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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Got a favorite not-so-healthy recipe you want to lighten up, but don’t know how? Dietitians are standing by to give your dish a healthy and delicious makeover. Just send your recipe to these two websites:

That’s Fit – Submit your recipe and celebrity dietitian, Tanya Zuckerbrot will give it a healthy and tasty rehab.

Meal Makeover Moms – These two dietitian moms know just how to rescue your family favorites without losing the flavor.

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Salads are one of my favorite meals. Always have been. I don’t mind paying $10-20 for them. But $2000? Yes, I did it and I am here to warn you not to do the same. Let me explain…

About two months ago I was eating a delicious Greek Salad. You know, just your typical Greek Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese… and kalamata olives. I was enjoying this salad so much, when all of a sudden – *crunch, crack, pop!* – I bit down on an olive with the pit in it. Holy ouch! I broke about a third of one of my back teeth… up past the gum line!

(a blurry pic of my broken tooth)

Here’s what I’ve endured since:

• Removal of that one-third of the tooth, which then exposed a nerve

• A root canal to fix the nerve exposure problem

• Gum surgery to remove 4 millimeters of my gum – because the tooth broke up so high, there was not enough tooth surface left below for a crown to properly adhere

• Bi-weekly exams to make sure the gum is healing properly

• A porcelain crown

Needless to say, this has all been very painful physically and financially. After insurance, my out-of-pocket cost was a little bit more than $2000!!! Holy ouch again! But, I am trying to look at the bright side. So… here are some good things that came from this.

I learned that:

• Chocolate malts make everything better (as an occasional treat, of course)

• A soft food diet is not boring, as long as you have a blender and a slow cooker

• Almost any vegetable can be made into a delicious soup

• You really do feel full with less food when you chew slowly

As for salads – I have just started eating them again over the past week or so. I wasn’t able to chew raw vegetables or any harder foods until recently. But until I get over my new pit phobia, I have one request. Please hold the olives…

[Salad Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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In honor of Diabetes Awareness Month, enjoy this zesty and easy Mexican meal from the American Diabetes Association.

Makes: 6 servings
Serving size: 1 enchilada
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 tsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. chili powder
2 scallions, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. olive oil
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 (6-inch) whole-wheat tortillas
2/3 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese blend or Monterey Jack cheese, divided
Cooking spray
1½ cups canned enchilada sauce

Preparation
1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, scallions, salt, and pepper. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard any excess. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a bowl and add the black beans.
3. Divide the chicken-and-bean filling among six tortillas. Top each with 1 Tbsp. of the cheese. Roll up each tortilla and place seam-side down in a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and bake, covered, for about 20 minutes. Add the remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes until cheese melts.

Nutrition facts
Starch exchanges 1.5
Vegetable exchanges 1
Lean meat exchanges 3
Fat exchanges 0.5
Amount per serving
Calories 305
Calories From Fat 80
Total Fat 9 g
Saturated Fat 2.4 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 55 mg
Sodium 585 mg (without added salt)
Total Carbohydrate 30 g
Dietary Fiber 6 g
Sugars 4 g
Protein 26 g

[Recipe reprinted with permission]

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Congrats to FatFighterTV member – Tom – for winning last week’s giveaway for the Vitalicious Super Sampler Pack. Enjoy!

Thanks again, Vitalicious!

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As the weather gets cooler, warm up with this low-fat Sweet Potato Bisque from registered dietitian, Tina at The Voice of Reason.

From Tina: This soup is so silky and satisfying; you’ll want to add it to your repertoire.  Not to mention the sweet potato is a good source of nutrition.

1 T canola oil
1 cup chopped white onion
2 t thyme
½ t cinnamon
½ t allspice
½ t salt
½ t black pepper
1 T sugar
1 lbs sweet potatoes (about 4 small), scrubbed, peeled and cut into small dice
4 c chicken broth or stock
1 c evaporated whole milk
½ c fat free half ‘n’ half

In a large stock pot, heat the oil.  Add the onion, thyme, cinnamon, allspice, salt, pepper and sugar.  Saute the mixture until the onions are soft and golden, about 7 minutes.  Add the sweet potatoes, stock, milk and half ‘n’ half, and cook at a low boil for 20 – 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.  Remove bisque from the heat and puree the soup until silky.  This can be done in a food processor or blender.  First, strain the soup and puree the solids, adding the soup a little bit at a time until the entire batch is smooth.)

Yield: 6, 8-ounce servings
About 200 calories per serving

Go to The Voice of Reason to learn about the nutritional goodness of sweet potatoes, how to pick the best ones, and how to store them. You’ll also find helpful information from Tina about food issues, healthy eating, cooking and nutrition.

[Recipe re-printed with permission]

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It may be a no-brainer that most kids’ cereals have more sugar than adults’, but wow – 85 percent more?! That’s what a new study from Yale University finds. It also shows kids’ cereals have 65 percent less fiber and 60 percent more sodium than those made for adults. Last year, Consumer Reports found some popular children’s cereals have as much sugar as a glazed donut.

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• News Nugget: Most kids’ foods poor in nutrition, despite health claims

You may not be seeing these labels on food products much longer. The Smart Choices labeling program has been voluntarily halted after the FDA said it could be misleading.

The labels are supposed to make it easier for us to spot healthier foods, but the green check mark has been showing up on the front of boxes of sugar-laden cereals like Cocoa Krispies and Froot Loops. Last week, the FDA sent out a letter to food makers, saying it will crack down on those that go against federal labeling rules.

Smart Choices is among several nutrition labeling programs now being used, all with different nutritional criteria.

No wonder there’s so much confusion out there!

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