fast food drive thru this summer...

There's a new "Value Menu" at one of the top fast food chains - Taco Bell. If you can find a dollar in change in your car or in the bottom of your purse, you have enough dough to buy yourself an item on their value menu.

Here are the 4 more "healthful" options with the lowest in % calories from fat listed first:

Bean Burrito (99 cents) with 23% calories from fat, 350 calories, 9 grams fat, 3.5 grams saturated fat, 8 grams fiber, 1190 mg sodium.

1/2 lb. Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito (99 cents) with 38% calories from fat, 470 calories, 20 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 6 grams fiber, 1390 mg sodium.

Soft Taco (89 cents) with 40% calories from fat, 200 calories, 9 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 3 grams fiber, 630 mg sodium.

Cheesy Roll-up (79 cents) with 45% calories from fat, 200 calories, 10 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat, 1 gram fiber, 490 mg sodium.

Related Topics:

21 Healthier Fast-Food Meals

Make and Take Meals: Fast-Food Alternatives

Technorati Tags: Frugal Friday, taco Bell, fast food, value, healthy diet

Tea and Kidney Stones?

2008-06-26T07:00:00.003-04:00

Photo Credit: chumsdock

Tea is often listed on the "avoid" food/beverage list for helping to prevent kidney stones. Someone who was told to avoid tea after a recent bout with kidney stones, asked me whether this includes ALL types of teas...

The reason tea is listed on the AVOID list for oxalate-containing kidney stones is because they are considered to be "oxalate-containing" beverages. But is there a difference in oxalate content between the different types of tea?

In a journal article I found, the researches tested an assortment of teas for oxalate content. They found that soluble oxalate contents of black tea in tea bags and loose tea leaves were 4.68 and 5.11 milligrams per gram of tea. Green teas and oolong tea had lower oxalate amounts, ranging from .23 to 1.15 milligrams per gram of tea. The oxalate content of the herbal teas they tested ranged from "not detected" to 3 milligrams per gram of tea.

Anyone with kidney stones should check with their doctor or specialist first, but it appears that herbal and green teas may be a great option (in sensible amounts) for someone who has a history of oxalate kidney stones but finds comfort and enjoyment in an occasional cup of tea.

[Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2002; 11(4): 298-301, "Charrier MJ et al. "Oxalate content and calcium binding capacity of tea and herbal teas"]

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Technorati Tags: tea, kidney stones, oxalate, healthy diet

A "Model" Way to Fight Anorexia

2008-06-19T07:00:00.004-04:00

France joins the fashion fight against using "dangerously thin" models?

Add France on to the distinguished list of countries joining the worldwide drive to fight anorexia. Other countries, including Italy and Great Britain, have already taken measures to fight the promotion of excessively skinny top models. But Spain remains the country that has put the most money where their mouth is by banning models from their fashion shows whose bodies were under the BMI of 18.

Music to my ears...hearing the new report that some organizations representing fashion houses and advertising firms in Paris signed a charter of good conduct about using images that contribute to or promote extreme thinness. Those who sign the charter commit to "heighten public awareness about the acceptance of physical diversity."

What? Did they say "physical diversity"? Wow! Body diversity...what a concept (a way of thinking that I have promoted and written about for decades). Anyone who works out in the back of an aerobics or palates class (that would be me) can clearly see that body diversity is alive and well in America anyway. Even in a class of "fit" women, 50 women working out means 50 different and beautiful types of bodies. I've always said, "viva la difference!"

Anyway, now some French companies and organizations are seemingly singing a new tune. On a volunteer basis, however, people signing on are pledging to promote diversity in the representation of the body, avoiding all forms of stereotyping that can favor the creation of an aesthetic archetype that is potentially dangerous to youth.

But I always say, "actions speak louder than words." And according to one American teen model's account in June/July Teen Vogue, scary skinny is definitely NOT out of fashion, literally. Ali Michael recalls during her past trip to Paris that in fact she was told by runway decision-makers that she had "fat legs" and "huge ankles." Simply put, designers in Paris didn't want to work with Ali now that she was healthy.

What kind of precedent are we setting with this super skinny model standard? Two words - eating disorders. Ali admits in her Teen Vogue interview that most of the models she knows that are very thin have some kind of issue with food. Ali believes that if healthy sized models dominated the runways, the public would be much more accepting of and interested in the fashion world. I couldn't agree more Ali!

All the charter signing and mention of "physical diversity" is a step in the right direction. But changing the way the fashion world and specific designers think is altogether another matter.

Now, if we can only have a more realistically sized winner on America's Next Top Model. Now that I think about it, that is exactly what happened on the just-completed season of America's Next Top Model. The winner was Whitney, considered a "plus size" model on the show. I still can't figure out how she qualifies as a "plus size" when I believe she was wearing a regular size 10 on the show. Hey, Tyra, how about a show called America's Next Top Normal-Size Model?

The dialogue continues!

