While wings made up half the list of FatFighterTV’s 10 Football Fatties report, a surprising lesser evil showed up multiple times on our Not-As-Fatties compilation – tortilla chips. It’s all relative, right? Here now are the 10 appetizers we found with the fewest calories at America’s top sports bar chains.

1. Buffalo Wild Wings: Naked Tenders - 260 calories, 12 g fat
Six grilled chicken tenders served with BWW sauce.

2. The Greene Turtle: Chips and Salsa – 300 calories, 7g fat

3. Buffalo Wild Wings: Roasted Garlic Mushrooms – 360 calories, 18g fat
Breaded and fried, served with Ranch or Southwestern Ranch dressing.

4. Fox and Hound Pub & Grille: Fried Cheese – 472 calories, 18g fat

5. Fox and Hound Pub & Grille: Calamari – 474 calories, 12g fat

6. Fox and Hound Pub & Grille: Chips & Salsa – 490 calories, 11g fat

7. Buffalo Wild Wings: Chips & Salsa – 500 calories, 30g fat

8. The Greene Turtle: Chips and Queso – 515 calories, 24g fat

9. The Greene Turtle: Buffalo Chicken Dip w/celery sticks and tortilla chips – 560 calories, 26g fat
Chunks of chicken breast in a creamy Buffalo-flavored dip, topped with melted crumbled bleu cheese.

10. Ram Restaurant & Brewery: Coconut Prawns – 584 calories, 10g sat fat
Gulf prawns dipped in coconut cream, rolled in bread crumbs and shaved coconut. Served with coconut-plum sauce

I’m curious, which appetizers would you most likely order at a sports bar? Would they be items from this list or would you prefer the ones in the 10 Football Fatties report? Or would you look for a healthy option somewhere else on the menu?

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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I’ve tried a few store-brand foods in the past that I haven’t liked, so for awhile it made me hesitant to try again. But lately, it seems they’re getting better. In the latest issue of Consumer Reports (CR), trained testers took part in blind tests and compared national brands with store brands in 29 food categories. The results – 19 ties, four store brand wins, and six national brand victories. Here are the store-brand healthy foods that scored high:

• Salsa

Old El Paso Thick n’ Chunky Medium, 17 cents per serving
vs.
Kirkland Signature (Costco) Organic Medium, 10 cents per serving

Winner: Store brand – CR found Kirkland’s salsa more complex and better tasting, overall

• Multigrain spaghetti with omega-3

Barilla Plus, $2.25 per box
vs.
America’s Choice (A&P) Plus, $1.59 per box

Winner: Tie – Taste testers say the two are similar, and each has a mild, whole-grain flavor.

• Frozen strawberries

Dole Whole, 86 cents per serving
vs.
Kirkland Signature (Costco), 47 cents per serving

Winner: Tie – Size was the only noticeable difference for  taste testers.

• Dijon mustard

Grey Poupon, 5 cents per serving
vs.
GreenWise Market Organic (Publix), 3 cents per serving

Winner: Tie – CR says they are each tasty in their own way and would be happy with either one.

• Frozen broccoli

Birds Eye Steamfresh Premium Select Florets, 55 cents per serving
vs.
365 (Whole Foods) Florets, 38 cents per serving

Winner: Tie – Testers found both about the same, but say a slight natural sweetness in the Birds Eye is missing from the 365.

You can see more of CR’s report here.

Good to know you can find good tasting store-brand foods and save money, isn’t it? Do you have any favorite store-brand foods?

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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.]

If you don’t have a full 30/45/60 minutes for exercise, do you blow it off completely, thinking why even bother? I can get this way sometimes, but I’m getting better at changing that! Today one of my BBFFFs (Best Blogging Fitness Friends Forever ) – the wonderful and oh-so-wise MizFit – talks to us about breaking up your exercise into pieces that fit your schedule.

If you haven’t been to her blog before, you must check out MizFitOnline – it’s fantastic and filled with so much wisdom and support every day about eating and exercising and life.

And while we’re talking about exercise, let me tell you about today’s giveaway – Core Rhythms dance exercise DVDs. The workouts use Latin Dance Moves to raise your heart rate and tone your core at the same time. You get 4 DVDs that include Salsa, Samba, and Merengue dance styles. There’s even a Quick Workout for when you’re short on time. All are compliments of Core Rhythms.

To enter for a chance to win, just tell me in the comments – are you an all-or-nothing exerciser? Or do you squeeze in 10 minutes of exercise here… 15 minutes there? What works for you when you’re short on time?

A couple of things I do but need to do more often – I take 10-15 minute breaks to walk around my neighborhood (if it’s not too cold!), lift some hand weights, or do a few Pilates moves.

Remember, there’s a different giveaway every day this week at FFTV to celebrate my B-Day week, so enter them all! Get Red Carpet Ready here.

The contests run through midnight EST this Friday, February 13 and I will announce the winners over the weekend. Also, you have to have a U.S. mailing address to enter… and a random number generator will pick the winners.

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Combine chopped vegetables, fruits, herbs and even hot sauce into a delicious summer salsa that is low in calories and bursting with flavor. There’s a salsa for every flavor palate, including:

• Tomato salsa: Combine chopped, plum tomatoes, onions, canned green chilies, cilantro and lime juice.

• Pineapple salsa: Combine chopped, fresh pineapple with chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice and a touch of sugar and minced garlic.

• Black bean salsa: Combine canned, drained black beans with chopped tomato, chopped onion and chopped cilantro.

One-half cup of an all-vegetable salsa counts as one vegetable serving. Make salsa with mango or another fruit and a ½-cup portion counts toward both your daily fruit and vegetable requirements.

Source: American Dietetic Association

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Try this chunky avocado salsa for a Caribbean inspired, creamy-with-a-kick mix that’s great on fish, chicken, or as a dip.

Ingredients:
1 medium-size ripe avocado
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1-3 teaspoons white horseradish
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup jarred pink grapefruit sections, each cut into 5 small pieces
1 kiwi, sliced into 1/2-inch slices, slices quartered

Directions:
Peel and chop the avocado; place in a nonmetal medium-size bowl.
Add the lemon juice and toss gently.
Add the remaining ingredients; fold gently.

VARIATION
Stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.

SERVING SUGGESTION
Serve with reduced-fat whole wheat crackers.

Makes: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1/4 cup
Each serving provides: Calories: 110, Total fat: 7 g, Saturated fat: 1.5 g, Protein: 2 g, Fiber: 5 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 80 mg.

Source: American Dietetic Association Cooking Healthy Across America

[Reprinted with permission]

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Ingredients:
1 can (16 oz.) black beans, rinsed, drained
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 envelope Good Seasons Garlic & Herb Salad Dressing & Recipe Mix
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. minced fresh jalapeno pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in large bowl until well blended; cover. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips. Store leftover salsa in airtight container in refrigerator.

Substitute:
Prepare as directed, using Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing & Recipe Mix and substituting fresh parsley for the cilantro.

Makes: 32 servings
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
Each serving provides: Calories: 25, Total fat: 0 g, Saturated fat: 0 g, Fiber: 1 g, Protein: 1 g

Source: Kraft Foods Healthy Living

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