Fruit Roll-Ups Are Healthy? Really?

Recently, General Mills was sued by a woman in New York because she believes that the company misled consumers into thinking that its product, Fruit Roll-Ups, was healthy. She was upset that the product contained partially hydrogenated oil. The question of the day is: did she honestly think that they were supposed to be healthy? Do consumers believe that fruit snacks like Fruit Roll-Ups are a healthy alternative to real fruit? One look at the label would tell you otherwise. If consumers believe that a product like Fruit Roll-Ups can serve as an alternative to fruit, then it's no wonder that Americans have a problem with obesity.

The Fruit Roll-Ups package does not give any indication that the product is a "health food." It does say "Good Source of Vitamin C" on the package; the Nutrition Facts state that each roll has 10% of the recommended daily allowance for Vitamin C, so that might be a stretch. The snack is a source of Vitamin C, although an orange would probably be a better choice. Nothing on the rest of the package indicates that the snacks are nutritious: they are "fruit flavored snacks", they are colorful, and they come with tongue tattoos. Not exactly the makings of a health food.

It's not difficult to rotate the box a little and find the ingredients list: the strawberry flavored snacks contain pears from concentrate (oddly enough, no strawberries), along with health food gems like corn syrup, dried corn syrup, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, sugar, and acetylated mono and dyglycerides (yum). If this lady wanted to make sure that she was purchasing healthy food, maybe she should have taken a minute or two to read the ingredients list. General Mills is not trying to hide what they are using to make Fruit Roll-Ups, nor do they claim that they are healthy, aside from being a good source of Vitamin C.

Would it be nice if food companies started using more real ingredients, like real fruit, butter, and eggs, and relied less on chemicals like corn syrup, partially hydrogenated fats, and acetylated mono and dyglycerides? Yes. There are products on the market that don't contain these kinds of ingredients; health-conscious individuals would be better off buying them. For example, the Stretch Island Fruit Company makes a "Harvest Grape" flavored fruit leather with only three ingredients: apple puree concentrate, grape puree concentrate, and pear puree concentrate. Consumers can also buy dried fruits like raisins, dried pineapples, dried papaya, and dried apple slices.

Before blaming corporations on poor eating habits, people should first take a look at the ingredients list.

More about → Fruit Roll-Ups Are Healthy? Really?

Healthy Fruit Smoothie Recipes

We are being told to eat correctly and get in 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day - many people find this quota difficult to fill! Why not try a delicious fruit smoothie? The juice and berries in this tasty drink count for 2 ½ of your daily portion requirements.

BERRY, POMEGRANATE AND WHEY SMOOTHIE

This is a healthy fruit and protein fix containing whey protein. The thick milkshake-like texture is created by frozen fruit and whey powder and gives the impression of having ice cream in it. This can replace your lunch and will give sustained energy throughout the day. Whey protein is good for helping to form muscle, and can help with weight loss as part of a calorie controlled diet.

This delicious Smoothie Recipe serves two, is easy to make and has a total preparation time of 5 minutes. You can easily make this recipe in the morning and store it in the fridge till lunch.

Ingredients

300g frozen summer fruit berries

400ml pomegranate juice

½ banana

40g whey protein

Preparing your tasty Berrie Smoothie!

Place the berries (you can also use fresh berries), banana, pomegranate juice and whey protein in a blender and blend until smooth and pour into 2 tall glasses and enjoy - at last, something that tastes really good and is good for you!!

There are many other recipes and ideas you can try. A popular thickener is coconut milk. This delicious fresh juice can be added to smoothies for a more substantial consistency and a great, fresh tasting taste. For an exotic combination, why not try mangoes and passion fruit with coconut milk and bananas.

Don't limit yourself to fruit when quenching your thirst - a number of vegetables can really combine well with their fruit cousins when mixed together in a smoothie. Celery combines fantastically with apple for example. Carrot adds a brilliant, vibrant colour to any smoothie and of course contains the health-giving beta-carotene. Spinach can pack a punch when blended with oranges or bananas.

