Diet and Nutrition

5 Things to Know About the New Food Labeling Laws

Late last week the Food and Drug Administration made a huge announcement that basically holds more businesses accountable for the calories in the food they choose to serve. The new food laws, which falls under the Affordable Care Act, will absolutely affect you; expect to know how many calories are in that tub of popcorn at the movie theater, for instance.

Let’s break down the most important changes you will notice next year.

1. All major businesses will need to display their calorie counts.

Some big cities are already held to this standard, like New York City. But the FDA’s new laws will require any establishment that sells prepared food (and also has more than 20 locations) to display its food’s calorie information. A one-stop independent bakery will not be affected, but your local and booming coffee purveyor that’s become a chain will not be exempt.

2. Calories will be on the menu.

Calorie content will appear on menus and menu boards in restaurants, though bakeries, coffee shops, pizza joints, movie theaters, and amusement parks will be affected, as well. The idea is to provide easy access to the caloric information of your food choices to help you realize exactly what you are ingesting. The FDA also hopes that it will inspire restaurants to make healthier food preparation choices. (more…)

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Jessica Tholmer

Kelly Guy Lost 66 Pounds with Jenny Craig and Became an Award-Winning Food Blogger

On her award-winning blog, No Thanks to Cake, Kelly Guy shares tasty, easy-to-make recipes, offers advice on how to eat healthy while traveling and professes her love for the Gilmore Girls. After a 66-pound weight loss, Kelly has firsthand experience with the struggle to find a healthy balance with food. I’m her newest fan.

Regulation Nation: What Consumers Really Think About the Feds in Our Food

The question of whether or not the government should regulate the food industry seems like a simple one, but it’s really an incredibly complex topic. Variables like price, availability, variety of offerings, and quality of products are all involved. Also, there’s the issue of how much regulation the food industry should have. Should it all be regulated? None? Or maybe somewhere in the middle?

To help us make sense of the issue, Sullivan Higdon & Sink (SHS) has produced its latest White Paper, Regulation Nation. Through their research, they’ve learned the issue of food regulation comes down to a lot more than a simple yes we should have it, or no we shouldn’t.

Regulation Benefits: Food is safer, healthier, better-quality.

Regulation Negatives: limit choices, restrict freedoms, and ultimately drive up costs.

(more…)

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Elizabeth

The Only Fitness Tracker Review

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These are the top wearable fitness trackers you should consider using to monitor your fitness goals. Last year’s 2024 Fitness Tracker Review Guide was a huge hit, so we’re doing it again with the new 2024 models. Several bands have gotten bumps in battery life, there are new and improved features across the board, and some new players to consider.

BUDGET CONSCIOUS

The two notable entries are aimed squarely at the budget-minded among us, with price points both under $60. They don’t pack all the high-tech bells and whistles of their more expensive siblings, but for many, they get the job done and serve as a reminder to be more active.

For a modest $50, you’ll find the Jawbone UP Move, which clips onto your shirt, pants, blouse, or purse. It’s a pedometer, first and foremost, and via the free iPhone or Android apps, also helps you keep track of calories consumed and calories burned.

The $60 Fitbit Zip competes head-on here, but is also waterproof up to 30 feet. (more…)

Posted on November 25, 2023 by Mike Beauchamp

Julie Wilson Lost 100 Pounds and Now Helps Others at Retrofit Ministries

Julie Wilson lost and gained the same pounds for years. Finally, she decided to take a new approach. One night she made a quiet vow to her young daughter, asked for strength from God and then took baby steps toward her goal. After losing 100 pounds, now Julie is helping others.

Pizza Hut Introduces 2 Billion Ordering Options! Do We Need That?

If variety is the spice of life, then Pizza Hut may just become over-seasoned. The pizza chain recently announced a complete overhaul of their menu, which according to Pizza Hut, can be combined in more than 2 billion ways.

With these changes, Pizza Hut becomes the newest member of a growing list of long-standing restaurant chains adjusting to cater to a new, younger taste. That new taste has some interesting demands, and it’s nice to know people are listening.

More customers, particularly millennials, are looking for more variety in their food choices, which include a selection of more exotic flavors and higher-quality food. They’re also looking for the ability to completely customize their order. We’re blaming Chipotle (in a good way) for that one.

To help customers get their customization on, Pizza Hut is introducing five new ingredients: Peruvian cherry peppers, classic meatballs, sliced banana peppers, premium salami, and fresh spinach. There are also six sauce options, which include old favorites and new flavors like honey sriracha and creamy garlic parmesan.

Pizza Hut Now Delivering a New Whole Wheat Pizza to Meet School Lunch Nutrition Guidelines

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Posted on November 19, 2023 by Elizabeth

Cozy Winter Dinner for Four: Turkey and Herb Stuffed Acorn Squash

Some (huge) part of me loves hunkering down for the cooler months. This season mean more time by the fire, with a book, wearing cozy sweaters, and playing board games. Maybe this means I’m secretly an 85-year-old woman living in a millennial’s body, but maybe I’m OK with that.

