The Life Ledger

Fitness is a way of life.

photo credit: thelifeledger

Childhood obesity is becoming such an epidemic that many schools are taking steps to increase the nutrition and exercise awareness of both their students and their students’ parents. Take, for example, this article covering changes recently instituted by five Philadelphia schools:

Five Philadelphia elementary schools replaced sodas with fruit juice. They scaled back snacks and banished candy. They handed out raffle tickets for wise food choices. They spent hours teaching kids, their parents and teachers about good nutrition.

As a result, “the number of kids who got fat during the two-year experiment was half the number of kids who got fat in schools that didn’t make those efforts.” Which is great, but of course not nearly enough. What we need is more education and awareness about what we feed our children. For instance, the cereal we feed them.

A recent article on Medical News Today about children’s cereal caught my eye. The article cites a recent study conducted by Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, which concluded that children’s cereals are higher in calories, sugar and salt than adult cereals, despite marketing claims to the contrary. The article goes on to summarize the study:

[Marlene] Schwartz and her colleagues examined 161 breakfast cereals from four leading manufacturers and compared nutritional values of children’s and nonchildren’s cereals to national guidelines. They found that when comparing nutrients per gram, children’s cereals were higher in calories, sodium, carbohydrate, and sugar, but significantly lower in fiber and protein. They also found that the majority of children’s cereals, 66 percent, failed to meet national recommended nutritional standards for foods sold in schools.

I couldn’t find a copy of the study itself, so I thought I’d conduct a spot-check myself. When selecting children’s cereal and adult cereal, I concentrated on marketing and shelf placement in the grocery store, as one Yale Rudd Center study points out that

Children are exposed to an estimated 10 000 advertisements for food per year, 95% of which are for fast foods, candy, sugared cereal and soft drinks (13). By pre-school, the child begins to have preferences for certain products and, according to McNeal, is a ‘consumer by influence’ (14). Advertisers place cereal boxes at child eye level because they know that toddlers can recognize brands of cereal and request them from their seat in the grocery cart.

Based on ads and shelf placement, I selected three cereals marketed as “healthy” children’s cereals and two “healthy” adult cereals, because let’s face it - comparing Trix to Allbran is just a tad unfair, and you shouldn’t be feeding your child that un-food anyway. Let’s see how they stack up.

Children’s Cereals

Cheerios

photo credit: Z(-_-)F

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 cup (28 grams)
Calories, without milk: 100
Sodium: 190mg
Sugar: 1g

Ingredients
Whole grain oats, modified corn starch, sugar, oat bran, salt, calcium carbonate, oat fiber, potassium phosphate, corn starch, wheat starch, vitamin E

Kix

photo credit: sajrow

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup (30 grams)
Calories, without milk: 110
Sodium: 210mg
Sugar: 3g

Ingredients
corn (whole grain corn, meal), whole grain oats, ugar, corn bran, modified corn starch, corn syrup, salt, calcium carbonate, trisodium phosphate, vitamin E, misc vitamins

Wheaties

photo credit: tape

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 3/4 cup (27 grams)
Calories, without milk: 100
Sodium: 190mg
Sugar: 4g

Ingredients
whole grain wheat, sugar, salt, corn syrup, trisodium phosphate, BHT, misc vitamins

Adult Cereals

All-bran

photo credit: davekellam

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/2 cup (31 grams)
Calories, without milk: 80
Sodium: 80mg
Sugar: 6g

Ingredients
wheat bran, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, malt flavoring, calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, salt, sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid (vitamin c), misc vitamins

Special K

photo credit: Paul Cheek

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 cup (31 grams)
Calories, without milk: 120
Sodium: 220mg
Sugar: 4g

Ingredients
rice, wheat gluten, sugar, defatted wheat germ, salt, high fructose corn syrup, dried whey, malt flavoring, calcium caseinate, misc vitamins

The Comparison

I think visually, so I’ve created a table with what I think are the most important comparisons to draw between the five cereals. *I’ve changed the serving size to make the numbers directly comparable.

The takeaway I get? Eat fruit, not cereal. If you need to serve cereal, Cheerios looks like the least evil. The other takeaway? I need to find a new recipe for my bran muffins.

Thank you for visiting The Life Ledger. If you enjoyed this article, check out the related posts below and subscribe to our feed.

Did you know each turkey leg has over 1400 calories? Start at the beginning of the series for some general Disney World nutrition information.

photo credit: maduarte

Far from a typical theme park, Epcot offers visitors a blend of entertainment and education. Using fun, animatronics and Disney flair, Epcot urges recognition of the part one plays in the world, the environment, and our shared future. At Epcot’s Futureworld, visitors experience space, sea, speed, land and imagination, and the one thing that ties all the disparate experiences together is, of course, food.

