Answer Fitness®: Practical Fitness Advice for Everyone

Stevia Gets FDA Approval as Natural Sweetener | Diet and Health News

FDA gives Stevia green-light as natural food and tabletop sweetener; Coke and Pepsi will be the first to introduce Stevia-sweetened soft drinks

Stevia-fans in the U.S. can finally rejoice: Last night, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) officially approved the use of stevia as a food-grade sweetener - paving the way for everything from stevia-sweetened soft drinks to stevia-based tabletop sweeteners.

Until now, stevia was not approved as a food sweetener in the U.S. — forcing stevia manufacturers to market and sell the natural sweetener derived from the leaves of the rebaudioside Aplant as a supplement, rather than a sweetener. However, last night’s announcement by the FDA now gives food manufacturers the “all clear” to start using stevia as a zero-calorie, natural sweetener.

Pepsi and Coke Ready to Introduce Stevia Sweeteners

Both Coca Cola and Pespi already have stevia-sweetened products waiting in wings, and yesterday’s announcement means consumers who are looking for alternatives to artificially-sweetened zero-calorie soft drinks and beverages will have a number of alternatives come the first of the year. PepsiCo will market their stevia sweetener under the brand PureVia and Coke’s rival stevia-sweetener is called Truevia.

If you’re a cola fan, you may still have to wait a few months for Stevia-sweetened cola, since the sweetener tends to work best with citrus-type beverages. Soft drink manufacturers are still trying to figure out how to make a Stevia-sweetened cola product that tastes comparable to colas sweetened with cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

What Is Stevia?

Stevia is a shrub in the chrysanthemum family that is native to northeastern Paraguay. First discovered by natives of Paraguay, the plant has been grown, harvested and used in South America to sweeten foods and beverages for more than 200 years. The stevia leaf is a good source of natural, zero-calorie sweetness. Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar) and is heat stable — meaning you can cook with it without altering it’s flavor or properties.

Continue reading Stevia Gets FDA Approval as Natural Sweetener | Diet and Health News…

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Quark, The Perfect Sour Cream Substitute | Healthy Food of the Day

Quark cheese is a healthy substitute for sour cream that’s low in fat, high in protein and tastes great! 

Love sour cream heaped on baked potatoes, nachos or even in your favorite veggie dip but hate the high fat and high calories?

It’s time for you to discover the wonders of Quark, a thick yogurt-type cheese. Quark is a great, healthy substitute for sour cream in terms of both flavor and consistency, and blows it out of the water on the nutritional front. 

Okay, so it has a funny name. But once you get past that, Quark deserves a spot in the refrigerator of anyone who is interested in healthy eating.

So what is Quark and why should I make it a regular part of my daily diet?

Traditional Quark is a fresh cheese from Central Europe.  It can be solid (but soft), or thick and creamy (like sour cream.) Historically, it’s been made with whole milk, which of course means it has full-fat as well. However, a number of companies have recently introduced Quark made from low-fat or fat-free milk, which makes it a very healthy alternative to things like sour cream and even cream cheese.  It’s similar to yogurt cheese or Greek strained yogurt, but a bit thicker and richer in taste. This makes it perfect as a sour cream substitute.

Continue reading Quark, The Perfect Sour Cream Substitute | Healthy Food of the Day…

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Mexican Food Fillings That Won’t Expand Your Waistline | Healthy Food of The Day

Making a healthy, low-fat, high-protein Mexican meal isn’t too difficult, provided you have the right ingredients.

For the wrapper or shell, consider the La Tortilla Factory Low-Carb Tortillas, or another brand of healthy tortillas or wraps. 

But what about the filling?

Generally, you’ll want to fill your taco or burrito with a low-fat protein source. Whether you are vegetarian, vegan or an omnivore, there are a number of healthy, great-tasting choices when it comes to fillings:

Continue reading Mexican Food Fillings That Won’t Expand Your Waistline | Healthy Food of The Day…

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Tortillas | Healthy Food of the Day

Think tortillas can’t be healthy? Think again. Check out these high-fiber, low-fat, and low-carb tortillas from La Tortilla Factory and let the wrapping start. 

Mexican food doesn’t have a great reputation as a “health food.” Mounds of cheese, heaps of sour cream, and deep fried tortillas may taste great, but aside from “cheat days,” they are usually off-limits to people who are trying to stay fit.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Believe it or not, it is possible to have your Mexican food and eat it too — provided you know how to make some smart substitutions for some of the more fat or calorie-laden ingredients that make up your traditional Mexican fare.  Over the next couple of Fitness Food posts, we’ll take a look at some ingredients you can use to create guilt-free Mexican meals that taste fantastic. Since the specific products may not always be available at your local grocery, I’ll try to provide some commonly-available subsitutions whenever possible.

Continue reading La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Tortillas | Healthy Food of the Day…

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!