I think you already know the answer, right?  O.K. I know what you’re thinking…county fair time only comes around once a year and if you only eat one funnel cake a year it won’t kill you.  You’re right, it won’t kill you!  Although I don’t care for them particularly, I am always in awe of the once white paper plate (now transparent) that the funnel cake is served on.  What do you think that is?  Grease, grease and more grease…they are deep fried you know.  No thanks!  Sure it tastes good, but that paper plate tells me all I need to know.  Take a look at the nutrition facts of one funnel cake:

Funnel Cake:  3 ounces

Calories:  356
Fat:  16 grams  (like eating 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter)
Saturated fat:  4 grams
Cholesterol:  40 mg
Sodium:  300 mg
Carbohydrates:  49 grams
Fiber:  1 grams
Sugar:  25 grams  (6 teaspoons of sugar)
Protein:  5 grams

You would have to walk around the fair for 1 hour and 15 minutes to burn off that funnel cake!  This isn’t counting all of the other “fair foods” you may have indulged in.  What about those fries in a bucket, onion rings, gyros and cotton candy?  Is it worth it?  You decide.  Just be sure to work out extra hard tomorrow!

Yes!  If you are a doughnut-lover like me but refrain from eating the greasy cake because, well…they’re greasy and unhealthy, you can start singing a happy tune!  The Super Donut is here!  I LOVE this product.  It’s not a health food, but a wonderful substitution for a doughnut without the guilt!  I know what you’re thinking:  “Yeah, but does it taste like a doughnut or a piece of angel food cake?”  It tastes like a REAL doughnut!

The Super Donut is a good source of B-vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12) which are very important for energy and proper brain function.

Nutrition facts for a Dunkin’ Donut’s Old Fashioned Cake Donut:

Calories:  280; Fat:  18 grams (8 grams of saturated fat); Cholesterol:  25 mg; Sodium:  310 mg;  Carbohydrates:  27 grams; Fiber:  1 gram; Sugars:  9 grams; Protein:  3 grams

Nutrition facts for a Super Donut:

Calories:  180; Fat:  5 grams (1.5 grams of saturated fat); Cholesterol:  <5 mg; Sodium:  260 mg; Carbohydrates:  29 grams; Fiber:  1 gram; Protein:  5 grams; Vitamin A:  25%; Vitamin C:  35%; Calcium:  10%; Iron:  20%; Vitamin E:  40%’; Thiamine:  30%; Riboflavin:  40%;  Niacin:  30%; Vitamin B6:  25%; Folic Acid:  30%; Vitamin B12:  15%; Phosphorous:  15%; Magnesium:  8%; Vitamin D:  40%

You can find Super Donut in the freezer section of your local grocery store near the breakfast foods.  If they don’t carry it, ask the manager to order it for you!

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each box goes to the “Max Starks Fund”, a foundation dedicated to child literacy and education.

Yes and no!  Some of the menu selections at Chipotle can be nutritious while others, quite frankly, can be a calorie-counter’s worst nightmare.  Your best bet is to “go naked”.  Wait…let me clarify!  I want you to wear clothes,  just order the burrito without the tortilla.  In other words, order a “Burrito Bol”.  What’s wrong with the tortilla?  It is made with “partially hydrogenated vegetable oils”, otherwise known as trans fats.  These fats are very dangerous to not only your heart health, but also your brain health.  The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1% of your total calories come from trans fats (for a 2000 calorie diet, that’s only 2 grams of trans fat ).  Yes, they are that bad for you!  The 13″ tortilla itself counts as 3.5 servings of bread and has:  290 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 670 mg of sodium. We haven’t even gotten to the filling yet!  Here’s what a typical fully-loaded burrito weighs in at (caution:  you will never look at these innocent burritos the same way again!):

Chipotle Burrito with chicken, rice, pinto beans, tomato salsa, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole:

Calories:  1125; Fat:  51 grams (20 grams of saturated fat); Cholesterol:  190 mg; Sodium:  2390 mg; Carbohydrate:  104 grams; Fiber:  18 grams; Sugars:  9 grams; Protein:  61 grams

Order this instead and look at the difference:

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bol with rice, black beans, tomato salsa, lettuce, and just a sprinkle of cheese:

Calories: 515; Fat:  15.5 grams (5.5 grams of saturated fat); Cholesterol:  130 mg; Sodium:  1330 mg; Carbohydrate:  51 grams; Fiber:  11 grams; Sugars:  6 grams; Protein:  42 grams

Ahhhh much better don’t you think?  Oh, one more warning…those crunchy, irresistible tortilla chips?  One bag will cost you 570 calories and 27 grams of fat!  Eat the burrito bol, be happy, and skip the chips!