Below, I’ll list vendors and restaurants offering healthier snacks and meals. We’re compiling most of the information below from great Disney sites like MousePlanet.com and AllEars.net. If you’re not like the folks at the WDW Today Podcast who can visualize every nook and cranny, you might want to review a park map like the one found at http://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/. Also, keep in mind I am in no way proposing the suggestions below are healthy, particularly since I have no nutrition information - rather, the suggestions appear healthier in comparison to the standard fare. Finally, we’ll be skipping the character meals, because let’s be honest - if you’re paying for a character meal, you’re paying for the experience, not the food. With that in mind, let’s get started!

photo credit: Mista Gargoyle

Sunshine Season Food Fair
Land Pavillion, located in lower level outside entrance to Soaring.

After taking a leisurely flight over California, a boat ride through the history and future of agriculture and learned about the Circle of Life, Sunshine Season Food Fair offers a great (albeit loud) place to catch your breath before continuing your adventure. Sunshine Season is a huge counter-service area with many options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, and organized into “bays” serving different foods. The Asian area offers steamed vegetables, sushi and (usually) a vegetarian meal option. There are several fish options, including Seared Tuna on Mixed Greens with Sesame Rice Wine dressing and Grilled Salmon with Mashed Potatoes with Kalamata Olive Pesto. If you’re not keen on fish, both the Grilled Vegetable Cuban Sandwich and Rotisserie Chicken or Beef Flatbread with Wild Greens and Tabbouleh appear to be tasty, healthy alternatives.

photo credit: ColeMatthew - all rights reserved

Coral Reef Restaurant
Living Seas Pavillion, located just inside main entrance.

Coral Reef offers a pleasant, if pricey, dining experience, providing guests full view to large fish tanks - photos like this one illustrate the dining experience. As MousePlanet puts it, “For some, there may be a bit of a cognitive disconnect in serving a mostly-seafood menu while watching fish swim around you.” Or as Len Testa eloquently puts it, “them’s good eatin’!” If you don’t mind eying both before and after versions of your meal at the same time, Coral Reef does have some healthy-sounding alternatives, including Pan-seared Tilapia - served with a roasted white and green bean salad tossed in a tomato vinaigrette and Grilled Mahi Mahi - served over Israeli couscous and arugula with honey soy glaze. Land-lubbers can try the Grilled Chicken Breast - with Jasmine rice and chicken broth.

photo credit: XISMZERO - all rights reserved

Electric Umbrella Restaurant
Future World, located inside Innoventions West near the Fountain.

Electric Umbrella offers fast counter-service fare with a few healthy alternatives to the standard hamburger. If you’re in the mood for a quick salad, try the Tossed Island Chicken Salad with mango, pineapple, and raisins, in a fat-free Italian dressing. If you’re more in the mood for a quick sandwich, try the Vegetable Wrap with hummus, zucchini, lettuce, cucumber, carrotts, roasted red peppers, balsamic vinaigrette and apple slices or Grilled Chicken Sandwich - with lettuce and tomato served with a wheat bun with apple slices. Or, if you’re really courageous, you could try the Len Testa Build-Your-Own-Salad salad bar(otherwise known as the fixins bar), although you might get some odd stares.

Next up - Epcot’s World Showcase.

Did you know each turkey leg has over 1400 calories? Start at the beginning of the series for some general Disney World nutrition information.

photo credit: Calamity Meg

With a staggering 16.64 million guests a year, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is consistently the most-visited theme park in the world. With that kind of volume, I would expect Disney to concentrate on cheap, consistent foods that appeal to the general masses and are quick to devour (like the 1400-calorie turkey legs), which pretty much cuts out most healthy meal choices. However, even with this volume, Disney manages to make some healthier choices available at Magic Kingdom - the trick is knowing where to find them.

Below, I’ll list vendors and restaurants offering healthier snacks and meals. We’re compiling most of the information below from great Disney sites like MousePlanet.com and AllEars.net. If you’re not like the folks at the WDW Today Podcast who can visualize every nook and cranny, you might want to review a park map like the one found at http://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/. Also, keep in mind I am in no way proposing the suggestions below are healthy, particularly since I have no nutrition information - rather, the suggestions appear healthier in comparison to the standard fare. Finally, we’ll be skipping the character meals, because let’s be honest - if you’re paying for a character meal, you’re paying for the experience, not the food. With that in mind, let’s get started!

Snacks

photo credit: stretchdog

Aloha Isle
Adventureland, located just past the entrance from Main Street.