One of my favorite parts of fall and winter is spending time in the kitchen creating wholesome, seasonal recipes. I love all of the winter vegetables and making “comfort food” that won’t ruin my wellness goals — like these fall comfort foods for vegetarians. My household tries to avoid excessive grain consumption, and increased veggies, the result being my favorite format of dinners: stuffed anything. Stuffed zucchini, butternut squash, these stuffed kale and bean sweet potatoes — name the veggie and I’ve packed it with goodies and served it as a meal.

So then I tried to include the much less popular cousin of the beloved butternut or spaghetti squash, and experimented with acorn squash. It is perfect for a foggy fall night and lasts forever to make GREAT leftovers — even served cold! Plus, acorn squash is more nutrient-dense than any of its other summer squash relatives. Score!

Acorn squash is loaded with vitamin C to boost the immune system, vitamin A for healthy vision and skin, and has more than 9 grams of dietary fiber! This is more than one-third of the daily requirement and helps to regulate blood sugar, diabetes, and digestion. Plus, hello, isn’t she so pretty?

To choose a ripe acorn squash, look for one with a dark green color, with a small patch of yellow or orange. The skin should be hard and the stem slightly withered.

For this recipe, slice the squash lengthwise, brush with olive oil and dust with nutmeg. Remember a little bit of this powerful autumnal spice goes a long way!

I chose to stuff the squash with ground turkey, as it is leaner than red meat and the subtler flavor lets the squash taste take center stage! Like all of my recipes, this is extremely forgiving in what you choose to throw in to the stuffing mixture. Consider adding red and green bell peppers, chopped onions, or sun-dried tomatoes. Those are some of my favorite bonus additions when I have them lying around the house.

But for the purposes of guiding you on a ready-to-follow recipes with little improvisation needed, I’ve literally stuffed this recipe with some of the best natural flavor agents around. Minced garlic and onion, sweet raisins, and a trio of fresh herbs like parsley, basil, and thyme. The aroma before you even start roasting will fill your senses and boost your anticipation of this meal.

As always, I’d suggest tossing any almost-moldy greens into the mixture right at the very end so they wilt slightly and blend in with the other flavors. I’m always looking for ways to hide any extra veggies!

If your tummy and nutritional choices allow, you may even want to top with crumbled feta cheese before drizzling with balsamic vinegar and serving for an extra flavor boost!

And one more favorite preparation tip? I’ve made this with sweet potato flesh combined with the turkey mixture. Having both acorn and sweet potato together makes it extra yummy!

Turkey and Herb Stuffed Acorn Squash
serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 acorn squash, halved lengthwise with seeds removed

1 lb. ground turkey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, minced

16 oz. baby spinach

3 celery stalks, chopped

1/4 cup raisins

1 tsp. parsley, chopped

1 tsp. thyme, chopped

1/2 tsp. basil, chopped

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

2+ tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter or coconut oil

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and adjust rack to middle position. While it warms, brush the squash lightly with olive oil and dust with nutmeg. Place squash, cut-side up, on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Brown the ground turkey. Add the diced onion, garlic, and celery, stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes until soft.

3. Stir in herbs, spices, and raisins. Add spinach and wilt 2-3 minutes. Add in butter or coconut oil and combine over medium heat.

4. Spoon filling into acorn squash and roast for 20 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve.

ALSO TRY THESE PERFECT FALL MEALS

Twice-Baked Shepherd’s Pie

Whole Wheat Chicken Pot Pie

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe by Katie McGrath; Photos by Kacy Meinecke for DietsInReview.com

Posted on November 18, 2023 by Katie McGrath

TaVona Boggs Lost 82 Pounds and Started a Social Fitness Group for Women

TaVona Boggs spent most of her adult life on a diet. When she wasn’t on one, she was thinking she probably should be. Finally, she learned how to make peace with food and gave up on what she calls the, “all or nothing” mentality. After an 82-pound weight loss, TaVona is competing in duathlons and inspiring other women to break out of their comfort zones.

When did your weight struggles begin. As early as age 10, I remember begging my mom to buy me a thigh master. Throughout high school I kept my weight in check with physical activity, like cheer leading, volleyball and more, but once I entered an intensive physical therapy program in college, the weight crept back on.

What habits specifically led you to gain weight? I did not know how to eat properly. My solution was to eat what college kids ate and when the weight escalated, I would diet down to what I thought was an appropriate weight only to gain it back once I stopped dieting.

What prompted the change? I stepped on the scale one day and it said 224 pounds. At that point I had become so sick of dieting I couldn’t do it one more time so I said to myself, “I have to learn how to eat real food, and still enjoy myself.”

