Kellog's Apple Jacks vs Whole Food's 365 Organic Apple Cinnamon Morning O's

I recently did a food comparison exercise at a training session at work. I work at Whole Foods Market. The exercise really woke me up as far as what I was putting in my body. 

Here I have compared Kellog's Apple Jacks Cereal and it's Whole Foods equivalent of Organic Apple Cinnamon Morning O's. I have compared ingredients and nutrition value for both. The results: shocking in my opinion! 

Kellog's Apple Jacks Ingredients:

Corn, wheat, and oat flour, sugar, salt, milled corn, dried apples, apple juice concentrate, cinnamon, modified corn starch, partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), calcium phosphate, yellow #6, niacinamide, reduced iron, zinc oxide, tumeric color, blue #1, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), baking soda, riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamin hydrochloride (vitamin B1), vitamin A palmitate, red #40, BHT (preservative), folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin D.

As one can see, Kellogs Apple Jacks has artificial colorings, flavors, preservatives and partially hydrogenated oils added to it. Also, it contains sugar which does not fully let consumers know what kind of sugar is added. Check out this link for information on partially hydrogenated oils and the damaging health effects it creates. http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/PartiallyHydrogenatedOils.html

Kellog's Apple Jacks Cereal Nutritional Values:

Serving Size: 1 cup calories per serving: 100

0.5g of Fat, 130g of Sodium, 25g of Carbs, 12g of sugar, 3 g of dietary fiber. 

Total amount of ingredients: 30

Color and taste: The cereal evidently does not have it's original color as we can see that dyes were added in the process of making the cereal. The taste is very sugary and crunchy 

Organic Apple Cinnamon Morning O's

Ingredients: Organic whole grain oat flour, organic corn flour, organic evaporated cane juice, organic oat fiber, organic malt extract, sea salt, organic molasses, organic apples, organic expeller pressed canola oil, natural flavors (cinnamon, apple), organic grape juice concentrate, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and natural vitamin E added to preserve freshness, organic cinnamon, soy lecithin. Vitamins and minerals: Niacinamide (niacin), reduced iron, zinc oxide, pyridoxine hydrachloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin, thiamine hydrochloride, (vitamin B1), folic acid, cyanocobalmin (vitamin B12). 

This product has all organic products which means that 95% of the ingredients added into the cereal were grown without pesticides. Also, the Organic Apple Cinnamon Morning O's have one natural preservative to maintain freshness and does not contain any artificial flavors. For more information on this and other Whole Foods cereals go to wholefoods.com. 

Organic Apple Cinnamon Morning O's nutritional values:

Serving size: 3/4 cup  calories per serving 120

1g of fat, 135g sodium, 24g of carbs, 7g of sugar, 2g of dietary fiber. 

Total amount of ingredients: 23 including vitamins and minerals. The appearance of this cereal is very natural looking, the taste is more cinnamon like and is also crunchy. The taste is a more natural one, tasting more like whole wheat oats than sugar. 

My Preference: I prefer the Organic Apple Cinnamon Morning O's simply because it tastes better and is better for you. The organic cereals has more nutritional values than the sugary and hydrogenated oil filled Kellog's Apple Jacks.

 

Lavishly Delicious Oatmeal

Who knew that dark chocolate oatmeal could be healthy?

Well, I have found an oatmeal for chocolate lovers that is not only tasty, but good for you as well. It's called Lavish by the Better Oats brand. A box of five oatmeal packets costs $1.50 so it's perfect for students on a budget. Lavish Oatmeal can be found at Super Target stores.

Tips: Add milk if you would like, however, it will add more calories.

Instructions of preparation are simple, it takes two minutes to make in the microwave. All you do is add water. 

One pouch of oatmeal contains 160 calories, 2.5 grams of fat and 12 grams of sugar. 

The ingredients in the oatmeal are all natural. They include the following: Whole grain rolled oats, sugar, chocolate chips, cocoa, flax seed, salt, natural flavor and guar gum. Lavish Dark Chocolate Oatmeal provides 28 grams of whole grains per serving. This a cholesterol free and trans fat free food.

Breakfast Parfait with a Tropical Twist

Parfaits make great desserts to any meal. I have a recipe that allows you to enjoy a parfait while still getting nutrients needed to start your day. 

Tips: I recommend using Greek yogurt simply because it tastes better and is better for your health than traditional yogurt. Also, use fresh mandarin oranges as the canned ones contain extra sugar and preservatives. 

The health benefits of Greek Yogurt is that it is gluten free, safe for diabetics and vegetarians, and with the 2% variety being only 120 calories a cup.It's a great alternative to regular yogurt. My favorite kind of Greek yogurt is Chobani. My favorite flavor is Blueberry. It can have a very bland taste but the flavored varieties cut out that bland taste.

