Category Archives: Food

What’s in YOUR Blueberry Muffin?

You’d think blueberries would be a sure thing in a blueberry muffin, right? I mean how else would you MAKE a blueberry muffin? But if you’re buying a box at the grocery store you may be surprised to find there is nary a blueberry inside!

Check out this ingredient label.

Or this one.

WHERE ARE THE BLUEBERRIES??? They’re not there! Instead, there are little bits made of sugar, corn syrup, starch, hydrogenated oil, artificial flavors and artificial food dyes including blue No. 2 and red No. 40 and a few others for good measure.

Here are the front labels from the boxes…note that they even TELL you on the FRONT of the BOX that they are “artificially flavored with imitation blueberries” or have “artificial blueberry bits.” But had you noticed? I’ll admit that I hadn’t!

Stop the madness.

Bake some muffins! Need a recipe? Try this one (you can use fresh blueberries or frozen). Or make these if you want them richer and butterier

If you must buy a box, then at least buy this brand or one of the others that has a can of real blueberries inside! Imagine that.

I have no issue with muffins. I promise. But I draw the line at imitation blueberry bits.

This entry was posted in All blog posts, Food, Recipes on March 26, 2013 by Cherylanne Skolnicki.

Low Sugar Greek Yogurt (as Fruit Dip or snack!)

Recently I shared a guest post from a client who was shocked by the sugar content in her daughter’s breakfast. Besides the orange juice and blueberry waffle, one of the culprits was the fruit yogurt she was serving. One easy way to dramatically reduce the sugar in that breakfast is to buy unsweetened Greek yogurt and to add your own sweetness. Stevia is a great choice because it’s a natural sweetener (made from the stevia plant) but has zero calories! And remember, Greek yogurt has 2x the protein of regular yogurt, too!

I usually buy the big container of yogurt and mix single serving size portions at a time. This recipe makes a great fruit dip or you can just eat a bowl of it as a snack! You can play with this recipe – sometimes I use almond extract instead of vanilla and omit the lemon juice. You can thin it out with a little milk and pour it over berries. You can stir in berries or some cereal for crunch. Use your imagination and then enjoy this guilt-free treat!

Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip

serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 – 6 oz. containers plain Greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon Stevia (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (adjust to taste – it can be strong)

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine yogurt, Stevia, vanilla, and lemon juice (if desired) in a small bowl. Mix well. Cover and chill for an hour or until ready to serve.

2. Serve with fruit. Suggestions: strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, grapes, melons, blue berries, and raspberries

This entry was posted in All blog posts, Featured on Home Page, Food, Recipes on March 22, 2013 by Cherylanne Skolnicki.

Nutella is not Peanut Butter (sad but true)

I know you love it. I love it, too. But please don’t kid yourself into thinking Nutella is a good substitute for peanut butter or almond butter when you’re making a healthy breakfast for yourself or your children.

The commercial alone makes me insane. The mom lovingly sends her family off for the day with a piece of toast slathered with Nutella….and a side of orange juice no less! Delicious? Yes. Nutritious? Not a chance.

Let’s look at the facts. And remember, back labels can’t lie because they are highly regulated. Front labels are another story altogether. So, first up, peanut butter. This is Jif Natural, which I chose because it’s a good mainstream brand.

A 2 Tbsp. serving of Jif Natural Peanut Butter has 190 calories, 7 grams of protein and 3 grams of sugar. Note that the first ingredient listed on the label is PEANUTS which means that the highest occurring ingredient in this jar (by weight) is peanuts. Not too shabby. Peanut butter is high in fat (16 grams per serving) but most of it is unsaturated which is the good kind.

Now… buckle up.

A 2 Tbsp. serving of Nutella has 200 calories, but only 2 grams of protein and a whopping 21 grams of sugar. TWENTY-ONE. And check out the first ingredient on the list. SUGAR. That means that MOST of the volume in this jar is sugar. Yes, it’s a little lower in fat than peanut butter at 12 grams per serving, but that’s only because sugar is naturally fat free and this stuff contains so much sugar. Besides, it’s actually HIGHER in saturated fat which is the kind you want to limit.

So, can you still buy Nutella? Absolutely. Just be honest with yourself and your kids and call it a TREAT (or a dessert, an indulgence, or a moment of pure bliss…) Let’s just not kid ourselves and call it a healthy breakfast. K?

This entry was posted in All blog posts, Featured on Home Page, Food, Lifestyle on March 20, 2013 by Cherylanne Skolnicki.