Buzz is building for the 2012 Super Bowl ads before we even know who will compete in Indianapolis. Trend watchers say that pets and sex will continue to sell to the largest TV-viewing audience of the year; more people will watch than will vote in November.
While most are tuning in to watch the final football game of the NFL season, many are watching solely for the commercials. Last year, the healthiest thing about those ads was Jillian Michaels’ appearance in the GoDaddy. This year, we’ve found one healthy food item being advertised amongst a gluttonous roster of chips, beer, and soda.
Dannon’s Oikos Greek Yogurt will make its Super Bowl debut this year, and will win MVP for healthiest product advertised. With only 120 calories for a 5.3-ounce serving, there are no more ingredients in Oikos than are necessary. John Stamos will present Oikos in the commercial as “possibly the best Greek yogurt in the world,” and stats will say blind taste-testers prefer Oikos 2-to-1 against Chobani. Organic sugar, organic blueberries, organic elderberry juice, organic nonfat milk, and five cultures are all it takes to make these slender cup of yogurt.
While yogurt can be a healthy snack or breakfast, not all brands are created equal. Homemade Greek yogurt is a nutritious option, but today’s supermarket shelves are crowded with various flavors and types of yogurt that are full of sugar and artificial flavoring.
French yogurt is known for its silky texture, different from Greek yogurt’s creamy consistency and tart flavor.
While Dannon Activia yogurt contains an exclusive probiotic culture Bifidus Regularis, which is said to help regulate your digestive system, the company has been under scrutiny in the past for dropping misleading health claims.
When you lead a busy life, grocery shopping can be a time-consuming chore. If you’re beginning a new diet, you have probably seen a number of resources that offer sample grocery lists and suggested items that deserve a permanent place in your pantry or refrigerator.
While those lists can be helpful, they are sometimes more confusing than useful. Recently, we caught up with Caroline Cederquist, M.D. and founder of BistroMD, a gourmet meal delivery service developed by physicians. Cederquist shared her top ten grocery list items that she recommends patients purchase when they want to eat a healthier diet.
“The shopping list consists of top 10 mainstay items that help you stay on track, lose weight, and add lots of flavor to meals and snacks,” Cederquist said. “A lot of these items can also be used to substitute higher calorie foods for healthier ones.”
My name is Carolyn and I blog about my weight loss journey on Weight Watchers over at Lovin’ Losing. I enjoy reading, baking, running, and playing with my furbabies.
In my experience, when trying to lose weight one of the most difficult things to do is learn how to cook healthy. Food is an integral part of our lives and cultures and often, friends and family who aren’t trying or don’t need to lose weight have a hard time adjusting when you start changing their favorite recipes. Sometimes the cook tries to make two versions of meals to appease everyone, gets overwhelmed with the work involved, and quits their weight loss journey. I’m here to say, that doesn’t have to be you!
Here are a few tips for getting friends and family on board with healthier cooking.
I’ve always been a fan of veggie dips. Even when I didn’t follow a healthy diet, setting out a tray of veggies with a dish of dip was a guaranteed way to get me to eat some fresh vegetables. Most commercially prepared dips are chock full of fat and calories, and no matter how you try and spin it, they just aren’t good for you. Marzetti, the company most known for their ubiquitous white tubs of vegetable dips, has come out with a lighter, more healthy version.
