The Healthy Food Review (TM)

Eating Out Healthy KFC Grilled Chicken

When KFC decided to do its free samples of its new KFC Grilled Chicken recently, I decided that it would be worth a try. 

That might sound funny coming from someone who eats meatless most of the time as a flexitarian, but I eat a handful of chicken meals a year.  I usually save it for something like a great chicken parmesan meal treat at a favorite italian restaurant, but I thought if a fast food chain like KFC, known for fattening fried comfort foods was trying to extend an olive branch to healthy eaters by offering Kentucky Grilled Chicken, I wanted to show my support and give them a chance.

I didn't get in on the infamous Oprah free KFC Grilled Chicken meal, as I originally heard about the new offering from a banner on the loc al store, ironically on the way to the gym.  Instead we were promised a free piece, but that was all I needed to know if I would give Kentucky Grilled Chicken a thumbs up or not.

The trouble started with the KFC cashier who was bamboozled when he tried to charge me for one of the two free pieces of chicken my husband and I ordered.  Apparently, after a bit of a communication challenge, we gathered that both my husband and I each could have a free piece of chicken, but they had to be rung up separately.  Silly me, I thought I'd save the guy the extra effort, but I had only made things worse and backed up the line.

We were only allowed a thigh or wing, not the good breast meat, on the KFC Grilled Chicken freebie.  That was okay, that small taste was enough for me to know I was sorry that I had wasted a chicken treat on the Kentucky Grilled Chicken.

The problem is that the grilled KFC Chicken pieces all have skin on them.  Now when I think grilled chicken, I think no boneless chicken breast or tender with no skin, so I was disappointed to find Kentucky Grilled Chicken did have skin.  Now I may give in to have a tiny bit of chicken on rare occasions, but I never eat the skin.  So I immediately removed the skin.  And when you do that, there goes the seasoning for the most part, although the chicken itself is juicy (although not much of it on a thigh or wing).

You also need to watch the side dishes that you'll inevitably order with your meal.  The mashed potatoes with gravy are not as bad as many out there as it is a small portion (130 calories, 4.5 grams of fat). Cole slaw, which might seem innocent because it's got cabbage in it after all, is not so much so at 180 calories and 10 grams of fat.

So the verdict for me was not so good on KFC Grilled Chicken.  However, I do applaud KFC for thinking outside the fried--something most fast food places are reluctant to do.  And if you are someone who would eat their fried chicken anyway, the Kentucky Grilled Chicken is by far the better healthy eating choice, so it's nice that they have that option.  In the future, I'd like to see tenders or boneless chicken breasts that are grilled too.

Get a FREE 3-chapter book excerpt from Have Your Cheeseburger And Keep Your Health Too! and never miss another blog post by joining my list CLICK HERE  Have you given The Healthy Food Review Facebook Page A Like?  CLICK HERE

--Melanie R. Jordan, Author of Have Your Cheeseburger And Keep Your Health Too!  Available 24/7 at http://www.HealthyEatingCoach.com

"Healthy eating with favorite comfort foods...it's deliciously possible!"

Don't miss a post--subscribe to The Healthy Food Review feed. 

Check out more of Melanie's empowering publications including her new book on the hot, knowledge-based field of infopreneuring What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know(TM) - Achieving The Life You Were Meant To Have By Making Money From What YOU Know! on work-at-home lifestyles, foreclosure investing and learn about her Marketing and Infopreneur Consulting and Coaching Services at http://www.SunLoverPublishing.com

Check out Melanie's other Blogs and Podcasts:

Melanie's podcast on infopreneuring--What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know(TM) at http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMorePodcast.com

What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know - The Blog For Infopreneurs at http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMore.com

NEW!  Join me on The Circle.org where I'm a mentor in the Eat Healthy section posting content, answering questions and encouraging you to reach your goals!

  

Please note that I do not have an affiliation with any of the companies featured in this post--they are simply products I am personally familiar with.  The views expressed are my opinion only and you should decide, along with your healthcare professionals, on the appropriateness for your personal use.

Copyright SunLover Publishing LLC 2009

My Two Cents On The Cheerios FDA Warning

When I first heard the news about the Cheerios FDA warning because of Cheerios health claims, my first thought was--with everything the FDA could be doing--like lynching the criminal company who knowingly sold the salmonella peanuts--they're after Cheerios?

When you read through the hype, it's really not so much what they said, but how they said it, and the whole issue the FDA has regarding "allowed" health claims.  Cheerios does have some scientific backing for certain health claims, but the FDA is supposedly concerned that people will think that Cheerios can be considered a drug to prevent and fight high cholesterol and heart disease. 

Now if someone has a serious issue with heart disease, they need medical supervision, and most likely, unless they make major lifestyle and dietary changes, they're going to need medicines and possibly surgery to correct what's going on.  But here's another thought.  I'm not so sure the whole eat Cheerios, or any whole grain cereal, or other whole grains, or fish, or nuts, or fruit and vegetables, etc., is necessarily such a bad prescription to prevent and fight heart disease and other major diseases. 

Better to munch on Cheerios (or another healthy food) today, than to pop a pill tomorrow if you can avoid it.  But then again, big pharma would prefer that you do the reverse.  Maybe they're even behind the Cheerios warning and there's a conspiracy at hand (I must be watching too much 24).

Oh, oh here comes my FDA warning :)

There's no disputing the fact that a healthy diet and active lifestyle, can have a major impact on one's health.  Can it overcome heredity?  Maybe yes, maybe no.  Can it put you in the best possible position to live your healthiest possible life?  I think yes.  In fact, I'm counting on it, because I've been personally dealt a genetic hand that doesn't hold a bright future, so I do what I can to control what I can, and eat healthy and work out regularly.

