The Best of the Worst Fast Food Breakfasts – Part 2

Yesterday, I blogged about bad fast food breakfasts. They may taste great, but do you really need your daily allowance of calories, fat, and sodium in one meal? Here are more bad choices and remember, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends between 18 and 31 grams of saturated fat subtracted from a total of 65 grams of fat, and less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium for a 2,000 calorie diet. Burger King Biscuits and Sausage Gravy Platter – I am a sucker for biscuits and sausage gravy, but can do without the 680 calories. And the sodium count … Continue reading →

The Best of the Worst Fast Food Breakfasts – Part 1

I will admit, part of my problem with weight is that I am a lazy cook. It is much easier to grab something on the go at McDonald’s than to cook a nutritious meal at home. This includes breakfast just as much as it does lunch and dinner. Yet, I also know how bad fast food can be. If you have ever seen the documentary Supersize Me, you know that too much fast food can raise your blood pressure, your cholesterol, and have other disastrous effects on your health. Of course, that documentary was an extreme – Morgan Spurlock ate … Continue reading →

Kellogg’s Cereal Makes False Health Claims

Although we would like to believe every health claim that we see, the truth is that sometimes we are misled. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that false health claims are being made by Kellogg’s cereals. In particular they were talking about Rice Krispies cereal. Kellogg has made the claim that Rice Krispies can improve children’s health. However, there has been no studies or clinical trials done to back up those claims. Last year they made similar false health claims on Frosted Mini-Wheats by saying that the cereal could improve attentiveness in children. As a result, Kellogg is … Continue reading →

False Health Claims On Foods

I’m a fan of Celebrity Apprentice and this past Sunday it came down to the final two, actress Holly Robinson Peete and rocker Bret Michaels. Both are fighting for causes that are personal to them. Holly is fighting for autism and Bret is fighting for diabetes. In this last episode, Holly and Bret had to come up with a new flavor for Snapple tea. I loved that Bret focused on diet Snapple, as a way to help those dealing with diabetes. This is a product that is helpful to those who are dealing with diabetes. Many of us are more … Continue reading →

Should Foods Come with Choking Warnings?

Warning labels for choking hazards are required on certain toys — especially those with small parts and balls. Here in the United States, it’s a federal law! But there isn’t a similar law on the books for foods that may be choking hazards. The American Academy of Pediatrics — the largest group of pediatricians in the United States — would like to see a similar federal law for foods that may be choking hazards… or see more foodmakers willingly add choking hazard warnings to their labels. Another alternative would be redesigning foods to make them less of a choking hazard … Continue reading →

No Brown Foods, Please!

My father recently had some dental work done that left him very sore in the mouth. The pain was bad enough that he was on a diet of mostly mush for a few days! Luckily, he’s a fan of certain mushy foods; for as long as I can remember, my dad has loved Cream of Wheat hot cereal. (I like it with accessories like dried fruit or maple syrup, personally!) So he ate a lot of Cream of Wheat while his mouth was recovering. But when my mom served up the first bowl, it prompted this comment from my father: … Continue reading →

A Garbage Disposal Salad?

Some headlines you just have to click. I was browsing some health headlines this morning and saw an interview with Kristen Bell — star of the new movie When in Rome. The headline I couldn’t resist clicking was this: “Kristen Bell’s diet secret? Garbage disposal salads.” You can read the full interview at Health.com if you’re curious… I certainly was! Turns out a “garbage disposal salad” is one where you put everything you can find into a salad. Fruits, veggies, nuts, cheeses, what have you. Bell commented that with so many flavors, you didn’t need the salad dressing. That’s a … Continue reading →

“Smart Choices” May Not Be So Smart After All

Don’t believe everything a box of cereal tells you. Lots of foods are packaged with little logos and stickers, telling us how healthy the stuff inside is. But is it really that healthy? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says maybe not. They’re taking a closer look at the actual content of popular foods like cereal and crackers — with an eye for whether or not consumers are being mislead about the health benefits. One program being targeted is the “Smart Choices” sticker — the little green check mark on certain foods, declaring that the contents are indeed a Smart … Continue reading →

Why Are Comfort Foods So Comforting?

I’ve finally recovered from my virus (I think!), four days of fever haze and comfort foods. And now that I’m thinking clearly again, I’m wondering why comfort foods are so dang comforting? The general consensus seems to be that comfort foods bring up good, safe, happy childhood memories. They’re generally not fancy, not gourmet… they’re familiar, comfortable, and filling. My own comfort foods? Well, as soon as I started feeling sick, I asked my roommate to go to the store for ginger ale and orange juice. They’re my go-to sick drinks… almost definitely because that’s what Mom always gave me … Continue reading →

The Health Benefits of Pumpkin

Full disclosure time: I love pumpkin. Pumpkin pie is my favorite holiday season dessert. My mom makes awesome pumpkin chocolate chip cookie bars. But I don’t only love it for dessert! Pumpkin soup, pumpkin curry… I love it all. Lucky for me, pumpkin is good for you. A gal can’t live on pumpkin pie alone (or pumpkin cheesecake, or pumpkin rolls, or pumpkin bread, or…) but it’s got some real health benefits. Pumpkin is full of fiber. Yay fiber! Fiber helps you feel full, fiber helps keep the digestive system working and happy. Pumpkin is an amazing source of vitamin … Continue reading →