October 7, 2008

Amazing Amazon cake

have some cake along with the sandwich
Calories: 1200 per cake

The quickest spongiest and tastiest cake I have ever made and actually ever had too. I was watching a repeat of this tennis match on the tv yesterday and suddenly had this pang of having a chocolate cake. Usually, by the time to you end up making any cake, your desire subsides. Though not in this case. I went to prepare it in the 10 min break and was back on the couch with a big piece and a fork.Truly Delectable!!

October 3, 2008

Freshly baked Chocolate Cookies

Calories: 50 per cookie

I added choco syrup, but you can also add choco chips.

I prefer them small so that I dont over eat them..you can make them as you want. They are soft from inside and crisp from outside once taken out from the oven and let to cool down. If you wish to have them crisp even later, just microwave them for 30 seconds and let them cool. Back to their original taste and flavor.


September 30, 2008

vote for sandwich- my style

sandwich in the morning, sandwich in the night
makeup with a sandwich, after you fight

you start from breakfast, you go on till dinner
oh man! it makes your life easy and simpler

make it hot or make it cold
its a delight no matter how old

grill saute bake, don't you dare fry
its ready to eat, the moment you buy

have it with cheese or splash with butter
it will always keep you fit, nothing matters

grill it in the oven or bake it slow
you will always love to see the cheese flow

fill in the veggies or wait for the chick
the Que is long, you better be quick

some love it spicy, some add honey
its all fine, when it costs just a penny

gulp it with coke or enjoy a smoothie
you need to decide, whats fake whats healthy

fill it with leftover, there is nothing to waste
you bet, Sacheez...just good taste

- Vandita Tewari ( 30th Sep 2008)

Scrambled eggs with fries and salsa

Calories: 160

"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was 'involved'- the pig was 'committed'."

This is a traditional Irish breakfast which includes at least the following fried items: pork sausages, bacon rashers, egg(s), black pudding, and white pudding, accompanied by tea or coffee and usually toast or traditional brown soda bread. Often, the bacon is grilled and not fried and less commonly the sausages can be too. Other items like fries, browns, and fried mushrooms or fried tomato - all of which may also feature in similar traditional breakfasts. This may be served typically with salsa or bean.

September 29, 2008

"Never work before breakfast. If you have to work before breakfast, get your breakfast first" - Josh Billings

September 28, 2008

What does 200 calories cost and look like?

I came across this article today while surfing on the net. It was published by www.mymoneyblog.com

WiseGeek has an interesting article on What Does 200 Calories Look Like?, where it photographs the portions of several foods that equal 200 calories and sorts them by weight. Here’s broccoli next to peanut butter on the same plate:

200 Calories Of Broccoli and Peanut Butter: WiseGeek.com

I thought it would be neat to extend this idea and see what 200 calories costs. So I extended my usual grocery trip by finding out the price per weight for each of the food items they selected. The results are below, grouped by price per 200 calories. Image credits go to WiseGeek.com. Please go there for the full versions, these are just thumbnails for reference.

Cost of 200 Calories: Less than 50 cents
image credit: wisegeek.com
Canola Oil
$0.07
image credit: wisegeek.com
Wheat flour
$0.07
image credit: wisegeek.com
Brown Sugar
$0.10
image credit: wisegeek.com
Peanut Butter
$0.17
image credit: wisegeek.com
Cornmeal
$0.20
image credit: wisegeek.com
Uncooked Pasta
$0.21
image credit: wisegeek.com
Glazed Donut
$0.23
image credit: wisegeek.com
Butter
$0.24
image credit: wisegeek.com
Salted Pretzels
$0.24
image credit: wisegeek.com
Wheat Dinner Rolls
$0.23
image credit: wisegeek.com
French Sandwich Roll
$0.24
image credit: wisegeek.com
Smarties Candy
$0.24

image credit: wisegeek.com
Saltines
$0.31
image credit: wisegeek.com
Whole Milk
$0.31
image credit: wisegeek.com
Potato Chips
$0.33
image credit: wisegeek.com
Werthers Original Candy
$0.37
image credit: wisegeek.com
Cheetos
$0.37
image credit: wisegeek.com
Hershey Kisses
$0.38
image credit: wisegeek.com
Doritos
$0.39
image credit: wisegeek.com
Sesame Seed Bagel
$0.39
image credit: wisegeek.com
M&Ms
$0.39
image credit: wisegeek.com
Medium Cheddar Cheese
$0.40
image credit: wisegeek.com
Gummy Bears
$0.40
image credit: wisegeek.com
Tootsie Pops
$0.40
image credit: wisegeek.com
Snickers
$0.40
image credit: wisegeek.com
Canned Black Beans
$0.42
image credit: wisegeek.com
Canned Pork and Beans
$0.46
image credit: wisegeek.com
Canned Tuna in Oil
$0.47
image credit: wisegeek.com
Flax Bread
$0.40
image credit: wisegeek.com
Hot Dogs
$0.42
image credit: wisegeek.com
Coca Cola
$0.46
image credit: wisegeek.com
Jack-in-the-Box Chicken Sandwich
$0.47

.

