KTK-Nutrition

Who doesn’t like some left over Halloween candy?   My husband showed me an article about the “best and worst Halloween candies” apparently ranked by dietitians.   The article was interesting and we will give some highlights.   I don’t expect Halloween candy or any candy to be healthy.   But, if it has some chocolate, there is some nutritional value to chocolate.   And nuts – say hello to peanut M&M’s or PayDays.   Candies that contains some chocolate and/or nuts at least provide some nutritional value.   Read about what candies dietitians rated the highest and why. How do two dietitians rank some popular Halloween candy?   Dietitian 1 Ranked the top 3 as: PayDay - one of my favorites.   Ranked number 1 because it contains peanuts.   This candy bar actually provides some protein, up to 7 grams depending on the size you buy.   And surprising for a candy, PayDay provides some fiber, about 2 grams.   One of these candy ...

Who doesn’t like some fresh fruit?   My husband brought home a watermelon this week.   It was summer sweet.   All kinds of fruit will soon be coming your way as summer approaches; strawberries ripened on the vine, cherries from Washington, blueberries from Michigan.   Not only is fruit delicious it is super healthy, low in fat and low in calories.   Consumer Reports has an excellent article on 100 calorie summer fruits (June 2018) and 100 calorie picnic foods .    If you are going on summer picnics or barbeques soon, read what a 100-calorie serving of barbeque foods look like.    Enjoy some 100-calorie fruit:   most fruit is so low in calories that you can eat a handful or more and enjoy a number of servings throughout the day.   Yes, fruit has “sugar” but this is the natural sugar, fructose.   It is the “added sugar” that we should be cutting back on, not the natural sugar in fruit.   Some people mistakenly believe f...

Last week we discussed five diet pitfalls you may be making.     Here are four more diet pitfalls to be aware of.   These are from   9 Things You Should Never Do When Starting a Diet .    If you are trying to take off a few pounds, be aware of some diet mistakes you might be making.   As I noted last week, so many people start a diet, then go “off” the diet.   Rather the focus should be on changing your eating habits and your exercise habits. It is a lifestyle change to a healthier you.     Change your habits and you can be a healthier you.     Diet Tips – Don’t make these mistakes (continued): Mistake #6 – Don’t Keep your Diet Goals a Secret Hiding your “diet” from everyone may actually make it harder to stick to it.   Go out to eat and your friends will keep asking you to “have another bite” or let’s try a dessert.   Get a “diet buddy” or an “exercise buddy” to help you stick to your action plan.   W...

Thinking of taking off a few pounds before you put on the swim suit?   What are some diet pitfalls to avoid? A recent article, 9 Things You Should Never Do When Starting a Diet , offers a few tips.   Many people start a diet, lose some weight, only to have the weight come back when they go “off”   the diet.   The old, bad habits return and then the weight returns.    Diet Tips – Don’t make these mistakes:         Mistake #1 – Don’t set a Diet Start Date Have you ever heard someone say, “Next week I start my new diet”.   That just gives them the excuse to eat what they want until next week or whatever start date they set.   So the person gains more weight they have to lose once they do start on their diet regimen. Mistake#2:   Giving Up all the Treats All of us have heard someone say, “I ate the cookie and I blew my diet.”   Enjoy that cookie, it doesn’t ruin your diet.   People who cut ...

With the holidays in full swing, most of us will be enjoying plenty of food and treats.   As we are out and about and hosting parties and meals, we can choose foods and drinks that are gut busters or have fun but make some healthier choices.   Just making some modifications in what we order can influence how many calories we are packing in. Thirsty? – stopping at Starbucks for some caffeine?   Coffee actually has a number of nutritional benefits as does tea.   It is what is added to the coffee that can do one in.   The Center for Science in the Public Interest recently evaluated the Starbucks Venti White Chocolate Mocha made with 2% milk and whipped cream on top.   They compared it to a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder and noted the Venti was actually worse nutritionally than the quarter pounder.   Why?   Perhaps because of the 580 calories and 13 teaspoons of added sugar.    If you want the Venti, then choose to modify it by asking for ...