PAST PICKS DECEMBER 2007

You may have seen a reference sheet about this in our offices a while back, but as we head into the colder weather and more time in the movie theatres, now is a good time to gently remind you (or hit you in the head with) of the real caloric deal with movie theatre popcorn.  If the smell of all that popcorn doesn’t make you nauseous, these cold hard facts will ... and these stats don’t even include the sodium!!

THINK AHEAD before going to the movies.  Have a plan.  If you want to stay on track, you have two choices ... either bring your own to have control over the movie theatre environment ... or wait until the movie is out on DVD and watch it at home in your environment!

After hearing from several clients that they couldn’t find Eggo’s 98% Fat-Free Waffles in the supermarket, I sent out one of my coworkers to go to a local FoodTown today to check it out and lo and behold, there were none.  I called Kellogg’s 800 number and they in fact  told me the product has been reformatted, is now in a light blue box that doesn’t have the Eggo’s brand, but, instead, reads “Special K Original Waffles.”  Although the new waffles are low-fat, they are not low calorie.  Each one is now 80 calories and 2.5 grams of fat.  If you must indulge, 1 waffle = 1 GR.

Dr. Koplow is a pediatrician with substantial practices in Brooklyn and Staten Island. We came to know him because one of his young, diabetic patients is a client in our Brooklyn office.  Check out his great pediatric web site with links to the largest video medical web casts. As parents, we are vigilant when it comes to reading up on our children's health issues, but words do not have the same affect, the same sense of personalization as watching and listening to someone speak on a medical issue of their expertise. Another good thing is that for every medical issue, Dr. Koplow has made sure to give you different options——no right, no wrong——just different points of view.   www.drmdk.com

Not only do I love this stuff, but, more importantly, it’s the way I get my daughter to eat her broccoli!  And while a few spritzes can be considered calorie-free, too many people spray this stuff like there’s no tomorrow ... and you DO rack up calories and fat grams very quickly that way.

12.5 sprays has 10 calories and 1 gram of fat
25 sprays (1 teaspoon) has 20 calories and 2 grams of fat
37.5 sprays has 30 calories and 3 grams of fat

Also, for the curious ... the entire bottle of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! spray contains approximately 900 calories and 90 grams of fat!!

I’m not knocking Old London’s old standby, Melba Toasts; they’re still good, but I personally find them one step past the “crunchy” stage—just a little too hard.  Today I brought home these two new products by Old London and thought they were great.  Old London Toasts are thicker and crunchier and comes in three savory flavors: Italia, Mediterranean, and American Classic!  The Bagel Snacks are deliciously crunchy bite-sized bagel chips in Original, Garlic and Poppyseed flavors.  I had 6 of the Bagel Snacks this morning, spreading on each one some of the Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese wedge, and topping them with chopped tomato.  For lunch, I tried the Bagel Toasts, putting on each one some tuna salad made with minced celery, and I preceded that by 2 cups of salad. ... and it was very filling.
6 Bagel Snacks or 6 Toasts = 60 calories (½ G)