Angels and Devils: Vending Machine Snacks

Although healthy snacking has become a little easier due to the addition of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as nutritious energy bars to airport terminals and convenience stores, there are times when we’re faced with the proverbial vending machine.

When it comes to the lesser of various evils, here are some suggestions.

DEVILS:

Pop Tarts: Two of these add up to 400 calories, 10 grams of fat, 8 ½ teaspoons of sugar and a measly 1 gram of fiber.

Grandma’s Homemade Cookies: Seems like innocent grandma takes no issue with letting you take in 380 calories, 6 grams of saturated fat (30% of the maximum allowance) and 7 ½ teaspoons of sugar.

Hostess Ding Dongs: Twelve grams of saturated fat (60% of the maximum allotment) and 360 calories make this childhood favorite as bad for your arteries as a Big Mac.

Drake’s Apple Pie: 440 calories and 8 grams of trans fats (which should be completely avoided) make up this "fruit-filled" treat.

Three Musketeers: Yes, it feels light and airy, but this bar provides 260 calories, 5 grams of saturated fat, and 10 teaspoons of sugar.

Hostess Cakes: They certainly look cute with their curlicue frosting, but there’s nothing precious about a snack that provides 360 calories, 12 grams of fat, and a quarter of your sodium allotment in four bites!

Hostess Fruit Pies: Not only is the “fruit” nothing but sugar-laden jelly, this snack also clocks in at 500 calories and contains 60% of the saturated fat we should be getting in one day.

ANGELS

Remember, most of these foods are only angels in the realm of vending machine snacks!

Trail mix/sunflower seeds/raw nuts: The healthy fats, high protein, and fiber will help keep you full. Additionally, the nuts provide vitamin E, phosphorus, and calcium while the dried fruits (if you choose trail mix) provide vitamins C and A.

Baked! Lay’s: If crunch is what you want, go for the baked variety. You’ll get a lot less fat and 4 grams of fiber.

Animal Crackers: a small bag only provides 120 calories and 2 grams of fat (that’s 50% fewer calories and 85% less fat than a vending-size Chips Ahoy package.)

Twizzlers: A small bag satisfies a sweet tooth without hurting your waistline or arteries (130 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, no saturated fat)

Sun chips: They are still chips, but at least they are made with whole grains and have less fat (and a little more fiber) than other brands.

Angels and Devils: Frozen Foods

The frozen food market has been growing increasingly over the past 15 years, as more food shoppers seek convenience.

When it comes to nutrition, though, ease does not always equal health. Here’s a quick list of what to steer away from, and what you can put in your cart with peace of mind.

As you read this list, remember that saturated fat intake should be at no more than 20 grams per day for a 2,000 calorie diet (your specific limit would be lower or higher depending on how many less or more calories you eat), and your sodium intake should not surpass 2,300 milligrams each day, regardless of your caloric intake.

ANGELS:

Amy’s Black Bean Burrito

280 calories

1 gram saturated fat

580 milligrams sodium

Amy’s Rice and Bean Burrito

280 calories

.5 g saturated fat

550 mg sodium

Healthy Choice Chicken Enchiladas

310 calories

2.5 g saturated fat

600 mg sodium

Lean Cuisine Glazed Chicken

230 calories

1 g saturated fat

530 mg sodium

DEVILS:

Bertolli Shrimp Scampi over Linguini

550 calories

10 g saturated fat

1200 mg sodium

Marie Callender’s Herb Roasted Chicken w/ Mashed Potatoes

530 calories

12 g saturated fat

1,270 mg sodium

Swanson Hungry Man Classic Fried Chicken Dinner

790 calories

10 g saturated fat

1,940 mg sodium

Stouffer’s White Meat Chicken Pot Pie

730 calories

18 g saturated fat

1,180 mg sodium

Hungry Man Mexican Style Fiesta

870 calories

10 g saturated fat

2,230 mg sodium

Angels and Devils: Ice Cream Cones & Treats

Whether you’re on the road, at the mall, or walking down a city street, the temptation to buy an ice cream cone in the summer is hard to resist. Below, some information (in alphabetical order) to help you consider what places will satisfy your palate without packing on the pounds. NOTE: The values shown for chains like Ben & Jerry's and Coldstone are based on an average of all flavors.