Cheerios are not perfect (they could use more fiber in my opinion), but they make a solid quick meal with organic fat-free milk, as part of your own healthy trail mix concoction, and an easily portable snack that will keep you away from the really bad stuff, and never do to your waistline or heart what many crunchy snacks of a more evil nature will.

I say, FDA leave Cheerios alone and go after the really big problems--after all they're first getting around to banning Hydoxycut?  

Get a FREE 3-chapter book excerpt from Have Your Cheeseburger And Keep Your Health Too! and never miss another blog post by joining my list CLICK HERE  Have you given The Healthy Food Review Facebook Page A Like?  CLICK HERE

--Melanie R. Jordan, Author of Have Your Cheeseburger And Keep Your Health Too!  Available 24/7 at http://www.HealthyEatingCoach.com

"Healthy eating with favorite comfort foods...it's deliciously possible!"

Don't miss a post--subscribe to The Healthy Food Review feed. 

Check out more of Melanie's empowering publications including her new book on the hot, knowledge-based field of infopreneuring What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know(TM) - Achieving The Life You Were Meant To Have By Making Money From What YOU Know! on work-at-home lifestyles, foreclosure investing and learn about her Marketing and Infopreneur Consulting and Coaching Services at http://www.SunLoverPublishing.com

Check out Melanie's other Blogs and Podcasts:

Melanie's podcast on infopreneuring--What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know(TM) at http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMorePodcast.com

What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know - The Blog For Infopreneurs at http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMore.com

NEW!  Join me on The Circle.org where I'm a mentor in the Eat Healthy section posting content, answering questions and encouraging you to reach your goals!

  

Please note that I do not have an affiliation with any of the companies featured in this post--they are simply products I am personally familiar with.  The views expressed are my opinion only and you should decide, along with your healthcare professionals, on the appropriateness for your personal use.

Copyright SunLover Publishing LLC 2009

Healthy Food Review Dei Fratelli Pasta Sauces And Salsa

There's something great about an all natural product that's backed by a fourth-generation family-owned company.  And while you might think well pasta sauce is pasta sauce, and salsa is salsa, not true when it comes to Dei Fratelli pasta sauces and salsa.

First, there's the solid glass mason-type jars that the product comes in, that right away say this is something special.  And then the taste--very fresh, very delicious. I tried the Tomato and Basil pasta sauce and Traditional pasta sauce which were wonderful--the extra zest of the Traditional made it a real standout to me.  The Fire Roasted was one for my friend to try as we both thought from the title that it would be very spicy.  However, he found that it wasn't spicy at all and that "fire roasted" just meant how the vegetables in the sauce were cooked, which was a little let down.  The sauce was still good, but it was a labeling misunderstanding--our bad.

The Black Bean 'N Corn Salsa was chunky and just begging to be put on some nice low-fat tortilla chips for a super-healthy snack--so we did, and were really glad for the experience.  And since May is National Salsa month--enough said!

You can't go wrong from a healthy eating standpoint with any of these Dei Fratelli pasta sauces and salsas.  The Black Bean 'N Corn Salsa has no fat and a skinny 15 calories per serving, and when you look at the ingredient label, it's a pleasure to see that they mean it for the pasta sauces and the salsas when they say "all natural" no chemicals, no high fructose corn syrup, no junky oils.  Can you say "wholesome?"

The Tomato and Basil pasta sauce, Traditional pasta sauce and Fire Roasted pasta sauces all have just 1 or 2 grams of fat, none of it saturated, and just 50 - 60 calories per serving.  So feel free to add it generously to your favorite, hopefully whole grain pasta--your waistline won't mind at all!

The only downside I could find about Dei Fratelli pasta sauces and salsa is that I've got to order them directly from the company via the Dei Fratelli web siteor call 1-877-LYCOPENE (I don't normally publish phone numbers, but that's one of the most creative vanity toll-free numbers I've ever seen).  Dei Fratelli is working to expand their distribution, but it's primarily a Midwest, Central and Southeast thing at this time.  Let's hope my local Whole Foods Market in Vegas gets the opportunity to carry it very soon!

Get a FREE 3-chapter book excerpt from Have Your Cheeseburger And Keep Your Health Too! and never miss another blog post by joining my list CLICK HERE  Have you given The Healthy Food Review Facebook Page A Like?  CLICK HERE

--Melanie R. Jordan, Author of Have Your Cheeseburger And Keep Your Health Too!  Available 24/7 at http://www.HealthyEatingCoach.com

"Healthy eating with favorite comfort foods...it's deliciously possible!"

Don't miss a post--subscribe to The Healthy Food Review feed. 

Check out more of Melanie's empowering publications including her new book on the hot, knowledge-based field of infopreneuring What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know(TM) - Achieving The Life You Were Meant To Have By Making Money From What YOU Know! on work-at-home lifestyles, foreclosure investing and learn about her Marketing and Infopreneur Consulting and Coaching Services at http://www.SunLoverPublishing.com

Check out Melanie's other Blogs and Podcasts:

Melanie's podcast on infopreneuring--What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know(TM) at http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMorePodcast.com

What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know - The Blog For Infopreneurs at http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMore.com

  

Please note that a sample was supplied for use in testing out the product by the company, but teh opinions expressed are my own.  Otherwise, I do not have an affiliation with the company featured in this post.  The views expressed are my opinion only and you should decide, along with your healthcare professionals, on the appropriateness for your personal use.

Copyright SunLover Publishing LLC 2009