Potent Potatoes

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Yes--the title to this post is a little on the dramatic side. Potatoes are usually an extremely healthy food. Most families have a bag of potatoes in their home at all times. You never know when you'll need to make some kind of potato for a side at dinner! Potatoes aren't hard on your wallet either. They come rather cheaply, and you can make them a plethora of different ways. So, why such a harsh title if I'm praising potatoes this much?

The issue is not the potatoes that you make in the privacy of your home, but the ones that you purchase when you're out to lunch or dinner. Yes, potatoes have many healthy effects, but consider them gone when you're eating out. Instead of a low calorie side, they become a calorie loaded main entree. Restaurants offer potatoes loaded with butter, sour cream, bacon bits, and cheese. A home made potato usually contains less than 100 calories, but these contain upwards of 700 calories! Ouch. That isn't going to settle well with someone trying to watch their calorie intake. It doesn't help that the potatoes used in restaurants probably aren't as fresh as they should be.  That's why all of the additions are thrown on top to get some extra flavor.

Next time you head out to dinner and think about potatoes for a side, think twice. Save your potato craving for a time when you're able to make them at home.

Make sweet choices--in food and in life.

Fro-Yo Factoids

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Health kick! Time to stay away from the real ice cream and switch over to a little bit of frozen yogurt. Good idea? Most people think so! I did agree. Keyword: did. I automatically assumed that frozen yogurt was some miracle that tasted almost better than ice cream and was twice as healthy for you. In some ways it is, and in some ways it isn't. Read on to hear about this extremely common misconception.

Frozen yogurt places have been popping up everywhere recently.  They offer a ton of flavors, and even more delicious toppings.  The positive side to frozen yogurt: there actually are very little calories from fat in it, if any.  The negative side of it: saturated fat is the only difference between frozen yogurt and regular ice cream!  You're still ingesting a ridiculous amount of sugar, and by the time you finish adding all of the toppings you desire, you're probably also ingesting a ton of saturated fat! Not only do the toppings add fat, but they also are the most costly part of the trip. If you're paying by the ounce, it can get pretty pricey pretty quickly. Don't get me wrong, there are healthy ways to go about eating frozen yogurt, but I don't know many people who are aware of them.

Keep it simple with some fat free frozen yogurt and fresh fruit on top.  Take it in proportion, and there will be no issues.

Make sweet choices--in food and in life.

Side Note on Subway

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Ahhh, what a delicious place to stop at for your lunch break. Quick service, good taste, and healthy effects---well, definitely two of those three things. We all know and love Subway. Who makes a better sandwich for that price? I know that I can't think of anybody. All in all, it is a great restaurant. They have a good background story, and are known to help people lose weight. There's just a few things that I'd like to point out that may not be in line with the "healthy" aspect.

First of all, whether you believe it or not, Subway does use all processed meats. Now, these aren't the worst processed meats out there, but they are definitely not the best. Obviously, fresh cut meat is going to top Subway's meat any day. Next, when you think about the restaurant in the big picture, it's completely unhealthy. If you make the right choices when you buy from them, yes it is going to keep you on track for your diet. However, it's a sandwich place (carbs), that offers chips (sodium) and cookies (sugar) as your sides, with a fountain full of different sodas (sugar) as your beverage.  If you get all of these things, it's just as bad as some of the other foods we've discussed.

Make sure to check a nutritional guide before going through with the sandwich that you are about to order. If you can, stay away from the processed meats all together.  I know Subway is quick and easy, but keep it in moderation to keep it healthy.

Make sweet choices--in food and in life.

Crazy for Chocolate

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Every once in a while you have to treat yourself to a piece of chocolate. I mean, who doesn't like chocolate? Obviously, in excess it is not good for you, but what you might not know is that some small amounts can even have an effect. White chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate...which satisfies your sweet tooth?

