If I was to eat a serving, and we all know that NO ONE eats just one serving, I would be more than halfway through my daily allotment. This indicates to me that this product is too high in added sugars, to be considered a healthy snack. Into the garbage pail it goes.

Is this wasteful? No, if it stays around I will be tempted to eat some, probably more than a handful even.  They have nothing of value to offer me except a blood sugar spike and a queasy stomach.

VS.

Here is a challenge for you: Practice at a sugar purge. Go in your cupboard and find a food with about the same amount of added sugar as my yogurt covered pretzels and toss it mercilessly.  Practice regularly until you feel you are ready to do a complete kitchen sugar purge. If you feel inspired to do the whole thing now, you have my blessing. Whatever you choose to do let me know about it. I want all the details. What food was it? How many grams of sugar? Was it a full purge or a trial run?

Photography by: Samantha Combs

According to a recent New York Times article, the American Academy of Pediatrics has “advised parents to avoid 100 percent fruit juice for babies younger than 6 months.” This may come as a shock to many, as the image of a baby drinking a bottle of apple juice is as fundamental as any.

This common misconception can have some real consequences, however, as outlined by Dr. Elsie M. Taveras, chief of the division of general pediatrics at MassGeneral Hospital for Children in Boston. One of the primary concerns in giving infants under one-year- old fruit juice of any kind, even 100 percent fruit juice, is that they can act as a type of “gateway drink”. There are studies indicating that infants who drink more juice in infancy are more prone to drink soda and sugary beverages later in life. This risk, along its classification by the American Academy of Pediatrics as a drink with “no nutritional benefits early in life”, makes grabbing for that carton of apple juice seem a lot more dangerous than it has seemed before. 

While facts may back up this scientific consensus, there may still be many who refuse to accept a practice that has been understood as cultural fact. I know when I asked my mom if I had been given fruit juice as an infant, there was not a second of hesitation before a calm “of course, why wouldn’t I?”. Even as I explained the statement procured by the American Academy of Pediatrics, there was still some hesitation in her eyes, and the rest of my family disregarded the information entirely.

Some practices are so ingrained into our daily lives that it seems absurd to change them even in the face of cold hard evidence, like the old practice of giving teething babies a few drops of whiskey to soothe their pain. These practices make their way into our daily habits, to the point where having juice with breakfast seems necessary. 

Despite experts like Dr. Man Wai Ng from the Boston Children’s hospital stating that “one hundred percent fruit juice should be offered only on special occasions, especially for kids who are at high-risk for tooth decay”, we still see portrayals of fruit juice as part of a healthy balanced breakfast over all genres of media. They make their way into our commercials and television shows, it is shown so often that any negative connotation that could potentially be aligned with it disappears. Despite the deep roots that juice drinking as young children has in our culture today, it’s spot is not an unchangeable one. 

In the face of this statement made by the American Academy of Pediatrics, there is a prime chance to change the cultural facts that have been written through the generations. Just as the image of the smoking father or mother has largely disappeared from our minds, perhaps the visual of babies drinking juice can as well.

Avoiding sugary drinks like fruit juice and opting for either whole fruit (when able) or sticking to formula/milk is a healthy change that needs to be implemented on a societal level. So remember next time to push apple juice to the back of the shelf, not into your pantry!

Designs By: Courteney Lisowski

Do you have a sweet tooth?  From time to time, I need my candy fix.  My weakness is taffy or anything chocolate.  Typically, I do not give into temptation; however, this is the time of orange and black, not to be mistaken with “Orange is the New Black,” but this is the season where there is no shortage of candy.  As orange and black themed packaging overloads the aisles of many stores, offices, and homes, there is temptation everywhere.  According to the National Retail Foundation, Americans purchase about 600 million pounds of candy each year for Halloween, which is equivalent to the weight of 6 Titanic ships.  The average of American households will spend $47 on Halloween candy.  So where does all that candy go?  Well, the average American will eat 3.4 pounds of candy over Halloween.  The consumption of this much candy is not good for your teeth or waistline, as most candies are high in added calories, sugar and fat.

