Flour tortillas

In our household, we always have two packages of tortillas in the fridge, because my husband and I have different preferences. His: Mission 96% Fat Free 8" tortillas. Mine: Whole Foods Market 365 Organic brand tortillas. In a pinch, I've had to suffer and use one of his tortillas because I ran out. When you are used to the taste of 'real' food -- that is, foods made with wholesome ingredients you can find in your own cupboard -- tasting highly processed foods immediately tastes like biting into plastic. I'm sure one day I'll make my own tortillas for fun, but for convenience reasons, I'll stick with a brand that uses 'real' ingredients--and only a few of them at that.

Mission 96% Fat Free 8" tortillas

130 calories

28 gm carbs

1.5 gm fat

0.5 gm sat fat

2 gm fiber

4 gm protein

320 mg sodium

Ingredients: Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Modified Wheat Starch, contains 2% or less of: Brown Sugar, Flaxseed, Salt, Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, Corn Starch, Monocalcium Phosphate and/or Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Calcium Sulfate), Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Soy and/or Cottonseed Oil, Palm Oil), Wheat Starch, Soy Lecithin, Wheat Fiber, Guar Gum, Preservatives (Calcium Propionate, Sorbic Acid and/or Citric Acid), Dough Conditioners (Fumaric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, Distilled Monoglycerides), DATEM, Enzymes, Canola Oil, Triglycerides.

vs.

Whole Foods Market 365 Organic brand 8" flour tortillas

130 calories

26 gm carbs
3 gm fat
1 gm sat fat
0 gm trans fat
1 gm fiber
3 gm protein
220 mg sodium

Ingredients: Organic whole wheat flour, water, expeller-pressed soybean oil, sea salt, baking powder (calcium acid phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch).

Advantage: Whole Foods' 365 brand. With few ingredients, and similar calories/nutritional profile, Whole Foods' tastes real...and real good. Whole Foods' also has 100mg less sodium than Mission. Another factor: Mission tortillas always seem ridiculously overpriced -- going for around $4 for eight tortillas, whereas Whole Foods' is $1.99. I have no idea how to pronounce many of the ingredients in the Mission brand. Mission has a variety of preservatives and all sorts of hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated types of oils. Yum-O...not.

Egggggcellent...

Okay, I am straying a little from this blog's purpose in that eggs could be classified as a whole food, and not a packaged food. However, I don't know about you, but my eggs come in a package. So I'd like to share a brand of eggs that may be better for your health, better for the environment, and contribute to the humane treatment of birds.

Vital Farms eggs

These eggs are from hens raised on organic feed. Organic means no antibiotics, hormones, synthetic pesticides or herbicides (or GMOs) are used. The hens spend their day in the sun and graze on berries, seeds, and native pasture grasses that are rotated to protect from over grazing. Some small studies have found that pasture-raised eggs yield twice as much omega-3 fatty acids, more vitamin E, beta-carotene (vitamin A), and folic acid; and less cholesterol and less saturated fat than conventional eggs.

vs.

Any conventional brand commonly found in grocery stores (or store brand eggs)

There are many places conventional eggs come from, but generally speaking, the majority are produced from hens living in communal cages (unless they are labeled as organic or pasture-raised). More food companies are switching to cage-free eggs, which simply means they are from hens living indoors but have access to fresh food, water and--if allowed--the outdoors.

Advantage: Vital Farms.

Why? It's no secret that a diet based on organic plant foods plus plenty of exercise outdoors makes for a healthy being. That's how these hens spend their life and that makes for better-quality eggs. For me, it's a more pleasant, connected, and satisfying way to consume what nature has to offer. Since I don't have my own hens to raise, buying (aka supporting) pasture-raised animal foods is one way I might influence the market.