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Technorati Tags: body image, America's Next Top Model, anorexia, healthy diet

Taste Test Tuesday: CocoaRoast Almonds

2008-06-17T07:00:00.002-04:00

I try to get a handful of nuts almost every day (I named nuts as one of the "synergy super foods" in my book, Food Synergy ) and I definitely like/need a tiny chocolate fix on some days (okay, most days). So when I saw the canister of CocoaRoast Almonds by Emerald, I thought they could come in handy as a nice snack.

I did like the roasted almond flavor with a hint of cocoa but I could also definitely taste the added alternative sweeteners, which I've got to admit bothered me a little, perhaps because I wasn't expecting it. They use the now popular combination of Splenda (sucralose) and acesulfame potassium.

Since cocoa powder is used, I asked the company to provide me with the amount of flavonoids per serving. Apparently the amount isn't significant enough to give out amounts or make a claim. To their credit, on the label they aren't boasting about the % of cocoa or the cocoa flavonoids either. "Dark chocolate flavor" is the only near mention on the canister.

Each serving will add a hefty dose of vitamin E to your nutrient totals though - 35% of the Daily Value.

The 7 ingredients are:

Dry roasted almonds, modified food starch (potato), natural and artificial flavors, cocoa powder (processed with alkali), salt, acesulfame potassium, sucralose.

Per ounce they contain:

150 calories
13 g fat
1 g saturated fat
3 g polyunsaturated fat
8 g monounsaturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
3 g fiber
1 g sugar
6 g protein
25 mg sodium

Bottom line: a serving of these almonds will contribute some vitamin E, a nice dose of monounsaturated fat, a few grams of fiber, some protein and with very little sodium.

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Frugal Friday: Two Cups of Green Tea for the Price of One!

2008-06-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

Get the most from your green tea bag. I love my exotically flavored green tea bags and I pay about 8 dollars for a box of 20 tea bags. My current favorite is the "Tropical Green" flavor from Harney & Sons. It has a wonderful exotic flavor with an influence of pineapple.

Lately I've been getting 40 cups of tea instead of 20 for my 8-dollar investment by making my hot cup of tea (I steep it for about 1 to 2 minutes). Then I pour another cup of boiling water into a second mug and let the same bag steep for about 30 minutes. Later that day or the next, I add some ice and enjoy a nice glass of iced green tea.

It should work well with flavored black and white tea bags as well; you just need to find the right amount of time to steep the first and second cup so you get the flavor you want.

This saves me about $12 a month since I drink about 2 cups of green tea a day!

Got ideas for saving money? Visit our Saving Money message board.

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Technorati Tags: saving money, budget, healthy eating, healthy cooking, green tea

Eating Less Fat and Cholesterol

2008-06-12T07:00:00.006-04:00

What are good substitutes for ham sandwiches, steak, and pizza if you are trying to eat less saturated fat and cholesterol?

I was asked this interesting question recently and wanted to share some thoughts on it. These are clearly favorite entrees for lots of people. When it comes to red meat and processed meat, how often you eat it and how big your servings are becomes key. For health reasons, we want to eat red meat less often (especially if we have it more than once a day) and we want the servings to be sensible when we do eat it (ideally 4-6 ounces of steak, for example or no more than 2 ounces of ham).

Beyond that here are some specific tips:

HAMMING IT UP
Some deli ham is actually pretty lean. A 2-ounce serving has around .4 grams saturated fat and 26 mg cholesterol whereas a 2-ounce serving of turkey breast lunch meat contains .2 grams saturated fat and 24 milligrams of cholesterol.

It's also nice to sometimes have vegetarian sandwiches like roasted eggplant or roasted bell pepper with mozzarella cheese, or one of my favorites - fresh mozzarella, topped with fresh basil, ripe sliced tomato and a splash of balsamic vinaigrette.

STEAK SAVVY
For steak, it's nice to go with fish instead of meat sometimes, but when you do have that beef steak, there are way leaner cuts to behold. These really take down the total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol!

For example, if you enjoy 4 ounces of top sirloin, trimmed of visible fat and broiled or grilled, it contains:

207 calories, 6.5 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol.

Compare this to richer cuts of beef:

T-bone steak with 1/4-inch trim and broiled: 229 calories, 10.9 grams fat, 4 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol.
Rib eye steak, broiled, select, EVEN trimmed of visible fat: 261 calories, 14.5 grams fat, 5.6 g saturated fat, 109 mg cholesterol.

PIZZA PERFECT
There are also ways to eat a healthier pizza - opt for less cheese on top or use a reduced fat cheese when making at home, top your pizza with veggies and not meat. And if you buying your crust, choose a whole wheat one like Boboli's whole wheat pizza crust; if you are making one at home use 2/3 whole wheat flour and 1/3 white flour.

If you just switch to reduced fat cheese, you shave off quite a bit of saturated fat and cholesterol. Two ounces of part-skim mozzarella contains 144 calories, 9 grams fat, 5.7 grams saturated fat, 36 mg cholesterol compared to whole milk mozzarella which contains 170 calories, 13 grams fat, 7.5 grams saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol.