Whether or not this is the one time out of the year you indulge in sweets as you pick your favorites from your child’s plastic pumpkin or from the desks of your co-workers, you do have options to make a healthier choice.  Here are a few popular Halloween candies that have been deemed a healthier or better option compared to their sweet counterparts.

Better Candy Choices

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups vs. Snickers
Better Choice: Snickers

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups has more protein, but compared to two fun size pieces of Snickers, Snickers contain less total fat, saturated fat, and 10 less calories.

Peanut M&M’s vs. Skittles
Better Choice: Peanut M&M’s

A snack size bag of Skittles contains 61 calories.  Though the same size bag of Peanut M&M’s contains more calories, 91 calories, it is lower on the glycemic index, and will release sugars slower into the bloodstream; whereas Skittles will spike your blood sugars at an increased rate.

Twix vs. Kit Kat
Better Choice: Kit Kat

A Kit Kat has 20 less calories, and less saturated fat and sodium.

Candy Corn vs. Tootsie Roll
Better Choice: It’s a tie.

Candy corn one of the most popular candy choices during Halloween, there is even a day designated to it; October 30th is National Candy Corn Day.  However, Tootsie Rolls and candy corn have the same nutritional value if you were to consume 26 pieces of candy corn or 6 pieces of the bite sized Tootsie Rolls.

Butterfinger or York Peppermint Pattie
Better Choice: York Peppermint Pattie

For three fun size York Peppermint Patties, it contains 150 calories, 3 grams of fat and 15 miligrams of sodium.  Two fun size Butterfinger bars contains 200 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 100 milligrams of sodium.

Starburst or Jolly Rancher
Better Choice: Jolly Rancher

Consuming three pieces of Starburst candies has fewer calories compared to a Jolly Rancher.  However, since Jolly Ranchers are hard candies it takes longer to finish, and you will be less likely to eat more. 

Sweet Tarts or Smarties
Better Choice: Smarties

Do you sometimes think who eats Smarties?  I know I do, and now you know why.  For an individual roll of Smarties it contains 25 calories, and 5 grams of sugar.  As for Sweet Tarts, it contains 50 calories and 13 grams of sugar for 8 pieces.

Pay Day vs. Milky Way
Better Choice: Milky Way

In two fun-size pieces of Milky Way, it contains 50% less fat and sodium.

Almond Joy vs. Mounds
Better Choice: Another tie.

It’s a tie between the two.  For each fund size Mounds and Almond Joy, they both contain about 80 calories, have equal amounts of fat, 4.5 grams, saturated fat, 3 grams, and carbohydrates, 10 grams.

While the average amount of candy consumed is more than three pounds during Halloween, just remember moderation is important.  You can curb your sweet tooth with juicy fruit, low-fat yogurt with honey, or dark chocolate if you need a chocolate kick.

We all go through it — the sudden urge to taste something sweet. Perhaps it is a craving for a delectable dessert after dinner, or even as simple as adding sweet sugar to our morning cup of Joe. The energy and joy we feel as the sugar settles in can become an addictive feeling that we crave time and time again. Unfortunately with sugar “highs” come the sugar “lows” when we feel tired and the urge for something sweet starts all over again. It’s time to uncover the truth about sugar cravings and how we can finally tame our sweet tooth and break our sugar addiction.

Sugar Addictions

How it works – Sugar fuels every cell in the brain so the brain perceives sugar as a reward, which causes our sugar cravings to want more. Simple sugars found in syrup, soda, candy, and table sugar quickly gets absorbed into the bloodstream, causing our blood sugar levels to spike (known as the “sugar high”). Once the blood sugar is moved out of the bloodstream and into our cells for energy, (with the help of the hormone insulin), it causes a drop in blood sugar levels. These rapid changes in blood sugar levels leads to the crash, or sugar “low”, leaving us to feel tired and wiped out and in search for more sugar to regain the “high”. This sets us up for bad eating habits that are hard to break.

