Looking for a few good beers that are light on calories and cost for your Super Bowl gathering? You’re in luck because taste-testers at Consumer Reports (CR) have been busy sipping on brews to pick the best ones.

In blind tests, panelists tasted several samples of each beer poured into a glass. They focused on whether it tasted fresh and had a balanced mix of floral, fruity, malted grain, hops, and other flavors… or if it tasted skunky, stale, soapy, or had a weak finish.

Below are CR’s picks for the best light brews, including price per six-pack and calories per 12 ounces:

Best specialty lager-style light beers:

• Michelob Ultra Amber – $5.74 – 114 calories
• Sam Adams Light – $7.38 – 119 calories

Best domestic lager-style light beers:

• Michelob Light – $5.71 – 113 calories
• Michelob Ultra – $5.76 – 95 calories
• Coors Light – $5.36 – 102 calories
• Budweiser Select – $5.28 – 99 calories

Best combination of taste and price; all are CR Best Buys:

• Busch Light – $3.87 – 95 calories
• Natural Light – $3.54 – 95 calories
• Keystone Light – $3.75 – 104 calories

Will you be serving light beer at your Super Bowl gathering? Light snacks?

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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A consumer watchdog has filed a class action lawsuit against the Coca-Cola Company, accusing it of making deceptive health claims about its VitaminWater drinks.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says Coke makes claims that go beyond those allowed by the Food and Drug Administration.

VitaminWater is marketed as a healthy alternative to soda with claims it can do things like reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote healthy joints. But nutritionists at CSPI say the 33 grams of sugar in each bottle of VitaminWater do more to promote obesity, diabetes, and other health problems than the vitamins in the drinks do to perform the advertised benefits listed on the bottles.

“VitaminWater is Coke’s attempt to dress up soda in a physician’s white coat,” says CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. “Underneath, it’s still sugar water, albeit sugar water that costs about ten bucks a gallon.”

“My advice to consumers is to get your vitamins from real food,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “If you have reason to believe you have a shortcoming of one vitamin or another, perhaps take an inexpensive supplement. But don’t seek out your vitamins in sugary soft drinks like Coke’s VitaminWater.”

No comment yet from Coke.

More information on the lawsuit over here.

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Want to have amazing abs NOW? Lose one size in one week? Tone all your muscles with just one machine?  You’ve heard claims like these on infomercials for fitness equipment. But are any of them worth buying? Consumer Reports (CR) tested 9 products between $40 to $2500 sold through infomercials online or on TV and measured the muscle activity and calories burned as panelists used them. Here’s what they found:

Abdominal Exercisers:

• The Ab Rocket ($100) says it will give you the body you’ve always wanted, but most exercises were slightly less effective than traditional abdominal exercises in CR’s tests.

• The Rock-N-Go Exerciser ($230) barely felt like a workout to those who tried it. And CR says it was less effective at working the abs than traditional exercises on a mat.

• The Red Exerciser DX ($175) claims you’ll lose four inches off your midsection in two weeks. Consumer Reports finds some exercises targeted obliques at least as much as comparable floor moves, but might not work abs as well, so those four inches are staying put unless there’s some serious dieting.

Cardio:

• The Bowflex Treadclimber TC5000 ($2,500) – A good way to burn calories but CR says watch your step so you don’t trip.

• The CardioTwister ($200) brings variety to your aerobic workout but testing shows you would get more effective abdominal and leg workouts doing conventional exercises.

• The Tony Little Rock ’n Roll Stepper ($80) is less effective than conventional leg exercises but can be a fun cardio workout for beginners who can stay balanced on it.

Upper Body Devices:

• The Perfect Pushup ($40) and the Perfect Pullup ($100) are both good upper-body workouts if you want to add variety to your push-up and pull-up routines.

Total-Body Exercisers:

• The Fluidity Bar ($240) – The advanced workout burned fewer calories than a no-equipment circuit-training routine of lunges, crunches, and modified push-ups on the knees. Panelists liked the workouts but found the heavy device hard to move.

Before buying, Consumer Reports urges shoppers to:

Read the fine print. Some products come with disclaimers.  For example, the Ab Rocket Web site features dramatic before-and-after shots, but also adds, Results not typical. This person used the Ab Rocket Fat Blasting System, did cardio exercise regularly, and ate a reduced calorie diet.

Calculate the total cost. Remember to include shipping, if there is any, and sales tax.

Be careful of trials. A “30-day money-back guarantee” sounds good, but returning the product might be hard if it’s heavy or bulky, or if you have to pay shipping.

Ask about return policies. Verify the company’s return address and find out how long it takes to get a refund.

So how about you – anyone out there tried any infomercial fitness products? Found any good ones?

[Photo Credit: Consumer Reports]

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Question: What temperature should your Thanksgiving turkey reach before it’s done? Answer: For it to be safe to eat, it should be 165-degrees in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. You do use a meat thermometer, don’t you??? And of course, you want it to be accurate, so check out which ones did well in Consumer Reports’ (CR) tests.

The Testing
CR looked at 11 meat thermometers – the ones you leave in food as it cooks, as well as those you poke in and read instantly.

