America's Healthiest (2010) Buys - Best Food Buys
Ice Cream: Blue Bunny All Natural Frozen Yogurt Caramel Praline Crunch ($4.99, grocery stores) Frozen yogurts often fall flat in taste and texture. But this 120-calorie fro-yo not only delivers a creamy, caramel-y flavor but has the same healthy-tummy benefits as regular yogurt. Sweet!
100-Calorie Pack: Special K Blueberry Fruit Crisps ($3.09 for a box of 10; grocery stores) What a nonguilty pleasure: these crispy bars taste just like Pop Tarts - really! - but only cost you 100 calories and 2 grams of fat.
Chips: Kettle Brand Baked Sea Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips ($3.75; grocery stores) From the hit of vinegar when you open the bag to the sea-salty crunch, everything about these chips scream "naughty." But they're just 120 calories with 3 grams of fat (170 milligrams sodium) per serving, which is a robust 20 chips. Stick to the portion so you don't go overboard.
Snack Bar: Fiber One 90 Calorie Chewy Bars Chocolate Peanut Butter ($3.59 for a box of 5; grocery stores) We're seriously not sure where the heck they put the fiber in these bars, because all we could taste was the fabulous peanut buttery-ness. But they're packed with 5 grams of fiber in just 90 tasty calories.
Crackers: Kashi Heart to Heart Roasted Garlic ($3.19; grocery stores) Most low-fat crackers are wimpy in the flavor department and don't have much fiber. Kashi hits the mark with these bold crackers, which are sturdy enough to spread goat cheese on. Snack on 7 for a slim 120 calories and 3.5 grams of fat.
Yogurt: Stonyfield Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt, 0% Fat, Strawberry fruit on the bottom ($1.99; natural-food stores) We've been touting the benefits of Greek yogurt for a while, and Oikos provides all the stuff we love about it - extra-high protein and a rich texture - plus, it's made with organic milk.
Nuts: Planters NUTrition Antioxidant Mix ($5.99; grocery stores) The added nutritional benefits in this mix make it a hit with us: each tasty 1/4 cup, 160-calorie serving is a good source of antioxidant-rich vitamins C and E, plus the minerals copper, magnesium, and manganese. And, it's sodium-free!
Cookie: Country Choice Organics Sandwich Cremes Ginger Lemon ($3.99; natural-foods stores) You won't find any junk in these cookies. Made with mostly certified-organic ingredients, they're sweetened with sugar (no high fructose corn syrup) and molasses. Two gingery cookies are just 130 calories and 5 grams of fat - and kids love 'em, too!
Hot Cereal: Better Oats Raw Pure & Simple Chai Spiced ($1.99, grocery stores) Judge Kate Geagan, RD, rated this oatmeal off the charts: "I loved how it filled me up all morning, and I liked the eco-friendly packaging." Most of the ingredients - including rolled oats and flaxseed - are organic and provide 4 grams each of fiber and protein.
Cereal: Yogi Cherry Almond Crunch cereal ($4.49; natural-foods stores) Tasty and heart-healthy oats, barley, spelt, amaranth, and quinoa top the refreshingly short ingredient list and provide 5 grams of fiber (and 65 percent of your whole-grain quota) for 230 calories and 6 grams of fat.
Healthy Spread: Maison Le Grand Tapenades- Mild Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato ($6.99; The Fresh Market) "This turns an ordinary sandwich into something extraordinary" judge Jackie Newgent, RD, says. For just 120 calories in a 2-tablespoon serving, it makes a great fast appetizer, too - serve with goat cheese and crackers.
Cheese: Weight Watchers Original Swiss-Flavored Gourmet Cheese Wedges ($3.99; grocery stores) Spreadably creamy, these individually packaged wedges go great on crackers or apple slices for an afternoon snack and provide almost 8 percent of your daily calcium for just 30 calories a pop.
Soup: Kettle Cuisine 3 Bean Chili ($3.49; KettleCuisine.com for retailers) This gluten-free, on-the-go soup is ready in minutes. It's zesty (but not overly spicy) and full of homemade appeal, judge Newgent says. Plus, you get a hefty 13 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein for 220 calories, 3.5 grams fat, and 450 mg sodium (less than most chilies).