While "cage free" sounds better than "caged," it's still a long shot from pasture-raised methods. Like many things lately, it seems like humans raised food and animals a certain way for hundreds of years, and then we screwed it up by adding artificial and unnatural methods. And now we're trying to back-track to the old, known ways of producing food. Interestingly, it often is a less costly process, and the producer scores a higher income by pricing these quality foods at a premium, above the conventional market. If anything, it makes good business sense to offer organic / pasture-raised!

Greek Yogurt

You can’t argue with a culture that produced one of the healthiest diets in the world AND created national democracy—two things I am grateful for in my everyday life. So it’s no wonder I think so highly of Greek yogurt. So much so, it’s my breakfast staple.

The market has been deluged with Greek yogurt products. Household name brands such as Dannon and Yoplait now offer their versions of this strained yogurt, and it seems like natural food stores stock a new brand each week. I found my favorite:

Chobani Greek Yogurt (blueberry flavor), 6 oz

140 calories

0 g fat

20 g carbs

14 g protein

65 mg sodium

20% Daily Value for calcium

Ingredients: Cultured pasteurized nonfat milk, evaporated cane juice, blueberries, natural flavor, locust bean gum, pectin. Contains live active yogurt cultures (S. Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, L. casei).

vs.

Fage Greek Yogurt (blueberry/acai flavor), 5.3 oz

120 calories

0 g fat

18 g carbs

11 g protein

50 mg sodium

15% Daily Value for calcium

Ingredients: Grade A pasteurized skimmed milk, sugar, blueberries, water, acai puree, corn startch, natural flavors, lemon juice concentrate, xanthan gum. Contains live active yogurt cultures (L. Bulgaricus, S. thermophilus).

Advantage: Chobani.

Why? Frankly, they’re both pretty close health-wise. While Chobani has only 3 more grams of protein than Fage, I’ve found this combined with my morning cappuccino (adding more protein) keeps me full until lunch, all for less than 200 calories. Chobani also contains more strains of live and active cultures, which are “good” bacteria that keep our gut ad immune system healthy. Chobani also offers more calcium, which is especially great for women (though men need adequate amounts, too). And, I’ve found the taste of Chobani less puckery-sour and more mellow than Fage. Finally, both companies have Greek roots in their management and formulations, and both are produced in the U.S. (Fage is made/sold in Greece, but the U.S. version is made in America).

Ice cream...cones!

Ok, I realize I'm getting picky here, since cake-type ice cream cones are akin to Catholic mass communion wafers, which taste like they mixed tap water with dusty old flour and extruded it in some machine. Basically, they're minimal in calories and taste and shouldn't be cause for nutritional concern. However, my point of this blog is simply to make people aware that better options of favorite, common foods do exist -- so don't confine yourself to whatever mainstream food companies sell. Plus, those same companies listen to the collective masses and will reformulate products to be better in nutritional value. Vote with your fork!

As an aside, keeping cones in the house proves to be a helpful portion control tool for my ice cream indulgences. Amazing how long ice cream lasts when you don't eat it straight out of the container! ;)

Let's Do Organic Ice Cream Cones (per cone):

25 calories

5 gm carbs

0 gm fat

Ingredients: Organic Wheat Flour, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Palm Oil, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Soy Lecithin, Bicarbonate of Soda, Sea Salt.

vs.

Joy Cone Ice Cream Cones (per cone):

20 calories

5 gm carbs

0 gm fat

Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour (contains niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), tapioca flour, sugar, vegetable oil shortening (partially hydrogenated soybean oil, partially hydrogenated canola oil, and/or corn oil), leavening (sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate), salt, natural flavor, annatto (color).

Advantage: Let's Do Organic cones

Why? I favor products where the ingredients are more "real" and do not include excess ingredients and artificial stuff like partially hydrogenated oils--because OBVIOUSLY it's not necessary to include. If the Let's Do Organic brand can do it (and look/taste identical to the comp), why can't Joy Cone?

