Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Stack Attack
Every day, millions Americans stop at a Starbucks for a quick pick -me -up on their way to or from work or play. And Starbucks conveniently offers a selection of sweets to go with its beverages. How considerate. It is just that millions of Americans would be better off without some of the chain's treats. Take the Chocolate Peanut Butter Stack. The smallish ( 5 oz) bar is made of sugar, peanut butter, milk chocolate, eggs, heavy whipping cream, white flour, cocoa butter, milk fat, and margarine, among other things.
No one would mistake it for a bag of baby carrots or a slice of cantaloupe. But they might be surprised to learn that it is got more calories (670) than a McDonald's Big Mac (560) and, at 20 grams, twice the sat fat. In fact, it has got as many calories as a Big Mac sized Cinnabon and more sugar than a can of Coke.
Granted, the Stack is the worst Starbucks bar. The Caramel Brownie and Seven Layer hover around 600 calories, while the others range from 300 to 500 calories. Of course, many patrons wash their bar down with a 500 - 800 calorie venti Creme Frappuccino. If only Starbucks menu boards would list the calories in its drinks and snacks. That way, customers would know when they should think of their little pick- me -up as dinner.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Everlasting Dove
"There is a wonderful surprise inside every flavor of new Dove Ice Cream" croons the label.."Open it up to find a lusciously rich and creamy chocolate layer made from Dove Chocolate and fresh cream. We call it Dove Chocolate Ganache. You will call it heaven!"
I call it something more down to earth, say, a reason to check your health insurance policy's coverage for angioplasty and liposuction. It is not as though people are clammering for fattier - and more fattening - ice cream. Yet, thanks to the layer of hardened chocolate and the chocolate chunks in the ice cream below, Dove squeezes some 300 calories and 9 to 13 grams of sat fat into a tennis ball size serving (half a cup). That puts it in the same ballpart as Ben & Jerry's and Haagen-Dazs.
Reality check: that "wonderful surprise" inside every flavor of Dove ice cream may turn out to be not so wonderful the next time you step on the scale or get your cholesterol checked. And the "lusciously rich and creamy chocolate layer" may become part of that stubbornly thick and hard to lose layer around your midsection. With names like "Unconditional Chocolate," "Give in to Mint." and "Chocolate & Brownie Affair," Dove is trying to link chocolate with romance. A scoop of ice cream can fill your heart all right BUT not with love.
Eat healty = live well. Visit my blog at http://nutritiondoc.blogspot.com
Get Ready
Like other whole grains, brown rice has more vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals that may help lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and fiverticulosis. BUT many people do not like the 45 minutes it takes to cook. If that is YOU - check out Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Brown Ready Rice. It has already been thoroughly cooked by Ben, so by the time it reaches your kitchen, all you have to do is microwave it for 90 second right in the pouch. the rice tastes as fluffy and nutty as it would had you cooked it the old fashioned way.
Uncle Ben adds no salt or artificial flavors or colors. And while the rice does contain a touch of partially hydrogenated soy oil, there is only a negligible 0.05 grams of trans fat in each serving. If Ready Rice's small (8.8 ounce) bag is not enough to feed your family, Ben offers 10 minute Instant Whole Grain Brown Rice in a 14 ounce box. When cooked, it makes more than 3 times as much as you will get out of a pouch.
Not sure what to do with brown rice? Add some sauteed veggies or rinsed black beans. Pair it with chili. Stuff it in peppers or squach. Swap it for white rice in your pilaf. Think of it as a substitute for mashed potatoes. Who needs rutrient stripped, fiber poor white rice when brown rice is ready when you are?
For more ideas and info visit my blog at: http://nutritiondoc.blogspot.com
Gooey Ingredients
Measuring gooey ingredients like honey, maple syrup, or molasses? Spritz the measuring spoon or cup with cooking spray first. The sticky stuff will slide right off.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
More Functional Fiber
How does Dannon get fiber into its new Light n Fit Yogurt with Fiber? Many people will assume that it is from the apple, peach, or strawberries pictured on the labels. In fact, it is not the yogurt's fruit, but it is maltodextrin, that adds 3 grams of fiber to each 1/2 cup serving. Maltodextrin is what scientists call a functional fiber - a non digestible carbohydrate that is isolated from foods, rather than the dietary fiber that occurs naturally in foods. Maltodextrin is just one of many functional fibers that are popping up in dozens of foods, thanks in part to the low carb craze. (Manufacturers do not count fiber in their "net carb" totals and some fibers can replace the bulk that sugars add to foods.) Other functional fibers: Breyer's CarbSmart ice cream has 3 grams of fiber per serving from polydextrose, a chemical combination of dextrose (corn sugar) and sorbitol (a ssugar alcohol) that is poorly digest (chich is what makes it count as fiber), Quaker boosts the fiber in its Take Heart Oatmeal with inulin, an extract of chicory root.
And dozens of breads now contain cellulose, a functional fiber supplied by ingredients like oat hull fiber, wheat fiber, pea fiber, soy fiber and cottonseed fiber. "Light" breads used to get their cellulose from wood pulp.
Functional fibers are safe but they may not confer all the benefits of fruits, vegetables, and wheat bran, which is the fiber rich outer layer of the wheat kernel. My guess is that these isolated fibers are low in the phytochemiclals, antioxidants, and other constituents of wheat bran. Read the labels . . . know what you are ingesting.
Keep In Mind
1. Snack on fruits & vegetables. Experts now recommend 8 to 10 servings - that is 4 to 5 cups - of ruits and veggies a day. It is not easy to hit that target if your snacks are cookies and candy.
2. Make your own snack packs. If you want portion control, fill some small (reusable) plastic containers with berries, grape tomatoes, pineapple or melon chunks, or any other fruit or veggies. An apple, a pear, an orange, or a banana is nature's own 100 calorie "snack pack".
3. Go for whole grains. For something more substantial than fruit or eggies, try a handful of nuts or some whole grain crackers. All 9 Triscuit varieties are 100 percent while grain, and all but the Cheddar are trans-free
4. Keep the dairy light. If you want small portions, grab a light yogurt or an individually wrapped light string cheese.
Re packaging
"Counting calories? Count with Pringles" suggests the cherry label on Pringles Original 100 Calorie Packs. Portion control can help dieters, but Procter & Gamble deserves the American Landfill Association's 2005 Overpackaging Award for stuffing six (overpriced) plastic tubs into each box. Smaller portions don't make snacks good for you. Pringles are mostly dried potatoes and oil - not exactly foods that Americans need to eat more of. Nabisco's 100 Calorie Packs - Thin Crisps (wafers flavored like Chips Ahoy, Kraft Cheese Nips, Honey Maid Cinnamon, or Oreos), Ritz Snack Mix, Wheat Thins Minis, and Fruit Snacks - are mostly white flour, except for the Fruit Snacks, which are mostly sugar. Yes, they are all low in fat, and the Thin Crisps are less fatty than original Chips Ahoys or Oreos. BUT, they are not exactly baby carrots, peaches, and cantaloupe chunks.
