Favorite Football Snacks Week 8: Salsa Con Queso

Salsa con queso aka nacho cheese dip. Also known as just queso in certain circles. A great way to add some flare to your usual chips and salsa routine. It's essentially cheese and salsa mixed together. So it can't be that bad. Unless we remember that real cheese doesn't melt like that... And is cheese really that color?

Tostito's Medium Salsa con Queso

THE GOOD: There is real cheese in it! And vegetables!

THE BAD: This one has 2.5 grams of fat per serving. Which is only 2 Tablespoons. Which is about 4 chips the way I dip. It also has 1 gram of saturated fat per serving (4% of your daily value). It contains 40 calories per serving and 25 calories from fat.

THE UGLY: With real cheese comes heavy preservatives and fillers. A lot of them.

Notes About the Ingredients:

-Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)- a flavor enhancer lower in sodium than table salt. Frequently blamed for side effects, but research data shows little evidence for these

-Sodium Hexametaphosphate- preservative; generally recognized as safe my the FDA, but amounts are limited and regulated; completely chemically derived

-Yellow 5 & 6- Man made; "derived primarily from petroleum and coal sources"(http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/Consumer Updates/ucm048951.htm); there is a known but uncommon allergy to Yellow 5

-Datem-diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono and diglycerides; emulsifier; generally excepted as safe manufactured through chemical synthesis

-Modified Corn Starch: Primarily used as a filler and thickener. "Modified starch, also called starch derivatives, are prepared by physically, enzymatically, or chemically treating native starch to change its properties" Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modified_starch

-maltodextrin- a glucose based sugar produced from starch (corn); also used as a thickener

THE VERDICT: D- The preservatives are similar to those in onion dip. On the plus side there are trace amounts of vegetables in these! I'll stick to guacamole if I want to punch up my chips and salsa.

Trader Joe's Queso Cheese Dip

THE GOOD: There is real cheese in it! Also, this product is very low in fat and calories. There are 0 grams of fat per serving and 15 calories per serving. You can eat the whole jar without exceeding 2000 calories. (Not that I recommend that).

THE BAD: "Cheese blend"- it contains real cheese, but it's full of fillers- food starches, sugars, stabilizers.

THE UGLY: Despite the fact that this brand uses only "natural" preservatives and additives, there are still just as many of these present in this brand to maintain texture and freshness.

 

Some notes about the ingredients:

- calcium chloride- a salt and firming agent; generally recognized as safe; generally prohibited in organic crop production

- lactose and dextrose- natural sugars

-annatto- natural food coloring; derived from the seeds of the achiote tree;slight risk of allergic reaction

- xantham gum- derived from the fermentation of lactose, glucose, and sucrose; used as thickening agent and stabilizer

-maltodextrin- a glucose based sugar produced from starch (corn); also used as a thickener

-Modified Corn Starch: Primarily used as a filler and thickener. "Modified starch, also called starch derivatives, are prepared by physically, enzymatically, or chemically treating native starch to change its properties" Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modified_starch

The Verdict: C-/ D+ Even with "natural" processing and "natural" preservatives it's clear that it takes a lot of additives to make "nacho cheese." Even the color is fake, and there are more filler ingredients than actual cheese.

Favorite Football Snacks Week 6: Pizza Rolls

Okay. These things are pretty tasty, and super easy to just throw in the oven (or even microwave if you are too impatient) and call a party snack. Clearly, these are junk food. But maybe you tell yourself they have most of the food groups in them? Like, the tomato sauce is a fruit, the pepperoni is protein, there's dairy in the cheese, and there's bread! Well...let's look at what is actually in these suckers.


Totino's Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
THE GOOD: They contain 6 grams of protein? There are some added vitamins and minerals?

THE BAD: They are high in saturated fat and sodium. They are full of chemical preservatives (sodium nitrate, TBHQ, artificial flavors and colors).

THE UGLY: "Mozzarella Cheese Substitute" has 22 ingredients, only one of which is a dairy product.