Frozen burritos

One of the great convenience foods of all time, frozen burritos are a time-saver and can be a nutritious meal in a pinch. I keep a few in the corporate kitchen at work and at home. My new fave? PJ's Organic Skinny Burrito. Here's how it compares with another frozen burrito -- yet I swear, it's so tasty and filling, you won't miss the fat and calories!

PJ's Organic Skinny Burrito
310 calories
55 gm carbs
15 gm protein
2 gm fat
4 gm fiber

Ingredients: TORTILLA: (organic unbleached wheat flour, water, organic canola oil, sea salt, baking powder (calcium acid phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, modfied cornstarch)). FILLING: (organic brown rice, organic black beans, organic cooked white chicken meat, organic tomatoes, water, organic green peppers, organic red bell peppers, organic low fat cheddar cheese (organic milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, annatto (for color)), sea salt, organic garlic powder, organic chili powder, organic cumin).

vs.

PJ's Organic Traditional Chicken Burrito
380 calories
65 gm carbs
16 gm protein
6 gm fat
4 gm fiber

Ingredients: TORTILLA: (organic unbleached wheat flour, water, organic canola oil, sea salt, baking powder (calcium acid phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, modified cornstarch)). FILLING: (organic cooked white chicken meat, organic black beans, water, organic white short grain rice, organic tomato paste, organic onion, organic cheddar cheese (organic milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, annatto (for color)), organic Monterey Jack cheese (organic milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), organic corn starch, organic green pepper, sea salt, organic cilantro, organic chili powder, organic cumin, organic vinegar).

Advantage: PJ's Organic Skinny Burrito

Why? While they're both organic, the skinny burrito has less fat, calories and carbs for the same taste. So I say, if it tastes the same, why not save calories where you can? Plus, I'd rather get my daily fat from healthy fats like olive oil, avocados or nuts. Or dark chocolate. :)

Pretzels

Ok, I realize pretzels have been around for hundreds of years, and hold culinary prominence in German and other European cultures. But it seems like pretzels are having a resurgence in the marketplace right now. I see more and more pretzel shape variations (sticks, twists, snaps, nibblers, and chips, to name a few), flavors (seeded, sourdough, parmesan, ranch, peanut butter, etc.), and even see pretzel bread popping up in sandwich shops, the deli section of grocery stores and in bakeries. They're so abundant, I couldn't help but notice them on my recent shopping trip. In the mood for something crunchy, I perused the pretzel section and found a really great product--which I think is healthier than a popular brand. However, pretzels are still dry pieces of baked grains--and both will have you uttering the infamous phrase, "these pretzels are making me thirsty!"

Snyder's of Hanover Wheat & Oat Bran sticks (1 oz)

110 calories

21 g carbs

4 g protein

3 g fiber

1.5 g fat

100 mg sodium

Ingredients: Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Organic Oat Flour and Oat Bran, Organic Blue Agave Syrup, Organic Expeller-Pressed Hi-Oleic Sunflower Oil, Salt, Organic Chia Seeds, Yeast, Sodium Bicarbonate.

vs.

Rold Gold Classic Style Rods (1 oz)

110 calories

22 g carbs

3 g protein

1 g fiber

1 g fat

610 mg sodium

Ingredients: Enriched Flour, Corn Oil, Salt, Corn Syrup, Yeast, Malt Extract, Sodium Bicarbonate, and Ammonium Bicarbonate.

Advantage: Snyder's of Hanover.

Why? Snyders' version uses agave as the sweetener (a lower glycemic sweetener than white sugar, from the agave plant), adds chia seeds (high in essential fatty acids and consumed by the Tarahumara in Mexico--some of the world's greatest runners), and is high in protein and fiber from the nutritious organic wheat and oat bran. Rold Gold, on the other hand, has six times more sodium, less protein and fiber. One of Rold Gold's main ingredients is the pro-inflammatory omega 6-rich corn oil and another is the controversial and refined sweetener corn syrup. Corn oil and corn syrup are undesirable ingredients with respect to human health, but also carry negative political and environmental issues. For more info on that, I highly recommend Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma.

