My Top Ten Favorite Foods

As I learn more about NuVal scores, I am rethinking what I put in my mouth. When I walk in the door some nights with 2 kids, lunchboxes to unpack, dinner to make and everyone starving, I've stopped reaching for a handful of Cheez-its or pita chips. With their low scores, they're just not worth it. As I approach my one year anniversary of working for NuVal (which I love!), I realize that I have a new Top Ten Favorite Food List that is different than what it was one year ago. Here it is:

1. Chobani Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt: Score of 94

I love this plain, thicker-than-regular yogurt so much. I mix in some fresh nectarine and blueberries. I also put it on baked potatoes. And when my neighbor called looking to borrow sour cream for a recipe she was making (none in my fridge), I gave her the yogurt instead and she said it turned out great. This yogurt is filling and substantial. It's my quick fix on Monday afternoons when I need an energy boost before teaching my 6:30 pm Pilates class.

2. Almonds: Score of 81

My boss and friend got me hooked on these. I opt for the roasted, unsalted brand and my husband loves them too. Since I work out early (5:30 am), I often need a post-breakfast, mid-morning snack. These do the trick.

3. Frozen Grapes: Score of 91

Someone brought frozen grapes this year to the 4th of July cookout. And boy did it bring back memories. I ate a lot of frozen grapes back in my obsessive Weight Watcher days (circa 1996) because they kept me from eating ice cream. My husband affectionately called them frozen eyeballs. So I resurrected them this summer. They are so easy - just rinse and throw them in a ziploc bag in the freezer. They still look like frozen eyeballs, but they are so tasty and the kids love them too. But this post is about MY top ten. The kids' will be next week. Moving on...

4. Special K with Protein: Score 0f 60

As I mentioned in my Adult Rated Cereal post, I don't have time for a lot of munching in the morning. So bye-bye to some of my more laborious cereals and hello Special K with Protein. But it MUST say Protein on the box. My DH has mistakenly bought the regular one (which scores only a 23) and we had to return it. It is a little sweet, very filling, and it lasts me until Almond Time.

5. Joseph's Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Flour Pita Bread: Score of 65

These very flat pitas are so satisfying. We go through at least two packages of these a week because everyone in our house seems to like them. And the score is much better than most other breads or pita products.

6. Skim Milk: Score of 91

This is just one of those perfect foods. You get some protein, your Vitamin D and your Calcium. I'll admit, I probably was not getting the recommended number of dairy servings per day until we switched to milk delivery in glass bottles. I was even able to get the kids to switch to skim. There I go talking about them again. This post is about MY favorites.

7. Tropicana 50 Pulp-Free with Calcium Orange Juice: Score of 81

This is a recent find from when I blogged about juice. We were drinking Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice with Calcium and Vitamin D with a score of 51. Now we're drinking 30 points higher because the Trop 50 has less sugar. I really think they should change the name though. It makes me think that it is juice for people over age 50. And I've got 11 years before I get there. Note: Make sure you buy the one that says "with Calcium and Vitamin D". The other Trop 50 right next to it scores much, much lower.

8. Quaker Steel Cut Oats: Score of 60

They take a long time to cook, so I often make a big batch and reheat them on busy weekday mornings. These oats are for Mommy only. My daughter loves oatmeal, but not this kind. Even the purple container could not win her over. But I love their sticking power. It's all about getting me to Almond Time.

9. Chick Peas: Scores vary

And this is why I need NuVal in my grocery store. Because while I do have access to the scores because I work there, I can't remember them when I am trying to pick out the chick peas that have the best score. Progresso chick peas get a 58, but the Food Club organic brand that I can buy at my local Roche Brothers store, get an 82. Yes, I've had a long-time love affair with chick peas. A friend and colleage of mine dubbed me the Queen of Leafy Greens and Chick Peas back in the '90s. They are just the protein you need on salad.

10: Vegetables: Scores vary, but they are really high

Yes, I am a veggie lover and I have been one since early childhood. I used to ask my mom, "Can I have lettuce for my treat tonight?" and she'd say, "Well, OK. Only if you're good." When I get back from traveling or a vacation where veggies were scarce, I feel the difference. And it makes me crabby. My favorites are asparagus (100), arugula (100), broccoli rabe (100) and brussels sprouts (94). My husband knows to just let me order that $6 plate of one of these when we go out to dinner. The good news is that frozen vegetables without additives score really well too. I always have a bag of frozen brussels sprouts in my freezer in case we run out of fresh veggies before that weekly shopping trip.

So that is what is on my shopping list each week. Next week, I'll post on my kids' Top Ten list. What's on your Top Ten List? I'd love to hear about it.

Adult Rated Cereal

Have you looked at the cereal aisle in your grocery store lately? It is huge. Absolutely humongous. And although there are many, many cereals to choose from, one of the most frequently asked questions I get when a friend or acquaintance learns that I work for NuVal is, "What about Kashi?"

Great question. I admit, I had a Kashi addiction circa 1996. I loved Good Friends. Loved it. It was life B.C. (Before Children). I was getting ready to be a bride, counted Weight Watchers Points obsessively, only had my own health and nutrition to worry about, had time and stamina for twice-daily workouts. When Weight Watchers added fiber to its little Points system slide rule (B.C. indeed!), I found that I could eat a really big bowl of Good Friends for breakfast. And I did - like, every day. My fiance (now dear husband) had many affectionate terms for the different Kashi cereal products, including Sticks, Twigs, and my all-time favorite, Compost. As life got much busier with two small children, I no longer had time for all that crunching, and we moved on to smaller bowls of something else.

So, when I'm asked about Kashi, my answer is that there are some Kashi cereal products that score really well and some that do not. Check out these scores:


Kashi 7 Whole Grain Cereal Puffs 91

Kashi GoLean High Protein and High Fiber Cereal 47

Kashi Go Lean Crunch 33

Kashi 7 Whole Grain Flakes 29

Kashi Good Friends 26

Kashi Strawberry Fields 11

Good or bad? Well the median NuVal score for cereal is 25 and scores range from 4 - 100. Cheerios get a 34. You think you're doing a really healthy thing by eating Kashi Go Lean Crunch, but you could be just as healthy eating Cheerios.

If you didn't know the NuVal scores, you might think you're doing a really healthy thing by eating Kashi Strawberry Fields, which scores an 11. Just know you're in the Capn' Crunch range. It gets a 10.

My DH and I have a marathoner friend who has become a huge fan of NuVal and is living it. He's a great athlete who posts Lance-Armstrong-like times, including 3:02 in Boston this year, when he runs. He chooses the best scoring products in each category whenever he can. These days he's eating Post Shredded Wheat which scores a 91. He gets up really early to run and then chew through that.

As for what the adults in our household are crunching through these days: Kellogg's Special K Protein Plus which scores a 60. That is much higher than regular Special K, which scores a 20. And it goes down easy.

Yes, there are a lot of sticks, twigs, composts and cereals. And a lot more stories to post, including those about kids' cereals. Stay tuned.

For these and other cereal scores, check out http://www.nuval.com/Pages/ScoreCereal.aspx.

And check out this great interview with our own Dr. David Katz, the visionary behind the NuVal system, at http://bigthink.com/davidkatz/david-l-katz-a-food-system-for-dummies