How did you lose the weight? With my mother’s encouragement, I decided to join a commercial weight loss program. With the support of the ladies in my group and my mentor, I was able to get to my goal of 155 pounds. After a while, counting points and managing my weight through exercise only got me so far. I oscillated, then got stuck and eventually saw the weight starting to come back on.

(more…)

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Dani Stone

The Pegan Diet Dr. Mark Hyman and I Live By: Are You a Paleo-Vegan?

As a health coach, it is my job to help guide my clients to find the best way of eating for them. A common response is, “Well, what works for you? How do you eat?” I struggle with this because I don’t want them to be subliminally influenced by my choices, but also because it never quite had a label. I have created some sort of hybrid diet that my body happens to thrive on. Lots of vegetables, nuts/seeds, good fats, some fruits, no dairy, minimal grains if possible, and mindfully sourced protein from both animals and plants.

It’s not quite paleo, and it’s not quite vegan. I had been calling it Plant-Based Paleo…but only in my own head.

Imagine my surprise when holistic physician and public health figure Dr. Mark Hyman — a regular columnist for the Huffington Post and contributor to the Katie Couric Show — posts an article to his website saying that he is Pegan a kind of hybridized version of paleo and vegan. Ha! I now feel strangely validated. (more…)

Posted on November 12, 2023 by Katie McGrath

No Brainer Dinner: BBQ Pork Sliders with Homemade Cole Slaw

There’s a new D-word, and all of us cringe at its mention. But inevitably, once a day, that question sounds: what’s for dinner? There’s too much pressure on this one single meal that doesn’t even carry the responsibility of being the most important meal of the day. And yet, it’s the one that we focus on the most.

We need it easy, fast, delicious, healthy, and we need all of it for an affordable price. Something has to give, right? Not with these BBQ Pork Sliders! You get the whole package for a fair price in less than 45 minutes. You can’t beat that with a sack of burgers!

35 Quick & Easy School Night Dinners Your Kids Will Actually Eat

This recipe uses lean pork tenderloin, and the name says it all. This cut of meat is very tender (it’s honestly hard to mess it up) and it’s very lean. Four ounces of pork tenderloin weighs in nutritionally almost identical to the same amount of chicken breast, with 185 calories and 5 grams of fat. For the serving size and the amount of satisfying flavor pork tenderloin offers, you seriously cannot beat this cut of meat. It’s one of our favorite go-tos.

The pork roasts for about half an hour in the oven, staying moist and building flavor with your favorite barbecue sauce. Sodium and sugar are two things to watch out for when buying bottled sauce, but tasty options abound if you’re willing to read a label.

While the pork is cooking, you’ve got plenty of time to prepare the homemade slaw to top the sandwiches. This is way too easy, and if you’ve got eager hands who love to help out in the kitchen, this is the perfect task to pass on to the kids. Simply mix reduced-fat mayo and milk with white vinegar and scallions (green onions) and toss that with a bagged cole slaw mix from the store.

Then prep the dinner rolls or slider buns with a scoop of the slaw, finishing with the pork. When this comes out of the oven, you can use a fork to shred or pull the pork. Top with any remaining scallions and barbecue sauce and dinner is served!

BBQ Pork Sliders
serves 12

INGREDIENTS

One pork tenderloin (about 1 ¼ lbs.)
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. barbecue sauce
3 cups bagged Classic Cole Slaw (shredded cabbage and carrots)
3 Tbsp. reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. fat-free milk
1 ½ tsp. cider or white vinegar
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sliced scallions
12 dinner rolls or slider buns, split and warmed or toasted if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil or regular foil coated with cooking spray.
Place pork on pan and brush with 1 Tbsp. barbecue sauce. Roast until meat thermometer inserted in center registers 155 degrees, about 30 minutes.
To make coleslaw, put coleslaw, mayonnaise, milk, vinegar and 2 Tbsp. sliced scallions in a medium bowl and toss to mix and coat. (Can be made 1 day ahead).
Slice pork then tear or cut into shreds or pieces.
Put pork, remaining scallions and barbecue sauce in a large nonstick skillet and warm over low heat. (Can be made one day ahead and reheated just before serving).
To serve, spoon about ¼ cup BBQ pork on each bun bottom. Top each with about 3 Tbsp. coleslaw, then bun tops.

TRY THESE HOMEMADE SIDES

Sriracha Oven Fries (pictured)

Red and Sweet Potato Salad

Parmesan Orange Sweet Potato Hash Browns

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Cheesy Black Bean and Sweet Corn Dip

recipe by Terry Grieco Kenny; photos by Kacy Meinecke for DietsInReview.com

Posted on November 10, 2023 by Natalie K

Samantha Hillis Lost 80 Pounds – “Your body amazing. It can adapt to any lifestyle you choose.”

After her divorce, Samantha Hillis was suddenly thrown into the role of single mother. After taking control of her lifestyle, she lost an amazing 80 pounds. Samantha is proud to lead by example and she’s now enjoying activities with her young son that she never thought would be possible.

Diet and Nutrition

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