In the past few years, there have been many studies done specifically on dark chocolate. It has been know to actually be somewhat healthy for you, of course in extremely small amounts.  White chocolate and milk chocolate should be chosen as a treat less often, simply because of the amount of sugar that they contain.  The thing is, though, when it comes to any kind of chocolate, the ingredients it contains can actually negatively affect some people. You eat chocolate if you're sad. You eat chocolate as a reward to yourself. That's perfectly fine for most people. However, it has just been found that it can actually interfere with specific medications that people are taking.  Certain anxiety medicines and antidepressant medicines do not react well with chocolate. Combining chocolate with certain medicines can cause a huge spike in blood pressure, and the medicine won't tell you that on the label.

Do you think this could be affecting you? Talk to your doctor, and indulge in small amounts.  It's all about proportioning what you're eating and never going overboard.

Make sweet choices--in food and in life.

Fruit Juice Frenzy

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It is extremely common to have some kind of fruit juice in my house. Whether it's apple juice, grape juice, or simply orange juice. In the past, when I've been asked to pick up juice at the grocery store, I haven't really looked into the kind of juice I was choosing, and I pretty much just picked blindly. If that sounds like what you do, it's time to think again! Fruit juice is definitely a great source of vital nutrients and vitamins, and it's especially yummy for children who may not get as many fruits and veggies as they should.  There's a few small things that make a huge difference in what fruit juice you're drinking.

Next time you're looking to buy some juice, look for a percentage. If it doesn't say 100% fruit juice, put it back! The healthy juices usually display this proudly on the front of the bottle, while the unhealthy juices trickily hide their percentages in small print at the bottom or back.  Some of the most common juice brands are only about 50% real juice! If it isn't 100% juice, there are all kinds of nasty additives in it.  Extra sugar, unnecessary flavoring, etc. are just a few of the worst.  Some fruit juices even have high fructose corn syrup added.

Keep your eyes open at the grocery store and you won't have any issues.  Juice is definitely healthy and necessary, as long as you are buying the right kind.  It's the little things that make the biggest difference.

Make sweet choices--in food and in life. 

Veggie Burger Without the Veggies?

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As soon as I changed my lifestyle and decided to stop eating all of the greasy, fatty foods that I had been in the past, I knew that I needed to find an alternative for a nice, juicy burger. I immediately turned to the veggie burger. I mean come on, it has the word veggie in it, how bad can it be? I'm sure most of you are thinking the exact same way. The answer is that depending on the kind of veggie burger you're eating, it can be very bad for you.

A homemade veggie burger is 100% a solid, healthy meal. A store bought or fast food bought veggie burger...not so much. Fast food chains advertise their veggie burgers to entice healthier guests to make an appearance at their restaurant. Obviously there is a catch to it. These veggie burgers have to be held together with something. That something is oil and butter. The top two things that people stay away from when they're on a diet or have a lifestyle change. Yes, there are really vegetables in them, but the oil and butter just cancel out all of the good things that they do for your body. Your best option is to check the ingredients before fooling yourself and ordering an extremely unhealthy veggie burger. Take some time to cook one yourself, you might be surprised at how good it is!

Make sweet choices--in food and in life. 

Bagels: Bad Choice?

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Bagels are one extremely common food item that is often overlooked when it comes to healthiness. I personally have never heard anybody think about whether or not a bagel is a good decision. When you really look into it, a bagel topped with cream cheese might not be your best bet for your next breakfast. There are a few main reasons why we all should only eat bagels on rare occasion, and I think that you all will agree with me after reading them.

Bagels are pretty much an insane steroid version of white bread.  Every plain bagel has up to six servings of grain in it (50 carbs!). That's enough for a day and a half. Too much grain can cause inflammation and skyrocketing cholesterol. If eating a bagel is a daily routine for you, I suggest a long, long run should also be added to your daily routine.  Yes, even the "everything" bagels and poppy seed bagels can do this to you.  On top of taking over your daily allotment of grains, they also contain an amino acid that is linked to human hair and duck feathers. Of course, it is approved by the FDA, but we've been finding out that it probably isn't okay to consume everything that is approved by the FDA.

It's extremely common these days to buy all carbs in the form of multi-grain or wheat. White bread is processed, wheat and multi-grain bread is not. Stick to a wheat english muffin or a multigrain bagel thin. These have just as much flavor along with none of the harmful side effects!

Make sweet choices--in food and in life.