Aloha Aisle is home of the absolutely scrumptious Dole Whip pineapple soft serve ice cream. Unfortunately, it’s ice cream, so we’ll have to overlook it in favor of the fresh pineapple spears - a great snack and a good alternative to the common apples and carrots found elsewhere. If you’re thirsty and in the mood for juice, Aloha Isle offers apple, orange and - of course - pineapple.

photo credit: pinkpollyanna

Liberty Square Market
Liberty Square, located across from the Liberty Square Riverboat and next to the Hall of Presidents

If you’re craving fruit, Liberty Square Market has the biggest selection. It’s a little pricey, but then, so are the hamburgers. At the Market, you’ll find grapes, apple sauce, oranges, apples, bananas, watermelon and mixed fruit bowls. They also offer pickles, corn on the cob, carrot sticks and celery sticks. Trust me - get your snacks here and bank your calories for a Dole Whip dessert at Aloha Isle. You won’t regret it.

photo credit: joeandy

Main Street Bakery
Main Street, located halfway down Main Street on right

Apple turnovers, Mickey head frosted cookies, banana bread pudding - Disney lists Main Street Bakery as an official location for purchasing fresh fruit. Beware, however - it will take some serious willpower to resist all those sweet treats in favor of fruit. Fruit selection, which according to Allears.net includes strawberries and cantaloupe, likely changes with the season. What doesn’t change is the danger of hiding a cheesecake slice under those fresh strawberries.

photo credit: BMS-LOU - all rights reserved

Toontown Farmers Market
Toontown, located between The Barnstormer and Donald’s Boat.

Like the Main Street Bakery, Toontown Farmers Market is an official location for purchasing fresh fruit. The Market is conveniently located across the street from the character meet & greet site at the Judge’s Tent, allowing one parent to wade through multiple queues obtaining pictures and autographs from various princesses and woodland creatures while another forages through the cotton candy and popcorn to find apples, fruit cups, oranges, grapes, bananas, yogurt cups and frozen lemonade.

Meals

photo credit: andreaweckerle

Columbia Harbour House
Liberty Square, located across from Haunted Mansion’s entrance.

Fried fish, fried chicken, french fries - this restaurant gives all appearances of being a standard fried seafood joint. However, amidst all the batter there are a couple of healthier alternative meals to be had, starting with their Lighthouse Sandwich (hummus with tomato & broccoli slaw). If you’re still hungry, add a bowl of vegetarian chili. Finally, if you’re more in the mood for a salad, they’ve got you covered with their Garden Galley Salad (mixed greens with chicken, pecans, pineapple and feta cheese), and I’m sure you can request they hold the cheese.

photo credit: zesmerelda

Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
Tomorrowland, located across from the Tomorrowland Speedway loading area.

Home of the purple ketchup, Cosmic Ray’s offers three counter-service “bays”, each with its own selection of food: Unhealthy, Unhealthier and Passable…. I mean Chicken, Burgers and Sandwiches. Skip Burgers, don’t collect your 200 extra calories and head directly to the Sandwich bay, where you’ll find humongous Chicken Wraps with a side of Strawberry Yogurt, apples or grapes. Beats a burger any day.

photo credit: stretchdog

Plaza Restaurant
Main Street, located at the end of Main Street on the right, next to Plaza Ice Cream Parlor.

Decorated as a turn-of-the-century ice cream parlor restaurant, Plaza Restaurant hosts a variety of sandwiches and salads. For healthier alternatives, skip the famous Reuben and head straight for a Chicken Strawberry Salad (fresh garden greens, grilled chicken breast, fresh strawberries, gorgonzola cheese, tossed in a white zinfandel vinaigrette dressing) or Vegetarian Sandwich (fresh mozzarella, hummus, basil pesto, cucumber, roasted red pepper, vine-ripened tomato, and lettuce on a freshly baked foccaccia bread served with sweet potato chips). Other offerings that appear to be on the lighter side include the Tuna Salad Sandwich, Turkey Sandwich and Plaza Club. As with any sandwiches, hold the mayo to keep the extra calories down.

photo credit: sansaarai - all rights reserved

Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station
Tomorrowland, located at the entrance of Tomorrowland from Main Street past Plaza Restaurant.

Open seasonally, the Noodle Station offers a pleasant alternative to the ubiquitous hamburgers and chicken strips. Best described as “Asian inspired,” the Noodle Station serves noodle bowls such as Chicken Noodle Bowl and Vegetable Noodle Bowl with Tofu. Also available are Teriyaki Chicken or Tofu and Beef and Broccoli, both served with steamed white rice. Also, an added perk - the terrace provides a nice view of the castle during the fireworks show.

photo credit: cafeplushenko - all rights reserved

Tony’s Town Square
Main Street, located on the right side of Town Square as you enter the park.