Granola: Bear Naked Peak Flax Oats and Honey with Blueberries ($4.49; grocery stores) In a world of overly sweet granola, here's one that won't put you in a sugar coma. It's got plump dried blueberries, crunch oat pieces, and ground flaxseed for a boost of omega-3 fatty acids. One serving has 130 calories, 4 grams fat, 3 grams fiber, and 4 grams of protein.
Bread: La Tortilla Factory Hand Made Style Corn Tortillas - Chipotle ($2.49 for 8; grocery stores) These 90-calorie tortillas have a truly authentic flavor and just the right amount of heat. Wrap them around grilled chicken and veggies for a supereasy - and protein-rich (each tortilla has 5 grams) - lunch.
Grab-And-Go: Amy's Terikyaki Wrap ($2.79; grocery and natural-foods stores) This full-flavored wrap is loaded with brown rice, tofu, and a rainbow of organic veggies, from broccoli to bell peppers. It's vegan, provides 10 percent of your daily vitamin C needs, and has just 310 calories.
Quick-and-Easy Side Dish: Uncle Ben's Ready Whole Grain Medley Roasted Garlic ($2.29; grocery stores) Ready in 90 seconds, this blend of garlic, brown rice, and red and black quinoa is so tasty you might even be able to get your kids to eat it. One cup has 200 calories and 3 grams of fiber.
Dairy: Odwalla Chocolate Protein Monsters ($3.29; natural-food stores) This protein-rich (18 grams) shake tastes like a chocolate milkshake- without the fat and calories. One 220-calorie serving has 100 percent of two B vitamins, half the calcium you need in a day, and a good dose of zinc and copper.
Frozen Entree: Lean Cuisine Thai-Style Noodles with Chicken ($3.49; grocery stores) Love pad thai, but not all the calories? Dig your chopsticks into roasted chicken, creamy chili-peanut sauce, veggies, and whole-wheat noodles for 310 calories and 7 grams of fat.
Bottled Tea: Zero Calorie Steaz Blueberry Pomegranate Sparkling Green Tea ($4.99 for 4; Whole Foods Market) Here's a healthy alternative to soda: a refreshing organic brew that's full of antioxidants from green tea. It's calorie-free (thanks to stevia) and has 100 percent of vitamins B6 and B12 plus folic acid.
Enhanced Water: R.W. Knudsen Family Sparkling Essence, Cucumber ($3.99 for 4; grocery and natural-foods store) We love the spa vibe we get when we drink this very special water. And for no calories, we can't get enough of this refreshingly light cucumber taste.
Frozen Vegetarian Entree: Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Grilled Vegetables Mediterranean ($3.29; grocery stores) This light dish is loaded with vegetables and whole grains. The special tray heats the sauce and steams the vegetables and grains. Dig in for 220 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and 7 grams of fiber.
Frozen Pizza: Palermo's Primo Thin Garden Pizza ($6.49; PalermosPizza.com for retailers) A delicious, healthy frozen pie does exist - with an ultracrispy multigrain crust, part-skim mozzarella cheese, and fire-roasted green and red bell pepper, sliced olives, and broccoli. Serve up one-third of the pizza for only 270 calories and 14 grams of protein.
Frozen Appetizer: Annie Chun's Mini Wontons, Chicken & Cilantro ($3.99; grocery stores) Forget the greasy ,fried wontons at the local Chinese joint. These are all-natural, and four pieces have only 50 calories, half a gram of fat, 160 miligrams of sodium and no preservatives. And they're ready in just seven minutes - faster than takeout.
Juice: V8 Fusion Cranberry-Blackberry ($3.99 for 46 ounces; grocery stores) Judge Robin Miller loved the "flavor blast" of this juice and couldn't believe there were sweet potatoes and purple carrots along with the berries. It's loaded with vitamins: an 8-ounce serving (110 calories) has 100 percent of your daily C, plus A and E, too.
(Health, June '10, pg.125)