Energy gels

If you do cardio for over an hour, consuming carbs helps you perform well for the rest of your workout. After an hour of continuous work by your body, your muscles go, "uh, whoa! Running low on energy over here!" So filling your tank gives you an instant blood sugar boost and feeds those hungry muscles. Muscles stop their griping and get a sort of 'second wind.' As I train for a 1/2 marathon, I rely on energy gel packets that are easy to carry while running. Years ago I used the GU brand and thought that was the only kind available. After looking at the ingredients, I wasn't too happy. So, I searched and quickly realized there are a few other brands with similar products and one has a better nutrition profile:

Clif Shot (Chocolate flavor) - 1 packet
100 calories
25 gm carbs
0 gm protein
0.5 gm fat

40 mg sodium

60 mg potassium

2% DV for magnesium

Sugar source: brown rice syrup

Caffeine: 0 mg

Ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Cocoa Powder, Chocolate Liquor, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Magnesium Oxide.

vs.

GU Energy Gel (chocolate flavor) - 1 packet

100 calories
20 gm carbs
0 gm protein
2 gm fat (1 g saturated)
40 mg sodium

40 mg potassium

0% DV for magnesium

100% DV for vitamin C

100% DV for vitamin E

Sugar source: maltodextrin & fructose

Caffeine: 20 mg

Ingredients: Maltodextrin (glucose polymers), filtered water, fructose, Unsweetened Belgian Chocolate, GU amino blend, (Leucine, Valine, Histidine, Isoleucine), GU antioxidant blend (Natural Vitamin E and Vitamin C), Potassium and Sodium citrate, Calcium carbonate, Sea salt, Citric acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Fumeric acid, GU herbal blend [chamomile, cola nut (has caffeine), ginger], Malic acid, Calcium Chloride, Pectin.

Advantage? Clif Shot

Why? Clif Shots contain over 90% organic ingredients, and the source of carbs is closer to a real food. It has less unnecessary ingredients like amino acids, vitamins and preservatives. Not to be alarmist, but there's some evidence that combining sodium benzoate and vitamin C (as in GU gels) together creates a compound called benzene, which has been classified as a human carcinogen. I'm not sure at what level it does this, but it's curious that in 2008, Coca-Cola decided to phase out sodium benzoate in their soft drinks and a number of consumer watchdog groups and health organizations are taking note. So why would it be in an athlete's food, then? I raised this question with the folks at GU, and heard from their technical guy that they're aware of this potential and responded that "in the past we have had our packets of GU energy gel tested for the presence of benzene and the results revealed that there was no benzene based on the limits of detection." That made me feel better about consuming GU, but since I found a preservative-free, mostly organic, less-ingredient version (that tastes better), I figure I'll stick with Clif Shot. If I need to use GU, I'll make sure it hasn't been exposed to heat or light, which are what speed up the formation of benzene.

Mmm, beer...

Is beer a "food"? To some it is. I say since it provides some nutrients (B vitamins, protein and carbs) it can be classified a 'food.' Shoot, some people can live off of it--for a little while, at least. If you can tolerate the low-calorie beers, and are at a bar (or store) that offers many choices, there are two with less calories than another (even though they're all considered "light"). Ok, so this is a no-brainer. But that's helpful when you drink a lot of beer!

Budweiser Select 55 (12 0z)

55 calories

1.9 gm carbs

0.5 gm protein

0 gm fat

2.4% alcohol by volume

or

MGD 64 calorie beer (12 oz)

64 calories

2.4 gm carbs

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2.8% alcohol by volume

vs.

Amstel Light beer (12 oz)

93 calories

5 gm carbs

0 gm protein

3.5% alcohol by volume

Advantage: Budweiser Select 55 or MGD 64

Why? These two new ultra-low calorie beers are great substitutes for regular or even light beer like Amstel Light--whether you're having one beer with dinner, or a few rounds with friends. In the latter case, one could save up to almost 300 calories! Not that I ever drank that much...

