Best Bites: Peanut Butter

In case I haven't mentioned it, I really love peanut butter! I eat it on sandwichs, apples, crackers and even waffles and sometimes on a spoon.  So, when it comes to choosing a peanut butter I'm extremely picky.  In addition to peanuts, many peanut butters also add ingredients such as oil, sugar, corn syrup and trans fat.  Why ruin an amazing food?


Limit Ingredients:  Look for peanuts-only or peanuts and salt.

Brands: Trader Joe's brand, Whole Foods brand, and Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter are all great choices as they are only peanuts and salt.  Whole Foods has a peanut-only version which is freshly ground and is found in the bulk food section; it's thick but incredibly delicious.

Stirring: The main complaint people have is they have to stir some of the more natural peanut butters (because they lack added oils to keep it from separating).   Stirring may seem like a chore but I prefer less ingredients in my peanut butter so I don't mind.

Remember, peanut butter is delicious but high in calories, so watch your portions!

Best Bites: Crackers

You are looking to buy crackers, but there are so many choices!  What is the healthiest cracker?

Many common crackers  contain enriched flour, food coloring, trans fat (aka partially hydrogenated oils), high fructose corn syrup, sugar, added fibers, preservatives and other food additives.  Who needs all of that?

My advice is to buy a cracker with only a few ingredients.  Make sure "whole wheat" one is the first ingredient listed.

• Reduced-Fat Triscuits have whole grain wheat, soybean oil, and salt.  That's it!  
• Trader Joe's and Whole Foods make similar crackers 

These crackers have few ingredients, are high in fiber and very tasty!   They can be used as part of a healthy snack with apples, cheese and cinnamon.  More recipes to come.

Whole Wheat vs. Enriched Flour

Nutrition Lizard:  What type of bread is the healthiest? 


Whole wheat bread is more nutritious than white bread because it has more fiber, vitamins and minerals.   

Look at the first ingredient on the nutrition label;  You want whole wheat and not enriched flour.

Enriched flour is made when vitamins and/or minerals that were removed during food processing are later re-added to the flour.   This may be called "wheat" bread but it is not as nutritious as 100% whole wheat bread.

Avoid Trans Fats

Trans fat has been in the news recently because Girl Scout Cookies (and many other foods) actually DO have trans fat, despite the fact that the nutrition label says 0g trans fat.  How is this possible?

Labeling secrets: Read the ingredient list for partially hydrogenated oil.  If the food contains less than 0.5g per serving, then the label can say 0g trans fat!!!


Trans fat is worse for you than saturated fat!  Saturated and trans fat both raise your bad cholesterol, LDL, but trans fat also lowers your good cholesterol, HDL.


Common foods that may contain trans fat: Cereals, crackers, donuts, biscuits, hard margarine and many fast-food items.  Look for trans fat on this Fast Food Nutrition Facts page before eating fast-food.

Try to avoid trans fat as much as possible!

Easy Chocolate Dessert

The last post advised everyone to limit their sugar intake.  If you exercise regularly, eat healthy and limit most added sugars, there is room for a treat - especially around Valentine's Day!  Sometimes you don't have time to cook from scratch, so I always have a box of Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix in my cupboard.  I mix it according to the directions on the box and then add extra chocolate chips and peanut butter chips on top. I also undercook it to ensure they are fudgy brownies.  While they may not be healthy or low calorie, they are always a huge hit!

High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Nutrition Lizard:  Should I avoid High-Fructose Corn Syrup? 

Many people believe High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) plays a significant role in the obesity epidemic.  However, the majority of researchers believe HFCS is NOT solely to blame and it is thee increase in total calories and lack of physical activity that is causing obesity.

Lizard says: Limit consumption of all added sweeteners and don't worry about naturally occurring sugar in fruit, milk and plain yogurt.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


More information about High-Fructose Corn Syrup:

Background: HFCS is a liquid sweetener that has become a popular alternative to table sugar (sucrose) because it is cheaper, has a longer shelf life, and is easier to use. It can be found in cereals, cookies, beverages, ketchup, salad dressings, yogurts and breads.

Links to Obesity:  Obesity rates and HFCS use have increased together, causing many to believe they are related. HFCS has decreased the price of sweetened foods and consumption has increased.  Some studies have shown that HFCS causes more weight gain than table sugar, but more research is needed.

Similarities: Table sugar and HFCS are very similar. They contain the same ingredients (fructose and glucose) in approximately the same quantities. Many researchers believe that the body absorbs HFCS and other sugars identically, and that the real problem is overconsumption of foods in general.

Because of the bad press HFCS has received, the corn industry is now referring to HFCS as "corn sugar".

Bottom Line:  Try to choose a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, leans meats and low fat dairy products instead of processed foods such as candy, cookies, high-sugar cereals and sweetened beverages.  You should try to limit all added sweeteners (including sugar, HFCS,  cane or beet sugar, evaporated cane juice, brown rice syrup, agave syrup, and honey) which add significant calories and may cause weight gain.

Emergency Food Staples

Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL

The blizzard that hit Chicago on Tuesday caused many to be stuck on Lake Shore Drive for hours.  Many others had cleaned out the grocery stores preparing for the worst.

You never think a disaster could happen to you, but it's always important to have some food staples in your house so you are prepared anytime for power outages, blizzards, flooding, etc.  Below are some suggestions:

• Bottled water
• Tuna and/or chicken, canned
• Fruit and vegetables, canned
• Soup and chili
• Beans, canned
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Nuts
• Energy bars
• Pasta and pasta sauce
• Powdered or boxed milk
• Ready-to-eat cereal
• Crackers
• Mayonnaise

Liz's Favorites: Frontera Grill Salsa

I love using salsa in Mexican dishes but also with many other foods, such as eggs, to add wonderful flavor for only ~5 calories per tablespoon!   I am a huge fan of Frontera Grill products, especially the unique salsas such as double roasted, tomatillo, jalapeno cilantro, and the standard chunky tomato salsa.

I am not paid by the company, I simply enjoy these salsas because they taste as if Rick Bayless just made it in my kitchen!  It tastes fresh and incredibly delicious. I highly recommend you try it.