Would I eat it? Kashi TLC Honey Almond Flax

You bet!  This is quite possibly the most nutritionally balanced granola bar I have found thus far.  It is pretty filling for only 140 calories and quite tasty too!

Not only are the carbohydrate, protein and fat proportions in balance, it is much lower in sugar than your typical granola bar.  It also supplies you with a good dose of omega 3 fatty acids, which help to lower your triglyceride levels and increase your HDL cholesterol levels (that’s the good cholesterol).  Did I mention it is also loaded with fiber?    See for yourself:

Kashi TLC Honey Almond Flax Granola Bar (serving size=1 bar)

Calories:  140; Fat:  5 grams (0.5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat); Cholesterol:  0 mg; Sodium:  115 mg; Total Carbohydrate:  19 grams; Fiber:  4 grams (1 gram soluble fiber!); Sugars:  5 grams; Protein:  7 grams

I don’t know about you, but I would rather get a box of these for Valentine’s Day instead of a heart-shaped box of disappointing, overpriced chocolates, half of which are fruit-filled!  I guess Forrest Gump was right…”life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get”.  At least with a box of Kashi TLC Honey Almond Flax Granola Bars, you know you are getting some good stuff!

Would I eat it? Panera Bread’s Spinach and Bacon Baked Egg Souffle

No!  Don’t let the words “baked” and “spinach” fool you!  This flaky little thing packs a big sodium and saturated fat punch!  In fact, it’s probably one of the most unhealthy things on the entire menu (competing for first place are New England Clam Chowder and Mac-n-Cheese).  Here are the facts:

Spinach & Bacon Baked Egg Souffle (serving size= 1 souffle):

Calories:  580; Total fat:  39 grams (61% fat); Saturated fat:  21 grams (54% saturated fat…OUCH!); Trans fat:  1 gram; Cholesterol:  175 mg; Sodium:  940 mg; Carbohydrates:  34 grams; Fiber:  2 grams; Protein:  23 grams

Not a wise choice if you love your heart!  Instead, why not order a whole grain bagel with peanut butter.  Look at how much more heart-friendly this choice is:

Panera Bread Whole Grain Bagel with Peanut Butter (serving size:  1 bagel + 1 tbsp peanut butter):

Calories:  455; Fat:  11 grams (22% fat); Saturated fat:  1.25 grams (11% saturated fat); Trans fat:  0 grams; Cholesterol:  0 mg; Sodium:  490 mg; Carbohydrates:  73 grams; Fiber:  7 grams; Protein:  16 grams

Much better!  Using Panera Bread’s online nutrition calculator you can now make smarter choices.  Visit:  http://www.paneranutrition.com/ to plug in your favorite menu items and see how they measure up!

Since February is National Heart Month, love your heart and be kind to it…watch your sodium, saturated and trans fat intake.

Would I drink it? Starbucks Grande Caffe Mocha

Only if I want to overdose on sugar and saturated fat!  Let’s get one thing straight…sugar and fat are not the enemy, unless of course you’re talking about one 16 oz grande Caffe Mocha offering over 8 teaspoons of sugar and 53% saturated fat!  Sure it supplies caffeine to give you a boost, but the excessive sugar and saturated fat content is sure to put you in a slump shortly after.  I’ll bet this wasn’t your intention when you ordered this frothy beverage in the first place.

Check this out:  It only takes 11 Caffe Mocha’s to gain 1 pound of body fat!  This is assuming you aren’t subtracting 330 calories from your diet to compensate for the mocha.  Most of us don’t!  We think of the mocha as “just a beverage” when in fact it is a “meal”, just not a very nutritious one.

Here are the nutrition facts for a grande Caffe Mocha made with 2% milk:

Calories:  330; Fat:  15 grams (8 grams saturated fat); Carbohydrates:  43 grams; Fiber:  2 grams; Sugars:  33 grams; Protein:  13 grams; Calcium:  35%

A better option would be a grande Caffe Latte made with skim milk:

Calories:  130; Fat:  0 grams; Carbohydrates:  19 grams; Fiber: 0 grams;  Sugars: 18 grams; Protein:  13 grams; Calcium:  45%

I know what you’re thinking:  “But it doesn’t taste as good Melanie!”  Trust me, once your taste buds get used to not having all of that extra sugar on them, they will adapt to prefer less sugar.  Then, when you eventually indulge in a Caffe Mocha you will feel like you are drinking a cup of cotton candy!