If you like seafood, Italian cuisine or Lady and the Tramp, Tony’s has you covered. Amidst the cheese and bread you’ll find dishes like their Grilled Salmon (over Mixed Greens with beets, feta, and candied walnuts, tossed in an orange-shallot vinaigrette), Catch of the Day (served with Orzo pasta tossed with pancetta, roasted garlic and seasonal vegetables topped with balsamic maple glaze) and Seafood Diavoli (linguini pasta with clams, mussels, calamari, shrimp, and salmon in a spicy tomato sauce). You can even splurge on a healthy(ier) dessert with a Seasonal No-Sugar Added Sorbet with fruit.

From fruit to fish and Asian to Italian, Magic Kingdom makes available many more food options than hamburgers and fries. Did I miss your favorite haunt for healthy(ier) meal and snack alternatives? I’d love to hear about it - leave me a comment below.

Next up - Epcot!

photo credit: disneyandy

I love Disney World. No really, I *LOVE* Disney World. From the moment I enter the “happiest place on Earth” to the moment my vacation ends with the “saddest drive on Earth,” I feel nothing but magic and peace… except, of course, at meal times. The “happiest place on Earth” has traditionally also been home to the unhealthiest food on Earth - greasy hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, turkey legs, fried chicken fingers. Not exactly the kind of faire I’d like to be consuming for six days straight.

Before heading to Disney World this past trip a couple weeks ago, I ran across this article at CalorieLab discussing the difficulties the author’s family experienced finding healthy food at Disney World. The author makes some good points - in general, fruits and vegetables aren’t as available as hamburgers and Mickey-shaped ice cream sandwiches, and while meal choices have become more nutritionally desirable, snack choices are still generally abysmal. But is the author’s basic premise, that healthy choices are “hard to find,” really accurate? I decided to pay attention on this trip and find out. I’ll cover each park in detail, pointing out where healthy choices can be found, over the next few articles. To start with, however, here’s some healthy-eating tips that apply to all the parks.

Nutritional information is generally not available.
Disney World maintains four e-mail addresses (one for each park) for nutrition information requests. I wrote to each address, explaining I have to strictly monitor my daily caloric intake and asking for nutrition information for their in-park restaurants. I imagine the employees receiving my query wondered why the **** I am visiting Disney World if I’m worried about what foods I’m eating, but they politely responded with “our foods change so frequently it is impossible to maintain that kind of information.” I received the same response at counter-service and seated restaurants. If you have particular dietary needs like food allergies, you can submit a form before visiting the parks and it appears restaurants will bend over backwards to meet your needs. There’s also a highly-recommended book, Passporter’s Open Mouse by Deb Wills and Debra Koma, that covers how best to handle many “special needs” issues, including diet, when visiting Disney World. For poor schlubs like me that just want to count their calories, it looks like we have to rely on educated guesses.

photo credit: mfshadow

All turkey legs are created equal.
One item of interest I received from the Disney nutrition e-mail contacts was a list of portion sizes and general ingredients for several common snack and counter-service items. I compiled a couple of those documents to create the table below. It’s worth doing a little research into the caloric content in these foods - for example, one turkey leg contains approximately 2 calories per gram, or over 1400 calories. Articles like this one from the Orange County Register are rare, but seem to support general guesses, which is all I can make until Disney starts publishing nutrition information.

Bring your own snacks and bottled water.
One thing the Disney respondents shared was this tidbit:

The Guests are allowed to bring food items, such as snacks or foods that do not require heating, into any WALT DISNEY WORLD® Theme Park. Just inform a Security Cast Member checking the bags that you have food allergies and they will gladly allow you to bring in these items.

I always bring a few Odwalla Bars with me, which serve as my snacks throughout the day. I typically visit a grocery store like the one at Crossroads on my first day, buy a week’s worth of bars and a few bottled waters, and freeze the water overnight so it melts throughout the day and stays cool. This way, I steer clear of high-calorie snacks like ice cream and pretzels, save money I would otherwise spend on expensive snacks and bottled water, and save the 30 minutes it would normally take to stand in line and eat so I can …. well, stand in a different line.

photo credit: avainyeh

Search for the fruit.
If you’re going to spend the cash for snacks at Disney World, you still have healthy alternative options, most notably fresh fruit. According to Disney, there are some permanent sources for purchasing fresh fruit in the parks. On entering the park, take a look at the map to locate the fruit vendors and plan to pass by those areas at “snack times.” Disney’s recommended fruit vendors include:

• Magic Kindgom: Liberty Square Market (seasonal), Mickey’s Toontown Farmers Market, Main Street Bakery
• Epcot: “Most quick service locations” [From previous experience, the Land pavillion consistently sells fruit, but I don't recall a comparable vendor in World Showcase]
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Sunset Ranch Market, ABC Commissary
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Harambe Fruit Market, Drinkwallah

Do you have healthy eating tips you’d like to share, or favorite places to buy healthy snacks? I’d love to hear them - please share in the comments below. Next stop - healthy(ier) eating at the Magic Kindgom!