A Few Notes About the Ingredients:
-rennet casein- a milk product obtained by curdling the milk with rennet; help cheese melt
-modified corn starch-
-sodium aluminum phosphate- inorganic compound made of alumina, phosphoric acid, and sodium hydroxide; leavening agent; used in cheese production
-vital wheat gluten- the gluten only component of wheat; adds protein; makes dough rise higher
-potassium chloride- used as an alternative to table salt, frequently combined with table salt; used as a flavor enhancer, toxic in high quantities (usually not through digestion) can cause cardiac arrest if injected
-potassium sorbate- usually manufactured synthetically; commonly used as a mold and yeast inhibitor; high concentrations in vitro have mutagenic affects
-citric acid- organic acid found in citrus fruit; a flavoring and preservative or acidifier
-titanium dioxide- a naturally occurring metal used for food coloring; controversial in use as some studies show it is carcinogenic (http://www.ccohs.ca/headlines/text186.html)
-maltodextrin- a glucose based sugar produced from starch; also used as a thickener
-magnesium oxide, zinc oxide- these are added minerals that do not naturally occur in the food itself
-cellulose powder- naturally source from wood or plant fibers; used as an anti-caking or filling agent (http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703834804576300991196803916)
-Canola Oil- Canadian Oil Low Acid- actually rapeseed oil, commonly genetically modified
-Defatted Soy Flour- flour from soy beans containing less than 1 percent oil
-Methlycellulose- a multipurpose food additive (thickener, fat replacer) cellulose fibers "are heated with a caustic solution and treated with methyl chloride, yielding the methyl ether of cellulose" according to Dow industrials (http://pharmaandfood.dow.com/en/food-solutions/products/methocel)
-TBHQ- tertiary butylhydroquinone- an organic compound and antioxidant; may be carcinogenic in large amounts controlled by the FDA for safety

THE VERDICT: To quote one of my professors from college, "F- -." It is my belief that this product should not be consumed by any health conscious person. The cheese pizza rolls are actually less scary than the ones with meat in them.

Source: General Mills Website

Amy's Organics Cheese Pizza Snacks

THE GOOD: Organic vegetables and wheat plus 9 grams of protein. No preservatives and 25% of your daily calcium intake.

THE BAD: High in sodium (440mg).

THE UGLY: They aren't quite as tasty as the artificial ones...

A Few Notes About The Ingredients:
baking powder- baking soda plus starch; a leavening agent

THE VERDICT: B- Higher in fat and sodium than healthy food, but clearly the healthy alternative to this junk food! Also kids really like them!

Source: Amy's Organics Website

Favorite Football Snacks Week 5: Guacamole

So, I was bad and missed a week! Let's pick up week 5 with a bit of a healthier football favorite: guacamole!

The good: Avacados are nutrient powerhouses! Avocados are a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, and Potassium! Also, (surprise!) major guacamole brands have very few preservatives. Wholly Guacamole uses no preservatives. Sabra brand uses Absorbic Acid.

The Bad: Let's talk fat and calories. One serving of guacamole packs about 45-60 calories and 4-5 grams of fat. However, these are those "good fats" or monounsaturated fats we hear about in fairy tales. They exist! 

The Ugly: I don't recommend guacamole or avocados for people with weight loss goals. When doing weight loss every calorie counts. So if you are calorie crunching, stick to chips and salsa.

Source: Sabra Classic Guacamole

A few notes about the ingredients:
Ascorbic Acid- an organic compound and antioxidant; a form of Vitamin C

The Verdict: A- Other than the fat content and high calories, guacamole  is pretty much a nutrition win!

Source: Wholly Guacamole

BONUS:: My healthy, easy (and low calorie) Five Layer Taco Dip

Ingredients: 

- guacamole

-fat free refried black beans

- salsa or pico de gallo

- fat free plain yogurt

- cumin

- shredded cheese

1. Layer each ingredient: guacamole, beans (I recommend heating the black beans slightly, without letting them get hot), then salsa.

2. Mix cumin and yogurt together into a bowl. Layer on top of salsa.

3. Sprinkle cheese on top.

4. Refrigerate. 

Favorite Football Snacks Week 3: Onion Dip (Part 2)

So last week I focused on major brands of store bought onion dip. At the conclusion of the article, I discussed that most store bought onion dips a riddled with fillers, preservatives, stabilizers, and other things you don't want in your body.

