Recipes & Eating Tips

This weeks topic "SUGAR" & How much sugar are we feeding our kids?

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, we should consume about 40 grams of sugar a day. That equals to around 10 tsp of sugar a day. That somehow seems like a lot. So imagine one morning you are running late for work and you decide to get a bran muffin and stop at starbucks for a grande vanilla latte. The muffin figure about 11 tsp of sugar and the latte around 10 tsp.

Tip: To determine how much sugar is in a serving, check the nutrition label for sugars (listed in grams). Divide the number of grams by 4. For example: if the sugars are listed as 16 g. Divide that by 4 and you get 4 tsp of sugar per serving.

Did you know that::
Sonic Route 44 Cherry Slush has 170 g of sugar?
Sunkist Orange Drink has 52 g of sugar?
Oscar Mayer Maxed Out Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Combo Lunchables 61 g of sugar
Dunkin’ Donut’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookie 51 g of sugar
Yogurt with Fruit on the Bottom 30 g of sugar
8 oz glass of cranberry juice - 35 g of sugar
Fruit Roll ups – real fruit – look again strawberry fruit rollups 10g
Cola drinks

The damage (12 ounces) 150 calories, 0 g fat (10 teaspoons of sugar!)
Wow!  Now that’s something to think about! 

Some Suggestions::

  • Crystal light - is a big hit at our house- comes in lots of different flavors 0 sugar and 10 calories per serving
  • Baked chips not fried potato chips. Sour cream & Onion potato chips packs a whopping !150 calories, 10 g fat (3 g saturated), 210 mg sodium in just (12 chip) And just imagine if you ate 1/2 the bag?
  • Fruit – Always try to keep a variety of fresh fruit around – amazingly, kids will pick up an apple or banana if the chips are “out of the house” However, there is fruit that is low in sugar and fruit that is high in sugar:
    Some examples low to medium: Apples, strawberries, watermelon, peaches, blueberries. High in sugar: bananas, mangos, grapes, cherries, tangerines, figs 2 servings a day max is plenty.
  • Breakfast Cereals -  Benefits: - Convenient, Nutritious, low in fat, (except for toasted,sugar kinds) easy to prepare- encourages milk consumption. Look for cereals with no more than 8 grams of sugar
    •   
  • Plain yogurt - a good dairy food- layer with fresh fruit and sugar free cool-whip in a goblet for a special treat!
  • Low sugar jello & jello pudding
  • Light popcorn
  • Trail mix of peanuts and raisins
  • No sugar added popsicles
  • Whole wheat sandwich with Healthy Choice or Jennie O meats have less sodium than others - read labels! Better yet! Low sodium peanut butter with a low preservatives sugarless jam.

Ways to Cut Sugar!

READ LABELS!  Stay away from ingredients like " High Fructose Corn Syrup, dextrose, glucose, fructose, preservatives and words you can't pronounce..

Drink Diet Drinks – better yet –drink water
Avoid Fruit Juices
Sugar Substitutes - my recommendation Stevia!
Beware of some sweeteners – they may make you crave sweets
Watch out for “fat-free” snacks
Become a detective – read labels and ingredients

There is so much information regarding sugar that I could go on forever. My plea is to please read your labels. Sugar not only can rotten your teeth, but is causes so many health problems such as depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, thyroid problems, hyperglycemia, can weaken your eye sight, your immune system and premature aging.

Lick the Sugar Habit - by Nancy Appleton, Ph. D

A very good friend of mine gave me this terrific book I would like to recommend to all my readers.
Lick the Sugar Habit Author: Nancy Appleton, Ph. D

Recipes

Low fat Burritos

  • 1 lb. of 97% fat free ground turkey
  • ½ pkg. of low sodium taco seasoning
  • Whole wheat tortillas – ( Krogers is the lowest in cal/carbs I have found)
  • Fat free refried beans
  • Low sodium salsa
  • Tomato
  • Lettuce
  • Low fat cheese (1% skim milk)

You have cut so many calories and fat by replacing the burger with ground turkey and using whole wheat tortillas instead of white and the best thing you are not loosing taste!

Alyssa’s Yummy Blueberry Pie

My daughter Alyssa favorite things to make is pies. She would like to share her recipe with you!

  • 1 pkg sugar free fat free cheese cake pudding
  • Skim milk
  • 1 sm pkg blueberries
  • 1 container sugar free cool-whip
  • Graham cracker crumbs
  • Sugar free applesauce

Mix applesauce with graham cracker crumbs. Add whole wheat flour as needed to help keep shape and from sticking to your hands. Once the crust is finished, mix pudding with 1 ½ cups skim milk until thick, add berries. Top with cool-whip – great for a low cal sugar free dessert!


My other twin Marissa loves chocolate! Her favorite dessert is brownies – with just a few changes..you have lowfat brownies!

Marissa’s Ultimate low-fat brownies

  • 1 pkg brownie mix – We recommend Save-A-lot’s brand (Ginger Evans) over Duncan Hinds
  • 1 sm container sugar free applesauce
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg white
  • Or ¼ cup egg beaters
  • water

Pre-heat oven 350 degrees
Spray glass baking 13x9 pan Pam baking spray
Mix all ingredients together and bake for about 20 min depending on how gooey or cake like you prefer.

Substitution: ½ cup oil for applesauce. Eggs for egg beaters

3 N's

NEW YEAR – NEW START – NEW WAY OF LIVING

2008 Is in the past, Today is the day to make a change for healthier living. Accept where u are at and forgive yourself and start fresh!

  1. Decide what goals you want to reach
  2. Put in writing what weaknesses you have to food
  3. Get the weakness guilt food OUT of the HOUSE
  4. Surround yourself with positive people! Think about it – Smile – find ways to achieve to be a happier person –
  5. Adopt a gym buddy, you will be more apt to not miss the gym if you know someone is there to meet you!
  6. Are you ready to take a honest look at what you have been eating
  7. Start keeping up with your calorie intake – you might be amazed at what you find!
  8. Start the new year out by clean eating – healthy eating and don’t use the “D” word
  9. Find your passion in a calorie burning hobby – walking, running, kick boxing, weight training
  10. Last but not least: You did not get here over night. It is a day to day WORK IN PROGRESS. YOU ARE STRIVING EVERYDAY TO REACH YOUR GOALS AND EXCEL. YOU CAN DO THIS ONE STEP AT A TIME…AND I AM HERE TO HELP!

Feedback

I would love to hear from you if you have visited by site. It is still a work n progress, but I hope you have read something that has inspired you. Feel free to email me at PStephens[at]gmail[dot]com