Congrats to FatFighterTV member – Stephanie V – for winning last week’s giveaway for the 10 coupons for 10 free Corner Combos. Enjoy! And thanks, Corner Bakery Cafe!

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It looks like the fight to lower salt may be gaining momentum. This week Campbell Soup announced it is reducing sodium up to 45 percent in many of its condensed soups, leaving nearly half of them with sodium levels of 480 milligrams or less per serving – that amount is considered healthy by the U.S. government.

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Would a cell phone reminder help you eat a healthier diet? A researcher at Georgia Tech is trying to find out with a program that lets its members record and share audio stories with each other via cell phone, like maybe a message about how they overcame a food temptation.

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Oh man, they are digging Funyons over there at Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat? It’s the perfect giggle to get you started on your weekend. Enjoy!

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For the most part, I cook our dinners from scratch. But for those times when things don’t go as planned and I’m in a bind, I like to have a frozen dinner or two around. Usually, I choose something from Kashi, so I was glad to see some of my faves on the new ratings from Consumer Reports (CR). CR panelists taste-tested their way through 24 microwaveable diet meals – 22 frozen and two shelf-stable – from top brands like Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, and Weight Watchers.

The results? CR recommends these eight frozen diet dinners – they scored “very good” for taste and each one has 600 milligrams or less of sodium:

Kashi Chicken Florentine – 290 calories, 9 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 440 mg sodium, 5 g fiber

Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Roasted Beef Merlot – 230 calories, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 600 mg sodium, 5 g fiber

Lean Cuisine Cafe Classics Steak Tips Portabello – 160 calories, 7 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 450 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

Lean Cuisine One Dish Favorites Santa Fe-Style Rice & Beans – 300 calories, 5 g fat, 24.5 g saturated fat, 590 mg sodium, 5 g fiber

Kashi Black Bean Mango – 340 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 430 mg sodium, 7 g fiber

Kashi Garden Vegetable Pasta – 300 calories, 7 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 600 mg sodium, 9 g fiber

Healthy Choice All Natural Entrees Portabella Spinach Parmesan – 270 calories, 7 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 600 mg sodium, 5 g fiber

Lean Cuisine Cafe Classics Shrimp Alfredo – 260 calories, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 590 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

I always like to augment my frozen dinners with lots of veggies because there usually aren’t enough in those meals! I add frozen broccoli or a veggie mix to make them more filling. Have you tried any of the dinners that made the list? What are your favorites?

Check out these other food and beverage ratings:

Best light beers for your Super Bowl party
Top hot chocolate brands
The best (and not so good) microwave popcorns
5 healthy store-brand foods as good as (or better than) big brands

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Have friends over for a healthy breakfast with this delicious French toast recipe from our friends over at FITNESS magazine!
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup fat-free cream cheese
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup strawberry jam
8 1-inch slices French bread
2 egg whites
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon apple pie spice
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions
1. Combine the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons jam. Make a slit in each slice of French bread to form a pocket; fill each with about 1 tablespoon of the cream-cheese mixture.
2. In a small bowl, combine egg whites, egg, milk, vanilla, and apple pie spice. Lightly coat a nonstick griddle with cooking spray; heat over medium heat.
3. Dip the bread into the egg mixture, coating both sides. Place slices on the hot griddle. Cook about 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning once.
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the 1/2 cup of jam until melted, stirring frequently. Pour over French toast.

Nutrition facts per serving (2 slices): 300 calories, 14g protein, 30g carbohydrate, 2g fat (0g saturated), 0g fiber

[Reprinted with permission]

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I  never knew… did you?

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Congrats to FatFighterTV member – Daniel – for winning last week’s giveaway for the Weight Watchers stocking stuffers! And thanks, Weight Watchers!

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Add a little staying power to your gingerbread cookies with some fiber and whole grain goodness this year. Thanks to Laurel Hudson, culinary instructor at Wellspring Academies, for sharing her healthy twist on this traditional holiday treat.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup Fiber One original bran cereal
1 package whole wheat gingerbread cake or cookie mix
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ginger
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ cup granulated Splenda
Pinch of salt
½ cup canned pure pumpkin
¼ cup warm water
3 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
6 packets of Truvia no calorie sweetener
Pam spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with Pam.
3. In a food processor, grind the cereal until it looks like flour, then pour into a bowl.
4. Add the gingerbread mix, all the spices, the baking powder, Splenda, and salt and mix well.
5. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin with the warm water, molasses, and vanilla and mix well.
6. Add the pumpkin mixture to the other bowl and stir until blended.
7. Knead the dough to combine.
8. Roll the dough into 1/2” balls, making 36 cookies dough balls total, and place them on the cookie sheet.
9. Flatten balls or scoops with the back of a spoon dipped in the Truvia, so the dough doesn’t stick to the spoon.
10. Bake in the oven for 10-20 minutes, or until the edges are firm.
11. Let cool for 5 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
12. Remove from the pan and enjoy!

Approximate Nutritional Information:
54 calories/0.1g per cookie

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Congrats to FatFighterTV member - elizabeth p – for winning last week’s giveaway for the variety package of Dr. McDougall’s Ready-to-Serve Chunky Soups – enjoy! And thanks, Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods!

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