Healthful Bites

As promised, today’s post is a follow-up to Saturday’s, and will test your pizza knowledge! If you’re well-armed with the facts, you can make wise decisions at nearly any restaurant (or when faced with any delivery menu). Away we go!

1. How many calories are in a pepperoni Pizza Hut P’Zone? (I actually ate one of these a time or two when I was in junior high…and no, that wasn’t all I ate that day!)

A) 1,260 calories

B) 920 calories

C) 1,400 calories

D) 800 calories

2. Place these Papa John’s dipping sauces in order from least calories/fat to most calories/fat.

A) Honey Mustard

B) Pizza Sauce

C) Cheese Sauce

D) Special Garlic

3. How many servings are each thin crust and deep dish “individual” pizza considered at Uno Chicago Grill? (It’s the same number for both.)

A) One

B) Two

C) Three

D) Four

4. The “Take ‘N Bake” company Papa Murphy’s has a deLITE menu filled with slimmed-down pies. What’s the lightest slice on the deLITE menu?

A) Hawaiian

B) Vegetarian Combo

C) Taco Grande

D) Cheese

5. And one last (not health-related) question: Which one of these strange toppings will you NOT find on a pizza sold in New York City?

A) Blueberry Jam

B) Carrot Puree

C) Chickpeas

D) Grapes

For all of the answers, see below!

1. A, 1,260 calories before you add any of the marinara served on the side or breadsticks.

2. B: Pizza Sauce (20 calories, 1 g. fat per serving), C: Cheese Sauce (40 calories, 3.5 g. fat), A: Honey Mustard (150 calories, 15 g. fat), D: Special Garlic (150 calories, 17 g. fat). Did the honey mustard surprise you? 

3. C, three servings. You may think you’re making a wise choice bypassing a slice of deep dish for the more nutritious sounding “Harvest Vegetable Multigrain Thin Crust” individual pizza, but the whole thing packs 1,230 calories and 66 g. fat! Still you’re better off than if you chose the deep dish: the individual “Chicago Classic” has 2,310 calories and 65 g. fat. Bring some friends to indulge in that one!

4. D, cheese (163 calories, 8 g. fat for 1/12th of the family size pizza). The vegetarian combo is the next best choice, with 178 calories and 9 g. fat, followed by the Hawaiian, with 179 calories and 8 g. fat. A slice of taco grande still has a reasonable 196 calories and 11 g. fat.

5. D, grapes. Let’s keep it that way!

A couple weeks ago, I learned about Revd Up Pi, a fairly new pizza joint in NYC that promises that it is “leading the pizza revolution” as “the first healthy pizzeria in Manhattan.” With those strong claims, how could I not check it out?

After checking out the menu, I opted for a piece of Vim & Vigor Pi (eggplant, artichokes, mushroom, zucchini and red pepper) and a piece of Revd 3.14 Pi (part-skim mozzarella). Both are served on the restaurant’s signature crust, which contains seven grams of fiber per slice and is sugar-free.

The verdict? I’d give Revd Up a B. Points for menu creativity, though! (Mac and cheese or eggs and turkey bacon are among the other topping options.) The crust was my favorite part of the order—thin, yet substantial. The “lightened up” cheese was still a little greasy for my taste. (Although I admit, I don’t miss the topping on other pies and often prefer to go cheese-less. Weird? Maybe.) I would have loved more sauce. The veggie slice was actually just crust and toppings with no tomato. And the cheese slice was very light on the red stuff. But the veggies were tasty, especially with some red pepper flakes sprinkled on top.

While I wish that the sauce was heavier, I certainly am glad that the price tag wasn’t! With a buy-one-get-one coupon (snag yours here, while they’re available, if you’re interested!), my bill came to about five dollars. Depending on what you compare this to, say, NYC street pizza or a sit-down meal at a health restaurant, the regular price of a couple Revd Up slices is either surprisingly high or reasonable. I certainly am willing to invest in more nutritious food, but I don’t know if I’ll become a regular at Revd Up. I’d love to learn how to recreate the crust at home though so I could create a masterpiece like this!

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Although it’s nice, you don’t need pizza parlors in your area that cater to health-minded folks to nosh on a guilt-free slice. Stay tuned for the next post, coming on Tuesday, to test your knowledge and learn more about the lightest slices available anywhere.

Have you had your Wheaties today? Since 1933, the famous orange-boxed cereal has been linked with the best in sports and defined as the “breakfast of champions.” In fact, several Olympians have graced the box front. Fun fact: Michael Jordan is the athlete who has appeared the most often on the cereal box (18 times!).

But will Wheaties really properly fuel the Olympic athletes in the next couple of weeks in Vancouver? And is it a good way to kick start your day?

Well, several sources say it’s not a bad choice. The “bran” components add fiber, while the sugar count is relatively low at 4 grams per 110-calorie cup. For additional staying power to a bowl of Wheaties or any cereal, try adding a side of protein (for example, a few scrambled egg whites, a cup of non-fat yogurt or a serving of nuts) and/or fruit (a cup of berries)!

But I have a few other favorites that will also be good ways to power up in the morning or snack on later in the day. Research has shown that teen girls have fewer weight struggles when they eat breakfast cereal. Additionally, adults maintain a closer to “healthy” weight when crunching on cereal.

The current three cereal medal winners in my book hit the podium:

Gold: Fiber One

Silver: Multigrain Cheerios

Bronze: Cascadian Farm Organic Cinnamon Crunch

Fiber One not only has great stats (120 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of sugar and 28 grams of fiber per cup), but it is also extremely versatile. Mix it in a fruit and yogurt parfait for some crunch, toss it in a bowl with milk or grind it up and use it as a faux fry coating a la Hungry Girl! The HG onion rings are awesome, but that’s for another post :)

Multigrain Cheerios take a close second due to their mildly sweet, delicious taste and whole grain goodness (first two ingredients: whole grain corn and whole grain oats). Decent nutritional information also doesn’t hurt: 110 calories, 1 gram of fat, 6 grams of sugar and 3 grams of fiber per cup. A bowl makes a tasty “part of a balanced breakfast” or a snack-sized Ziploc full of O’s makes for an awesome snack!

For all of you diehard sweet cereal fans, Cascadian Farm has you covered. Their Cinnamon Crunch tastes identical to Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but has more enviable nutrition and ingredient makeup. While Toast Crunch has 130 calories, 3 grams of fat, 10 grams of sugar and 1 gram of fiber in 3/4 cup, Cascadian’s Crunch has 110 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 8 grams of sugar and 3 grams of fiber in one cup. Cinnamon Crunch is a delicious, very sweet cereal treat. Add one of the protein sources above for a wonderful savory and sweet breakfast. For a delectable dessert, crumble a bit on top of your favorite low-fat/non-fat, low sugar frozen yogurt.

I recently picked up the “Food & Fitness” Consumer Reports Special Issue and spied on the ratings for a peak into their bowls. The rankings were based on several factors, including nutrition, cost and taste. Among their top picks? Cheerios, Kix and an assortment of Kashi: GoLean Crunchy Fiber Twigs, Soy Protein Grahams and Honey Puffs. Pick up an issue yourself to see more of their cold and hot cereal winners!

What bowls make your medal list?

(Image from Vancouver Restaurants)

PS: Did you catch that crazy short track speed skating race last night with Apolo Ohno? Whoa! It certainly got me into the Olympic spirit. Any sports you’re really looking forward to watching?