An ounce of cooked sausage contains: 117 calories, 11 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 22 mg cholesterol. Compare that to veggie toppings with contain zero saturated fat and cholesterol!

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Taste Test Tuesday: New Decadent (Dairy Free) Soymilk Ice-cream Substitute

2008-06-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

I've tasted my share of non-dairy ice-cream substitutes over the years and most of them couldn't quite measure up to their dairy counterparts. But you don't even have to like the taste of soymilk to like this new brand. "I couldn't tell it was made with soymilk," notes my taste-testing husband. "I really like both flavors," concludes my teenage daughter after tasting the two flavors I brought home; Coconut Craze and Turtle Trails.

Organic Soymilk is the first ingredient followed by organic dehydrated cane juice for both flavors I picked up at my Whole Foods Market (which tends to have a vast selection of soy-based products). Then I starting the nutrition information label...The two Purely Decadent flavors admittedly aren't as low in fat and calories as the "light" ice creams I'm used to having in my freezer but they are BURSTING with fiber (around 5 grams per serving). They might also be a nice option for people who are avoiding lactose or are looking for decadent alternatives to the really high fat and high saturated fat ice-creams with 18 grams of fat or more per 1/2-cup serving.

They have some really interesting flavors to choose from and each flavor is lower or higher in total fat and saturated fats. Here are two of the flavors:

Turtle Trails contains 200 calories, 8 grams fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 31 g carbohydrate, and 5 g fiber!

Coconut Craze contains 240 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4.5 g saturated fats (seems to be mostly from the coconut flakes and coconut oil added), 31 g carbohydrate, and 6 g fiber!

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Technorati Tags: dairy-free, ice cream, soymilk, decadent, dairy-free

Frugal Friday: Cheaper Pizza Lunch Packs

2008-06-06T06:30:00.001-04:00

Pizza Packs at Half the Cost

I know those Pizza Lunchables are popular because I've seen them in all sorts of situations (from airplanes to soccer games). One of those "boxes" will run you about $2.50 on sale (regular price = $3.29).

While I was happy to see "pizza crust made with whole grain" written on the box and 3 grams of fiber listed on the nutrition label, I think we can do better than this in our own kitchen and save money doing it.

We can't easily replicate the mini pizza crusts they include, but what will work in their place are two 100% whole wheat mini bagels (Sara Lee) or one whole wheat pita bread pocket, available in several brands in most supermarkets.

The rest of the lunch pack is all about the toppings. You can spoon a tablespoon or two of bottled pizza sauce into a small plastic container and wrap 1/4 cup of shredded reduced fat cheese plus about 10 slices of less fat turkey pepperoni if desired in a snack size plastic bag or small piece of foil.

If you think ahead and pop a small 100% juice box into the freezer the night before, the juice box doubles as an ice block keeping the lunch cool through the morning at school.

Let's see how this homemade stacks up in price!

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza Lunch Pack

2 mini whole wheat bagels (they come presliced) = $.61
[The bag costs $4.00 and contains 13 mini bagels]

1/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheese = $.31
[Bag of shredded cheese with 2 cups costs about $2.50]

2 tablespoons pizza sauce = $.14
[16-ounce jar of pizza sauce contains 14, 2-tablespoon servings and costs about $2.00]

1 juice box (100% juice) adds about $.25 apiece

Total cost = $1.31

NOTE: If you add 12 pepperoni slices this will add about $.14
[A package of turkey pepperoni contains 21 servings of 12 slices and costs around $3.00]

The biggest nutritional bonus is that making your own pepperoni pizza lunch will double the fiber! If you use the mini bagel option, the lunch will contain 6 grams of fiber. This option will also trim off some grams of fat and saturated fat per serving as well.

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Technorati Tags: Frugal Friday, lunchables, pizza, healthy diet

Are You Getting Creamed By Your Creamer?

2008-06-05T07:00:00.001-04:00

Photo Credit: Colin and Sarah

A quick glance at the nutrition label of your non-dairy creamer initially gives you comfort...you see 10 calories and half a gram of saturated fat. Then a double take at the portion size brings you back to reality - one teaspoon!

Most of us use at least 1 tablespoon to cream our coffee. Do I hear 2 tablespoons? Next time you fix your cup of coffee, measure the creamer and find out for sure what your personal creamer serving really is.

I'm talking about the liquid non-dairy creamers that come in different flavors that you buy in the refrigerated section next to milk. If you go this route, it's important to check the ingredient list too, because some of the companies use partially hydrogenated oil which means trans fats are lurking too, along with saturated fat.

Two tablespoons of some of these creamers will add 40 to 80 calories and up to 2 grams of saturated fat and .9 grams of trans fat for every 2-tablespoon serving. If you are a "3 cups of coffee" type of person, this can add up fast in a bad way (up to 240 calories, 6 grams of saturated and 2.7 grams of trans).