The beauty of making fruit smoothies is that it is difficult to go wrong. As long as you use quality, whole fruit or veg and don't water your product down, you will create delicious drinks time and again with health giving properties as an added bonus. Lunch guests will be very impressed if you bring a few fresh smoothies out to the table to accompany a freshly made lunch.

More about → Healthy Fruit Smoothie Recipes

The Health Benefits of Eating Mango - Eating Healthy Fruits

Mango, also called "The King of Fruit," are one of the most nutritious, not to mention delicious, fruits we have at our disposal. Mango are chocked full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. As such, there are a great many health benefits of eating mango. Eating mango is one of the healthiest decisions you can make for your body, while enjoying one of the sweetest fruit in the world.

Vitamins & Minerals

Some of the health benefits of eating mango can be found in the nutrients in this wonderful fruit. To start, mango are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Mango have vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin E, and Selenium which can help to guard against heart disease and other illnesses, such as colon and cervical cancer. The vitamins A and C in mango are also a great source of potassium, which helps to regulate blood pressure, muscle contraction, and keep your bodily processes working correctly. Mango high Iron content is beneficial to people with anemia and pregnant women, if eaten regularly. Mango also contains Vitamin E, which can help the hormonal system perform more efficiently, consequently boosting the sex drive.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are nutrients in our food that work as slowing or preventative agents against oxidative damage to our bodies. Another health benefit of eating mango is that it is high in antioxidants. It contains antioxidant an agent called phenols. This phenolic compound is said to have powerful anticancer effects for the human body.

Acidity and Digestion

Mango can also treat acidity and poor digestion because of an enzyme found in the fruit which soothes the stomach. These enzymes are also said to be partially responsible for feelings of contentment, which is always helpful when trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. All the more reason to enjoy this healthy snack.

Fiber

Due to the high amounts of fiber found in mango, it can be a helpful in keeping you regular, thereby helping or preventing constipation. Fiber can also guard against certain types of cancer (e.g. colon), high blood and cholesterol levels, and even some degenerative diseases, especially those regarding the heart.

Other benefits of eating mango include:

Asthma Symptoms

Bacterial Infections

Clogged Pores

Constipation

Diarrhea

Dysentery

Eye Disorders

Fever

Hair Loss

Heat Stroke

Kidney Problems including nephritis

Leucorrhea

Liver Disorders

Menstrual Disorders

Morning Sickness

Piles

Prickly Heat

Respiratory Problems

Scurvy

Sinusitis

Spleen Enlargement

Vaginitis

Weight Gain

As you can clearly see the health benefits of eating mango are far from scarce. Making mango part of your daily diet can be very beneficial to your overall health, without sacrificing taste. This deliciously sweet and juicy treat is a great way to stay on track when maintaining a healthy diet.

More about → The Health Benefits of Eating Mango - Eating Healthy Fruits

Fruit Smoothie Recipe For a Healthy Breakfast

Losing and controlling your weight is an ongoing conversation with so many people everyday. Studies by leading nutritionists all have say, eat a well balanced diet that includes:

Protein

Fruits and Vegetables

Good carbohydrates

Low intake of fat

Eaten regularly, and in the right amounts, this diet will slow digestion which in turn increases metabolism. This healthy combination of foods promotes a diet rich with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which all help control disease while promoting healthy skin and bones.

Fruits and vegetables also help cleanse our body through a process known as detoxification. Detoxification is the natural metabolic process the human body employs to clean the toxins out of the system which, in turn, promotes a overall health. The challenge for many is they do not have the detailed knowledge they believe is required to build menus that include all of these components for tasty meals.

By now everyone has heard the quote that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day". Still many people tend to skip breakfast because they are bored with the same old cereals, or don't want to take the time to scramble an egg. Or, almost as bad, they hit the drive through on the way to work and pick up a sausage, egg, and cheese cholesterol bomb only to find they are tired and lethargic and hungry half way to lunch.