The Good News! – Sugar is not needed as much as we think. We can retrain our taste buds to enjoy things that are not as sweet or find ways to curb our sugar cravings. The best way to do this is to gradually cut down foods or drinks with added sugar. This change is more doable for long term so that we are not likely to fall back into bad habits. Try one less sweet food or drink from your diet each week. For example, pass dessert after dinner or use less sugar in your coffee or cereal. Over time, you will lose the need for the sweet, sugary taste!

Most Americans consume about 19 teaspoons or more of added sugar a day, which equates to up to 285 calories. You should be aiming for no more than 6 teaspoons daily for women and 9 teaspoons for men, cutting it down to 100 calories and 150 calories, respectively. Try some of these tips to cut down on added sugar consumption:

No need to completely give up on sweet treats. Simply replace table sugar or sweet processed foods with the “good-for-you” sweets such as fresh berries or fruit in oatmeal instead of sugar. Try dried, frozen, or canned fruit without added sugar. Also, a low-sugar yogurt can help provide you with natural sugars to satisfy your cravings.

• Protein helps! High protein foods digest more slowly, keeping you feeling full for a longer period of time and curbing the sugar cravings. Lean proteins such as lean meats, low-fat yogurt, eggs, nuts, or beans are good choices and also do not make your blood sugar spike up and down the way refined carbs and sugars do.

• Fill up on fiber. Like protein, fiber helps in keeping you full and giving you more energy. Fiber does not raise your blood sugar, preventing any crashes or sugar “lows”. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are some good examples to aim for. Smear some peanut butter on an apple for a protein/fiber combo!

• Watch out for hidden sugars. Get in the habit of reading food labels and filter out high sugar foods before they hit your shopping cart. If sugar is listed in the first few ingredients, the product is likely to have more than 4 total grams of sugar, or 1 teaspoon. Sugar can also be labeled differently with names like: agave nectar, brown rice syrup, high fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, malt syrup, molasses and words ending in –ose (glucose, lactose, sucrose, etc.) Foods that are not commonly seen as sweet may contain high amounts of sugar such as ketchup, barbecue sauce, pasta sauce, and reduced-fat salad dressings, which is why it is important to read food labels to help control added sugar intake.

Halloween is a festive holiday that parents can enjoy with their kids, but it can be challenging to assure healthy eating habits since the goal of most children is to get as much Halloween candy as possible. Don’t wait until this time of year to prepare the family for resisting the sweet temptations of this holiday. If you and the family try to eat healthfully all year, kids will be more likely to make wise decisions when faced with the temptation to overindulge in unhealthy foods. Help kids enjoy Halloween without overindulging by following these tips:

1)      Do not send your children trick-or-treating on an empty stomach. Serve them a healthy meal beforehand to help reduce the urge to snack.

2)      Give children trick-or-treat bags that are appropriate for their size. Older kids may carry larger bags, but not as large as a shopping bag or plastic garbage bag. Smaller bags take a shorter amount of time to fill and also give them the impression that they have lots of treats to choose from in comparison to filling up a much larger bag.

3)      Limit the houses your children can visit to a two to three block radius so that treats will most likely come from friends and neighbors, and the moderate amount of treats will be manageable.

4)      Instruct children to wait until they get home to eat their treats so that they can be inspected first. This way, you can manage which treats you want available to them and throw away any treats with signs of tampering.

5)      Promote good health by passing out a variety of fun, non-candy alternatives (or lower calorie, healthy alternatives) to trick-or-treaters at your house this year.

Not sure what healthy dishes to serve while upholding the Halloween spirit? Try some of these fun, nutritious Halloween treats for the whole family to enjoy!

