Chewy Fruit Snacks

I am yet to meet a child who doesn't LOVE chewy fruit snacks ! The marketing that goes into these products is excellent - Power Rangers, Princesses, Shrek, Indiana Jones, and the list goes on and on......

Often the packaging of these products states something to catch your eye - "100% Vitamin C", "80 calories", or "fat free". FAT FREE !!! But its certainly not sugar-free. The main ingredients are high fructose corn syrup and sugar.

Recently, a some what more 'sophisticated' (in terms of packaging) chewy fruit has emerged in the market - Florida's Natural Au'some Blueberry Fruit Juice Nuggets. The box contains 8 small packs (0.5 ounces each), smaller than the average packs, and so you are eating fewer calories (50 kcal) and less sugar. The first ingredients are fruit juice and puree from concentrate. But don't be fooled, it contains for the most part, the same ingredients (corn syrup, starch, dextrose) you find in your average 'Shrek' fruit snack.

What do I think of these snacks ? It depends which 'hat' I'm wearing, and whether we are talking about our children's diet or our own diet. I place these foods in the candy category. For adults, if you are eating a balanced, healthy diet, then go ahead and enjoy a bag of these 'organic' fruit nuggets. I consider these as 'discretionary calories' i.e. those calories that can be used ‘at your discretion’ after you've met your other nutrition requirements and as long as you haven't exceeded your daily energy intake. [note: most of us don't carry a nutrition calculator around with us, so keeping track of our energy intake is almost impossible!]. When we talk about discretionary calories, its better to eat something more 'nutrient dense' - so why not reach for a piece of fruit which would give you a lot more 'bang for your buck' ? But this may not satisfy your sweet craving which is probably the reason you've reached for the chewy fruits!

As a parent, I have been guilty of giving these snacks to my children on occasion. My mantra is "It won't hurt every now and then to have a bag of chewy fruit snacks". But as a nutritionist my mantra is "chewy fruit snacks have tooth decay written all over them and so reward your child with a piece of fruit". This is all very good but I've witnessed the meltdowns in the chewy fruit aisle - it not pretty.

Shocking salads!

Brace yourself for this rant...bad salads ! Yes, we know they exist, but seriously, did we know they were this bad ?
Some examples....

T.G.I. Fridays Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad = 1,360 calories (company does not provide the nutritional information on total fat, saturated fat, or sodium)

99 Restaurant Crispy Honey Mustard Salad = 1,160 calories, 74g total fat, 18 g saturated fat, 2110 mg of sodium. This is 114% the daily value (DV) for total fat, 90% for saturated fat, and 88% for sodium (based on 2,000 kcal intake).

Cheesecake Factory Lunch Caesar Salad = 860 calories, 10g saturated fat, 861 mg sodium. If you order the regular size salad you double these values.

I'm not suggesting you 'throw the baby out with the bathwater'!. When you order a salad, ask for the dressing on the side, skip cheese, bacon, croûtons and anything that's crunchy and not a vegetable. Sound less appetizing ? It is. An alternative suggestion, go with grilled fish or chicken, steamed vegetables, and rice or 1/2 baked potato (eat the skin, easy on the butter). Or as my husband likes to point out "Order what you want to eat because I'm not sharing". I have a tendency to order what I perceive to be healthier, and then I end up eating the food from my husbands plate. I admit, it is a very annoying habit. So now I order what I want to eat, and I try to eat only a third, or a half of what is on the plate. I find this degree of 'self control' very difficult because I grew up in a household where you had to eat everything on your plate (sorry, side tracking).

Back to the topic...

So why all the secrecy over what's in a meal ? Isn't it time for "full disclosure and transparency" ? Shouldn't customers be provided with the information they need to make informed choices about what they eat? Finally, change is on the way. Last week, a federal appeals court upheld the regulation in New York requiring that some chain restaurants post calories on menus and menu boards, saying the rule is a reasonable effort to curb obesity. Other states have passed similar bills (California and Philadelphia). Personally I fully and whole heartily support this regulation - curbing weight gain starts with knowing what is on the plate !

And for dieters trying to lose weight, keep this cartoon in mind and ask yourself "does it taste too good to be true?" http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/tbr/lowres/tbrn148l.jpg

Just think, one day we will be sharing this story with our children "when we would go out to dine in restaurants, we'd have absolutely no idea what we were eating ! Not a clue !!". Or at least I hope we will be sharing this story...

Cookin' with Google

I was so excited to come across this website:

http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/tools/cookin-with-google/

Cookin' With Google allows you to find a recipe based on a list of ingredients that you may have in your fridge and cupboards. Ingenious!