Cost of 200 Calories: $0.50 to $0.99
image credit: wisegeek.com
Eggs
$0.50
image credit: wisegeek.com
Fruit Loops
$0.54
image credit: wisegeek.com
Cooked Pasta
$0.54
image credit: wisegeek.com
Jack in the Box Cheesburger
$0.57
image credit: wisegeek.com
Lowfat Strawberry Yogurt
$0.58
image credit: wisegeek.com
Peanut Butter Crackers
$0.58
image credit: wisegeek.com
Blackberry Pie
$0.65
image credit: wisegeek.com
Ketchup
$0.66
image credit: wisegeek.com
Cranberry Crunch Cereal
$0.66
image credit: wisegeek.com
Corn Bran Cereal
$0.68
image credit: wisegeek.com
Jack in the Box Fries
$0.73
image credit: wisegeek.com
Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
$0.75
image credit: wisegeek.com
Canned Chili Con Carne
$0.79
image credit: wisegeek.com
Salted Mixed Nuts
$0.81
image credit: wisegeek.com
Marshmallow Treat
$0.83
image credit: wisegeek.com
Canned Sweet Corn
$0.89
image credit: wisegeek.com
Avocado
$0.99



.

Cost of 200 Calories: Over $1.00
image credit: wisegeek.com
Sliced Toasted Almonds
$1.11
image credit: wisegeek.com
Bailey’s Irish Cream
$1.20
image credit: wisegeek.com
Canned Green Peas
$1.33
image credit: wisegeek.com
Red Onions
$1.35
image credit: wisegeek.com
Apples
$1.43
image credit: wisegeek.com
Peanut Butter PowerBar
$1.52
image credit: wisegeek.com
Fried Bacon
$1.65
image credit: wisegeek.com
Kiwi Fruit
$1.93
image credit: wisegeek.com
Broccoli
$1.93
image credit: wisegeek.com
Splenda Artificial Sweetener
$2.01
image credit: wisegeek.com
Honeydew Melon
$2.18
image credit: wisegeek.com
Dried Apricots
$2.19
image credit: wisegeek.com
Baby Carrots
$2.50
image credit: wisegeek.com
Grapes
$2.55
image credit: wisegeek.com
Celery
$3.11
image credit: wisegeek.com
Balsamic Vinegar
$3.14
image credit: wisegeek.com
Sliced Smoked Turkey
$3.19
image credit: wisegeek.com
Peppers
$3.23


I know there are seasonal and regional differences in prices, so these are from the Pacific Northwest during winter. I chose the full retail price, regardless if there was a sale or coupons available. Since brand names were mentioned, I went for the brand name versions of each product in what I felt was the most popular container size for a grocery store. For example, for potato chips I chose Lay’s in the 13.75 ounce size.

Food Is Cheap
My first observation is that calories are cheap, starting at a retail price of about 1/10th of a cent per calorie. If the average human needs to consume about 2,000 calories, that’s just $2 a day. If you bought in bulk or on sale it would even lower. Obviously there is more to nutrition than just calories, but still. Some would argue that this all starts with cheap government-subsidized corn, which leads to cheap fats (corn oils), sweeteners (corn syrup), and animal feed.

We Are Getting Fat
You can really see the differences in prices as you go down the tables. The cheapest calories are from very basic items like flour, sugar, and oil. The next items are primarily processed snack foods - potato chips, candy, cheetos, and crackers. The most expensive calories include all the fresh fruits and vegetables.

How does this affect us? An estimated 30% of adults over the age of 20 are obese, and that number is rising. On top of that, the poor tend to be more overweight than the rich. Is this because we like to buy the cheaper (and more calorie-dense) food, with the poor even more so than the rich? I certainly ate my share of $2.99 Value Meals in high school because I could afford it. If you’re hungry and broke, you just want something that’s cheap and filling. Donuts and chips sound much better than white bread.

Maybe the less affluent are not as well educated about nutrition. On one hand, I can’t see how people can confuse a Burger King Stacker for health food. On the other, I think if there was a huge calorie label painted in food coloring on every single thing we ate, including eating out, it would definitely change my behavior.

Labeled Food

This Wall Street Journal article titled Cheap Food, Societal Norms, And the Economics of Obesity tried to answer some of these questions using both economics and social behavior. One new suggestion was that being obese has less stigma in certain demographics, so they are less likely to watch what they eat.

Convenience More Than Price?
But wait, a plate full of broccoli should fill me up a lot better than a spoonful of peanut butter, even if it is 11 times more expensive. In my case, I think it’s more about laziness in combination with the price. I could buy a whole bunch of fresh vegetables, clean them, peel them, chop them, cook them, and then clean lots of dishes…. or I could buy a cheeseburger for 99 cents and throw it all away. With everyone so busy these days, which do you choose?