How much fat is in Burger King’s new Satisfries?

Burger King is getting a lot of media attention for its new Satisfries, which it touts as being lower in fat than the leading brand (i.e. McDonald’s) and than its own regular fries.

How much lower? A small order of Satisfries has 11 grams of fat and 1.5 grams of saturated fat compared with 17 grams and 2.5 grams of saturated in a small order of BK’s regular fries. Looking at a large order, which in the old days would have been what I purchased, a large Satisfries has 17 grams of fat and 2,5 grams of saturated fat compared with 22 grams and 3.5 grams of saturated in a large regular fry. Continue reading “How much fat is in Burger King’s new Satisfries?” →

September 27, 2013 0

How much salt is in Burger King’s new Satisfries?

Burger King’s new Satisfries, are getting a lot of media attention for being lower in fat than the competition’s (i.e. McDonald’s) and than Burger King’s normal fries.

But what about the sodium levels of the new offering? Media attention has focused on fat, but sodium for most fast food fries is off the charts. Burger King’s regular fries, for example, have 710 mgs of sodium on them, about half of my daily allowance of 1,200-1,500 mgs. That one reason I don’t eat fast food any longer, except for the occasional salad to which I add my own oil and vinegar to avoid high-sodium dressings. Continue reading “How much salt is in Burger King’s new Satisfries?” →

September 26, 2013 1

Salt-free tortilla chips – they’re available; watch the fat though

Chips of almost any kind are likely off your menu if you’re on a restricted diet. Most are loaded with salt and, depending on how they’re made, fat as well. Yet when you crave something crunchy (and you don’t eat nuts like me) what can you do?

Salt-free tortilla chips are out there. I’ve found them at both Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. The Trader Joe’s variety, TJ’s orgnaic white corn tortilla chips, has 0 mgs of salt and 7 grams of fat per ounce. The Whole Food option, 365 chips, also white corn based, has 0 mgs of sodium and 6 grams of fat per ounce, so the Whole Foods brand is the better choice, given it’s lower fat content. Each has zero sugar.

Here's what one ounce of tortilla chips looks like. Is it enough for you? — Here’s what one ounce of tortilla chips looks like. Is it enough for you?

Continue reading “Salt-free tortilla chips – they’re available; watch the fat though” →

September 19, 2013 2

INdustri Café – sad to see it go

Since I first wrote this post, Industri has unfortunately closed for business. I will miss it on my trips to Milwaukee. The chef-owner will hopefully pop up in a new place there soon, let me know if you hear any news about him:

john

I‘ve written more than once about how difficult it is to eat at restaurants when you’re on a restricted diet. Tell a waiter you need no salt and no fat in your dish, and you get bare plates with plain veggies and a small piece of meat, as I have.

So I didn’t have high hopes when trying a new place during a weekend visit to Milwaukee recently. But the INdustrie Café was a pleasant and wonderfully tasty surprise for me.

A lean flank steak, with a pepper crust rather than a salt one, amazing.

When I told the waiter of my restrictions, he spoke with the chef who recreated two of the place’s small plate specials without salt or butter. A lean steak came with a pepper crust instead of salt one, a major change that would have sent most chefs running out the back doors. Another dish came with a sauce made with an olive oil base rather than a butter base, amazing!!!! Continue reading “INdustri Café – sad to see it go” →

September 18, 2013 1

Reduced-salt parmesan cheese — one way to get cheese back

Cheese, by its very nature, is usually high in fat and sodium, so if you’re on a low salt, low-fat diet, it’s largely a no-no.

I’ve been searching for some ways to keep cheese in at least some of my Italian dishes. I’ve written about using fat-free mozzarella on my whole wheat pizza.

Continue reading “Reduced-salt parmesan cheese — one way to get cheese back” →

September 10, 2013 3

Salt-free teriyaki sauce — a taste test of three varieties

Asian food is notoriously high in sodium, thanks mainly to the presence of soy sauce and teriyaki sauce in many dishes, both Japanese and Chinese.

I dearly miss my Friday night Chinese food treat but haven’t had Asian food since my angioplasty in August 2012 on nutritionists’ orders. I have been searching for a way to make some of my own, however.

Salt in teriyaki sauce ranges from 600 mgs for regular, to 320 for reduced sodium, to none in salt-free teriyaki sauce options.

Reduced sodium teriyaki and soy sauce is sold in mainstream supermarkets but it still has too much sodium for someone on a low-salt diet such as me. Kikkoman’s less sodium teriyaki, for example, has 320 mgs of sodium per tablespoon compared to 600 mgs for regular teriyaki. My limit per day is 1,200-1,500 mgs of sodium, so two tablespoons of reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce would be half my daily requirement, too much to sacrifice in one dish of a multi-dish meal. Continue reading “Salt-free teriyaki sauce — a taste test of three varieties” →

September 5, 2013 19

Salt-free marinades – in the Chicago area, try Sunset Foods

I’ve written about my search for salt-free marinades to give some flavor to the white-meat chicken and various fish dishes I eat on my restricted diet. I’ve found two brands online, Mrs. Dash and Mr. Spice. But shipping costs can more than double the price of a bottle of their products, so I wrote them both, searching for local retailers who carry their products in my area, the northern suburbs of Chicago.

Preparing salmon with Mrs. Dash no-salt marinades. I was overjoyed to find them at a local food retailer, Sunset Foods.

Mrs. Dash recommended I try Sunset Foods, a wonderful local chain of upscale grocery stores that I’ve worked near and shopped at in the past. My wife and I happened to be going to party in a far northern suburb that has a Sunset, so we stopped in one Saturday evening and I was thrilled to see they carried a full line of Mrs. Dash salt-free marinades. Not only that, but the bottles on display the night I went included coupons on them to reduce the price. Continue reading “Salt-free marinades – in the Chicago area, try Sunset Foods” →

September 4, 2013 2

Partying on a restricted diet — it’s tough to be the guest

Going to food-filled parties while you must adhere to your restricted diet can be a painful experience, as I wrote about my July 4th experiences, and about a wedding I attended.

So I was intrigued by a post I came across on another blog about partying on a restricted diet. The blogger of that post notes that some hosts might be tempted not to invite people on restricted diets because of the difficulty serving them presents. That’s a sad statement for those of us living on restricted diets to hear but likely all too true.

My wedding meal, thanks for leaving so few veggies everyone.

Continue reading “Partying on a restricted diet — it’s tough to be the guest” →

September 3, 2013 0

Labor Day on a restricted diet — you can barbecue

Labor Day is the unofficial end of the summer barbecue season, and usually means firing up the grill(s) for steaks, chicken, brats, Italian sausage, hot dogs and hamburgers.

When you’re on a restricted diet, however,all those traditional American treats may be off your menu. That doesn’t mean you have to sit inside and eat nothing. You can still grill by making some strategic switches I’ve written about here.

Grilled vegetables are fun, especially with some salt-free marinades to add flavor variety. For burgers, find the leanest ground beef possible; I make mine with 96% lean ground beef from a local supermarket here in the Chicago area. Continue reading “Labor Day on a restricted diet — you can barbecue” →

September 2, 2013 0

Month: September 2013