You probably know the popcorn at the movie theaters is far from healthy, but did you know having a medium popcorn and soda from a major national chain is like eating three McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with 12 pats of butter? That’s according to a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

CSPI says the popular combo from Regal, the country’s biggest movie chain, has 1,610 calories and three days’ worth – 60 grams – of saturated fat.

The study is an update to research CSPI did on movie theater popcorn 15 years ago.

Here are some other movie theater popcorn stats from CSPI’s new report:

Regal
Small, 11 cups
Calories 670
Saturated fat 34 g
Sodium 550 mg

AMC
Small, 6 cups
Calories 370
Saturated fat 20 g
Sodium 210 mg

Cinemark
Small, 8 cups
Calories 420
Saturated fat 2 g [popped in canola oil]
Sodium 690 mg

Makes me want to bring my own microwave popcorn to the movies! You?

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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According to the Calorie Control Council, the average American may have more than 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat from eating a traditional Thanksgiving dinner… and snacking throughout the day. Think you know your T-Day numbers? Here’s a fun little quiz to find out.

See if you can match these popular holiday foods and drinks with the right number of calories and fat in each one.

Popular Thanksgiving Day foods and drinks:

1. Roasted Turkey – (no skin) 4 slices (4 oz.)
2. Cranberry Sauce – 1/2 cup
3. Cornbread Stuffing – 1 cup
4. Green Bean Casserole – 1 cup
5. Mashed Potatoes – 1 cup
6. Pecan Pie – 1/8 of 9″ pie
7. Pumpkin Pie (without whipped cream) – 1/8 of 9″ pie
8. Eggnog (whole milk without alcohol) – 1 cup
9. Wine (dry, red or white) – 7 oz.
10. Biscuit – 1 two-inch roll

Calories and fat per serving:

A. 106 calories, 5g fat
B. 142 calories, 0g fat
C. 143 calories, 8g fat
D. 190 calories, 6g fat
E. 209 calories, 0g fat
F. 238 calories, 8g fat
G. 323 calories, 15g fat
H. 342 calories, 19g fat
I. 363 calories, 18g fat
J. 456 calories, 21g fat

For the answers, click here. Then come back and let me know how you did!

[Source: Calorie Control Council]

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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So, you just finished taking the Thanksgiving calorie quiz over here. Now, you want answers, right? Here they are:

1. Roasted Turkey – (no skin) 4 slices (4 oz.) = D. 190 calories, 6g fat

2. Cranberry Sauce – 1/2 cup = E. 209 calories, 0g fat

3. Cornbread Stuffing – 1 cup = I. 363 calories, 18g fat

4. Green Bean Casserole – 1 cup = C. 143 calories, 8g fat

5. Mashed Potatoes – 1 cup = F. 238 calories, 8g fat

6. Pecan Pie – 1/8 of 9″ pie = J. 456 calories, 21g fat

7. Pumpkin Pie (without whipped cream) – 1/8 of 9″ pie = G. 323 calories, 15g fat

8. Eggnog (whole milk without alcohol) – 1 cup = H. 342 calories, 19g fat

9. Wine (dry, red or white) – 7 oz. = B. 142 calories, 0g fat

10. Biscuit – 1 two-inch roll = A. 106 calories, 5g fat

How did you do? Any surprises?

Want to trim the fat and calories, but not the flavor this Thanksgiving? Check out these tips.

And be sure to check out these healthy Thanksgiving Day recipes:

Pumpkin Pie Mousse with Toasted Pecans

HG’s Too Good To Deny Pumpkin Pie

HG’s Save the Day Stuffing

[Source: Calorie Control Council]

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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Have you seen the ads for all the new ultra low-calorie beers? It’s not about 100 calories anymore. Now, a battle is brewing to cut calories way down, like to just 64 calories (Miller Genuine Draft 64), even 55 calories  (Budweiser Select 55). Both have less than three percent alcohol compared to 100 calories and four percent alcohol in most light beers, and 150 calories and five percent alcohol in most regular American beers.

I haven’t tried any of these ultra low-cal brews. Have you? Will you?

