Noshtopia

Chart: Fattest fast food burgers that contain over 1,000 calories

In order to eat healthier, you also need to know what to stay away from. I found seventeen burgers offered at fast food chains that contain more than 1,000 calories. Yes! Believe it or not, you have the capacity to eat half of your daily caloric allotment in just one burger if you follow the standard 2,000 calorie/day as seen on all food labels.

Did you know that the fattest fast food hamburger will set you back 1,400 calories and a Hardee 108g of fat? The sodium in that same burger will cost you 2770mg which exceeds the daily sodium intake suggested by Mayo Clinic of 1,500-2,400mg. And, that is without french fries or a drink. And that fat burger is popular, it is 3-1/2 years old, and was voted "Best Hamburger 2007" by Best of CitySearch. A bit scary, no?

Remember back in the day, when the Big Mac was considered the fattest burger in town. Well, today, you can eat two Bic Macs (540 calories/ea.) for one Jack in the Box Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger (1090 calories). Also, the fat in that same Jack burger is the equivalent of about 7 tablespoons of butter (not factoring in trans or sat fats. Just fat as a visual.) One more tbsp and you have a stick. (Avg.butter is 11.25g fat/tbsp)

In the chart below, I highlight the 17 fattest burgers over 1,000 calories. All the info is based on the nutritional charts of each fast food place as of April 2008. But, not all the fast food chains have burgers over the 1,000 mark, so in the second section, I listed the fattest burger that the particular fast food chain offered. The fast food chains listed are (in alphabetical order): Burger King, Carl's Jr, Hardee's, Fatburger, In-N-Out, Jack in the Box, McDonald's, Sonic, and Wendys.

Something new: Whole Foods Fitness Water

I saw something new at Whole Foods the other day, a 365 Fitness Water in Acai berry flavor. It was the only flavor on the shelf. Of course, I had to try the water because I'm always on the lookout for drinks that don't contain artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, or any cornstarch derivatives.

The water is 50 calories for the whole bottle (20 oz) and is sweetened with organic erythritol and organic evaporated cane sugar. Erythritol is a natural sugar alcohol that is found in fruits and fermented foods. "It is 60-70% as sweet as table sugar yet it is almost non-caloric, does not affect blood sugar, and does not cause tooth decay." Sweet!

I really liked this Acai Berry flavored water, and will definitely buy some more. I would totally down this after a good workout. I wish there were other flavors.

It's almost hard to believe that this flavored water was low calorie without the use of any artificial sweeteners or crystalline fructose which is a cornstarch derivative and is used in drinks like Glaceau FruitWater. It makes me almost wonder why the big soda makers don't use more erythritol in their drinks.

Snack idea: Blood oranges

One reason I love Spring is Blood Orange season. If you have never tried one of these scrumptious oranges, drop everything and go to the store. Okay, well maybe you don't have to literally drop everything at this moment, but next time you are at the grocery store or a farmer's market make sure you at least try a slice.

The three most common types of blood oranges are: the Tarocco (native to Italy), the Sanguinello (native to Spain), and the Moro, the newest variety of the three. The other less common types include Khanpur, Washington Sanguine, Ruby Blood, Sanguina Doble Fina, Delfino, Red Valencia, Burris blood Valencia orange, Vaccaro blood orange, Sanguine grosse ronde, Entre Fina blood orange and Sanguinello a pignu.

The redish color is due to the presence of a pigment more commonly found in flowers and fruits and not citrus fruits called anthocyanin, which is also a powerful antioxidant. Depending on the type of blood orange you get the color can be anywhere from a dark pinkish to a deep red. The one I ate here looks more like a pink grapefruit but much smaller.

Blood oranges are one of my favorite fruits because it's a tad bit sweeter with a tad less of the tart of your regular Navel. For your next brunch, squeeze some of these Blood Oranges fresh for a new drink idea. Save some of the juice and use it in a Mojito, Margarita, or Cosmo cocktail.

