"fattening" news and stories

The Cheesecake Factory is not known for serving health food. In fact, their giant portions can turn even healthy fare into things that you should think twice before eating. Many concerned with calories will ask their waiter to put half of the portion into a to-go box at the same time that the main course is served, which prevents the diner from overeating their pasta, salad, etc. The main thing to avoid there, unless you're not giving the least thought to what you eat, is the cheesecake. Although tasty, their massive pieces often have more than half of your daily calorie requirements. CSPI wrote, in their Nutrition Action Healthletter this month, that the Cheesecake Factory Godiva Cheesecake (pictured) has 1,000 calories and 41 grams of "bad" saturated fat. Unfortunately, they didn't enlighten the readers as to how much fat in total is in the cheesecake, but they did provide a colorful analogy to help picture just how bad it is: "it's like ordering a Pizza hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza - topped with 10 pats of butter - after dinner."

Yum.

If you're willing to toss your diet out the window for a few days (or want to share with a large crowd), you can order this cheesecake online. For a healthier cheesecake, try a vegan version or stick to a bite-sized tart that will give you portion control.

Earlier this year, Disney announced that their theme parks would start selling healthier fare. The said that they would eliminate trans fats, place limits on the number of calories per portion and limit fat and sugar for snacks, sides and main dishes. Not wanting to be left behind, or accused of not caring about the health of their visitors, Universal Studios has announced that they will also be eliminating trans fats from their park menus.

The first phase of the switch officially took place on Christmas Eve, though the foods have been in development for some time, and now over 90% of the foods at Universal Studios locations are cooked in trans-fat free oils. The few items that are still cooked with trans fats, including churros, will be trans-fat free by the end of next year.

The parks will also be offering other healthy options, like fruit bowls and skim milk, both on kids and regular menus.

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At about this time last year, we took a look at a couple of the most fattening cocktails out there. This list, which includes Pina Coladas and Long Island iced teas, still stands, but during the holiday season you're not going to be reaching for a fruity, ice blended concoction if it's snowing outside. Holiday drinks can be hot and steamy or rich and creamy, but it's a good idea to keep tabs on the calorie counts to avoid blowing your efforts to keep your diet under control during the holidays. Here are a couple of calorie counts for some common seasonal drinks:

• Hot spiced cider is usually only lightly sweetened, since apple juice is naturally sweet anyway. A half-cup serving has only about 80 calories.
• Hot buttered rum has about 200 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving, which involves a bit of buttery batter being stirred into a cup with a shot of rum and hot water.
• Eggnog, if you're opting for a tradition version, will have about 450 calories and 22 grams of fat per serving. Fortunately, there are some ways to lighten it up a bit, like using a milk-based recipe, rather than a cream-based one. A part-milk, part-cream recipe should give you a middle ground.
• Hot Cocoa could have up to 300 calories and 8.5 grams of fat per serving, excluding whipped cream or marshmallows, but can also be lightened by using a lower fat milk in the recipe.
• Champagne Punch is bubbly, refreshing and packed with fruity flavors that are more festive than summery. A half-cup serving will run about 105 calories.
• Chai Lattes can really warm you up with spices and are a nice change from sweet ciders and thick nogs. A one-cup serving will probably come out around 110 calories and 3 grams of fat, although this is also a recipe that could use lower fat milk.

There are many more drinks to choose from this season, and not all of them will be high in fat or calories, but keeping these drinks in your mind as treats will help you to keep your intake under control and to enjoy them more during the holidays.

It's official. New York City has become the first in the nation to ban the use trans-fats at restaurants. The members of the Board of Health voted unanimously for the ban and heath advocates are already applauding the decision. Restaurants will have until July 2007 to switch to trans-fat free frying oils - meaning that all french fries in the city, as well as other fried foods will have to be trans-fat free by that time - and will have until July 2008 to remove all trans-fats from their food.

Trans-fats, which have been called "chemical abominations" by some health officials, are known to raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol, changes which can contribute to an increased risk of heart disease. According to FDA estimates, "the average American eats 4.7 pounds of trans fats each year" in spite of the reductions that food processors have made with their use. They are favored in the restaurant and food processing industries because they are easy to work with, have a long shelf life and can increase the shelf life of foods that use them.

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In my mind, Perfect Light Desserts: Fabulous Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and More Made with Real Butter, Sugar, Flour, and Eggs, All Under 300 Calories Per Generous Serving has more than just a few good things going for it. Obviously, it is geared towards slightly less fattening/lower calorie treats. The recipes use less butter or sugar than they might otherwise, and often make substitutions like swapping egg whites for whole eggs. No artificial sweeteners or other ingredients are incorporated into the pies, cakes, cookies and other baked goods, so the recipes will taste just as satisfying as their high-calorie counterparts with less guilt attached.

Author Nick Malgieri is known for his much more decadent desserts and it is somewhat reassuring to know that he really stands by these recipes, in much the same way as dessert maven Alice Medrich stands by her hugely popular book Chocolate and the Art of Low Fat Desserts. To add another chef to the mix, David Lebovitz is also recommending it and has provided the recipes for Banana Cake and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (which look quite similar to my favorite low-fat oatmeal cookie recipe) on his blog.

If you like to bake, this is definitely one to add to your wish list for the holidays - although if you sneak out and buy yourself a copy, you'll get to "wow" your family and friends in a way that they'll appreciate at parties and other festive (food-related) occasions.

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