Protein which is the “building blocks” for healthy bodies is an important nutrient needed by everyone on a daily basis. Choosing the right protein source is a very important consideration to maximize its benefits. Healthy diets should regularly include high quality, low fat sources of protein. Protein foods however are not all equal and can vary in a number of ways including the following: Number and quantity of essential amino acids, Digestion and absorption rates, Fat content, Taste and Purity.
To fill in the daily protein gap and make sure you are getting a full protein profile; nutrition experts recommend a diet with a variety of protein foods and for optimal results make sure that one of them is whey protein. Compared to other proteins, on a gram-to-gram basis whey protein isolate delivers more essential amino acids to the body but without the fat or cholesterol. Readily available in powder form whey protein can easily be whipped up into a delicious protein shake that makes a healthy between meal snack.
Growing up, I couldn’t help but internalize the importance of a “balanced breakfast.” Cold cereal commercials were always advertising the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Still, I went to school on an empty stomach because I just couldn’t muster up an appetite before noon. My studies suffered considerably, and the trend continued until I finally took action.
I read about the importance of getting one’s metabolism going early in the day, and that the best way to do it was to eat a small breakfast. Protein bars were simple and convenient enough to eat on the go, and I suddenly found myself more energized and alert in the mornings. I know you can’t believe everything you see on TV, but I wish I would have paid more attention to those commercials as a kid.
Great news for all you Snacker’s out there and Veggie Naysayers, according to a new University of Scranton research study: Whole-grain cereals and Whole-grain snacks also contain surprisingly high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols, rivaling such well-known antioxidant sources as fruits and vegetables.
Now I am not implying that this is a cue not to eat healthy just an opportunity to be OK with a good healthy whole-grain snack such as a whole-grain protein bar to get you through to the next wholesome meal. They are convenient, affordable and can help you avoid the pit falls of the fast food restaurant fix when on the go. Whole-grain protein bars are the fast food that won’t slow you down. Look for naturally sweetened snack bar choices with no hydrogenated oil or artificial ingredients, they are not only better for you, dollar for dollar they are a better bargain. So munch away guilt free.
When it comes to sugar Americans consume more sugar per day than any other country in the world.
At an average of 22.2 teaspoons per day caring about 355 extra calories it is nearly three times the recommended dietary amount based on the American Heart Assoc. guidelines. But wait it may not be the fault of the average consumer. Much of the sugar that shows up in our average daily food consumption comes from surprisingly unexpected places.
Take for example the health conscious buyer that shops for low fat products and buys “Reduced” fat salad dressings. Trying to cut down on saturated fats, one would think that this would be a good choice. However on a closer look we find that a one-cup serving of reduced-calorie French dressing heaps on 58 grams of added sugar, reduced-fat coleslaw dressing hits a home run with 103 grams of added sugar. Now we know that the average person does not use a whole cup of dressing on their salad but on average a quarter of a cup say 4 ounces. That will pour on 14 to 25 grams of sugar or 4 to 7 teaspoons. Over the course of a day these hidden sugars really add up. Hey how about some “healthy” dried cranberries? Commercial products are usually sweetened with sugar and on average a whopping 25 grams of sugar per cup of fruit another 7 teaspoons.
What’s the answer?
Along with good uncommon sense shopping such as buying fresh unprocessed foods READ THE INGREDIENT LABEL. Avoid being ripped off by miss leading labels, don’t rely on the sound bite on the front of the label. That’s why knowing what is really in the product and staying informed to understand what these ingredients are is so important. After all your health depends on it and it is not the marketing company’s priority. Look for healthy snacks and products that are sweetened with fruit juice or nothing at all including artificial sweeteners.
In today’s hectic daily pace it is not always easy to eat right. Between soccer practice, music lessons, dance lessons and a myriad of other things to do everyday it is all to often easier to catch a drive through at the closest corner fast food restaurant. Yes it is convenient but there is a healthier way to get you through to the next healthy meal.
With the increased demand for better options for health conscious consumers there has been a steady increase of healthy snacks available. A popular choice these days is the protein bar or whole food bar.With its increased popularity these delicious and healthy snacks no longer taste like dried up lawn clippings even kids love them. The leading brands such as the Cliff Bar, Think Thin, The Organic bar, and the Raw Revolution come in a wide variety of flavors to choose from so there is a healthy choice for everyone.
These healthy on the go snacks are not only good for you they are convenient and an affordable alternative to fast food. After all what price would you put on your health or your kids.
The Protein Puzzle How Much Do I Need? Part II
posted by A Life Fully Alive @ 7:01 PM
Part II of the protein puzzle-
Whats a gram of protein? So using our model from the last blog if we need 62 grams of protein per day and we buy our meat lets say in ounces and pounds we need to do a little math again. So now its time to cut to the chase or in this case the Steak.
3 oz of Top Sirloin has ruffly 26 grams of protein a lean beef burger 22 grams so this means that if you ate 3 -1/4 lb lean burger patties in a day you would “meat” your minimum daily protein requirements. So you can fire up the Barbecue or you can ditch some of the saturated fat by using a protein supplement such as a protein smoothie for breakfast or a protein bar for a healthy snack. Either way it is easy to get your daily protein intake.
I still find it amusing after all these years that here in the good old USA we are still saying we are on the “standard” system of measurement. As opposed to our friends in the rest of the world that are using the “metric” system. Although officially it is true I still ask the question, why does the food labeling system use grams as a unit of measurement instead of ounces? The preparation instructions if needed on the product is not in metric. I am sure that this is a very debatable subject for another time that would spawn everything from conspiracy theories to down right marketing deception.
The problem however is that most Americans grew up with there primary education in standard measurements so a gram for example has very little meaning as to actual volume. With this in mind a beverage label might read 20 grams of sugar but most people have no idea that what this means is that they are actually consuming approximately 5 teaspoons of sugar. So when was the last time you knowingly put 5 teaspoons of sugar in your coffee or tea?
The point here is that product labeling can be very miss leading because of the conversion factor, making it difficult for consumers that are truly looking for healthy food choices and healthy snacks to make the right decisions based on labeling. Our simple advice is to limit intake of commercially processed foods and go right for the fresh produce section as often as possible. After all I have not seen an apple with a nutritional label on it yet and the scale at the grocery store still reads in good old POUNDS and ONCES.