I would love to make a sorbet out these Blood Oranges as well as a marmalade.Yum!

Under 150 calories: Trader Joe's Snack Ideas

Trader Joe's is one of my staple stores, and I love it there. Here are some quick tasty ideas for healthy snacking under 150 calories with TJ brand goodness:

• Roasted Garlic with Rosemary Wisecrakers: 7 crackers 77 calories, 2g Fat, 20g Carbs, 3g Protein + 2 Tbsp Tomato & Basil Hummus 70 calories, 4g Fat, 8g Carbs, 2g Protein = 147 calories (picture above)

• Dry Roasted & Salted Pistachios in shell: 3/8 cup 135 calories, 10g Fat, 6g Carbs, 5g Protein

• Chewy Fruit Banana Granola Bar: One bar150 calories, 6g Fat, 22g Carbs, 3g Protein

• Meatless Meatballs (Soy): 6 balls 140 calories, 6gFat, 8g Carbs, 16g Protein

• Spizzico Cheese Appetizer Size Pizza: 3 pizzas, 159 calories (it's a tad over) 7g Fat, 16g Carbs, 7g Protein

Ideas: Drinks artificial sweetener free

Yahoo Shine had a great post about ways to, "Ditch Your Diet Soda Addiction" and offered up some drink alternatives to those artificial sweetener infused sodas. It took me 2 years to wean off Diet Coke all together, and its place, here are some of the kinds of drinks I enjoy that are free of any artificial sweetener.

• Sweet Leaf Tea Organic: This is my favorite drink of the moment particularly the Mint & Honey, and the Half & Half Lemonade. These teas are sweetened with milled cane sugar. There are Diet versions but they are sweetened with Splenda, so stick to the Organic version.

• Orangina: There is a Blood Orange version in Europe I would love to try. Hope it come to the US.

• Trader Joe's Watermelon Juice: This is pure watermelon juice and really delicious when you put it in the freezer about an hour to get it really cold but not yet slushy.

• Simply Originals: These are for serious Granola types. The two flavors will get your attention: Flax Seed and Purple Corn which is known to be higher in antioxidants than blueberries, pomegranates, and acai berries.

• Function Drinks: These drinks were developed by an orthopedic doctor and the flavors are pretty unique like Urban Detox, Brainiac, Youth Trip, Alternative Energy. There is a science to these drinks as they are designed for things like muscle recovery, energy and mood balance. I first saw them at Whole Foods but they can also be found in Target and Longs Drugs.

• Whole Foods 365 Nutrient Enhanced Water: This is Whole Foods competitor to VitaminWater. These 365 drinks are not as tasty as the VitaminWaters, but they are sweetened with organic evaporated can juice. I stopped drinking VitaminWater because they are sweetened with crystalline fructose which is a derivative of cornstarch, the same base of high fructose corn syrup.

• Rice Milk: Yes, milk is supposed to do a body good, but I cannot drink cow milk because I have a Type 2 allergy to it. I'll drink Rice Dream or the Whole Foods 365 Organic Rice Milk or Trader Joe's Rice Milk. I don't drink soy milk because it is not as good for you as you may think.

• Odwalla Lemonade or Whole Foods 365 Organic Lemonade: I love Lemonades. For the WF 365 lemonade, buy the 1 Liter (32 oz) bottle because it is only 30 cents more than the small 16oz to go size.

• Coconut Juice (or water): The juice of the coconut is a popular drink in Asia and is becoming popular in the US because of its many health benefits. Coconut juice has a highly concentrated source of electrolytes and is a good source of potassium and calcium. Coconut water has antibacterial and antifungal qualities and is known to boost metabolism.
  

Recipe idea: The "no sauce" pasta meat sauce

In an effort to cut down some calories and fat from a pasta sauce or just for the sake of doing something different especially when money is running tight, sometimes I make a sauce for pasta dishes that doesn't contain any actual tomato sauce or any "sauces" for that matter.