Yes you should!  Especially if it’s dark chocolate.  Let’s face it, Easter candy comes in many different forms:  Marshmallow Peeps, jelly beans, dark chocolate bunnies, milk chocolate bunnies, white chocolate bunnies, peanut butter-filled eggs, and the infamous Cadbury Creme Egg.  By the way, does anyone really know what the “yolk” is made out of?

Check out the nutrition facts for one Cadbury Creme egg:

Calories: 150; Fat:  5 grams (30% fat…not bad!); Saturated fat:  3 grams (60% of the fat is saturated…not so good); Cholesterol:  5 mg; Sodium:  20 mg; Carbohydrates:  25 grams; Fiber:  0 grams; Sugar:  22 grams (that equals 5 teaspoons of sugar!)

The truth is, all but one of the above Easter treats will leave you wanting more sugar after you eat it:  Dark chocolate.  It is very intense and rich in flavor, so you need a lot less to satisfy your sweet tooth!  Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants (called flavanoids), which means it has the power to “mop up” free radicals in your body.  Free radicals cause oxidative stress and damage in your body and are thought to be blamed, in part, for cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.  You can eliminate free radicals, but not completely by yourself.  Foods rich in antioxidants (like dark chocolate) can help you!

How to choose dark chocolate:

When selecting dark chocolate, look at the label for the percent cacao.  The higher the percentage, the richer and more intense the flavor and the higher the flavanoid content.  Here are some good picks:

• Hershey’s Extra Dark (60% cacao)
• Lindt Chocolate (50%, 70%, 85%, 90% cacao chocolate bars)
• Ghirardelli Intense Dark Twilight Delight (72% cacao)

Dark chocolate is still high in saturated fat and sugar (For example, in Ghirardelli Intense Dark:  59% of the fat is saturated and 1 serving equals 2.5 teaspoons of sugar), but you are getting a healthy dose of antioxidants to protect your body.  If you are going to indulge in an Easter treat, you might as well do your body a little good along the way!

Only if you like artificial sweeteners.  Last night I sat down with my evening snack as I do every night.  This time it was something new:  Cream of Wheat Instant Healthy Grain Maple Brown Sugar.  Sounds healthy and delicious right?  That’s what I thought too!  The nutrition profile is quite impressive:

Calories: 140;  Fat: 1 gram (no saturated or trans fat);  Carbohydrate:  30 grams;  Fiber:  6 grams;  Protein:  7 grams

Not so impressive was the sodium content at 210 mg

The first bite was creamy yet a bit sweet.  As I took a closer look at the nutrition label, I noticed there was no sugar in it.  That could only mean one thing:  artificial sweetener.  Sure enough, this otherwise healthy cereal is made with sucralose (also known as Splenda).  Splenda has been approved by the FDA and is safe to eat.  I don’t like it personally and find that it has an artificial taste.  If you are looking to save calories and do not prefer artificial sweeteners, just eat less of the “real” thing…sugar.

Would I eat Cream of Wheat Instant Healthy Grain again?  Only if they make it without Splenda.

Yes, yes, yes!  Now this is what I call a great cereal.  I am usually a Quaker Oatmeal girl, but I couldn’t resist picking up a box of Kashi GoLean Honey & Cinnamon Instant Hot Cereal with Clusters.  “Instant” means quick!  This is the perfect breakfast for those of you who run out the front door in the morning with barely a minute to spare.  You know who you are!  You leave just enough time to shower, get dressed, brush your hair and teeth and that’s it!  Breakfast?  Unheard of!

The box contains 8 packets of cereal and is small enough to hide in your desk drawer at work.

Don’t let the word “honey” trick you into believing that this cereal is sweet.  It is very mild with a chewy, yet grainy texture.  The nutrition profile on this whole grain cereal is glowing…check it out:

Calories:  150; Total Fat:  2 grams (no saturated or trans fat); Sodium:  100 mg (not bad for an instant cereal); Carbohydrate:  26 grams; Fiber:  5 grams; Sugars:  7 grams; Protein: 8 grams; Iron:  8%

I topped mine with 1/2 of a banana and had a little skim milk on the side.  This is one cereal you can feel good about eating!

Absolutely!  You’ve heard of the “incredible edible egg” right?  These little kidney-shaped beans are just as incredible.  They have a nutty flavor and are as versatile as the egg.