What about the soy based or fat free creamers? They must be better right? Actually, most of them are! International Delight Fat Free contains zero saturated and trans fat and 60 calories for a 2-tablespoon serving. Silk brand liquid soy creamers add an average of 30 calories, around .5 grams of saturated fat and zero trans fat per 2 tablespoon serving. The flavored fat free creamers by Coffee-mate (French vanilla or hazelnut) are better than the original types though with 50 calories, .2 grams of saturated fat and .3 grams of trans per 2-tablespoon serving.

You can always try pouring in some fat free half and half. That will only cost you 20 calories per 2 tablespoon serving.

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Technorati Tags: coffee creamer, healthy diet

Taste Test Tuesday: The Blue Box Goes 50% Whole Grain (Mac & Cheese)

2008-06-03T07:00:00.004-04:00

I've learned over the years that people tend to prefer/like what they had growing up - even if it doesn't necessarily make culinary sense. For example, some people who were raised on macaroni & cheese from a box will actually prefer this to a homemade version. People I've met admit this is wacky but many claim, albeit jokingly, that there must be something addictive in that orange powder.

I must be immune to the power of the orange powder because I would definitely opt for homemade when given a choice, but I can appreciate the appeal of getting a box of this stuff for only one dollar! So, with all of these blue box mac & cheese fans in mind, I thought I would blog about Kraft's new whole grain option!

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (made with 50% Whole Grain)

First, let me assure you since the pasta is only 50% whole grain, your family probably won't notice a big difference in taste. And while we are at it, let's take the fat and saturated fat down a notch by adding 1 1/2 tablespoons of less fat margarine (or whipped butter) instead of 3 tablespoons of stick butter or margarine.

Granted this is still a processed food/mix with ingredients like "yellow 5" and "milk protein concentrate", but you've at least increased the fiber and cut the fat in half...and that's a step in the right direction for all the people out there who can't let go of the blue box.

Each box makes 2.5 servings (1 cup each)

Per 1 cup serving (using fat free half and half and Land O Lakes Buttery Spread)

[Just the box + added ingredients = final total]

Calories 260 + 58 = 318
Fiber 5 + 0 = 5
Total fat 3.5 + 5 = 8.5
Saturated fat 2 + 1.3 = 3.3
Carbohydrate 49 + 1.5 = 50.5
Protein 8 + .5 = 8.5
Cholesterol 15 + 1 = 16
Sodium 590 + 74 = 664

NOTE: If you use whipped butter instead, all of the numbers will be about the same except the saturated fat will increase by about 1.7 grams and cholesterol by 12 milligrams per serving.

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Frugal Friday: Homemade Breakfast Burrito

2008-05-30T07:00:00.004-04:00

Make your own dollar menu breakfast burrito!

It's hard for some people to resist fast food entree items that cost about a dollar. But when you order off the dollar menu, it's safe to say you aren't getting your whole grain serving, you aren't getting lower fat dairy products, and you aren't getting leaner meats.

But you can make your own dollar menu treats at home. Case in point: A homemade breakfast burrito using multi-grain flour tortillas, a mixture of real egg and egg white, reduced fat shredded cheese, and a tablespoon of salsa from the refrigerator.

Package of multi-grain tortillas contains 10 tortillas and sells for about $3.50 (35 cents per tortilla)

1 dozen eggs makes a mixture of eggs (4 whole eggs and 8 egg whites) that makes about 4 servings of scrambled eggs. A dozen eggs runs about $1 per dozen (25 cents per serving)

A package of reduced fat shredded cheese costs about $2.50 per 8-ounce package and contains 6 servings of 1/3 cup of cheese. (41 cents per 1/3 cup serving)

A tablespoon of salsa from the refrigerator to top it all off.

Total cost per breakfast burrito = $1.01

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Take Me Out to the Ball Game of Gluttony?

2008-05-29T07:00:00.003-04:00

Gluttony: the act or practice of eating and drinking to excess.

Photo Credit: Navin75

Baseball season is here and so is the practice of stadium gluttony. "Take me out to the ball game" has become "take me out to 3 hours of non-stop eating and snacking." There are all sorts of high calorie-low nutrient foods tempting you at every turn...fried foods, snack foods, frozen desserts, high fat meats, refined breads. It's a spectator sport, that's true. But I find it ironic that some of the people sitting in the stands are almost constantly eating and drinking while they watch the players on the field who are exercising like crazy.

Photo Credit: Navin75

At least when you go to a stadium type sports event, you have to go up and down some stairs and a hallway or two to fetch the food, right? Not so anymore.

Dozens of stadium and arenas are now offering tickets complete with unlimited food and beverages. The fine print on the ticket often reads "alcohol and desserts sold separately." In most cases, the food and drinks come to you - and keep on coming.

Photo Credit: Navin75

I have to admit though, not waiting in those 20 deep food stand lines sounds nice but having to physically seek out your concessions and the fact that you can only eat as much as you can comfortably carry, may somehow keep us snacking reasonably.