Here's a quick "no sauce" sauce, I make for 2 people (adjust for how many people you are cooking for).

Ingredients:

• 2 Italian sausages, Mild or Spicy depending on what you like (the best kind are the fresh made ones at your local butcher, Italian grocer, or in my case Whole Foods)
• I can of diced tomatoes in Italian herbs or Garlic/Onion (You can make this fresh from scratch, but I find it easier to use a can version. In the picture above, I used a can of Whole Foods 365 Organic Diced Tomatoes in Italian herbs. Another yummy choice is Muir Glen Diced Tomatoes in Basil and Garlic. This Muir Glen product is also a Bob Greene Best Life approved item if you are following his plan.)
• Fresh garlic (use amount to your taste)
• Fresh onion (use amount to your taste)
• Some Italian Seasoning
• Pinch of sugar
• Olive Oil
• Asiago or Parmesan Cheese

Cooking:

• Fist I dice up some garlic and onions and then saute them in olive oil in a pan.

• I take off the skin of the Italian sausages and then crumble the meat into the pan and saute it until it's cooked. I sprinkle a pinch or two of raw organic sugar on the sausage while it's frying to give it just a little sweetness. You don't have to do this. My palate likes the sweeter side.

• When the meat looks like it is practically cooked, pour in as much of the diced tomatoes from the can as you like, and stir in well with the sausage.

• Let simmer, stirring occasionally for about 3-5 minutes.

• Take a taste. There should be plenty of flavor between the seasoning from the Italian sausage and the canned tomatoes. If there isn't enough season for you, add in some Italian seasoning and mix well.

• When you have the taste you like, you're done. Scoop some sauce onto rigatoni, penne, or fusilli, and add a pinch or two of Asiago or Parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy!

Snack idea: Dried fruits

Dried fruits are a handy and quick way to get some fruits in your diet. Some of my favorites include apricots, oranges, and figs. Two things to consider:

• Although fruit is healthier to eat than candy, there is still an enormous amount of sugar in the dried fruit, so while it is very easy to eat handfuls of dried apricots, keep an eye on your portions.

• Try and buy dried fruit that is preservative free. Many dried fruits are treated with sulphur dioxide to help prevent rotting. But sulphur dioxide has been known to affect people with food sensitivities and asthma.

Price Comparison: Whole Foods is not always most expensive

Whole Foods gets a bad rap sometimes for being too expensive, thus the nickname, "Whole Paycheck." So, I wanted to see just how expensive Whole Foods was compared to a regular US chain grocery store like a Safeway, Vons, Lucky, or Ralphs.

For the comparison, I picked 10 staple type foods like ketchup, apples, pasta sauce, milk, and a loaf of bread. I even threw in Tater Tots as a kid thing. I chose house brands, almost entirely organic, and regular pricing. This was to give a baseline apples-to-apples comparison. Of course, stores always have sales, and you can save even more money. I also included two examples of the same brand (Odwalla and VitaminWater) to show how pricing can differ at each store.

Here is the breakdown:

As you can see, the Whole Foods list actually came out cheaper by $3.40. Now, that is basically the price of a Starbucks Mocha which is not a huge difference, but it does show that Whole Foods is not always outrageously expensive especially when you stick to their 365 Brand. The pricing is based on stores in San Mateo County, CA, so pricing in your area will differ.

The best deal to me is the 24 oz. 365 Organic ketchup for $1.99 which I buy all the time along with the organic Tater Tots. Even Heinz and Del Monte do not have organic ketchup versions that cheap, at least in my area. So, if you haven't been to a Whole Foods store because you assume it would shrink your wallet, revisit that decision and check it out. 

Video: Recipe for low-cal, low-fat, turkey chili

From the Joy Fit Club segment on the Today show, nutritionist Joy Bauer shows Lorie Webb who recently shed 120lbs, and the rest of us a yummy turkey chili recipe that is quick and easy to make. Watching this made me hungry!