Taste Test Awards: Yogurt, Chocolate Ice Cream, and More!

In the October 2012 issue of Cooking Light magazine, there is a section on Taste Test Winners.  Basically, they served 200 foods to a panel of taste testers.  Foods varied from rice chips to chocolate ice-cream bars to yogurt, and more.  This can be useful if you are comparing different brands and wondering which one to buy when it comes to a certain food.

Here are some of the winners:

Gluten-free rice chips: Lundberg Rice Chips

Description: The company offers these super-thick chips in nine flavors.  The sea salt variety (110mg sodium per serving) complemented the toasty rice flavor of the chip.  Crunchy, hearty-a true snack.

Chocolate Ice-Cream Bars: Blue Bell Fudge Bars

Description: These bars instantly evoke childhood ice-cream truck memories with a refreshing ice-milk quality.  Best for those who prefer milk chocolate over dark, but slight bitter-sweet undertones keep this bar from being boring.

Fat-Free Strawberry Greek Yogurt: Chobani

Description: Superdense texture, almost cheesecake-like.  Tart edge with a hint of sweetness.  Chunks of strawberries (and a seedy crunch) keep the flavor real.

Mixed Nuts: Planters Select Macadamias, Cashews, and Almonds

Description: Plenty of freshness, light on salt (95mg per serving).  Macadamias bring a sweet, buttery quality, while cashews and almonds contribute nice crunch.

Freozen Veggie Burgers: Morningstar Farms Grillers Original

Description: Beef-like texture and taste with a moist interior.  Seasoning gives the all-veggie base an almost sausage-like quality without any overpowering liquid smoke presence.

Source: Cooking Light Magazine October 2012

Control Your Snack Cravings

Have you been hungry recently, but the only snacks around you are chips and cookies?  The following list, which I found on my school's Campus Recreation page, gives healthy alternatives to common snacks that we eat, based on what nutrients you need.  I found this list interesting and helpful.

Have a look:

(Credits go out to St. John's Campus Recreation Facebook Page)

Healthy Grocery Shopping List

My school, St. John's University, recently sent us an email giving us tips on how to "live swell off-campus".  Because I was stuck inside due to a rainstorm, I decided to take a look.  When we go to the supermarket, there are hundreds of choices to choose from.  Some foods are cheaper than others, but they might not be better for your body.  Inside the document was a list of Healthy Grocery Items to purchase.  By stocking your house/apartment with these foods, you have made healthy eating a lot easier.  

The purpose of this list is to help guide you to buying healthier foods in the supermarket.  Of course, you do not have to follow this like it's a law, but if you incorporporate a few of these items into your diet, it will improve your health.  Here are some to share with you:

Breads, Cereals, Rice, Pasta
Breads: whole wheat, rye, or pumpernickel
Multigrain crackers
Pasta: Whole wheat noodles, spaghetti, or macaroni
Brown Rice

Fruit and Vegetables
Fruits: any fresh, canned, dried, frozen, without any added sugar
Vegetables: any fresh or frozen without cream or cheese sauce
100% fresh or frozen juices, without added sugar (ex: cocktails)

Milk and Yogurt
Fat free, 1% milk, or 2% milk
Low-fat or non fat yogurt

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs, NutsBeef: eye or round, top round, sirloin, tenderloin
Lamb: leg-shank
Chicken or turkey, white or light meat
Luncheon meats, 95%-99% fat free
Fish (most white meat fish is very low in saturated fat and cholesterol)
Salmon
Tofu

Sweets and Snacks
Low fat cookies: animal crackers, devil's food cookies, fruit bars, graham crackers, lemon wafers
Angel food cake
Pudding (fat free or 1% milk)
Gelatin desserts (Jello)
Popcorn without butter or oil, pretzels, baked tortilla chips
Fruit Gushers

Fats and Oils
Canola Oil
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil (see Coconut Oil: The Best Oil? post for more information)
Butter-like spreads with no trans fats

Beverages
Water
Sparkling water
Coconut Water
100% Fruit Juice, regular or low calorie
Gatorade Series Low Calorie
Naked Smoothies

Miscellaneous
Herbs, spices
Non-stick cooking spray
Mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise
Low sodium soy sauce
Salsa or picante sauce
Spaghetti sauce
Chicken Noodle Soup

The Antioxidant Myth

Examples of Antioxidants

Mostly all of us know that antioxidants are good and that they protect our body against free radicals and our cells from aging.  That is true.  Most people also think that all antioxidants come from fruits and vegetables.  That is false.  Infact, the entire plant kingdom, which includes beans, nuts, seeds, and grains, is rich in antioxidants.

These also are Antioxidants

 The reason is because all plants produce antioxidants to fight against predators and UV rays.  The one exception is refined grains, which is found in white rice, cookies, and brownies (to name a few).  Even meat, dairy products, and eggs contain antioxidants.  These come from the nutrient-rich plants the animals eat. 

Unfortunately, these don't contain Antioxidants

So for those of you "allergic" to fruits and vegetables, do not worry.  You can still get your antioxidant filling every day. 

Source: 1001 Muscle Meals

Coconut Oil: The best Oil?

When cooking, there are many types of oils that you can choose from.  Some are: vegetable oil, corn oil, and olive oil. People ask all the time: Which is the healthiest oil to cook with?  While that question is up to debate, I have an alternative: Coconut Oil.

"Coconut oil is one of the best oils to cook with because it won't turn into harmful trans-fats when heated at high temperatures."

Coconut oil is made from the meat of mature coconuts and contains "Medium chain fatty acids", which behaves differently from other types of fat.  These medium chain fatty acids can be absorbed directly by the cell, which means they are less likely to be stored as excess fat, which leads to weight gain.

Coconut oil also contains high levels of lauric acid, which helps strengthen the immune system.  Researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medicine Research have found that a diet rich in coconut oil will help keep fat off and protect you from insulin resistance.  Even though I haven't cooked with coconut oil myself, I will be on the lookout for a bottle in the future.

Source: Heal Yourself Essentials: 101 Tried & Tested Tips & Secrets