This week we are looking at alternatives to store-bought brands. First up we have onion dip the way my mother made it, using Lipton's Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix.

THE GOOD: By mixing your own dip you have control of the dairy aspect of the dip. You can use full fat sour cream, low-fat sour cream, or even plain yogurt. You have the option of controlling the calorie content.

THE BAD: High sodium content. Most of these pre-packaged soup mixes are more salt than any other flavor (tip: ingredients on nutrition labels are listed in order of quantity of ingredients). In this case, salt is the second most abundant ingredient. The good news is the facts on the nutrition are listed for the mix itself, they are not based on the mix once mixed with another substance. However, the serving size of onion dip was 3 Tbsp per serving, and the mix serving size is 1 Tbsp which is fairly close to a proper serving ratio.

Just one serving of the onion dip contains 25% of your daily value. If you were to consume the packet in one serving, you would be getting 200% of your daily sodium intake.

THE UGLY: Those sneaky fillers and preservatives are still there! Cornstarch, MSG, and all those things you hoped to avoid by making your "homemade" dip are still hidden in the mix. The mix also contains caramel coloring.

A few notes about the ingredients:
Cornstarch- a filler and thickener; made from a corn using water- no harsh chemicals used
Autolyzed Yeast Extract- Flavor enhancer; yeast broken down to protein form
Caramel Color- "natural" coloring made by heating carbohydrates, often using sulfite or ammonium compounds
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil- aka Trans fat; Products do not have to list trans fats below 1g, though most products containing any type of partially hydrogenated oils contain trace amounts of trans fats
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)- a flavor enhancer lower in sodium than table salt; Frequently blamed for side effects, but research data shows little evidence for these.
Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate-  used together under the name of disodium 5' ribonucleotides; frequently used with MSG; often derived from fish; flavor enhancer; should be avoided by people with gout, uric acid kidney stones, and asthma
sulfur dioxide- at base level a toxic gas; used as an antioxidant; can cause allergic reactions to people with "sulfite" sensitivities and asthmatics

THE VERDICT: F; The only upside to this "homemade" solution is calorie control. However, there are more chemical ingredients than real ingredients in this mix, and the sodium levels are through there roof.

Favorite Football Snacks: Week 2 Onion Dip (Part 1)

Anyone who knows me knows my love of onion dip. In high school my diet consisted of onion dip and chicken fingers. So it only seems appropriate to feature this snack food. A lot of the nutrition for onion dip is very similar to that of ranch dip.

There are a lot of different onion dips on the market, so this week we are focusing on store bought onion dip. Next week we will talk about homemade alternatives.

First up we have:
Dean's French Onion Dip, Frito-Lay Onion Dip, and Heluva Good French Onion Dip

I'm lumping all three together because nutritionally they are all very similar although each uses different ingredients.

 THE GOOD: Um...is there really anything good. Dean's and Heluva Good have some calcium.

THE BAD: This is not a low calorie/low fat food. Dean's and Helluva good have fairly high levels of saturated fat. (Fruit lay brand has more filler than dairy= lower fat but less dairy). When you see how low the nutrient value is- do you really want to waste that many calories? (And we didn't even talk about the calories from the chips!)

THE UGLY: The fillers, stabilizers, emulsifiers, etc. These things are full of crap. All three have Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and modified food starch. The shelf life on these guys is way too long. Some of the fillers are put in to reduce the caloric load of the dairy. The amount of processed food stuffs and chemical compounds in Dean's and Frito Lay Brands are terrifying!

THE VERDICT: Dean's and Frito Lay each get a solid F. Little to no nutrient value, saturated fat, and indigestible preservatives. It may taste good, but it's not worth it. Helena Good gets an F+ for having slightly less chemical additives. 

A Few Notes About Ingredients:

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)- a flavor enhancer lower in sodium than table salt. Frequently blamed for side effects, but research data shows little evidence for these. 

Modified Food Starch: Primarily used as a filler and thickener. "Modified starch, also called starch derivatives, are prepared by physically, enzymatically, or chemically treating native starch to change its properties" Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modified_starch

 

Dean's Onion Dip:

Hydrolyzed Protein- protein that is broken down to its core 

amino acids. Commonly derived from boiling in strong acid (like sulfuric acid) or strong base. (Ew!)