1)      No-bones-about-it vegetable skeleton. Create a spooky skeleton with different veggies such as carrots, celery, colorful bell peppers, and cucumbers, while using hummus dip for the face. Vegetables come in so many shapes and sizes so they make the perfect building blocks. Have fun and be creative!

2)      Jack-o-latern dip. Carve out a small pumpkin or orange to use as dip containers for hummus, salsa, or yogurt-based dips. Paint a face on the pumpkin instead of cutting holes.

3)      Black & orange dip. Serve black bean dip served with sweet potato chips/fries or orange bell pepper strips.

4)      Brains! Carve a small, seedless melon (watermelon or cantaloupe) to resemble brains. Cut the outer skin of the melon, leaving the white pith. Cut through the white pith with a knife to resemble the brain’s squiggly folds. Then carve to expose a little of the flesh (works well with a watermelon to expose red-colored flesh).

5)      Boo-nanas. Dip peeled bananas in orange juice, then roll in shredded coconut to make white ghosts. Add small raisins or chocolate chips for eyes, then insert a wooden craft stick for a handle (so the ghosts can float about hauntingly). Serve as is or frozen.

6)      Witches teeth. Core and quarter an apple. Remove the wedge from the skin side of each quarter to form a mouth. Insert variously shaped and sized slivered almonds for teeth.

Eating your favorite dessert can be a bittersweet moment as you try to enjoy the rich, decadent flavors while not trying to think about what the next bite is going to do to your waistline. 

While foods and drinks with added sugar taste good, they can negatively impact nutrition and health by displacing healthier foods and causing you to gain weight from the excess, empty calories. When your diet is chronically high in sugar, especially added sugars, your health can be undermined since sugar can suppress the immune system, promote excess inflammation, raise insulin levels, and contribute to aging, weight gain, and disease. However, a small serving of sugar or the occasional sweet treat is not going to instantly translate into a new wrinkle or trigger multiple organ failure.

According to the American Heart Association, the amount of added sugar you can eat a day depends on your “discretionary calories” — your calorie budget beyond what you need to run your body without overindulging. Your discretionary calorie allowance depends on your age, sex, and activity level.

“Most American women should eat or drink no more than 100 calories (approx 6 tsp) per day from added sugars, and most American men should eat or drink no more than 150 calories (approx 9 tsp) per day from added sugars,” states the AHA.”

You can still keep sugar in the diet as long as you aim for more natural sugars (such as in fruit) that also contain desirable nutrients, or stick to your favorite dessert, but consume in moderation. So the next time that rich chocolate cake is calling your name, try some of these tips to satisfy those sweet cravings:

1)      Avoid sugary drinks. According to the American Cancer Society, almost half of sugar consumption in the typical diet comes from sweetened beverages, which includes soda, sweetened teas and juice drinks, and sport drinks. Instead, try swapping these sweet drinks with sparkling water and add lemon (or another fruit) or a splash of fruit juice instead.

2)      Sweeten foods yourself. Buy unsweetened tea, plain yogurt, or unflavored oatmeal and add sweetener or fruit yourself. You are likely to add less sweetener than the manufacturer and you know exactly how much is in your food or beverage. Sometimes it is easier to limit sugar when you see how much is physically added. Would you be more inclined to eat or drink something if you knew it had 16 teaspoons of added sugar in it?

3)      Aim for options that will override cravings for sweets. Eat naturally sweet food such as fruit, some peppers, natural peanut butter, dipped fruit, yogurt, baked apples, fruit & yogurt popsicles, fruit salad, dark chocolate, unsweetened applesauce (or other pureed fruit), and frozen yogurt to satisfy your sweet tooth. Be sure to check the nutrition label for any added sugars or sweeteners!

4)      Focus on fruit. Get your sugar from fruit since fresh produce also contains lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. For dessert, try sliced mango, frozen banana slices, and grapes or papaya drizzled with vanilla yogurt.