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Technorati Tags: baseball, stadium snacks, gluttony, healthy diet

Taste Test Tuesday: Ben & Jerry Have Lightened Up...Or Have They?

2008-05-27T07:00:00.004-04:00

Notorious for their extra rich ice cream, famed ice cream makers from Vermont, Ben & Jerry, have "lightened up" of late! They have a line of "lighter" ice creams being sold in pints size containers. The two ice cream flavors I took home to taste were Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Light Ice Cream and Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Light Ice Cream.

If you quickly look at the grams of fat it seems reasonable and certainly a big improvement from their regular ice creams - 5 or 6 grams of fat per serving (depending on the flavor). But then if you happen to glance at the calories per serving or grams of sugar per serving, you might find yourself taking a double take.

What? Two hundred calories per half cup serving! What? Twenty-four grams of sugar per half cup serving! This is a bit unexpected because other light ice creams you can buy in most grocery stores have more like 14 grams of sugar and only around 120 calories per 1/2 cup serving. That's a HUGE difference if you were to double the serving size and pony up to say...1 full cup of the light ice cream. If you do this and you choose one of these light Ben & Jerry ice creams, you are up to around 400 calories, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat and 48 grams of sugar!

How do these taste? Both of these flavors had a nice flavor and texture (wouldn't expect anything less from Ben & Jerry). The key to enjoying these ice creams then becomes truly sticking to the half cup serving size. It's a bit easier to do this if you use a cute little bowl or cup to scoop your ice cream into and you can use a cookie dough scoop to make a couple mini ice cream scoops that add up to 1/2 cup. You can even use tiny spoons to eat the ice cream with. All of this just encourages smaller, mindful bites so you can truly get lots of enjoyment and satisfaction from eating your smaller ice cream serving.

Here's the nutrition info on two of the Light Ben & Jerry Flavors:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Light Ice Cream
(First 5 ingredients: skim milk, liquid sugar, cream, unbleached wheat flour, sugar)
1/2 cup =
200 calories
6 grams fat, 3.5 grams
saturated fat
35 mg cholesterol
24 grams sugar
2 grams fiber

Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Light Ice Cream
(First 5 ingredients: skim milk, liquid sugar, raspberries, cream, sugar)
1/2 cup =
180 calories
5 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat
25 mg cholesterol
24 grams sugar
2 grams fiber

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Frugal Friday: Buckets of Popcorn

2008-05-23T07:00:00.002-04:00

Healthful, whole grain, and cheap!

We all know that the microwave popping corn that comes in those convenient bags can be super high in fat and sodium, depending on the type you buy. The label on a box of Orville Redenbacher's Butter Microwave Popping Corn says that 2 tablespoons of unpopped corn equals a serving so that's what we will use for comparison.

Here's the difference nutritionally...

2 tablespoons (unpopped) of Orville Redenbacher's Butter Microwave Popcorn contains:

170 calories, 12 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 3 grams of fiber and 380 mg sodium.

2 tablespoons (unpopped) of Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn (the kind you pop yourself in an air-popper) contains:

80 calories, 1 gram fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 4 grams of fiber and 0 mg sodium.

If you like the butter flavor you can always add a tablespoon or two of melted whipped butter to an entire bowl of popcorn (making several servings). Each tablespoon of whipped butter contributes around 7 grams of fat.

Here's the BIG savings in your wallet...

A box of Microwave Popping Corn, with about 3 bags (containing a total of 9 servings) sells for about $4.19

Price per serving = 47 cents per serving

A 30-ounce jar of Orville Redenbacher's popping corn kernels contains 21 servings if each serving is 3 tablespoons of unpopped kernels. It sells for around $4.99

Price per serving = 24 cents per serving

THAT'S HALF THE PRICE!

Related Topics:

Kernel of Truth About Butter Flavoring

Whole Grains Fight Belly Fat

Technorati Tags: popcorn, Frugal Friday, healthy diet

Pickle Popsicles

2008-05-22T06:45:00.000-04:00

Has the world gone mad?

Don't get me wrong; I like a good dill pickle just as much as the next guy or gal. But pretty much the last thing I would think about pouring in a mold to freeze as a Popsicle is pickle juice! That's right folks, there's a new product on the market called Pickle Pops and they are frozen pickle juice treats. Sort of "frozen dairy aisle meets deli counter."

According to the company that makes them, Pickle Pops are made not from just the brine left over from pickling, but from freshly squeezed pickles, much like an apple or orange is pressed.

"Once people try them they are hooked!" notes the company in a recent press release. Pickle Pops arose from good old-fashioned American ingenuity. Texas roller skate rink owner John Howard started freezing pickle juice for the kids and adults and was selling out every night. And that's how Pickle Pops were born.

The company also touts some possible health benefits to their pickle juice pops including information on a recent study that suggested pickles blunted the blood sugar spike by as much as 30% after a high carb meal. I remember seeing another study or two similar to this using vinegar. It was hard to imagine drinking vinegar on purpose, but eating a pickle or slurping down some pickle juice? Now that might be more manageable for some people.