On the other hand making a sensible breakfast part of the morning routine has been shown to help lose weight and promote general overall health because of the additional calcium, fruits, and fiber in the diet.

Fruit Smoothies are a sensible and increasingly popular breakfast drink that are easy to make, delicious, and are a great source of the nutrients we all need such as proteins, omega 3's and vitamins to both boost our immune system and promote general overall health.

Low-fat milk, soy milk and yogurts are all dairy products to mix well with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to render meals that taste great, are good for you and are surprisingly low cost as well. The fruits and vegetables ingredients can be fresh or frozen and you can add healthy meal supplements like Mila to your recipe as well

Here is a fruit smoothie recipe you might like to try for breakfast or a snack that will help you jump control your weight and improve your overall health. This recipe includes an ounce of "Mila" chia seed for additional benefits.

Cranberry Delight Smoothie Recipe

1 cup of cold low-fat cranberry juice

1 medium orange (peeled, sections only

1 medium banana (cut in pieces)

1 cup of cold strawberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup low-fat yogurt (you can choose: vanilla, strawberry, orange, banana or plain)

1 ounce Mila chia seed

Ice about 8-12 cubes

In your blender mix all the ingredients, starting with about 6 ice cubes. Sometimes if you are using frozen strawberries or the orange is very juicy, you won't need as many ice cubes, so you can add more if you like and blend to your favorite consistency.

More about → Fruit Smoothie Recipe For a Healthy Breakfast

Making Healthy Fruit Smoothies at Home

For the frosty topping that comes with smoothies one will have to pick fruits that have been in the freezer for a while. However, as to the actual preparation of the concoction, you will need quite little effort since all that is needed of you is to wash and cut the fruits. Otherwise, the fruit smoothies are the realm of the blender. Here all that will be demanded of you will be to watch as the fruit chunks get mixed and crushed. The fruit smoothies should have a certain degree of consistency as they are served. With runny smoothies, you will need to add a bit more fruit. However, the more viscous mixture will want some water, in the very least.

Smoothies being intended to embellish the body with vitamins and fiber should not actually leave most of this to waste. The body should be able to get the most of the food qualities of the smoothies. Ingredients included in the creation of these foods include low fat yoghurt, juice and ice cubes. Frozen fruits are used when fresh fruits are not readily available. The frozen fruit should be unsweetened, for a low sugar outlay in the eventual concotion.

For a nice smoothie mix, the ice goes in first with the fruit coming in next and eventually the yoghurt is poured on top. Milk may well be used in the place of yoghurt. The yoghurt when used can be of any flavor of desire but is required to be low-fat.

More about → Making Healthy Fruit Smoothies at Home

Drinking Fruit Juice: A Healthy Habit

The fact cannot be denied that fresh fruit juice is really delicious. In fact, a lot of people love to drink fresh fruit juices not only because of its taste, but also because of the nutritional benefits it brings to the human body. Fruit juices in general are known to be effective in naturally cleaning the body. It basically helps in the rejuvenation process thus, resulting in a healthier body and mind. Fruits are also referred to as cleansers because of their natural acidity that effectively helps the body from cleaning itself from any unwanted bacteria and impurities that are brought by the environment.

A lot of cultures often include people who love drinking water with some fruit juice like lemon added to it. And over the years these people also realized that fruits juices have great benefits for the body even when taking the slightest amount of it. Because of all these reasons, it is therefore, advisable to make drinking a glass of fresh juice a regular part of an individual's diet.

The first thing that needs to be considered in making a healthy fruit juice is to make sure to juice whole fruit to juice with. This is very important to make sure that all the nutrients and minerals found in the fruit are well consumed. Making a fresh fruit juice is not really limited to a certain fruit. In fact, several fruits can be placed in a juice maker and be mixed afterward. These juice makers or fruits juicers often help make the task of juicing fruits easier. So for those people who do not have a juicer yet, it would be a wise decision to buy one especially if it will be used more often.

