Archive for the ‘personal health’ Category

Healthier Fast Food Options

Monday, September 5th, 2011

Ten years ago someone would have looked at you crazy if you mentioned a healthy fast food option. Today, fast food chains need to offer a healthy choice if they want to compete for the business of health-conscious families. In many places, restaurants are required to list the ingredients and nutritional value of each menu item, giving the diner more control over what they eat. Some of the most popular chains have introduced new menus with healthier choices and other startup companies are looking to change the way we think about fast food completely.

Tips for making healthy choices

  • Scan the Menu: Go for the items with leaner meats and more vegetables. Stay away from fried and battered items; they have the highest amount of fat and calories by a long shot.
  • Free Water: America has a terrible soda habit, all too often opting for the super size meal with a large soda. Skip “making it a meal” unless side options include some fruit or a fresh salad, and trade out soda for a free cup of water. You will save yourself 500 calories (and a couple bucks) and hydrate instead of dehydrate in the process.
  • Salad Dressing: Most salads will automatically come with fatty dressings like ranch or creamy Caesar. Opt for a simple vinaigrette if available; by doing so, you’ll save yourself from a dose of saturated fat and get a heart-healthy serving of olive oil instead. If that’s not an option, just go light on the dressing—it’s not meant to drench the salad. Ordering a salad in the first place is a huge step in the right direction towards healthier fast food.
  • Chew Slowly: Fast food is easy to eat quickly and you are bound to eat more if you eat too fast. Chew your food slowly, enjoy every bite, and by the time you finish a couple small items you will feel as full as you would if you downed two big burgers. It takes your brain a little while to tell your stomach it’s full, so savor slowly and stop when you feel about 80% full – ten minutes later you’ll be glad you don’t feel bloated.
  • No Salt: Speaking of bloat, you can always ask for no salt on your food and decrease your overall sodium intake. There is no way to get completely around the sodium (and it’s fine in moderation) but making the choice to special order your food without it helps. Remember the saying, “where salt goes, water flows.” Too much salt causes you to retain water.

“Healthier” Menu Items for Kids (if you HAVE to eat fast food)

  • Subway’s Veggie Delite sandwich on whole wheat bread
  • Subway’s roast beef sandwich on whole wheat bread
  • Burger King’s macaroni and cheese
  • KFC’s grilled chicken drumstick
  • Sonic’s Junior burger
  • Chic-Fil-A’s char grilled chicken sandwich
  • Taco Bell’s Fresco bean burrito

5 Healthy Fast Food Restaurant Options
Note – SPARK does not endorse any of these restaurants and we believe preparing meals at home is the easiest way to ensure healthy eating. But we understand home-cooked meals are not always an option

  1. Panera Bread: The sit-down soup, sandwich, and salad joint only takes a second to have your food prepared but it comes out fresher and healthier than any other quick serving establishment. There isn’t a drive through, but you could probably get in and out of there just as fast as your local burger joint. Order a veggie sandwich with an apple on the side for a healthy meal (but even the potato chips are only 160 calories with 1 gram of saturated fat!).
  2. Noodles and Company: A healthy version of Asian fast food, and delicious at that. They use soybean oil for cooking, hormone- and antibiotic-free lean meats, and even organic tofu. The entire family will enjoy dining out at one of the healthiest restaurants available; but stay away from the calorie-rich desserts.
  3. Chipotle: Mexican food is a staple in many people’s diets but usually that involves fatty, carb-loaded, high-caloric meals. Chipotle put a new twist on the Mexican meal by serving up fresh ingredients with low-calorie, high-protein options. If you order the burrito bowl and skip the rice, you can cut a ton of the waist-unfriendly and blood-sugar spiking carbs (white flour tortilla, white rice) out of the meal and still feel satisfied. Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean you have to walk out of the restaurant hungry; Chipotle serves large portions. Black beans are a great source of protein and antioxidants, a good dollop of guacamole provides heart-healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and fresh salsa and romaine lettuce serve up a ton of vitamins and minerals.
  4. McDonald’s: Not many people expect America’s most popular fast food chain to make the top five list, but they have taken action in response to the increase in demand for healthier options. The kid’s meal now offers apple dippers instead of fries and juice instead of soda, giving your kids the fast food they want but at a much lower level of calories, sugar, and fat. The snack wraps and salad with Paul Newman vinaigrette dressing are great options for adults who are on the run. If you’re looking for breakfast, the Egg McMuffin (no sausage) has only 300 calories.
  5. In-N-Out: If you are lucky enough to live on in the West Coast of the U.S. you probably already know about the famous burger chain. All the ingredients are fresh and the potatoes are diced right in front of your eyes before being dipped in canola oil (a healthier choice of oil). They are some of the best tasting fast food burgers and have the highest amount of nutrients compared to other burgers. Order the hamburger without spread or cheese and add your own portion of ketchup for sauce if you want the menu item with the least amount of calories. The little-known “secret menu” includes a grilled cheese (for those avoiding red meat, but it still comes with all the veggies) and a burger sans bun, wrapped in crispy lettuce instead.

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3 Nutrition Questions Answered…

Monday, September 13th, 2010
1. What are the best snacks for kids to help them sustain their energy levels all day?

The best snacks for sustaining energy levels are ones that combine complex carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits or vegetables, with some lean protein such as nuts or cheese, and a little bit of fat to enhance taste and satiety.

