Cool Whip/Whipped toppings: light, fat free, or sugar free? Which is best?

After the last post about strawberries, it is only appropriate to discuss whipped toppings-a topping commonly used in strawberry dishes.  Which is best regular, light, fat free or sugar free...that is the question. We made a chart to compare not only calories, fat and sugar, but also to compare the ingredients in the products.  Check it out below:

image sources: Cool Whip, Reddi Wip

What does all this mean?  All of the Cool Whips are 15-25 calories/2 tbsp while the Fat-Free Reddi Wip is 5 calories/2 tbsp.  The Regular Cool Whip has more sugar and fat (which is expected) than any of the others compared.  The Sugar-Free Cool Whip and Fat-Free Reddi Wip has less sugar and the Fat-Free Cool Whip and Fat-Free Reddi Wip has less fat than the others.  By calories, fat and sugar alone, the Fat-Free Reddi Wip wins big. 

Looking at the ingredients, water is the first ingredient in all the Cool Whips while cream (imagine that) is the first ingredient in the Fat-Free Reddi Wip.  Note: the Regular Cool Whip has cream, but it is the 6th ingredient listed on the label.  Remember, the ingredients are listed in order of amounts that are actually in the product.  So, the higher on the list the more of it the product contains.  Each of the Cool Whips contain corn syrup (a source of sugar), hydrogenated vegetable oil (trans fat), and high fructose corn syrup (a source of sugar) while the Fat-Free Reddi Wip does not have any hydrogenated vegetable oil or high fructose corn syrup.

The bottom line: The Fat-Free Reddi Wip wins in all categories and is the best choice to top your strawberries this season based on calories, fat, sugar & ingredients.  You can find it in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, unlike Cool Whip which is located in the freezer section.  

Pumpkin is Healthy; Here are the Facts!

Pumpkins not only make great Jack-O-Lanterns, but they also are a great addition to a healthy meal plan! 

Here are some quick facts about pumpkin:

1. 80 calories per cup of canned pumpkin or 5 per TBSP (Like the Libby's Canned Pumpkin)
2. Rich in minerals: copper, manganese, zinc, iron, selenium, magnesium
3. 19% Daily Value for Vitamins C, 10% Daily Value for E & riboflavin
4. Contains 5.125 mg beta carotene (a form of Vitamin A)-found in orange fruits/vegetables
5. Rich in cartonetoids: lutein & zeaxanthin-associated with eye health and reduced risk of cataracts
6. 1 cup has 564 mg of Potassium-more than a banana!
7. 4g protein (4g) &  fiber (10g) per cup
8. Botanically it is a fruit
9. Is a winter squash
10. A typical pumpkin contains 90% water
11. 80% of the US pumpkin supply is available in October
12. Pick pumpkins that are firm & heavy for their size
13. Pumpkin seeds are high in protein, manganese, magnesium, & phosphorus and also contain heart healthy mono- & polyunsaturated fats.  (1/4 cup seeds toasted in oil = 190 calories)
14. 1.1 Billion is the number of pounds of pumpkins annually produced in the U.S.
15. Top producing states: Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, & California
16. More than 90% of the pumpkins grown in the U.S. are for canned pumpkin

If you haven't already, try it in a dish today: roast with other vegetables, puree to make a base for soup, pancakes, waffles, quick breads or muffins.  Find a pumpkin recipe to try HERE!

Know YOUR Nutrition Information Source

Nutrition information is running rampant on the Internet, TV & other media sources.  But, is this good nutrition information or a lot of misinformation?  In a recent episode of Dr. Oz it was suggested that consuming milk and yogurt with some fat is better for you than nonfat.  The same tune was sang by Laine Bergeson who is the Senior Editor at Experience Life magazine in THIS article claiming that whole milk is the "healthiest choice". 

So, do we believe these two sources? In our opinion, it is important to go to the nutrition expert for this kind of information.  According to the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, "a Registered Dietitian is a food and nutrition expert who has met the minimum academic and professional requirements to qualify for the credential "RD.""

Who is Dr. Oz & who is Laine Bergeson?

According to sharecare.com, Dr. Oz is,"Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University. He directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital....He has… [Expand] authored or co-authored over 400 original publications, book chapters, and medical books and has received several patents. He performs 100 heart operations annually."  This is great if you are looking for information that pertains to the heart, heart surgery, etc, however this does not qualify him to speak on behalf of the nutrition expert community. 

Laine Bergeson has her credentials spelled out on Linkedin HERE.  She is currently the Senior Editor at Experience Life Magazine, but has in the past been an Associate Editor at Utne Reader magazine, Research Editor at Utne Reader magazine, and Researcher at National Institutes of Health (research grant project through the Mayo Clinic).  So does an editor or associate editor qualify someone to provide nutrition information? Most would say no.

Who should we turn to? Here is an article responding to this exact nutrition information and it is written by Barbara Quinn who is a nutrition author, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.  Her recommendation: "I vote to mix and match 2 to 3 servings a day of low-fat or nonfat dairy foods...and save the higher fat choices for occasional occasions".  She also states that, "Until we learn more, here's what we know: High-fat dairy foods are loaded with saturated fat-the fat implicated in raising "bad" LDL cholesterol in our blood.  Low-fat dairy foods have been shown to help lower the blood pressure and possibly help with weight loss.  Some components in dairy fat-such as CLA and transpalmitoleic acid-may offer additional health benefits."

Bottom line: Know where you are getting your nutrition information! Do a quick search in an online search engine (of course, be sure it's a credible source) to know where you are getting your information.