NOTE: Pickle Pops have no fat and have less than 1 gram of sugar.

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Taste Test Tuesday: PopChips Barbecue Potato Chips

2008-05-20T07:00:00.008-04:00

Sometimes you just want a handful of potato chips, am I wrong? Listen, I'm not a big "chip" person. I have no problems passing up chips at parties or at delis. But every now and then you just want a handful of chips. Maybe it's a flashback from my youth or something.

Anyway, I NEVER buy the regular fat chips (they are just too greasy to me); so I'm always looking for a lighter chip that satisfies the chip craving (whenever it strikes). There's a new chip in town. They aren't fried and they aren't baked. They're...well...popped! This "popping" apparently takes place with some heat and pressure applied to potato slices.

The main 3 ingredients for the barbecue flavor chips are:

Natural potato ingredients (potato flour, potato starch)
Safflower oil
and/or sunflower oil
Barbecue seasoning (sugar, whey, onion and garlic powders, salt, torula yeast, brown sugar, tomato powder, yeast extract, spices, etc...)

Each ounce of chips (a perfect serving size) contains:

120 calories,
4.5 grams fat,
0 g saturated fat and trans fat
0 mg
cholesterol
20 g carbohydrate
1 g fiber
1 g protein
280 mg
sodium

How did they taste? REALLY good. I loved the barbecue flavor (not too powerful but full of flavor) and I loved the texture (crispy but not greasy).

These "POPPED" chips come in a few more flavors too, original, salt & pepper, and salt & vinegar, and Parmesan garlic.

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Technorati Tags: diet, nutrition, potato chips, popchips, snacks, Taste Test Tuesday

Frugal Friday: Chicken On The Cheap

2008-05-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

Do those "extreme value" or "value pack" trays or bags of boneless, skinless chicken breast really save you money?

Why pay for the chicken skin when you are just going to throw it away, right? The best way to judge the best deal with chicken is to consider the price per pound instead of the cost per chicken breast because some chicken breasts are bigger or smaller than others. Two small chicken breasts can weigh the same as one extra large chicken breast.

In my neighborhood grocery store the "value pack" of boneless, skinless chicken breasts is $3.49 per pound while a package of "boneless, skinless Breast Fillets" will run you $6.49 per pound.

But you only need 4 chicken breasts for dinner and the value pack of chicken contains anywhere from 6 to 8 breasts. So what do you do with the extra 2 to 4 breasts? The way I see it you have two good options:

Option #1
If you are roasting or grilling the chicken, you might as well throw on the extra breasts. You can use the extra cooked breasts for lunch or dinner the next day (chicken enchiladas, chicken quesadillas, chicken pot pie, chicken salad sandwiches, chicken Caesar salad, etc…)

Option #2
You can wrap the extra-uncooked chicken breasts in a freezer bag (make sure you have pressed out any air in the bag) then keep it in the freezer. The next time you are making chicken for dinner, you can just defrost the frozen chicken breasts by placing them in the refrigerator the night before.

The savings add up!
If you have chicken a couple of times a week and use about 1 pound of chicken each time, you could potentially save around $24 each month!

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Homemade Honey Wheat Hamburger Buns

2008-05-15T07:00:00.005-04:00

Buns You Can Make With Your Bread Machine!

It would give a big boost to our health if we could all switch to whole grains most of the time - just say "no" to white bread products. One of the hardest products to find whole grain options for is a hamburger bun. So, just in time for the BBQ season, I developed a recipe for bread machine honey wheat hamburger buns. These tasted so good fresh from the oven; my family ate half the batch of buns before I could even make the broiled chicken breasts I was planning to serve with it. Each bun includes a half-tablespoon of ground flax too!

Honey Wheat Hamburger Buns
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members: Journal as 3 servings of whole grain bread OR 3/4 cup "starchy foods with 1 teaspoon fat"

Ingredients:

1 cup water (hot from the faucet)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon Molasses
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed (also called flaxseed meal)
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons yeast (rapid rise, active dry, or bread machine yeast)

Preparation:

Set bread machine to the "dough" cycle. Add all the ingredients in the order listed here (or according to the manufacturer's directions), but add the salt to one of the corners in the bread machine pan and make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast there.
Press "start" - a nice dough should form in a few minutes. After the dough cycle (usually 1 hour and 40 minutes long) place dough onto a floured work surface and cut dough in half; cut each half into 4 equal portions (to make 8 portions total).
Shape each of the portions of dough into round disks about 3 inches wide. Place on a nonstick jellyroll pan or cookie sheet and cover with a kitchen towel. Start preheating the oven to 350-degrees. Place the pan near the warming oven or in another warm spot in your kitchen. Let dough rise about 30 minutes (or until double in size).
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked throughout and lightly brown on top.