Healthy Kids Challenge Top 10 Healthy Snack Choices

  1. ½ cup fresh fruit – with low-fat yogurt dip
  2. ½ cup vegetables – with low-fat dressing dip
  3. 5 whole grain crackers – with salsa or bean dip
  4. 1 cup whole grain cereal – with 8 oz. skim milk
  5. 3 cups popcorn – with 1 oz. nuts (10 almonds or 15 peanuts)
  6. 1 oz. low-fat cheese – with 1 thin slice lean meat and whole grain roll
  7. 8 oz. fat-free flavored yogurt – with cut-up fresh fruit added
  8. 1/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese – with pineapple chunks
  9. 1 oz. nuts (10 almonds or 15 peanuts) – with ¼ cup raisins
  10. 1 Tbsp peanut butter – with celery sticks
2. Where do we go for quick, easy, and healthy recipes?

Here’s a list of Healthy Kids Challenge favorites online.  Each of these is a Partner in Health with HKC.  You can count on all of them to offer a variety of healthy recipes, affordable family meal ideas, and even “kid friendly” recipes sections, too!

Cooking Light – Includes categories such as “quick and easy” and “kid friendly” and access to the magazine’s recipe list.

Cabot – In addition to recipes, the Healthy Eating section includes recipe makeovers and cooking with kids tips.

Del Monte Recipes & Tools – Kid friendly recipes are simple to make and the “Meals Under $10” are healthy and tasty, too.

Mission – Look for “Family Meals Under $10” and “Fiesta Favorites” for a healthy spin on traditional tortilla fare.

3. Why is it important to eat whole grains and limit saturated fat?

A healthy diet including fiber from whole grains is important because whole grains help reduce blood cholesterol levels and may help with weight management.  The fiber in whole grains helps provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.  A food with 5 grams or more per serving is high in fiber.

It is important to limit saturated fat, which is solid fat, because it tends to raise LDL “bad” cholesterol levels, increasing your risk for heart disease. Limit solid fats like butter, stick margarine, or shortening. Instead, choose oils, which are more heart healthy, and in small amounts are a healthy choice.  Choose fat from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils more often. For more information, visit www.mypyramid.gov.

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Posted in Child Obesity, PE, PE teachers, Physical Education, Physical Education News, children's health, healthy school environment, personal health, teacher health | Comments Off

Obesity Dollars and Sense

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
It’s swimsuit season — that time of year when people assess the way the look with fewer clothes on — and maybe, resolve to make some changes.

Whatever the motivator to shed fat/lose weight, statistics show there is surely a need for Americans to take a long look in the mirror. A recent USA Today front page article titled, “Obesity is a key link to soaring health tab” said that about 40% of adults — more than 72 million — were obese in 2006; up from 23% in 1994. And, 2/3 of everyone in the US is overweight or obese. I can almost hear the Europeans chuckling at us…

While many of us judge our bodies by how they look in a bathing suit at the beach, the article goes beyond skin deep. It reports that the cost of healthcare has doubled to $147 billion in a decade, and obesity accounts for almost 10% of that total.

Eric Finkelstein, a health economist says,

“If you really want to rein in healthcare dollars, you have to get people dieting, exercising and living a healthier lifestyle.”

Alright, we get it. The message isn’t new — it’s just that the statistics are getting worse and the unfortunate result is obesity is costing us more. People KNOW they are overweight and many want to drop some unhealthy fat and be more active, but it’s harder than just shouting from the rooftops, “Eat less and move more!” If changing behavior were that easy, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.

Here are a few tips for personal change that are less commonly known:

1. Call in a Substitute. Take one thing you consume every day (e.g., coffee creamer) and go from full fat to no fat. This little change done frequently adds up. Once you’ve made one small change, add another. Rinse and repeat.

2. Take 10: After dinner or anytime, go for a 5 minute walk (always consult your Doctor before beginning any exercise regimen). Five minutes in one direction, then turn around and head back. These 10 minutes — most if not all days of the week — will kick-start your activity program. Build from this foundation by increasing your frequency (how many times a week you walk) and duration (how long you walk). And check out a previous blog spot where I talk about how our dog Scout has helped my wife Wendy become a daily walker — after work.
Obesity Dollars and Sense

3. Tell a Friend: Ask someone you know to be your health coach. Encourage you to eat regular size portions — and try and eat smaller meals 4-5 times a day, instead of 3 big ones. More frequent eating helps regulate your blood sugar, keeps you from getting hungry, and fires up your metabolism. Use that friend for support (e.g., an exercise buddy). By the way, my wife Wendy does this for an optimal health program called Take Shape for Life (www.spreadyourwings.tsfl.com). It works, people lose weight and keep it off, and I highly recommend it!

While personal responsibility is by far the main factor in weight management — our communities can play a role — positive or negative. From the USA Today article, here are 6 steps communities can take to help prevent obesity:

1. Put schools within easy walking distance of residential areas.
2. Improve access to outdoor recreational facilities.
3. REQUIRE PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS — YEA!
4. Enhance traffic safety in areas where people could be physically active.
5. Enhance infrastructure supporting walking and biking.
6. Discourage consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks.

So, if you haven’t had that long, self-assessment look in the mirror yet this summer, maybe it’s time. Ultimately, it’s up to each of us to be in control of our own healthy lifestyle. If we don’t, healthcare costs will take control of us.

-Paul Rosengard

Posted in PE, Physical Education, health care costs, obesity, personal health, take shape for life | View Comments