Calories

Which do you think has the most calories: Subway foot-long tuna sub, Panera Bread fresh tomato and mozzarella salad, Jamba Juice banana berry (original size), Starbucks no-sugar-added banana nut coffee cake, or, Wendy’s Chicken BLT salad? Take a good look.  Think carefully.  If you were watching your calories, which one would you not pick?

If you choose the Jamba Juice banana berry, you lose - or gain weight : 1,060 calories - you have to watch what they put into smoothies.  There has to be a lot of sugar in this one and not many berries.  Bet they use a fruit juice as a base.

Starbucks no-sugar added banana nut coffee cake: 890 calories - at what point do they stop adding sugar?  Must contain lots of fat.

Panera Bread fresh tomato and mozzarella salad: 790 calories - probably the dressing and cheese

Subway foot-long tuna sub: 470 calories - eat half and you are down to 235 calories … don’t add any stuff!

Wendy’s Chicken BLT salad: 450 calories - watch the salad dressing or your calorie count will go up.

The good news is that calories counts are being listed, giving you the option to make Better Food Choices!

Source: Be a Menu Genus, Prevention Magazine, November 2008, p. 78.

The School Beverage Guidelines set in 2006 says the “beverage industry is to provide lower-calorie and smaller portion options in schools, including the removal of full-calorie soft drinks, all by the 2009-2010 school year.”   How are they doing?  Since 2004 the schools show that beverage calories shipped to them have decreased by 58 percent and 79 percent of schools with beverage contracts are in compliance.  This is a step in the right direction but there are two major flaws. Lower calories from companies such as Coca Cola usually means sugar-free artificially added sweeteners, not good.  Plus, smaller prices usually do not follow smaller portions.  In addition to sodas, juices are a target for reduced drinks, and rightfully so.  The sugar-added ones can have over 300 calories in a container fitting vending machines.  These sugar added juices comprise 39 percent of vending machine beverages sold. The number one sold snack is chips -  no surpise there.

Pssst.  Want to know who is connected to the School Beverage Guidelines?  The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, American Beverage Association, The Coca Cola Company, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and Pepsico.  Lots of independent thinking there.

We have a long way to go to change the vending machine culture.  All of those reading this blog should know that there are vending machine companies offering natural healthier drinks and snacks. Tell your schools to write contracts with them.  

Source: Sarah Hills, “Pressure to cut calaories from school vending machines”, www.foodnavigator-usa.com, 10/6/2008.

Here is yet another possible reason to limit your calories.  Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison reports that eating too much food may result in decreasing the regulation of metabolism due to an inflammatory response in the brain.  This is just too much to understand, right?  Well what this means that there appears to be a link in the consumption of too many calories and the disturbance of brain pathways that impact food intake and body weight.  What does this mean?  This may offer a clearer understanding as to another reason why obesity is a chronic problem for some. 

Bottom Line: don’t over eat!

Source: Stephen Daniells, “Caloric overload may disrupt brain functions: Study”. www.foodnavigator-usa.com, 10/3/2008.