Besides testing temperature accuracy, CR measured how quickly each meat thermometer adjusted to temperature changes. The fastest took 10 seconds or less; the slowest, more than 30 seconds. Also tested – the temperature range each thermometer could read. The widest was 0 to 450º F, which makes it more useful for things like deep frying; the narrowest was up to only 180º.

Bottom line
If you want a meat thermometer you insert before cooking, CR says try the digital Polder THM-360 ($30) – it has two probes that can track the temperature of two different foods.

If you’d rather check the temperature of cooking meat instantly, CR recommends the digital Taylor Weekend Warrior ($16) – it’s about half the price as the Polder and is very easy to use. It features a “hold” button that freezes the displayed temperature until you can remove the food from the oven, and a “max” button to show the highest temperature the thermometer has reached.

So, really… will you be using a meat thermometer this Thanksgiving?

Photo Credit: Consumer Reports

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Thinking pie for dessert this Thanksgiving? Consumer Reports shows us how some of the best sellers stack up when it comes to fat and calories. The “X” is next to the pies with the fewest calories per ounce.

And if you’re looking for fewer calories and less fat in your holiday dessert, check out this recipe for HG’s Too-Good-To-Deny Pumpkin Pie. Yum!

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[Disclosure: I received a complimentary sample of this product. I only post giveaways about products I honestly like, or those I think FatFighterTV members would enjoy.]

These are no ordinary same ol’ same ol’ fat-burning steps – trust me. When I picked up weight-loss coach, Janice Taylor’s new book, All is Forgiven, Move On – Our Lady of Weight Loss’s 101 Fat-Burning Steps on Your Journey to Sveltsville, I found myself marking page after page of funny, off-beat, and unique tips, recipes, and wacky things like Get out of Jail Free cards – just in case you get off track from time to time during your journey.

Oh, and did I mention Janice is also a weight-loss artist? This is one of her pieces – they are digitally enhanced collages printed throughout the book. They are brilliant. More on this later…

But first I had to  know, “Just who is this Our Lady of Weight Loss?” Apparently, Our Lady spoke to Janice when she was at her wit’s end – after years of yo-yo dieting, she had reached her highest weight ever.

“I had tears in my eyes,” Janice recalls. “I was like, I’m never going to make it. I was defeated, depressed and feeling deprived before I even began. In that moment I heard a voice – which I maintain to this day was outside of me and was Our Lady of Weight Loss – because I was way too mired in self pity to think of anything positive. And the voice said, ‘If you think you’re never going to make it, you never will.’ In that moment, I really got it.”

From the book:

“When the Cheeto calls out to you, if all else fails, change your name.” -Our Lady of Weight Loss

So Janice lost it – the weight, that is. 50 pounds gone. Only she says she didn’t really lose those 50 pounds because “if you lose it, you will find it.” And that wasn’t the case. No, this time Janice says she “permanently removed” the weight.

She used her talent to help her, making art about food instead of eating it.

“I said, I’ll make sexy vegetable collages,” says Janice. “They say whatever you focus on is what you manifest. So, what was I focusing on? Sexy vegetables with long, skinny legs.”

From the book:

“Our Lady of Weight Loss promised me that as I filled my heart with joy, explored happiness, and put some energy into doing the things that I’ve always wanted to do but never seemed to have the time to do, the excess weight would mysteriously melt off, leaving a fat trail behind me.”

Janice’s art went from being a permanent fat removal tool to being a hit at art shows… then to her website… and books. She says she has the secret to being slim forever – forgiveness. All is Forgiven, Move On shows you how to forgive yourself and instead focus on what you want in life and use the weight loss to fuel it.

“For every ounce I removed and for every ounce of fat that melted away, I exchanged the fat for something more meaningful in my life,” Janice explains. “As I let go of the extra weight, I let go of a lot of mental clutter, environmental clutter, and I left a job I didn’t like. I freed myself. I freed myself of weight. I freed myself to do what I wanted to do. I freed myself of every should, every can’t, every I wish I could.”

From the book – an excerpt from Sveltsville’s National Anthem: Amazing Weight

‘Twas weight that was a-holding me back
And weight coverin’ my fears
How precious when weight disappeared
The hour I first believed

I love this book – it’s just so creative, unique, and inspiring. And you can have one of your very own! Just Sign up for FFTV’s weekly newsletter to get entered to win – if you’re already signed up, you’re automatically entered.

A few contest details: It ends at midnight EST this Sunday, November 2… you have to have a U.S. mailing address to enter… and a random number generator will pick the winner.

And don’t forget to stop by Our Lady of Weight Loss to get lots more motivational and fun tips from Janice.

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Are your kids eating cereals that are more than half sugar? A new Consumer Reports (CR) review of popular children’ cereals finds 11 of them have as much sugar as a glazed donut.

Interestingly (and quite disturbing, IMO), some of the brands have more sugar and sodium when they are sold in the U.S. than they do when they are sold in other countries – the same brands! Why is that?

CR found two cereals – Kellogg’s Honey Smacks and Post Golden Crisp – are more than 50 percent sugar (by weight) and nine are at least 40 percent sugar.