Baskin-Robbins (1 scoop):

280 calories
15 grams fat, 8 grams saturated fat
27 g sugar (7 teaspoons)

Baskin Robbins Softserve:

110 calories
0 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat
22 grams sugar (5.5 teaspoons)

Ben & Jerry's (1 scoop)

240 calories
13 grams fat, 8.5 grams saturated fat
20 g sugar (5 teaspoons)

Carvel (1 scoop)

231 calories
12 grams fat, 7.2 grams saturated fat
23.5 grams sugar (6 teaspoons)

Coldstone (small cup with two mix-ins)

717 calories
35.8 grams fat, 17.7 grams saturated fat
67.7 grams sugar (17 teaspoons)

Dairy Queen Small Vanilla Cone:

240 calories
7.5 grams fat, 4.5 grams saturated fat
27.5 g sugar (7 teaspoons)

Dairy Queen Large Vanilla Cone:

480 calories
15 grams fat, 9 grams saturated fat
55 grams sugar (14 teaspoons)

Dairy Queen Small Blizzard Treat:

570 calories
21 grams fat, 10 grams saturated fat
64 grams sugar (16 teaspoons)

Dairy Queen Large Blizzard Treat:

1,010 calories
37 grams fat, 18 grams saturated fat
110 g sugar (27.5 teaspoons)

Haagen Dazs (1 scoop)

250 calories
12 grams fat, 9 grams saturated fat
21 g sugar (5 teaspoons)

McDonald’s Cone:
150 calories
3.5 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat
18 g sugar (4.5 teaspoons)

McDonald’s McFlurry:

560 calories
16 grams fat, 9 grams saturated fat
71 grams sugar (18 teaspoons)

Tasti-D-Lite (small cup)

80 calories
2 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat
16 grams sugar (4 teaspoons)

Wendy’s Softie (Junior – 4 ounces)

161 calories
3.9 grams fat, 2.4 grams saturated fat
20.9 grams sugar (5 teaspoons)

Wendy’s Softie (large – 12 ounces)

540 calories
13 grams fat, 8 grams saturated fat
70 g sugar (17.5 teaspoons)

You "Ask", I Answer: Forbidden Foods

Everything will cause disease in excess, even exercise and celery. The real problem is not what we eat, but how much stress we have.

I guarantee that far more heart problems are caused by stress than by having a few Klondike bars over the summer.

But of course, we can't ever address stress. That would get in the way of our capitalist goals of working constantly so we can buy SUVs and riding mowers. Nah, much better to create fake foods, diet fads and gym memberships and shame people into using those products.

Please stop contributing to this problem, and stop labeling foods as demonic. It's silly, and it's counter-productive to goals of better health.

-- Anonymous (not surprisingly)

The section "Angels and Devils" is simply a fun way to label posts that compare different brands of one given product in order to help people make wiser purchasing choices.

I am not labeling foods as 'angelic' and 'demonic' (I am not trying to be the next Dan Brown), but rather pointing out which ones are a better fit for a health-conscious consumer.

I have stated in several posts (as well as my newsletter) that foods should never be forbidden, nor should food groups be avoided.

That being said, I will not hesitate to recommend that somebody reach for a 100-calorie, saturated-fat-free Haagen Dazs Fat Free Raspberry & Vanilla Frozen Yogurt bar when they are in the mood for a sweet treat versus an artery clogging Klondike bar.

As you said, stress is a problem in our society. So, why aggravate those symptoms with food that raise our risk of heart attacks, artherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and obesity? A body that is fed healthy food will handle stress much better than one whose arteries are clogged due to excess consumption of saturated fats.