Chicken Noodle Soup

Hey, it's still officially winter so I can write about soup :) This warm meal has become one of my favorite, easy dinners. It's also great when I don't feel like a heavy meal in the evening but still need a meal that offers decent, balanced nutrition. Besides, when else can you get a semi-homemade, quick, healthy, hot meal for just a couple of bucks?

Muir Glen Organic Chicken Noodle Soup (1 can, or about 2 cups)

180 calories

22 g carbs

14 g protein

2 g fiber

4 g fat

960 mg sodium

Ingredients: Organic chicken broth, organic carrots, organic chicken meat, organic egg noodles, organic celery. Less than 1% of water, sea salt, organic corn starch, organic chicken flavor, organic chicken fat, organic onion powder, organic soy protein concentrate, organic egg white powder, organic onion/natural flavors/black pepper/garlic powder/chives, organic yeast extract, organic cane juice, organic parsley flakes/turmeric, natural flavor, organic tomato paste, organic thyme/rosemary/carrot powder, organic potato flour, organic canola oil.

vs.

Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup - condensed (1 can, or about 2 cups)

150 calories

20 g carbs

8 g protein

2 g fiber

5 g fat

2,225 mg sodium

Ingredients: Chicken stock, enriched egg noodles, cooked chicken meat, water. Contains less than 2% of salt, chicken fat, cooked chicken, monosodium glutamate, cornstarch, onion powder, modified food starch, yeast extract, spice extract, soy protein isolate, sodium phosphates, chicken flavor, dehydrated garlic, beta carotene for color.

Advantage: Muir Glen

Why? Uh, holy Campbell's sodium! It's only 175 mg away from providing 100% of the Daily Value for salt in just one can. Sure, Muir Glen's version is still fairly high (40% of the DV), but if you are going to eat chicken noodle soup, Muir Glen is the way to go. Besides, this version is over 95% organic with better-for-you ingredients, provides more protein, and oh yeah--tastes homemade, too. Campbell's has undesirable ingredients like MSG (headache, anyone?). I'll take the medical condition-free version, please.

Chocolate pudding

Sometimes I just want a little something sweet after lunch or dinner to "complete" my meal. Ice cream usually comes to mind, but given its high calorie load, I've found that one of these creamy, thick pudding cups squashes that high-fat craving, and saves me hundreds of calories. Here's one brand I like that just came out with a better-for-you version of pudding cups:

Kozy Shack Simply Well dark chocolate pudding (4 oz)
100 calories
17 gm carbs
4 gm protein
3 gm fiber
1.5 gm fat
10% calcium
10% vitamin D

Ingredients: Lowfat milk (vitamin A and D), sugar, modified tapioca starch, cocoa powder, inulin (natural dietary fiber), natural colors and flavors, salt, cocoa extract, carrageenan, vitamin E acetate.

vs. 

Jell-O chocolate pudding (4 oz), 100-calorie packs
100 calories
22 gm carbs
2 gm protein
0 gm fiber
1.5 gm fat 
10% calcium
0% vitamin D

Ingredients: Skim milk, water, sugar, modified food starch, cocoa processed with alkali, less than 1.5% of hydrogenated vegetable oil, salt, sodium stearoyl lactylate, sodium alginate, calcium phosphate, natural and artificial flavor, artificial color, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D.

Advantage: Kozy Shack

Why? They're both the same calories, but Jell-O's version is full of junk ingredients (artificial flavors, colors, hydrogenated oil, and hard-to-pronounce unnecessary ingredients). Conversely, Kozy Shack's cups offer less carbs, more fiber and protein. Why does Jell-O need to add all of those crappy ingredients when one brand can produce a better-tasting, better-for-you treat?