Yield: Makes 8 hamburger buns

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members journal as: 3 servings of whole grain bread OR 3/4 cup "starchy foods with 1 teaspoon fat"

Nutrition Information per serving: 245 calories, 7 g protein, 44 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, .5 g saturated fat, 2.6 g monounsaturated fat, 2.3 g polyunsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 296 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 22 percent. PLUS: 1.3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.

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Taste Test Tuesday: Dueling Multigrain Tortilla Chips

2008-05-13T13:20:00.005-04:00

A side-by-side taste test!

I'm a fan of "2-minute Nachos" that you make in a microwave. You make a bed of tortilla chips then drop spoonfuls of canned fat free or vegetarian refried beans, sprinkle some shredded cheese over the top and top that with chopped tomatoes, green onions, or anything else that appeals to you.

Microwave for about 1 minute and your snack or meal is ready!

I ALWAYS use multi-grain tortilla chips for this and other recipes that call for tortilla chips. Well I found two new brands of multi-grain tortilla chips on my last trip to Whole Foods, so I thought my family would test them out side by side with some guacamole.

In one corner we've got Garden of Eatin' Multi Grain Tortilla Chips (with flaxseed).

And in the other corner we've got Kettle brand Multi Grain Tortilla Chips.

My two teenage daughters preferred the Kettle Chips but liked the other chips too. My husband liked the roasted flavor in the Garden of Eatin' chips but liked the other ones as well. I couldn't decide which ones I liked better, so I guess you could say I would be happy with either.

Nutritionally, they both have 7 grams of fat per ounce with 1 gram of saturated fat and zero trans fat. The only differences I could find were that the Kettle Chips contained 2 grams of fiber per serving while the Garden of Eatin' chips have 3 grams of fiber per serving (maybe from the added flaxseed?)

Next important question is, what type of oil is used to make the chips? Garden of Eatin' uses expeller pressed canola oil and/or safflower oil and/or sunflower oil...which doesn't really help me because they've given us too many oil possibilities here. Reading the ingredient list though does definitely show that these are "multi-grain" with ingredients like steel cut oats, organic brown flaxseed, barley grits, soybean grits, wheat bran, etc...

The Kettle chips list expeller pressed high monounsaturated safflower and/or sunflower oil as their oil with their "multigrain" major ingredient being multigrain flour, which contains organic whole wheat, barley, rye, buckwheat, and millet.

Per ounce they contain:

140 calories
7 grams of fat
1 gram saturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
18 or 19 grams of carbohydrate
2 or 3 grams of fiber (Garden of Eatin' has the 3 grams)
2 or 3 grams of protein
100 or 140 milligrams of sodium (Kettle has the 100 mg)

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Frugal Friday: Make Your Own Snack Bags

2008-05-09T12:08:00.008-04:00

Welcome to Frugal Friday!

You know how the latest thing in lunch box packing is these 100-calorie (or more) snack bags? Well, I did the math and they are a money waster that's for sure.

One of the best reasons to make your own snack packs is that you can choose the reduced fat or whole grain snack options whenever possible whereas the prepackaged bags tend to come in the "original" versions.

I wanted to calculate the money we would save if we made our own snack bags after bought a big box or bag of the snack and divvied it up into individual snack bags (using the snack bag size baggies).

I used the ever popular, strangely irresistible goldfish snack crackers as my example.

A 6.6-ounce bag of "Goldfish made with whole grain" costs around $2.39.

A box with 5 pouches of goldfish (100 calories each) costs around $3.49.

Here's how to make your own goldfish snack bag:

A slightly heaping 1/3-cup measure is about 41 goldfish and equals about 105 calories.

The 6.6-ounce bag of goldfish makes 8 servings total - just fill snack bags with slightly heaping 1/3 cup of the goldfish and they are just as easy to add to that lunch bag or box as the store-bought 100-calorie bags.

$2.39 divided by 8 snack bags = 30 cents each!

The box with 5 pouches= 70 cents per pouch.

What Could You Save?
If you made your own snack bags and put them in your children's' lunch bags every day for a week (5 days) and you had two children, you would save 4 dollars a week! And you were able to increase the fiber a little by switching to the "made with whole grain" goldfish.

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5-Minute Chicken Caesar Salad

2008-05-08T08:59:00.001-04:00

During the week, things can get a little ugly at the Magee house what with two tumultuous teens, a demanding work schedule and after school activities that would make your head spin...

So...one of my easiest weeknight dinners that seem to please all members of the family is 5-Minute Chicken Caesar Salad. I buy 4 charbroiled chicken breasts (skinless and boneless) at a deli/grill nearby but you can just as easily shred the meat from a rotisserie chicken you bought at the grocery store (sometimes these are on sale too).

The only prep work you have to do is chop the chicken into bite size pieces then layer the following in a big salad-serving bowl:

A bag of romaine lettuce (just open it and pour it in)

Any vegetables you like to add to your Caesar salad like cucumber or cherry tomatoes (cherry tomatoes are easy because all you do is wash them)

The chopped charbroiled or roasted chicken

Some shredded Parmesan cheese (this comes ready to sprinkle in bags and tubs at most grocery stores)

Drizzle some light Caesar dressing over the top - it's available in several brands in the salad dressing section of most supermarkets

Any light croutons you have handy can be sprinkled over the top as well.

