Power Shopping? Get Healthy Snacking

The season is here.  Christmas.  Holidays.  Gifts.  The mall.  Mall food.

Ah, yes.  Mall food. 

If you are planning any type of shopping this season, chances are you’ll find yourself inside a mall.  And, chances are, you’ll be desperately seeking not only a perfect gift for your mother-in-law but a decent food court meal.

Is it even possible to find a tasty and healthy meal at the mall?  I’m happy to report that yes, it is (once you get past the Cinnabon and cookie stores, of course).  

Here are some of my favorite "happy and healthy" shopping tips that I follow myself.  And let me know if you have any favorite food finds - I'll add them to my list to check out this year.

 

General tips:

• Eat a meal before you leave. 
• Bring bottled water - sometimes your body is simply thirsty, not hungry. 
• Take breaks.  Watch the ice skaters.  Check your lists. Listen to the Christmas music.  Relax.
• Step it up occasionally to burn more calories – take the stairs, walk the long way, park a little farther away.
• Have fun.  It is the holiday season, after all.

Pack a snack:

Whether you tote a huge bag or a small clutch, pack a snack.  It will help save time, money and an extra trip to the food court. Easy-to-carry ideas:

• Nuts/trail mix: Crunchy and satisfying (and heart-healthy fats and protein to keep you fuller, longer).  Pack small servings in baggies (20 almonds make about one ounce).
• Fruit and veggies: Bananas, grapes, pre-sliced apples, pre-cut (or baby) carrots, sliced cucumbers and grape tomatoes – easy to tote and eat, and are full of nutrition.
• Granola bar: Fiber-rich and generally low calorie (less sugar varieties are best).
• Raisins or other dried fruit
• Cheese sticks: Not just for three-year-olds, low-fat cheese sticks with a few whole-grain crackers get you through the long haul.

At the mall:

My biggest problem with mall food?  It tends to be overloaded with fat, sugar and salt – bad for your heart, arteries and hips.  Case in point: enjoy one Cinnabon roll and you’ll wolf down over 800 calories and 32 grams of fat – plan on 1 ½ hours of extra fun on your elliptical machine to burn that baby off.

But fear not; you can find some decent snacks and meals if you look hard enough:

Pretzels (Auntie Anne’s)

Ask for a no butter, no salt pretzel – just 350 calories and you’ll slash half the fat and sodium.  Go for plain original, jalapeno or raisin – and skip the dips (except mustard) and flavored pretzels.  Even without butter, the cinnamon sugar pretzel has 7+ teaspoons of sugar – as much as a Snickers bar.  

California Pizza Kitchen

A sit-down meal where someone serves you?  Heaven after fighting the crowds.  Try a margarita pizza with its crispy, thin crust, cooked tomatoes and fresh basil.  Ask for light on the cheese and share it with a friend.  My kids eat the plain pasta with just a touch of butter and parmesan. The salads are pretty good if you order the dressing on the side (or mix vinegar and oil yourself – dressings are full of salt).  

Starbucks

Check out their Artisan Snack Plates – pita, hummus, grilled chicken strips and veggies; or a hard-boiled egg with whole grain roll, peanut butter and apple slices – both less than 350 calories each.  Or try the perfect oatmeal, egg white English muffin or egg white spinach wrap – all under 320 calories.

Chick-Fil-A

Most items are staggeringly full of salt, fat and calories.  The salads, however, are pretty decent (without the dressing).  The best choices: Chargrilled and Fruit and Chargrilled Chicken Garden salads – both under 250 calories (but they are high in sodium at 30% of your daily recommended amount).  Squeeze a few slices of lemon on top instead of dressing.

Chinese/Stir Fry (Panda Express)

Ditch the sauce (high in salt) or fried (high in fat).  Order stir-fried veggies with the sauce on the side so you can add a touch.  Or try a steamed, mixed veggie entrée with steamed rice – this meal packs vitamins and minerals, and is low in calories, fat and sodium.

Sandwich Shops (Which Wich, Subway, Paradise Bakery)

The easiest place to find healthy food.  Try these tips: choose mustard over mayo; order extra veggies; go light on the cheese; try healthier meats (turkey instead of salami); order whole grain breads and bypass the hot sandwiches (too cheesy and saucy).  Soups can be high in sodium (one cup of Paradise soup can contain 50% of your daily recommended amount) – opt for a fresh fruit cup or side salad.

Sugar in Disguise

I've been on a sugar kick the last few weeks. My post about sugar in schools generated some interest online, and has continued offline, as well, through discussions with parents, family members and even in classes I've taught.

So this has prompted me to ask another question: Do you know how much sugar you consume each day?

I'm not talking about natural sugar found in fruits, dairy and veggies (more on those in a future post). I'm talking about added sugars and syrups found in so many foods and beverages today, it would make your head spin.

I think we all know that treats, desserts and candies contain added sugars. And that it's best to view these just as that: special treats. But what about other foods? Foods that are touted as healthy? Foods that might have been sugar-free at one point, but now contain a sweetener you probably can't even pronounce? This is especially true in the supermarket, where packaged, processed foods and beverages have slowly been bulked up with cheap sweeteners, primarily to replace other ingredients and appeal to taste buds and wallets.

All of this excess sugar creates havoc in our bodies. High sugar intake has been linked to obesity, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

So, you ask, how do I find out if my favorite product reeks with sugar? Here's your best defense: Read the ingredient list on the side of the package. Look for sugar-related substances listed among the first three ingredients (ingredients are listed by weight, so the first three are typically the most in the product). If you see a sweetener on the list, you then have a choice: choose to buy another product or consume this product less often.

Check out the following list. And remember, sugar is sugar is sugar, no matter how dressed up it is or what it's called (that includes "organic", "natural" or syrup):

agave nectar or syrup
evaporated cane juice
fructose
glucose
dextrose
maltose
sucrose
fruit juice concentrates (apple, grape, orange)
corn syrup
high-fructose corn syrup
honey
maple syrup
molasses
sugar (raw, table, brown, confectioner's, baker's, powdered, invert, turbinado)
malt syrup
barley malt
beet sugar......to name a few (there are more than forty types).

And here some quick tips for ferreting out more sugar:

1. What are you drinking? Beverages are the number one source of added sugars in our diets: sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweet teas, coffee drinks and added-sugar juices.

2. Watch out for products touted as "healthy" such as yogurt, granola bars, peanut butter, instant oatmeal, whole grain cereals, pretzels, pitas, whole grain bread and crackers, frozen waffles and canned products like tomatoes and baked beans.

3. Condiments can be sneaky: ketchup, salad dressing, mustard and BBQ/basting sauces all contain sugar.

4. Low-fat and fat-free foods are notorious for added sugars to bump up flavor.

Do you have any other suggestions? Have you been reading ingredient lists? Write in comments about surprising products you have found containing sugar. My favorite from my pantry? Italian Bread Crumbs.