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Earlier this month, Coke announced it was going to display larger calorie information on its products. Now, it says it will sell 90-calorie mini cans of its soft drinks to help people manage their calories. The smaller pops will come in the Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta Orange, Cherry Coca-Cola and Barq’s Root Beer brands and will be sold in packages of eight. The new cans will launch in New York and Washington D.C. in December and are expected to hit stores nationwide early next year.

Personally, I don’t drink soft drinks, but I’m glad to see this option for people who do. What do you think of the smaller cans?

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Just how much do city kids eat at corner stores after school? A new study looked at the snacking habits at K-8 Philadelphia schools where half of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Results show children usually buy chips, candy and sweetened drinks, spend an average of $1 each time, and eat 350 calories worth of snacks at each visit. Researchers say 42-percent of the kids went to the corner stores twice a day which adds up to eating more than 3,500 calories – the number of extra calories it takes to gain a pound.

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[Photo Credit: iStockPhoto]

What happens when appetizers at America’s top sports bar chains face off calorie to calorie… and fat gram to fat gram? FatFighterTV digs in to see which game day grub scores the most unhealthy penalties.

First up – the calorie champ:

1. Champps Americana: Champps’ Mile High Nachos w/Chicken scored 3600 calories and 224 grams of fat – Even I’m guilty of indulging in these, and I only shared them with one other person. I didn’t know they had as many calories as seven Quarter Pounders with Cheese. Yikes! Next time, I’ll invite more people!

FatFighterTV asked a Champps Americana spokesperson to comment on the Nachos’ first place ranking. “Our Nachos are an ideal item to share with 6-7 friends (easily),” says Rachel Phillips-Luther, Vice President- Marketing. “When you consider sharing that item with several friends, the calorie content per person is much more reasonable.”

*Second and third place high calorie honors both go to wings at The Greene Turtle:

2. The Greene Turtle: Smoky BBQ Boneless Wings – 25 of ‘em with Bleu Cheese dressing have 3180 calories and 199 grams of fat. They may be boneless, but they’re still fried, and it shows in the huge amount of fat and calories.

3. The Greene Turtle: Smoky BBQ Chicken Wings – 25 wings with Bleu Cheese dressing have 2984 calories and 211 fat grams – as much fat as what you get in seven Big Macs. Seriously.

4. Buffalo Wild Wings: Parmesan Garlic Boneless Wings – 24 with Bleu Cheese dressing have 2872 calories and 222 grams of fat. Watch out if you’re winging it bone-free. The boneless wings rack up more calories than the traditional ones at both The Greene Turtle and BW3.

5. The Greene Turtle: Southern Chicken Sliders with Crab Imperial – Get the Double Play (2 four-packs) and you’ll get 2730 calories and 98 grams of fat. Eat too many of these fried chicken sliders and you may not be able to slide into your jeans!

6. Buffalo Wild Wings: Parmesan Garlic Wings – 24 with Bleu Cheese dressing add up to 2488 calories and 198 grams of fat. What? Wings made it on this list again???!

7. Ram Restaurant & Brewery: Ram Favorites Platter – 2464 calories, 48 grams of saturated fat. Potato Skins, Mozzarella Sticks, Mini Cheese Quesadilla, Calamari and Buffalo Tenders with a variety of sauces. Even if you share this sampler with a friend, you’re still getting a day and a half’s worth of saturated fat, based on recommendations from the American Heart Association.

8. Champps’ Sampler Platter – 2072 calories, 121 grams of fat. Mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, potato skins and Buffalo wings served with a variety of sauces. As fried as it gets.

9. Ram Restaurant & Brewery: BBQ Chicken Quesadilla – 2066 calories, 54 grams of saturated fat. You’d have to run at a pace of six MPH for two hours just to burn off the calories from this mega meal. (based on someone who weighs 140 pounds)

10. Fox and Hound Pub & Grille: Grand Champion Wings/Hot Sauce - 1960 calories, 164 grams of fat – What’s up with all the wings on this list? Someone cry fowl!

Doing this research got me thinking – Why is it that we like to eat this kind of food when we watch sports, anyway? And while it’s nice to share appetizers, knowing that you’re going to share can make it more tempting to order more than one. Think of all the fat and calories you’re adding when you do that.

Oh, and while we were at it, FatFighterTV also compiled a list of the 10 Football Not-As-Fatties – appetizers with the fewest calories from the same sports bar chains, just in case you would rather order the lesser evils.