Top Scores
CR gave “Very Good” marks to 4 cereals:

The review shows Cheerios, Kix, Honey Nut Cheerios, and Life all have relatively lower sugar and higher dietary fiber – the two categories CR considers most important. Cheerios tops the list with only 1 gram of sugar and 3 grams of fiber per serving.

But 23 of the top 27 cereals marketed to children rated only Good or Fair for nutrition. Here’s the breakdown from CR:

Photo and Chart Credits: Consumer Reports

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The best yogurt for kids has to be healthy AND something they will eat, right? But how much sugar is in the brands they gulp down? To find the best-tasting yogurts with less sugar, Consumer Reports ShopSmart had 30 children of its staffers taste-test three lower-sugar brands – two flavors each. Here’s what the kids said they would eat:

The Winner…

Dannon Danimals – 25% Less Sugar Lowfat Yogurt

Flavors tested: Totally Vanilla and Strawberry Explosion

Kid-tester results: Both flavors ranked high for flavor as well as texture. 53-percent of the testers said they’d eat the Totally Vanilla again; half said they’d go back for more Strawberry Explosion.

A Close Second…

Yoplait Kids – 25% Less Sugar Lowfat Yogurt

Flavors tested: Strawberry and Vanilla

Kid-tester results: Strawberry was more popular than Vanilla. Many of the kids said the Vanilla wasn’t sweet, but about half said they’d eat it again.

Not so hot…

Stonyfield Farm Organic Yokids – 25% Less Sugar Lowfat Yogurt

Flavors tested: Strawberry and Banilla (banana and vanilla combo)

Kid-tested results: Both flavors rated much lower than Dannon and Yoplait. Some kids said it was watery. More than half said they wouldn’t go back for seconds.

Quick Stats…

All three of the lower-sugar brands have 90 to 100 calories and 13 grams of sugars per serving compared to 110 calories and 17 grams of sugars in regular kids’ Yoplait Trix Lowfat Yogurt. They also have 20-30 percent of the daily value for calcium compared to 10 percent in the Trix.

Anyone out there had their kids taste-test any of these? Or tried them yourself?

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I finally got to try the Wii Fit last weekend in between the cookies and cupcakes at the BlogHer08 conference. I played one of the balance games – Table Tilt – and did quite well, I must say. Consumer Reports (CR) has also been busy trying out the new fitness game. I first told you about Consumer Reports’ preliminary review of the Wii Fit a few weeks ago. As promised, here are highlights from CR’s full report.

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YOGA
Testers said they could get away without doing poses the right way and don’t think the Wii Fit is good for yoga beginners. But if you’re experienced, it may give you a new perspective on balance and an interesting way to practice.

STRENGTH
Panelists did push-ups, torso twists, single leg extensions, and lunges. Most of them found the activities challenging in both strength and balance, but only two of the five men found them enjoyable compared to nine out of ten of the women.

AEROBICS
Testers tried two of the four aerobic games at the basic play level: hula-hoop and basic step. Most panelists found the activities entertaining but not very demanding aerobically, but hula-hooping seemed more challenging than stepping. Half of the women who hooped felt they got at least some muscle workout.

BALANCE GAMES
These were the big hit among the panelists – they tried activities like soccer, ski slalom, ski jump, and table tilt. Nine of 10 women and four of five men felt the games challenged their balance, and everyone found them enjoyable.

BOTTOM LINE FROM CR
“There’s no question the Wii Fit provides entertainment. Whether it will enhance your fitness depends largely on how fit and active you already are and how intensely you exercise while using the Wii Fit. Each exercise lasts only one to three minutes at the basic level, and the system stops after each game for a scoring and explanation sequence; that disruption could prove vexing for serious exercisers who’d rather just keep moving. But for folks who need motivation to get off the couch, or people interested in a different, more health-oriented approach to gaming, Wii Fit definitely offers a unique and potentially appealing package.”

The Wii Fit review from Consumer Reports has more details, so check it out if you want to know more.

Anyone out there using the Wii Fit ? What do you think of it? If you haven’t tried it yet, do you want to? I would definitely do the balance games again.

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Have you tried Starbucks’ new Vivanno Nourishing Blends yet? I just tasted one this weekend and I will definitely be going back for more. They’re basically smoothies packed with protein and fiber… without any artificial colors, artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup – yay!

They come in two flavors – Orange Mango Banana and Banana Chocolate (I tried the chocolate one). Here’s what you get in each:

Orange Mango Banana Blend
A banana, Naked® Juice, whey protein and fiber powder, your choice of milk, and ice. The nutrition info for a 16 ounce serving made with 2% milk is: 250 calories, 2 grams of fat, 47 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 16 grams of protein.

Banana Chocolate Blend
A banana, bittersweet cocoa, whey protein and fiber powder, your choice of milk, and ice. The nutrition info for a 16 ounce serving made with 2% milk is: 270 calories, 5 grams of fat, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 21 grams of protein.

If you’re trying to cut calories and fat, you can order one with nonfat milk, of course. And if you need that caffeine kick, get yours with a shot of espresso.

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