Selecting the best juicer in the market is an easy task as long as the person buying it knows what he or she should look for in a juicer. Once a juicer has already been selected, it only means that fresh fruit juices can now be enjoyed anytime of the day. What if you cannot afford a top quality machine? Don't be too concerned. More expensive juicer and blender machines are often faster and prettier, but even cheaper models still work OK. Depending on your personal preference you may also want to consider buying a second hand machine on an auction site such as e-bay. This can be a great way to save a lot of money.

Remember that juicing vegetables is no different to juicing fruit really, the only consideration to make is whether your juicer is powerful enough to handle large chunks of hard veggies like carrot. Certain vegetables actually have powerful healing properties, for example you may try looking at how to make cabbage juice or celery juice.

More about → Drinking Fruit Juice: A Healthy Habit

Fresh Fruit: The Sweet, Healthy Dessert

Americans love dessert so much that some of us eat it before the meal instead of after. Fudgy brownies, gooey layer cake, cookies the size of saucers - we savor them all. But these desserts are high in sugar, fat, and calories. Is there such a thing as a healthy dessert? Yes, and it's fresh fruit.

"The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook" recommends fresh fruit as a regular dessert and for good reasons. Fresh fruit contains fiber, something we need to eat every day. Our bodies also need vitamin C and fresh fruits are loaded with it. Some fresh fruits, such as red grapes, may protect your body from heart disease and cancer, according to Mayo Clinic.

There are other reasons for eating fresh fruit. An article on http://www.MyPyramid.gov says fresh fruit may reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes, protect the body against colon and rectal cancer, and reduce the risk of kidney disease. When the government and Mayo Clinic recommend fresh fruit, they're talking about plain fruit, not something under a mountain of whipped cream.

You must store fruit properly in order to reap its health benefits. The University of California, Davis, says some fruits should be stored at room temperature. Bananas are an example. If you put bananas in the refrigerator they get black spots on them and the flavor diminishes.

Honeydew melon, cantalope, and other fruits that can be refrigerated should be chilled after they're ripe. Store fruit in a separate bin, away from vegetables and meat. Fresh fruit should be washed just before you eat it.

Choosing fresh fruit for dessert satisfies your craving for sweets and helps you get the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. These desserts are the perfect ending for a casual or fancy meal. They're healthy, too, so if you want to eat dessert before dinner, do it!

RED AND GREEN GRAPES WITH FRENCH CREAM. Wash grapes, pat dry with a towel, and put them in a large bowl. For French cream, combine 1 cup of fat free sour cream, 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, 1/2 cup Splenda, 1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Spoon mixed grapes into serving dishes and top with a dollop of French cream.

ORANGE FLOWERS WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE. Carefully remove the peel from four oranges. With a serrated knife, cut tic-tac-toe slices in the top of each whole orange, being careful not to cut all the way through. Place the oranges on serving plates. Spread the orange "petals" apart, leaving the center "stamen" in tact. Combine 1/2 cup low sugar raspberry jam with 2 tablespoons hot water and 1 tablespoon of honey. Drizzle sauce over the orange flowers and garnish with mint.

STRAWBERRY DELIGHT PARFAITS. Wash and slice 1 pint of strawberries. Sprinkle with Splenda and set aside. Break apart mini vanilla wafers until you have 1 cup of crumbs. To make parfaits layer strawberries, fat free, sugar free strawberry yogurt, sugar free topping, and crumbled wafers in parfait glasses. Stick a whole wafer on top of each parfait before serving.

BAKED APPLES WITH CINNAMON CRUMBLE. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel 4-5 Granny Smith apples. Cut the apples into slices and arrange in concentric circles on a 9" pie plate coated with baking spray. Combine 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 3 tablespoons extra-light olive oil, and 1/2 cup sliced almonds. Sprinkle crumble mixture over apples and bake until the top is golden brown, or about 30 minutes. Serve warm with a spoonful of fat free, sugar free vanilla yogurt.

More about → Fresh Fruit: The Sweet, Healthy Dessert