Jacques of all Trades

explore-blog:

What America spends on groceries – between 1962 and 2012 our consumption of fruits and vegetables has grown by 0.1%, but our consumption of processed foods and sweets by 100%.

Wash this down with a look at daily diets around the world.

(Source: , via theatlantic)

npr:

Ready to say goodbye to a sliver of your Snickers? And how about a slightly slimmer Mars bar? By the end of 2013, chocolate-maker Mars says all of its chocolate bars will be under — or right at — the 250-calorie mark. (via Goodbye To The King Size: Mars To Downsize Candy Bars In 2013 : The Salt : NPR)

Photo: John Rose / NPR

100 healthy snack ideas

fitbeliever:

• 1. Frozen Grapes (I used to eat these in college all the time- they are amazing)
• 2. String Cheese
• 3. Banana
• 4. Frozen Banana (peel it first, stick in the freezer overnight- it’s like a yummy popsicle)
• 5. Low-fat Yogurt
• 6. Sugar-free or fat-free pudding
• 7. Apple dipped in Peanut Butter (or spread peanut butter on top of apple slice and top with pecans … so good!)
• 8. 100-calorie bag of popcorn
• 9. Applesauce
• 10. Raw veggies with hummus (my new favorite!)
• 11. Almonds
• 12. Apple
• 13. Skinny S’more (two graham crackers with one roasted marshmallow and one small square dark chocolate)
• 14. Smoked Beef Jerky (about 1 oz- look for low-sodium!)
• 15. Chocolate Milk
• 16. Hard Boiled Egg
• 17. Sunflower Seeds
• 18. Cottage Cheese
• 19. Sliced Cantelope
• 20. Raisins
• 21. Pita Bread and Hummus
• 22. Rice Cakes
• 23. Sugar-free Jello
• 24. Dried Fruits
• 25. Frozen Yoplait Whips Yogurt (these seriously taste like ice cream when they are frozen!)
• 26. Air-Popped Popcorn
• 27. Pistachios
• 28. Clementines (we call them Cuties or Clemmies)
• 29. Fruit Smoothie (or Kristen’s Green Smoothie- it’s actually delicious!)
• 30. Handful of olives
• 31. Pickles
• 32. Handful of blueberries with 2 tablespoons fat-free Cool-Whip
• 33. Ants on a Log (celery with peanut butter and raisins)
• 34.1 cup mixed berry salad (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and/or blackberries) tossed with one tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice.
• 35. Peanut Butter and Bananas on whole wheat bread
• 36. Trail Mix (make your own! Throw in dried fruit, sunflower seeds, nuts, low-sugar cereals, and even the occasional piece of candy for something sweet.)
• 37. Orange Slices
• 38. Cherry Tomatoes
• 39. Graham Crackers
• 40. Small Green Salad with light dressing
• 41. Mango smoothie (frozen mango, mango Greek Yogurt, and a small amount of orange juice)
• 42. Kabobs (thread low-fat meat, low-fat cheese, pineapple and cherry tomatoes onto a stick- my kids love anything on a stick!)
• 43. Half of a Cinnamon-Raisin topped with peanut butter and banana slices
• 44. Grilled Pineapple (throw them on the grill or a skillet on med. heat for two minutes or until golden)
• 45. Baked Apples (one tennis ball-sized apple, cored, filled with 1 teaspoon brown sugar and cinnamon, and baked until tender)
• 46. Animal Crackers
• 47. Strawberries dipped in fat-free Cool Whip
• 48. Low-fat tortilla topped with egg salad, shredded carrots and cucumber slices
• 49. Parfait (build your own with Greek yogurt or plain yogurt, fruit, and granola)
• 50. Bowl of bran flakes with 1/2 cup skim milk and berries
• 51. Guacamole with veggies
• 52. Triscuit’s Thin Crisps dipped in cottage cheese or hummus
• 53. Cashews
• 54. Pretzels
• 55. Sun Chips (portion control! Read the serving amount on the side!)
• 56. Cheesy Breaded Tomatoes: Two roasted plum tomatoes sliced and topped with 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
• 57. Sugar Snap Peas
• 58. Steamed Veggies (steam non-starchy vegetables in a microwave safe bag and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese or 1/4 cup pasta sauce)
• 59. Apricots
• 60. Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges
• 61. Any 100 calorie pack
• 62. Snack/Granola bar (around 150 calories or less, like Kellogg’s All-Bran, Kashi TLC Trail Mix, or Fiber one Bar)
• 63. Baked chips (about 7-10) with salsa
• 64. Soy Chips
• 65. Protein Bar
• 66. Sweet Potato Fries (one light-bulb sized sweet potato sliced, tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and baked at 400° for 10 minutes)
• 67. Wrap (I like a slice of turkey, swiss cheese, baby spinach leaves, and cranberry relish wrapped up in a tortilla)
• 68. Pumpkin Seeds (2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, sprayed with oil (just a spritz!) and baked at for 400° for 15 minutes or until brown. Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt on top)
• 69. Bean Salad
• 70. Broccoli Florets
• 71. Peaches and Cottage Cheese
• 72. Chopped Red Peppers (dipped in fat free ranch)
• 73. V8 Vegetable Juice
• 74. Tuna with Triscuit crackers
• 75. Cooked and Cubed Chicken Breast
• 76. Homemade Popsicles (puree watermelon, strawberries, mango, banana, etc and freeze in popsicle molds)
• 77. Dates with almond butter or rolled in coconut
• 78. Quesadilla (whole wheat (or corn) tortillas w/cheese (or not) melted in microwave - adding on tomatoes, beans, corn, olives, avocado or guacamole or whatever sounds good)
• 79. Watermelon
• 80. Cubed Apples and Cubed Cheese (this was my husband’s favorite after-school snack when he was little)
• 81. Craisins (I love to eat these with almonds- it’s a good combo)
• 82. Goldfish Crackers
• 83. Edamame
• 84. Cheesy Roasted Asparagus (four spears (spritzed with olive-oil spray) and topped with 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, baked for 10 minutes at 400°)
• 85. Turkey Roll-Ups (Four slices smoked turkey rolled up and dipped in 2 teaspoons honey mustard)
• 86. Strawberry Salad (1 cup raw spinach with ½ cup sliced strawberries and 1 tablespoon balsamic)
• 87. Oatmeal
• 88. Banana Smoothie (½ cup sliced banana, ¼ cup nonfat vanilla yogurt, and a handful of ice blended until smooth)
• 89. Lime Sherbet (1/2 cup serving) with sliced kiwi
• 90. Apple Chips (dehydrated apples- they are so good!)
• 91. Black Beans (mix 1/4 cup black beans with 1 tablespoon salsa and 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt for an added twist!)
• 92. Lettuce wrap (try two slices honey-baked ham with 2 teaspoons honey mustard rolled in a lettuce leaf)
• 93. Pecans (try five pecans roasted with 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
• 94. Chocolate Covered Strawberries (dip 5 strawberries in 2 squares of dark chocolate- that is still good for you, right?!)
• 95. Honeyed Yogurt (½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt with a dash of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon honey)
• 96. Blackberries (so good mixed with plain yogurt)
• 97. Frozen Mangos
• 98. Tropical Juice Smoothie (¼ cup pineapple juice, orange juice, and apple juice, blended with ice)
• 99. Healthier Banana Bread
• 100. Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip with fresh fruit