                                                   

Ingredients

• 2 cups vanilla yogurt (low-fat or non-fat is fine)
• 1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
• 3/4 cup crisped rice breakfast cereal
• 1 cup diced fresh pineapple

Directions

Put 2 tablespoons of yogurt in the bottom of each of four juice glasses. Top with 4 orange slices. Sprinkle the oranges with a 1 1/2 tablespoons of cereal, followed by 2 more tablespoons of yogurt. Top with diced pineapple then with another 1 1/2 tablespoons cereal. Then Enjoy!

Light and Tasty Tiramisu Perfect for Valentine's Day

Love Tiramisu but don't want all the calories and fat that come with your traditional Tiramisu and still preserve the flavor?

I personally do not like Tiramisu but with this low calorie recipe, it is worth trying it. For this recipe, I recommend making the lady fingers simply because you'll get a better quality cookie.

Tips: Instead of pastry bag, cut the corner of any large size freezer/storage bag and pipe out batter into long finger-like shapes. Add any extract you'd like to the batter, don't just stick to vanilla and almond. Orange blossom extract would work well with the lady finger recipe. Orange Blossom extract can be found at Whole Foods Market. Substitute the sugar for Stevia for less calories. Sprinkle lady fingers with organic powdered sugar before baking.

For Tiramisu, non fat ricotta cheese is a great alternative to the traditional mascarpone cheese which is loaded with fat. Melt chocolate in double broiler or place a bowl on top of a pot with boiling water on the bottom to melt chocolate. Melting chocolate directly in a pot will burn the chocolate and cause it to harden. You may substitute dark chocolate or white chocolate for the milk chocolate. Simply buy the chocolate chip flavor of choice and melt as instructed above.

Homemade Lady Fingers:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted flour
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 egg whites, beaten until stiff
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or extract of choice

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 baking sheets with baking spray or flour spray. Mark parallel lines in the flour across the width of the tray about 4 inches apart. Put the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and with an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale yellow, thick, and has tripled in volume, about 8 minutes, using the mixer. Add the egg whites, remaining 3/4 cup flour, salt and vanilla, fold to mix thoroughly so the mixture is smooth. Fill a large pastry bag (Freezer/storage bag) with a 3/4-inch plain tube with the mixture. Pipe fingers about 4 1/2-inches in length on to the baking sheet, using the lines as a guide. Bake until for 15 to 18 minutes, or until just firm on the outside and soft in the center

  

Tiramisu

6 servings

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup nonfat ricotta cheese, (4 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 ladyfingers, (about 1 3/4 ounces)
• 4 tablespoons brewed espresso, or strong coffee, divided
• 2 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate chips, melted (See Tips above)

 

Preparation

1. Combine ricotta, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
2. Place 6 ladyfingers in a 9-by-5-inch (or similar size) loaf pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons espresso (or coffee). Spread the ricotta mixture over the ladyfingers. Place another layer of ladyfingers over the ricotta and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons espresso (or coffee). Drizzle with melted chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.
3. Enjoy! 

Each Tiramisu is 107 calories and 2g of fat

Traditional Valentine's Day Sweet that Won't Hurt the Waistline

Chocolate covered strawberries are a Valentine's Day staple. Everyone usually buys them for their sweetheart with a bottle of champagne and roses, but did you know they are actually low in calories and not as bad for you as you may think?

Here's a simple recipe to make a sweet and delectable low calorieValentine's Day treat:

Tips: Melt white chocolate and drizzle over strawberries to add a little decor to your strawberries. Heart shaped sprinkles or pink and red sprinkles will add a themed touch to your treat.Coconut flakes sprinkled over chocolate also add a great taste.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Makes 36 chocolate covered strawberries. Each strawberry is 39 calories, 5g of sugar and 2g of fat.

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 2 pints strawberries, stems intact
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate
• 1 teaspoon canola oil

Instructions

1. Line two baking sheets with waxed paper. Wipe the strawberries clean and dry them well with paper towels. 2. Melt the chocolate with the oil over a double boiler. Stir until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat.

3. Hold a strawberry by its green top and dip it 3/4 of the way into the melted chocolate. Lift it out of the chocolate, let the excess chocolate run off and set the berry on one of the lined baking sheets. Repeat this for all of the strawberries.

4. To harden the chocolate, chill the strawberries for about an hour before serving . You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.