Sodium Hexametaphosphate- preservative; generally recognized as safe my the FDA, but amounts are limited and regulated; completely chemically derived

Locust Bean Gum and Guar Gum- naturally derived thickening and gelling agent; may cause some gastrointestinal issues in large quantities but safe.

Soy Lecithin- emulsifier and stabilizer; derived from soy plants but low allergy risk; also used as a supplement a good source of choline; generally regarded as safe; may contain GMOs

Carrageenan- thickener and gelling agent; naturally derived from seaweed; generally regarded as safe; may cause gastrointestinal issues

Yellow 5 & 6- Man made; "derived primarily from petroleum and coal sources"(http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/Consumer Updates/ucm048951.htm); there is a known but uncommon allergy to Yellow 5

Frito-Lay Onion Dip:

Hydrolyzed Protein (Gluten), Artificial Color -see above

Acetic Acid and Citric Acid- usually naturally derived, generally harmless

Sodium Ascorbate- antioxidant; derived from ascorbic acid; generally safe; created by dissolving ascorbic acid in water with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) as the catalyst

Yeast Extract- similar to MSG, flavor enhancer (essentially vegemite)

Canola Oil- is an oil derived from the rapeseed plant; frequently genetically modified

Datem-diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono and diglycerides; emulsifier; generally excepted as safe manufactured through chemical synthesis

Heluva Good French Onion Dip:

Potassium Sorbate- synthetically derived by neutralizing sorbic acid and potassium hydroxide; inhibits mold and yeast growth; safe in regulated levels

AND NOW...

The "all natural" Trader Joe's Carmelized Onion Dip.

As the name of the product should indicate the "carmelized" onion dip has a bit of a sweeter taste than the other brands, but this is the only "healthy" brand I've liked so far- and it's about half the price of the other "healthy" dips.

THE GOOD: No artificial colors or flavors and no preservatives. 

THE BAD: Less additives equals more fat and calories. Trader Joe's brand is 70 calories per serving size, versus the 60 calories of the other three brands. It's also void of many of the flavor enhancers of the other brands, and therefore contains a lot of sodium to aid flavor. One serving contains 10% of daily sodium value.

THE UGLY:  Still contains many naturally sourced additives (xanthan, carob bean, and guar gum; modified corn starch, yeast extract). 

INGREDIENTS:

(note: I am skipping ingredients I have previously discussed during this article)

Cultured Dextrose: a preservative derived of fermented sugars; uses "good bacteria" to inhibit mold growth; still under study by the FDA

THE VERDICT: The Trader Joe's dip gets a "D" rating. While not full of artificial fillers and additives, it still has many "natural additives" and high fat, saturated fat, and sodium content.

Favorite Football Snacks- Week #1: Buffalo Sauce

So today is the first NFL game of the season! In honor of my favorite sport to watch on TV, I'm beginning a new series that breaks down a bit of nutritional information on our favorite Football snacks.

The number one football snack among my friends seems to be Buffalo Chicken Dip. Most people make there own dip, so I decided to break it down to the primary ingredient- buffalo sauce.

What the heck is buffalo sauce?

Basically- Hot sauce, butter, and vinegar (no wonder it taste so good) and a few extra seasonings that vary per recipe.

So let's look at the most popular brand- Frank's Red Hot.

Source: Frank's Red Hot Website

THE GOOD: This is a low calorie, low fat sauce with very little additives. The vinegar is natural preservative. Homemade buffalo sauce tends to have butter (calories) and many add flour as a thickener (more calories). This product is gluten free and vegan.

THE BAD: This product has pretty high sodium levels. (This is a theme we will see through most of our favorite football snacks.) It also has no nutritional value.

THE UGLY: "Natural Butter Type Flavor." What the heck is this? After a couple searches, I'm no closer to an answer. According to Frank's reps it contain no dairy or animal products. Which leads most people online to jump to the conclusion that it is plant sourced. However, the term "natural" is not controlled by the FDA AND most chemicals are "naturally" sourced. However, it is deemed low concern by the FDA (http://www.ewg.org/foodscores/ingredients/7786-NaturalButterFlavor).