I typed in "chicken, garlic, asparagus" and Google directed me to several cooking sites. Some of the suggested recipes included:

Penne with Chicken and Asparagus
Garlic Chicken With Asparagus and Mushrooms
Lemon-garlic Chicken Asparagus And Potatoes

It gets better! Vegetarian, diabetic, and gluten-free options are also available! I'm sure some of you are reading this and thinking "eh, welcome to the 21st century!"

This reminds me of a story. A couple of years ago, an older relative was sharing her thoughts with us on what to expect in the future. With an expression of certainty she announced, "one day you'll be able to work on your computer and it won't even need to be plugged in". I didn't have the heart to say "I'm sorry to tell you but that day is here". I guess sometimes everyone needs to feel they're ahead of the game, or at least still on the playing field, so please, don't bench me. I'm just so excited to find out that I can use what is in my fridge and come up with a meal plan.

What's SO Bad about Banana Chips ?

I am always on the look out for healthy snacks to put in my children's lunch bag. I avoid the potato chip aisle every week. If I do buy potato chips my children assume we are going on vacation ! Last week I picked up a carton of banana chips and tossed them into my cart. I didn't give it much thought - they were banana chips after all !

So nutritionally speaking how do they compare to potato chips ?
Based on the on 1/2 cup serving:

150 calories
8 g total fat (of which 7 g is saturated fat)
0 g sodium
20 g total carbohydrates
1 g fiber
1 g protein

Compared to a small bag (1 oz) of plain, unsalted potato chips

152 calories
9 g total fat (of which 3 g is saturated fat)
2 g sodium
15 g total carbohydrates
1.4 g fiber
2 g protein

So when you look at it, nutritionally speaking, banana chips are not any better than potato chips! In fact, banana chips are deep fried in coconut oil, increasing the saturated fat content. If you are on weight watchers, eating 1/2 cup of these fried chips will cost you 3 points. But here is the kicker, 1/2 cup is only 15 banana chips. A portion of potato chips will cost you the same points, but you kind of expect that to be the case.

As shocked as I was by the nutrition facts, I was in greater shock after reading the ALLERGY INFORMATION AND CAUTION statement. It reads as follows:

"Packed in a facility that handles peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, wheat and egg products. Due to harvesting practices, it is possible this package may contain pits, twigs, stems, or other naturally occurring objects".

Right, well dead bugs might fall into the naturally occurring objects category !! Where is this facility ???. Regardless of the facility location - the bottom line is that banana chips, while sounding like a better alternative to potato chips, are not.

Note to self: Slow down in the supermarket and look at the product labels !

ACAI (Ah-sigh-ee) Berry Drink

Since I'm on a liquid kick these days, I decided to shake things up a little by trying this SUPERFRUIT drink, manufactured by BOSSA NOVA (which is Portuguese for "new trend"). I tried the Acai juice with mango - it was excellent ! My husband was so pleasantly surprised by the taste (he gave a thumbs down to Dr Oz's drink) that he suggested making a vodka cocktail with it ! Great idea, but not at 7 am in the morning.

Some Facts:

The Acai berry is a deep purple, grape-sized berry, that grows in the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil.

It is rich in phytonutrients (biologically active compounds heavily concentrated in the skin of the berry).

It has more than 30 times the antioxidant power of red wine.

It contains omega fatty acids (healthy fats).

It is a rich source of vitamin C and dietary fiber.

And last but not least

The locals in Brazil call this Acai berry the “Viagra of the Amazon"!

OK those are the facts about the Acai berry .... now lets switch focus and talk about the beverage.

First, their labeling is good !! Some real selling points listed...

Taste: Lush, tropical dark berry with a blueberry note.
I concur with this statement.

Superpower: Highest antioxidant fruit.
True and a nice graph included on the bottle to illustrate this point.

Benefit: Reduces free radicals linked to premature aging, heart disease, Alzheimer's and certain cancers; anti-inflammatory benefits; supports recovery after exercise. So I'd guess they've captured the attention of at least 60% of Americans with this selling point.

(Intersting, no mention of it being a good 'mixer'!)

Nutrition Facts (Mango flavor): The first thing to note is that there is 1.2 servings in the bottle and so while they list 90 calories on the label, if you drink the bottle, you'll actually be consuming more calories. It has 18g of sugar (natural sugar found in the fruit), 0 g dietary fiber and some vitamin C and A.

My opinion: It tastes good but it is expensive. I paid $3.29 cents for this 10 fl oz drink! I have to admit, I'd much rather eat my calories than drink them, unless of course its in the form of a cocktail! So, I'm going to keep an eye out for the real deal - the actual Acai berry. I'll keep you posted should I find it - I'm thinking Whole Foods might carry it.