This is literally thrown together in 5 minutes! (Not including the chicken that you bought at the store.) I'm sure we'll get sick of it sooner or later, but for now, it's a hit with the family and we usually have this once a week.

Happy salad month!

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Taste Test Tuesday: NEW Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Links (60% Less Fat)

2008-05-06T10:15:00.001-04:00

For the love of pigs in a blanket!

I know I've done quite a few Taste Test Tuesdays with various types of breakfast sausage (meatless and turkey products usually). But this is all because of my love of "pigs in a blanket".

There is something totally yummy about fresh buttermilk pancakes (I make them with part whole wheat) wrapped around a light tasty sausage link. Well this morning I made my light buttermilk wheat pancakes and tried out the new Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Links with 60% Less Fat.

They are packaged "fully cooked" so all you need to do is reheat them in a microwave or stove top (I chose the latter). This way adds a little extra browning. They tasted really good and my husband, who tends to be picky about his sausage, loved them.

The first ingredient is "boneless turkey" and the second is "water." There is less than 2% of the rest of the ingredients. The package says the serving size is 3 cooked links (68 grams) and this serving will add the following to your breakfast totals:

120 calories
7 grams fat
2 grams saturated fat
0 g trans fat
55 mg cholesterol
490 mg sodium
13 grams protein

5 Tips To Save Money In The Kitchen

2008-05-01T11:53:00.005-04:00

Photo Credit: Doug Floyd

Whether it's the higher food prices that have hit you hard or the April tax deadline that has left your wallet lighter than usual...most of us are more motivated lately to save as much money as possible in the kitchen.

Here are my top 5 tips to save money in the kitchen:

Get that last serving of dressing from the bottle! When you think you've gotten all the creamy salad dressing from the bottle, add a couple of tablespoons of fat free half and half to the bottle. Screw the cap on and shake it up well. Now you have at least one more serving of lite creamy salad dressing! I do this all the time with my light Caesar salad dressing.

Clean the inside of the jar to save money and recycle! Certain foods that are really sticky like peanut butter or light mayonnaise can be a bear to clean out and recycle. But here's a way to get at least one more serving from the sides of the jar AND make the jar clean enough to recycle without washing. Use a mini spatula/scraper to remove that last bit of peanut butter or mayonnaise on the inside of the jars. You will be amazed how much of it you are able to scrape out and use!

Save that bread! One of the foods that people end up throwing away most because it gets moldy or stale before they can use it all up is bread and bread products. So freeze what you don't think you'll use in 3-5 days and when you are ready for the next batch of bread, just take it out of the freezer and it will defrost within a few hours. This works well for sliced bread, buns and rolls too.

Save money when you buy meat by making your portions of meat smaller. Dishes like stir-fries, meat and veggie kabobs and casseroles work well for this. Where as a pound of meat might have served about two people before, with smaller meat portions it can serve four well.

Keep your refrigerator and pantry well organized so you don't forget about products you've bought and need to use soon. For example, once you've cut into the block of cheese, it's days are numbered. Make sure you see it in the cheese drawer so you can use it up before you have to throw it out. Once you've opened up that box of whole wheat crackers, Keep the inside plastic well sealed (so the crackers stay crisp), and keep the box front and center in your pantry so you'll remember to include them in the near future. Same goes for the vegetable and fruit crisper. Know what's in there so you can use them within a few days after purchase.

And remember that going to discount food stores only works if you only buy what you truly need and will use. Those coupons and "2 for 1" deals only save you money if it's for items you really want and would buy anyway.

What are some of your best tips to save money in the kitchen?

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Taste Test Tuesday: Breyers Double Churn 100 Calorie Vanilla Fudge Swirl Cups

2008-04-29T14:47:00.004-04:00

I'm a fan of the whole "double churn" technological advancement because it produces lower fat ice-cream that is wonderfully creamy in texture. Well, just in case you want your double churned ice cream pre-portioned, Breyers now makes 100 Calorie Vanilla Fudge Swirl Cups. It's a 1/2-cup serving of light cream.

Granted the photo on the box shows a whole bunch more "fudge swirls" than I actually had in my tester cup, but it still tasted pretty good and had a wonderful creamy texture. The fat grams are low, 1.5 grams per serving, but the sugar is par for the course with 14 grams of sugars which translates to 56% calories from sugar.

The first 5 ingredients:

Ice Cream: milk, skim milk, sugar, cream, sugar syrup
Fudge Swirl: sugar, water, corn syrup, chocolate liquor, cocoa

The nutrition information: 1 dessert cup (66 grams) - about 1/2 cup of ice cream

100 calories
3 g protein
20 g carbohydrate (14 g sugars)
1.5 g fat
1 g saturated fat
5 mg cholesterol
3 g fiber
55 mg sodium