A few notes about the ingredients:
Canola oil- often genetically modified, this product does not have a no-GMO's label
Xantham Gum- a naturally derived stabilizer and thickener
Sodium Benzoate-  preservative (generally perceived to be harmless)

THE VERDICT: In the realm of processed food, I'd give this sauce an A-/B+. If you make your own sauce at home it will not be as low calorie due to the use of butter (why companies use imitations in the first place). If you want to take the extra time to cook your own buffalo sauce- go for it! But Frank's is a low fat option, and friendly to all those vegans out there (who probably won't be having buffalo chicken dip).

Pour some sugar on me...

During the summer, I teach musical theatre at a camp in Queens, New York. The first day of camp we went around the circle, and asked each kid to tell us their name, age, and one random fact about themselves. When my turn came-after omitting my age of course-I got to the fact part and blurted out, "I don't eat candy anymore." I heard several audible gasps from the circle. I added "except for dark chocolate" to calm the conversations. Several of the girls seemed to calm down a bit, especially the one whose interesting fact was, "I love chocolate."

It has been nearly two months since I've had any candy. As per my self-inflicted(?) dietary restrictions, I am allowed dark chocolate. In the past, I've found this very affective in curbing my sweet tooth. However, this has been the most dramatic overhaul of my diet to date, and sometimes even that doesn't help.

Here are a few highlights (and cheats) of this process:

-Salt cravings- During the first two weeks my body craved salt just as much as it craved sugar. This was a bit unexpected, but makes complete sense scientifically. I won't bore you with details- but there is a connection. I found myself really craving olives and pickles. 

- Bagels- So in my initial plan Bagels were out. Bagels contain a lot of sugar. But I found that there aren't a lot of non-sweet breakfast items that you can grab on your way to work. So the first couple weeks I let myself cheat on this, as I considered it the lesser evil over pastries. I also found that the sugar in the bagel really helped curve cravings, while still not giving in to my desire to eat something sweet. After the first two weeks, the need for a bagel subsided and I returned to my usual breakfast of fruit and protein (usually turkey bacon and eggs). I also added in real oatmeal- as opposed to the prepackaged sugar laden oatmeal of my childhood. I haven't fully adapted- I added a bit of agave, but meanly just flavor the oatmeal with cinnamon and nutmeg. Yum!

- Artificial Sweetners- Many people replace sugar with artificial sweeteners when they reduce or eliminate sugar from their diets. This was never a viable option- I do not allow artificial sweeteners in my diet. The point of reducing sugar in my diet is to improve my health. Adding chemicals to my diet would be counterproductive. I'm so strict in my no artificial sweeteners rule that I won't chew gum with artificial sweeteners.

-Caffiene- My original plan was to eliminate sugar and caffiene at the same time. Of course, this was a terrible idea. Both sugar and caffiene have addictive properties. The rule with breaking addiction is one at a time. So caffiene stayed away for about 4 days. However, I have been brewing my own tea from home to prevent myself from buying tea with any added sugar.

- Cheats- I'm not perfect and I do cheat. My goal was to not punish myself for cheats, but to acknowledge and keep track of them. This level of accountability has helped a lot. I allowed ysef to enjoy a cupcake at a party after the first week. Two weeks ago, my need for sugar was intense- I stood in a deli analyzing the sugar content of every cookie there. I finally settled for Pepperidge Farm Chessmen- which only have 5-6 grams of sugar per serving. Everything else had 10+. But overall I'm really impressed at the low number of cheats I've had in the past two months.

- Energy- In the last couple months I felt a huge energy drop. One of my hopes was that after a few weeks withput sweets my energy would balance. This, sadly, is yet to happen. This may be linked to the caffiene dependence, so that will be the next step.

The next step
So now that I've successfully reduced my sugar intake, although I'm definitely still in the process, my next step is maintenance. What cheats do I allow myself in the future? How often can you cheat without inducing a habit? Of course the best option is to not cheat, but I would like to occasionally have a cupcake for a birthday, etc. For now my resolution is to allow a few chests in the cookie/cupcake realm, but stand fast by the candy. The real challenge for me will be around Christmas, when my seasonal job tends to amplify my sweet tooth, and free treats are all around!