To print this list out, CLICK HERE.

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(Source: workitoutt, via anonypoop-deactivated20130216)

Handy portion control guide (via noraleah:healthlovely,bringtoaboil)

boston:

Combating childhood obesity

- In the long drawn out battle to fight the childhood obesity epidemic, public health advocates, schools, parents - heck, even the first lady - have been trying a variety of strategies to see what, if anything, really works.

5 ways to eat kale [smoothies + chips included]

via dahl house recipes. mala-mala:littlelaur

(Source: littlelaur, via miss-malllla)

Giving Mini Burgers To Mice Reveals The Good And Bad Of Cooking Meat

I recently finished reading Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, by British primatologist Richard Wrangham, which takes a lot of these types of studies and other studies of primates and the fossil record, to assert that cooking was one of the final skills that led to the evolution into homo sapiens. 

It was a fascinating read, and also a commentary on many dietary trends, providing a stinging rebuke of raw foodists on one end, while also explaining how the processing of many foods in modern culture complicates our understanding of the relationship between calories and weight gain.

A group of Seattle entrepreneurs has come up with one solution to the urban food desert problem, and it doesn’t involve adding traditional supermarkets to underserved areas. Their new venture, Stockbox Grocers, is taking the favorite building block of the green-building movement—the shipping container—and adapting it into a miniature food emporium, packed from floor to roof with fresh produce and other staples. (via Stockbox Grocer’s Food Desert Solution: The Shipping Container - Food - GOOD)

theatlantic on American eating habits:

This Is What You Eat in a Year (Including 42 Pounds of Corn Syrup)

Low Calorie, High Fiber Summer Fruits n Veggies Chart! (via imperfectatbest)

Must remember to fit these in between the summer beers and hot dogs!

(Source: blogilates, via poundslb-deactivated20120107-de)

Interesting results from a new study on what foods help you lose (or make you gain) weight.

(via You don’t want fries with that - The Washington Post)

What Sugar Actually Does to Your Brain and Body - Lifehacker

We consume an enormous amount of sugar, whether consciously or not, but it’s a largely misunderstood substance. There are different kinds and different ways your body processes them all. Some consider it poison and others believe it’s the sweetest thing on earth. Here’s a look at the different forms of sugar, the various ways they affect you, and how they play a role in healthy—and unhealthy—diets… 

Interesting and accessible piece, and if you’re interested, they do the same thing for caffeine and alcohol.  

(h/t Josh Stock)