High Fructose Corn Syrup - Good or Bad

A friend just emailed me a question about high fructose corn syrup. And I had to share my response with my naked Stretchers...so here it is...

I'm not a nutritionist, a doctor or a scientist. So take my opinion as just that, an opinion. I am no expert. I just know what feels right and healthy.

High fructose corn syrup - good or bad?

This is one that I waffle on a bit. I think most things in moderation are ok, however I am really, really leery of processed and engineered ingredients (i.e., high fructose corn syrup). I think that the long-term effects are yet to be determined. God intended us to eat real sugar that you find naturally in fruits, for example. So, the fake stuff is very questionable. I try to eat as cleanly as possible (fresh is best) and these days I am obsessed with reading labels. I do shy away from high fructose corn syrup. I actually prefer a label to read "sugar." At least I know that it is a real ingredient.

I like to go by the 5 ingredients or less buying rule. If it has more than that or has a bunch of things I can't pronounce in it, I don't want it. Now I do think it is nearly impossible to completely stay away from the stuff, but does it really need to be in crackers? Yep, I've found it on the ingredients list for some popular brand name crackers!

I'd avoid it as much as possible. Pure sugars aren't great but at least you know what it is. Opt for pure cane sugar whenever possible.

Wikipedia actually has some good info, including how HFCS is made. I don't want to eat anything that takes a lot of processing to create. Basically it is used because it's cheaper than sugar (high import taxes, etc.)

Here is a nice quote from the Center for Science for Public Interest: "High-fructose corn syrup starts out as cornstarch, which is chemically or enzymatically degraded to glucose and some short polymers of glucose. Another enzyme is then used to convert varying fractions of glucose into fructose...High-fructose corn syrup just doesn't exist in nature."

P.S. chemicals sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid are used in the manufacture of high-fructose corn syrup. Not to mention the higher links to obesity, liver disease and probably others yet to be identified.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-fructose_corn_syrup

Read those labels!

More Cost Effective Healthy Meals

I love games. I enjoy silly bridal shower games; you know like wrapping up the bride in toilet paper. I love board games - CandyLand is the best. I love anything that is kind of game related. In fact, I make cleaning my house a game. How fast can I clean the kitchen? Can I fold ten towels in less than two minutes? So this eating healthy and cheap is kind of a game...

Let me outline my next venture...

You know those roasted chickens at the grocery store? They are everywhere...



Well I bought one of those at Walmart...



I deboned it and deskinned it. Are those words?

I then made three dishes with it ...

Dish #1 - Enchiladas



Shred 1/3 of chicken, mix with chopped onions and pre-prepared salsa and a little reduced fat shredded cheese. Warm corn tortillas in microwave (wrap in wet paper towel to get them supple). Wrap up mixture in tortilla. Layer into pan. Cover with green enchilada sauce. Bake at 375 until everything is bubbly (about 20 minutes or so). Serve with a dollop of light sour cream. Plus I made black beans (again) earlier this week so I had some left to serve with the enchiladas.

Lots of leftovers for lunch!

Nutrition Facts: Calories: 345, Fat: 8 grams, Fiber: 9 grams

Dish #2 - Chicken Tacos



Create street tacos! Create a taco "treat tray" with some reduced fat shredded cheese, chopped red onions, cilantro, avocado slices and light sour cream on a plate. Pour out a bowl of salsa. Warm tortillas and chicken. Set out treat tray and create tacos. Make 'em light by using just a 1 TBS of cheese and sour cream per taco. Serving is two tacos.

Nutrition Facts: Calories: 450, Fat: 18 grams, Fiber: 9 grams


Dish #3 - Italian Pasta Power Salad



Makes an awesome and easy lunch. Cook whole wheat penne pasta. Toss with 1/3 of roasted chicken, light Italian salad dressing, parmesean cheese and chopped red onions. Chill for 30 minutes to an hour. 1 1/2 cup per serving.

Nutrition Facts: Calories: 355, Fat: 7 grams, Fiber: 8 grams

And how much did all that cost?

Roasted Chicken - $4.29
Tortillas - $1.19
Salsa - $.99
Enchilada sauce - $.49
Reduced Fat Cheese - $2.49 (only used a couple TBS, so I figure $.60)
Light sour cream - $2.19 (I only used a dollop per meal, so I figure that's really $1 worth)
Onion - $.99
Cilantro - $.50
Avocado - $.50
Whole Wheat Pasta - $1.89
Parmesean cheese - $2.59 (I only used 2 TBS, so really that is only $.50 worth)
Light Italian salad dressing - $1.29 (used 4 TBS, so only $.40 worth)

So three meals (four if you count the leftover enchiladas) for $15.72. Plus I still have a lot of the ingredients leftover for more meals! Love it!

P.S. You want to make sure that the roasted chicken is brought to an internal temperature of 165-degrees to avoid food borne illness. And it should be consumed within 48 hours of purchase.