*Calories for an order of 25 boneless wings with bleu cheese dressing at The Greene Turtle range from 2649-3180, depending on the sauce. For the traditional wings, they range from 2452-2984.

Information Unknown
FatFighterTV contacted two other top sports bars. Damon’s Grill told us its nutrition information was not yet available but “please know we have placed this on our marketing plan as a high priority for our current fiscal year.”

Not Playing Ball
ESPN Zone said, “Unfortunately, we are unable to provide you with accurate nutritional information about our menu items. Much of that information depends on the condiments that we liberally add, along with the accompaniments that guests select.” Hmmm… the other sports bars use condiments and they didn’t have a problem coming up with the information.

How we did it
FatFighterTV determined the top sports bar chains based on information from Restaurants & Institutions’ 2009 Casual Dining rankings based on food and beverage sales. The nutrition information for both The Greene Turtle and Champps Americana was available online at each restaurant’s website. We contacted the other three sports bars as an average customer to see how quickly we could get the information. All of them – Fox and Hound Pub & Grille, Ram Restaurant & Brewery, and Buffalo Wild Wings – responded promptly. This report is based only on information available at the time of publication. Menus may vary by location.

Check out these outrageous foods:
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Have you seen the video report we did here at FatFighterTV about all the hidden sugar in so many foods out there? You might be shocked at some of the places we found it! Now, the American Heart Association says most Americans are getting 22.2 teaspoons a day of added sugar and it’s time to cut way back.

The AHA’s report finds most of that extra sweet stuff comes from soft drinks and candy and adds up to 355 calories every day. Instead, the group recommends most women get no more than 100 calories a day from added sugar and most men limit their intake to 150 calories.

I’m pretty sure I could stand to cut back on sugar… although, I’ve been really watching it lately. Really.

How many calories from sugar do you get each day?

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In the summer, I like to exercise outside as much as possible – soak in enough sun (with sunscreen on, of course!) to make up for all those dreary winter months. I almost always wear my heart rate monitor to track the calories I burn. But this simple guide from the American Council on Exercise can help you get a general idea of how much you’re burning doing these 7 popular summer activities… so burn, baby, burn!

Walking at 4 MPH

• 120 pound person burns 4.5 calories/minute
• 180 pound person burns 6.8 calories/minute

Hiking

• 120 pound person burns 4.5 calories/minute
• 180 pound person burns  6.7 calories/minute

Biking at 10 MPH

• 120 pound person burns 5.5 calories/minute
• 180 pound person burns 8.2 calories/minute

Jogging – 10 minute miles

• 180 pound person burns 13.9 calories/minute
• 120 pound person burns 9.3 calories/minute

Jump Rope

• 120 pound person burns 9.5 calories/minute
• 180 pound person burns 14.3 calories/minute

Swimming at a moderate pace

• 120 pound person burns 7.8 calories/minute
• 180 pound person burns 11.6 calories/minute

Roller skating

• 120 pound person burns 5.9 calories/minute
• 180 pound person burns 8.8 calories/minute

Of course, not everyone weighs either 120 or 180 pounds, so for more specific numbers based on your weight and the activity you’re doing, check out this Physical Activity Calculator from Shape Up America!

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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If you love peanut butter as much as I do – which is VERY MUCH – but wish you could ditch a lot of the calories and fat, PB2 is coming to your peanut butter-loving rescue! I just bought some a few weeks ago and I’ve been adding it to my almost-daily protein shakes and I love it! .

So, what is PB2? It’s powdered peanut butter with WAY fewer calories and MUCH less fat:

• 2 tablespoons of regular peanut butter have 200 calories and 16 grams of fat
• 2 tablespoons of PB2 have 53 calories and 1.87 grams of fat

Wow, huh?! How do they do that??!! The folks who make PB2 over at Bell Plantation basically squeeze out the oil from roasted peanuts. What’s left is powdered peanut butter with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives.

Up for grabs this week – a 4-pack of PB2, compliments of Bell Plantation. To enter for a chance to win, head down to the comments and tell me how you like to eat or drink your peanut butter.

A few contest details – it runs through midnight EST this Friday, July 3, you have to have a U.S. mailing address to enter… and we will use random.org to pick the winner.

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