They are nutrition powerhouses!  Soybeans are beneficial for your cholesterol and offer your heart some extra protection.  Who couldn’t use that?  Check out their stats per 1/2 cup serving size:

Calories:  106; Total fat:  5 grams (no saturated or trans fats); Cholesterol:  0 mg; Sodium:  7 mg;  Total Carbohydrate:  7 grams; Fiber:  1 gram; Sugar:  5 grams; Protein:  9 grams; Calcium:  5%; Iron:  8%

They come in two varieties:  shelled and unshelled.  Since the shells aren’t edible, they are much easier to prepare using  the unshelled.  They can be microwaved or boiled.  The photo above is of Peggy’s Premium All Natural Shelled Edamame.  This brand is particularly easy to prepare because the soybeans are in a steam heating bag.  Pop one in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes and they are ready!

Here are just a few ways you can add soybeans to your meals:

• Mix a handful in a leafy green salad
• Stir 1 cup into pasta sauce
• For a satisfying snack, enjoy them “as is” and pop them in your mouth just like jelly beans!
• Add 1 cup to your stir fry
• Add to your favorite baked bean, bean soup, or casserole recipe

Pick up a bag of edamame at your local grocery store today (found in the freezer section near the vegetables)!

No way!  The mere smell of this dish clogs my arteries.  I think the nutrition profile speaks for itself:

If you’re still not convinced and find yourself asking  “How can I resist it when it tastes so good?”, ask yourself this:

“How will I feel after I eat this?”

My guess is you’ll feel bloated, stuffed, and like you want to take a nap!  Do you really want to feel that way?

The easiest way to make healthy food choices is to start by asking yourself this question:  “How do I want to feel after I eat?”  Your answer will then guide you in choosing the best foods.

Pretty soon, you won’t even want to put foods like the Bloomin’ Onion in your body and you’ll find yourself saying “GROSS!”

Yes!  How about for breakfast today?  This homemade oatmeal tastes like apple pie and it’s actually healthy for you!  I stumbled upon the recipe by accident.  I ran out of strawberries, which is usually how I top my oatmeal, so I used what I had on hand:  an apple!  Talk about a quick and satisfying breakfast.  I ran it through my nutrient analysis program and here is what I found:

Calories:  228;  Fat:  11.2 gram (1.2 grams saturated,7.3 grams polyunsaturated, 1.8 monounsaturated); Carbohydrate: 30 grams; Fiber:  5 grams; Protein:  5 grams

Don’t let the total fat content scare you, it’s mostly unsaturated (healthy fat) and comes from the walnuts.  When you compare this to a traditional bowl of oatmeal, it really keeps you satisfied for a few hours (that’s because of the fat and fiber).  Traditional oatmeal is purely carbohydrate.  Since your body digests carbohydrates first, if the meal has no fat or protein, you will find yourself searching for something to eat in an hour or two.

Here is the QUICK and EASY recipe:

1/4 cup Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

7 walnut halves, broken in half

1 tsp brown sugar, unpacked

1/2 of an apple (with skin), diced (put the other half in a ziplock bag and refrigerate for tomorrow)

1/2 cup of water

Dash of cinnamon

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Put all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1.5 minutes.  Top with cinnamon and enjoy!

No!  Although I’ve always said that if I were on death row my last meal would be a dozen doughnuts…I can’t remember the last time I’ve had one.  I take an “all foods fit” approach to eating, which means if I really want a doughnut I will eat one.  I just don’t want one!  I also take an “eat with the end in mind” approach to eating, which means I know how I will feel after I eat a doughnut…unsatisfied and like I just ate a ton of bricks!  This past weekend I ate a small piece of white cake with fondant frosting at my cousin’s graduation party…it was yummy indeed, however it did nothing to satisfy my hunger.

Foods that are high in sugar digest pretty rapidly.  They usually lack protein and fiber, which means you will be looking for something to eat again soon!  Not fair right?  You’ve just eaten these calories, you should at least feel satisfied right?  I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way friends!  Please understand that I am not saying never eat sugar, just know that you will not get the energy you desire from a sugar-laden meal.  It has the reverse effect in fact!  Sugar is an “energy-robber”.  Take a look at the nutrition facts on Entenmann’s Pop’ems and you decide if it’s worth it.

Serving size:  2 Pop’ems:

Calories:  210; Fat:  12 grams (6 grams saturated fat); Carbohydrate:  25 grams; Fiber:  0 grams; Sugars:  17 grams; Protein:  1 gram

This nutrition panel is exactly the opposite of what you want if you’re looking for something that will satisfy you and bring you energy.  Is it worth it?

How about 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on a slice of whole wheat bread?  That will carry you much further!