As far as "fake foods" and "diet fads" go, I have never condoned them. If you take the time to read my blog and newsletters, you will see I believe in a well-balanced diet rich in whole foods, not sugar-free, fat-free brownies made in a factory.

I have nothing against gym memberships, though. Heck, I have one myself! However, as I have said in the past, the important thing is to perform physical activity, which doesn't necessarily have to take place in the confines of a room full of treadmills and free weights.

Thanks for taking the time to write in!

Angels and Devils: Ice Cream Bars & Sandwiches

We continue our look at ice creams, this time focusing on sandwiches and bars. Unfortunately, as you are about to see, if you are not careful, you could very well end up buying a portable chocolate-covered triple bypass.

I give the following a trim thumbs-up:

Haagen Dazs Fat-Free Raspberry & Vanilla Yogurt Bars
100 calories
0 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat
16 grams sugar
(per bar)

Skinny Cow Chocolate & Vanilla Sandwiches
130 calories
2 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat
22 grams sugar
(per sandwich)

Soy Delicious Li'l Buddies Sandwiches
150 calories
3 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat
13 grams sugar
(per sandwich)

And these frightful four should be on the "very occasional treats" list:

Klondike Bar
280 calories
19 grams fat, 14 grams saturated fat
22 grams sugar
(per bar)

Nestle Drumstick
340 calories
21 grams fat, 11 grams saturated fat
24 grams sugar
(per drumstick)

Starbucks Mud Pie Ice Cream Bar
350 calories
21 grams fat, 13 grams saturated fat
25 grams sugar
(per bar)

Ben & Jerry's Cone To Go
360 calories
19 grams fat, 12 grams saturated fat
30 grams sugar
(per cone)

Angels and Devils: Ice Cream Pints

A summer without ice cream is like a car without wheels – pretty much pointless. Over the next two weeks, I’ll let you know which ice creams deliver taste without destroying your figure, and which are simply frozen, sugary evil.

Let it be known that I am not listing “sugar-free” ice cream because I find it to taste pretty horrible. After all, what is the point of eating sugar-free and fat-free ice cream? If you’re looking for a treat that doesn’t contain sugar or fat, open up a can of tuna!

Before I start naming names, some general nutrition tips for your next ice cream pint purchase:

* Always read the nutrition label on the back, paying special attention to the number of servings. Each pint contains 4 servings. In other words, if you and a friend down a pint, you would each have to multiply the values on the label by 2 to get an accurate reflection of what you ate.

* Be careful with flavors that mix in brownies, caramel bits, and cookie pieces – all of which contribute additional calories, unhealthy fats, and sugar.

* Serve yourself a scoop in a bowl and then put the container back in the freezer. Sitting down with a pint and telling yourself, “just three spoonfuls!” is a recipe for disaster.

The following brands and flavors get a small bites “Thumbs Up” for their low calorie and fat numbers:

• Edy’s Slow Churned Light Vanilla

100 calories

3.5 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat

11 grams sugar

(per 1/2 cup serving)

• Edy’s Slow Churned Light Fudge Tracks

120 calories

4 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat

13 grams sugar

(per ½ cup serving)

• Edy’s Slow Churned Light Mint Chocolate Chip

120 calories

4.5 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat

13 grams sugar

(per 1/2 cup serving)

• Soy Delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter

150 calories

5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat

12 grams sugar

(per ½ cup serving)

On the other end of the spectrum, these brands and flavors get a red flag for their apparent guerilla attack on our health.

• Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup

380 calories

26 grams fat, 13 grams saturated fat

25 grams sugar

(per ½ cup serving)

• Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby

330 calories

21 grams fat, 12 grams saturated fat

24 grams sugar

• Haagen Dazs Vanilla Chocolate Chip/Butter Pecan/Cookie Dough

310 calories

20 grams fat, 12 grams saturated fat

22 grams sugar