Calories calculated by Livestrong app.

Keeping Tabs on Calories

I always talk about counting calories and how it is absolutely critical to lose and maintain weight. What's the best way to do that? Well there are some awesome iPhone apps and great websites that will help track and calculate this for you. And most of the below will also track your activity. They take all the guesswork out of tracking. It's a no-brainer!

The best part? You can search from lists of popular food items to calculate the calories for you. No more reading label after label and writing it all down. The databases have lots of foods, pre-packaged brand items and items from lots of restaurants.

Calories in vs. calories out = weight loss success

Here are the ones that I like...

Websites:
http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/ (This is the one I use. There is also an iPhone app)

http://www.fitday.com/

http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/

Apps
Lose It! (FREE)
FitClick
Calorie Tracker (FREE)

Now there is not excuse. Track, track, track!

Find me on Facebook

Find me on Facebook (Stretch Naked) where I post small nuggets of health and fitness info each day. You know you spend at least an hour on there each day "Facebook stalking" acquaintances and ex-boyfriends anyway. May as well get some tips along the way.

Eating Healthy on a Budget

I recently created a nutrition plan for an old co-worker friend of mine. She wanted to lose some weight and needed some guidance in the kitchen. Each week (for four weeks) I sent her a new 7-day meal plan with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options. I have done this a few times before, but this was the first time that I realized just how expensive it can be to eat healthy! All of those fresh ingredients, low-calorie items and lean meats/fishes can really add up. After week two my friend politely asked that before I sent another week that I try and create meal options with like items. You know if she uses feta cheese in one dish, could she use it in another the same week. Or if she buys a bag of spinach, can she use it more than once this week. She was spending a bundle at the grocery store. I was a little embarrassed that I hadn't thought of that...

Well, I worked to keep the grocery list down, while still keeping some variety and, of course keeping it fresh and healthy. And it was quite eye-opening how many ingredients were going into the meals that I was creating for her.

As we are on a budget at home with only Ad man working full-time, I have been cognizant of our menu (and all the costly ingredients that they call for). And, I'll be honest (and don't judge me please), we haven't been eating as healthy as I would like. I just felt like healthy things were a little too expensive. A frozen pizza or two might have made their way to our freezer, then into the oven and finally into our stomachs. It was easy. Blah!

But, after this nutrition-plan-eye-opening-experience thing I wondered how I could make healthy dishes without breaking the bank. And ya'll, you totally can! I created a menu for week's worth of dinners, lunches and breakfasts for under $50! This sort of includes food for Baby E. He is eating a lot of finger foods, but still some jarred foods. And, he eats mostly organic. Ok, so I will rephrase...I put together a week's worth of healthy meals for 2 1/2 people for under $50.

Well, my Naked Stretchers, would you believe me if I told you that tonight for dinner I made a meal for 3 (Baby Elvis included) for less than $5?

Seriously. And I didn't steal anything either.

Wanna know what I made?



That's right. Cornbread and beans. A little Southern, a whole lotta delicious. And yes, it was all low-fat!

Here's how I made it...

I followed the directions on a bag of black beans (boiling, soaking, rinsing, etc.) The bag will tell ya how to do it.



Then I simmered the beans for 2 hours with 1 jalapeno (finely chopped), 1 white onion (finely chopped), salt and pepper. I added a little more spice (paprika) and a couple sprigs of cilantro and simmered for another 30 minutes.



And there it is. A pot o'black beans. No oil, no bacon. Just good old fashioned beans and veggies.

For the cornbread, I got a box of Jiffy mix and used fat-free milk and 2 egg whites (which can be substituted for 1 egg). I sprayed a cast-iron skillet with olive oil cooking spray and baked for the specified time on the package.



Once the cornbread was done, I put one piece in a bowl, dumped a couple heaping ladles full of beans, and garnished with some cilantro and a dollop of light sour cream.

It was yummy, cheap and healthy.

Even Ad man thought it was delish. He of course doctored his up with several hits of hot sauce, guacamole, cheese and tortilla chips. But all of that just adds more cost (not to mention more precious calories).

Cost:
* Black beans – $1
* Jalapeno – $.32
* White Onion – $.89
* Salt & Pepper - doesn't count, because I had it in the cupboard
* Box of Jiffy cornbread mix - $.46
* Sour Cream – $1.88 (used a dollop for each, so figure that's about $.35 worth of the tub)
* Eggs – $2.89/dozen (I used two so that is $.48)
* Milk – $2.99/gallon (I used 1/3 cup, so I figure that's about $.30)

Total of $3.80

And I will use the other ingredients (sour cream, eggs and milk) throughout the week.

Oh and the calorie count: 372 calories and packed with f-f-fiber

Impressed? Well, better check back to see what I will make tomorrow night!