5. Enjoy with a glass of wine. If you don't like wine or don't drink, enjoy with sparkling water.

These also make great gifts. Find a pretty box, line it with waxed paper, fill it with dipped strawberries and store in the refrigerator. Add some ribbons and bow to make it extra special.

Healthy Valentine's Day Cake for Your Sweet Heart

I am the first to say the I LOVE TREATS of all kinds but not the calories! However, this Valentine's Day check out a couple of easy and waist friendly recipes for your sweet heart.

The first recipe is an Angel Food Cake recipe, a light and airy cake low in calories and fat free because Angel Food Cake is made with egg yolks and powdered sugar instead of heavy cane sugar and regular eggs. People automatically link Angel Food Cakes to a bland and dry taste. Some tips for enhancing the flavor of the cake and making it a Valentine's Day themed cake on the inside is adding your favorite extract to the batter. Also, don't add food coloring to the mix, it waters down the batter, instead, add half a packet of strawberry, cherry or raspberry Kool-Aid drink mix to your batter for a rich color.

The same goes for the topping, if you prefer another type of extract or are allergic to almonds, try an extract of your choice. Strawberry extract would work very well with this topping. For a red color or slightly pink color, add Wilton's Food Coloring. Don't buy the water based food coloring as they do not add rich color and really water down the topping. Simply, take a toothpick, stick it in the food coloring and then swirl it in the topping mix until color of choice is achieved. For a Valentine's Day effect, cut strawberries in half so that they look like hearts and place them atop the cake. Heart-shaped sprinkles will give the cake a full Valentine's effect.

A good substitute for the granulated sugar is Stevia sugar. 

I call this concoction Cupid Cake with a twist:

Low-Calorie Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups egg whites (approximately 12 large eggs)
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix flour and powdered sugar and set aside.
3. In a large glass bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy but not stiff.
4. Switch to high speed and add granulated sugar 2 tablespoons at a time.
5. Add salt, vanilla, and almond with final tablespoon of sugar.
6. Continue beating until stiff and glossy.
7. Sprinkle flour-sugar mixture over meringue 1/4 cup at a time, folding in just until mixture disappears.
8. Pour batter into ungreased tube pan (10x4 inches).
9. With a metal spatula cut gently through batter.
10. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until cracks feel dry and top brings back when lightly touched.
11. Remove from oven, invert pan on funnel, and allow pan to hang until cake is cool.
12. Remove cake from pan and ice with low-calorie almond topping.

 Low Calorie Fluffy Almond Topping

Ingredients:

• 1 small tub sugar-free refrigerated whipped topping (8 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cups sliced or slivered almonds, toasted (optional)

Preparation:

1. Mix almond extract into refrigerated topping, stirring gently.
2. Lightly coat each slice of cake with topping just before serving.
3. Garnish with one teaspoon of toasted almonds.

Yield: 12 slices

Calories: 140 without topping, 217 with topping. Less calories if sweetened with Stevia sugar rather than granulated sugar.

Tasty Low Calorie Sweet Snacks

Love to eat sweets, fruit snacks in particular but hate all the calories? Worried about all the preservatives, corn syrup and fructose?

I know I love to eat fruit snacks but recently, I have been looking at all the ingredients in the childhood snacks fed to me and realized that everything I was fed was pure sugar, preservatives and all out unhealthy treats with no beneficial nutrients.

I discovered a delicious line of all natural fruit snacks with six ingredients and only 45 calories per strip. The all natural fruit strip is by Stretch Island Fruit Co.

I was very pleased by the taste of the strip. I had the Summer Strawberry flavor and it consisted of apple puree concentrate, pear puree concentrate, strawberry puree, natural strawberry flavor, and lemon juice concentrate. The taste of the strip was chewy, but tasted just like a dried out strawberry.

The strip comes in a variety of flavors and sells at Whole Foods Market for .59 cents.

It's a great source of fruit serving as every bar contains 1/2 serving of fruit per bar. It's an excellent snack idea for kids.

Healthful Sugar Substitutes

Want a healthier way of sweetening your coffee, baked goods or teas?

Here are two natural substitutes:

Stevia:   It's a South American herb that has been used as a sweetener by the Guarani Indians of Paraguay for hundreds of years. The leaves of this small, green Stevia rebaudiana plant have a delicious and refreshing taste that can be 30 times sweeter than sugar. However, it is good for you because the body does not metabolize the sweet glycosides from the stevia leaf or any of its processed forms - so there is no caloric intake. Stevia doesn't adversely affect blood glucose levels and may be used freely by diabetics. Stevia can be found at Whole Food Markets as well as any all natural food store.

 

The Second all natural sweetener is Agave Nectar Sugar:

It's most often produced from the Blue Agaves that thrive in the volcanic soils of Southern Mexico. Agaves are large, spikey plants that resemble cactus similar to the familiar Aloe Vera. Agave is all natural and has all the useful properties of real sugars, except it's lower glycemic index helps protect against health risks associated with higher glycemic sweeteners. Agave Nectar Sugar is available at Whole Foods Market and health food stores. 

Agave can be used to replace to maple syrup, brown rice syrup, honey and corn syrup therefore making it a healthier choice. Agave syrup may cause baked items to brown more quickly, so reduce oven temperatures by 25°F is and increase baking time slightly for better results. 

 

New Ideas? Tips?

I'd like to hear some feedback on any of the recipes featured. Know of anything I may not have discovered yet? Feel free to share it with me! I am always looking for new ideas and suggestions to better serve YOU!

Elyssa

Hummus and Pita for Anytime

Like comfort foods without all the calories and fat?

One of my favorite snacks to eat on a rainy day or just a lazy day is fresh made pita bread and hummus.

Here's a recipe for a delectable, yet light hummus dip.

Tip: Roasted red pepper hummus is great! If you're not a fan, stick to the traditional hummus. If you dislike the taste of hot sauce, as I do, don't add it. Personally, the more garlic you add the better the flavor.

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
• 8 dashes hot sauce (optional)

Directions

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Home Made Pita Bread with Whole Wheat Flour

Tip: Divide the flour amount between white and wheat. Generally wheat flour does not rise as much as white flour does. Purchase a natural or organic white flour to still keep the healthiness of the recipe.

Healthy Whole Wheat Pita Bread (No Oil or Sugar)

Ingredients

• 4 cups whole wheat flour ( or 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups all-purpose flour)
• 1 tablespoon dry yeast
• 1 1/4 cups warm water ( 120-130F degrees)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500°F.
2. Sift together 2 cups of flour and the yeast.
3. Add water and salt and mix well.
4. Gradually add in the remaining flour just until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl. Once this happens, stop adding flour (so, you might not use all the flour the recipe calls for.).
5. Knead the dough for about 4 or 5 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. (While you're kneading, you can get creative and add in some herbs or spices, but only if you want to do that). Be careful not to over-knead the dough.
6. Form dough into 10 balls.
7. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a 5-6 inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick. (Be sure to sprinkle a little flour on both sides to prevent sticking).
8. Place on a non-stick baking sheet and allow to rise 30 minutes, or until slightly raised.
9. Just before you place the pan in the oven, flip each pita over on its other side.
10. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes. (The instant hot heat will help them puff up).
11. When the pitas come out of the oven they will be hard, but they will soften as the cool.
12. Store them, while they're still warm, in plastic baggies or an airtight container.
13. Cut the pitas in half crosswise and stuff with your favorite fillings (beans and rice, taco fixings, thick stews, curries - anything goes).
14. Pitas can be reheated in a 350°F oven or in the microwave.

 

Chips and Salsa that won't hurt the waistline

Looking for some yummy treats for Sunday's big Superbowl but don't want to hurt that waist line?

I have the best recipes in store!

Tip: Try sea salt instead of iodized salt for a better taste

Salsa Recipe Rumble

Ingredients:

One large tomato ( 8 ounces), seeded and chopped

Three green onions with green tops, chopped

1/3 cup packed chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon seeded and chopped jalapeno

Two cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Try Organic Blue Corn Chips or any chip of choice to add a spice to your taste buds, just remember, no preservatives or artificial flavors.

Smoothies for Anytime of the Day

Smoothies are one my favorite things to have at all times of the days but especially when I am not feeling my best. Why? Because you can never go wrong with the flavors and it'll cheer you up. It's your creation! This morning I work up feeling drained and with no appetite. However, I made myself a smoothie that kept me full until dinner time.

The key to a healthy smoothie is to use fresh fruits, and healthful yogurts/milks. Don't add sugars to your smoothies and choose non fat yogurts such as Greek yogurts if desired. Those that like milk, go ahead and add you choosing of an organic or low fat milk. Rice milk is very tasty however, it contains less protein than cow milk. Frozen fruits are not a good idea as they contain preservatives and added sugars. Mango and kiwi certainly work well in this recipe as well. 

Here's my favorite smoothie recipe:

2-3 cups of ice

2 cups fresh chopped bananas

2 cups fresh pine apple

3 cup of an all natural orange juice

3 cups of fresh chopped strawberries

1 cup of fresh blueberries

Optional: granola and/or oatmeal

Blend all of these fruits in a standard blender or juice maker, pour, serve and enjoy!

You may add other fruits if desired. These are just some of my favorite fruits.