Artisan Multigrain Breads-It used to be that you had to seek out a local baker to get high-quality artisan breads. Now, chances are your local market is baking up specialty breads right in the store. Look for breads made with heart-healthy oats, whole-wheat flour, barley, millet and whole-grain rye.

Brussels Sprouts-Once considered cabbage’s “smelly” cousin, the Brussels sprout is gaining in popularity. The veggie is packed with 130% of your daily value of free-radical-fighting vitamin C per 1-cup serving (proof there was a reason your mother tortured you so many years ago). When cooked properly, this veggie tastes great!

Raw local honey-New evidence supporting a tablespoon a day to reduce seasonal allergy symptoms. But don’t simply add honey to your diet, use it in place of refined sweeteners on toast, in oatmeal or coffee.

Flaxmeal-The health community is buzzing about omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed and flaxmeal (ground from flaxseed) are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-based omega-3. ALA may help to lower inflammation and increase blood flow in the body, reducing the risk of high blood pressure and blood clots. Try sprinkling flaxmeal on your morning cereal or adding it to a smoothie.

Gluten-Free Baking Mixes-Gluten-free products are everywhere now with the growing awareness of celiac disease, gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivity. Eating gluten-free used to mean kissing your love of delicious bread and baked goods goodbye, but no longer: now you can have your (gluten-free) cake and eat it, too, when you use one of the great gluten-free mixes available today.

Greek Yogurt-Thicker and more tangy than traditional yogurt, Greek-style yogurt has become an everyday staple for many cooks. A 6-ounce serving of nonfat Greek yogurt has 15 g of protein, 5 g more than traditional nonfat plain yogurt. (However, if it is calcium you are after, stick with traditional yogurt that hasn’t had the whey drained from it-it has 34 percent of your daily value per 6-ounce serving, three times more than Greek yogurt.) Creamy and delicious, Greek yogurt makes a homemade tzatziki sauce or healthy dessert quick and easy.

Heirloom Tomatoes-Old varieties of tomatoes are making a comeback. Varieties like Gold Nugget, Aunt Ginny’s Purple, Big Ben and Red Zebra are now showing up in your neighborhood market. Like all tomatoes, they are an excellent source of vision and bone-healthy vitamin A.

Chia seeds-Besides being the butt of chia-pet jokes, chia seeds are seriously high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Unlike flaxseed, you needn’t crush them to absorb the nutrients. Use like flaxseed, over hot cereal, in salads and in baking. Throw a handful in muffin or pancake batter for extra nutty crunch.

Kefir-Think yogurt in a glass. This fermented dairy beverage is packed with beneficial probiotics that may help give your immune system a little extra edge. Look for it in your local market; choose plain for less sugar and fewer calories or fresh fruit flavors, such as peach and raspberry, for extra taste. With 29 percent of your daily value of calcium per 8-ounce serving, kefir is the perfect choice for an on-the-go morning.

Multigrain Tortillas-When it comes to tortillas, there are more options for shoppers than ever before. Forget basic flour-now you can find whole-grain tortillas with added heart-healthy flaxseed or B vitamins. You’ll get more fiber when you choose whole-wheat or whole-grain over white-flour tortillas.

What do you think the healthy food trends will be for 2012?

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Last year I went on The Belly Fat Cure and learned a ton of helpful information about sugar addiction, and how much sugar we are feeding ourselves on a regular basis. As I read the book, I was struck at how I have tried to keep my kids from too much sugar, yet was unknowingly setting them up to be addicted to sugar as adults (like I am). For instance, our typical morning breakfast looked something like:

1 cup of milk or juice
1 small bowl of cereal
1/2 banana
pancakes with a tiny amt. of syrup
scrambled eggs

Doesn’t look too bad, right? Breakfast has always been the biggest meal in our house, and we thought this type of breakfast looked healthy. But upon learning how many sugar grams were in each item, this is what I found:

1 cup of milk or juice – (milk: 14 g of sugar/ juice: 28 g of sugar)
1 small bowl of cereal (14 g of sugar)
1/2 banana (7 g of sugar / 14 in a whole one)
pancakes with a tiny amt. of syrup (30 g of sugar)
scrambled eggs (0 g of sugar)
Total = 65-80 grams of sugar!

The Belly Fat Cure seeks to reduce our sugar consumption and recommends only 15 grams of sugar for an entire day. Jorge Cruise also teaches that our body processes sugar the same way, no matter the source (natural sugar, milk sugar, or processed sugar). All of it raises our insulin levels and makes us crave more.

Sparkpeople.com also has a chart that lists what the American Heart Association recommends should be our maximum sugar intake. For a 1200 calorie diet, they recommend no more than 21 grams a day. Our children are likely consuming 1200 calories a day or less, yet we are feeding them upwards of 100-200 grams of sugar a day from snacks like gummies, trail mix, fruit juice, ice cream, soda, etc. Even seemingly healthy snacks are loaded with sugar, like yogurt, raisins, and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.

This has led me to hunt for lower sugar cereals, since my kids love cereal and we eat it every day. At Costco recently I found this Fiber Plus Cereal from Kelloggs that tastes just like Cinnamon Cheerios, at only 7 grams of sugar per serving vs. 10 grams for Honey Nut Cheerios. The standard “kids” cereal ranges anywhere from 9-15 grams of sugar per serving, and many kids have more than one serving.

My food choices for my kids have radically changed since learning all of this information. I now look at the sugar content of everything I put into their mouths. They are allowed to have juice or treats at birthday parties, of course, but on a regular basis I no longer keep any sugary items in the house. I don’t look down on others who feed their kids those things, because I used to be one of them. In fact, I think many moms would choose differently if they just had more information.

Here are some more healthy, low sugar snacks I have found:

Old Choice

New Choice
Yoplait Trix Yogurt for Kids – 14 g.

Simply Go-gurt, cut in half – 5 g.
Raisins, 1 small box – 25 g.

Apple Crisps (from Costco) – 6 g.
Capri Sun (wild cherry) – 28 g.

Honest Kids Berry Good Lemonade – 10 g.
Trail Mix (varies)- 10-30 g.

Trader Joe’s Trek Mix – 7 g.
Nutrigrain Bar – 12 g.

Homemade Nutrigrain Bar (see recipe here)
Chocolate Chip Granola Bar – 13 g.

Nature Valley Granola Thins- 6 g.

WebMD has an excellent article on “Foods Surprisingly High in Sugar” that everyone should read.
Among them: pudding cups with 20 grams of sugar, diced pears in light syrup with 17 grams of sugar, instant oatmeal, 14 grams of sugar, etc…

I believe if we make a few changes, we’ll not only start seeing healthier kids, but kids with less mood swings from sugar consumption. How many meltdowns could have been avoided if we had just not fed them 60 grams of sugar for breakfast? Their little bodies just can’t handle that. Even if we don’t see any big behavior changes, it is likely just that our kids have gotten used to the high sugar content, and they might already be addicted to sugar. These are just a few things I have found that I hope will be helpful to you, too.

What other low-sugar snacks do you recommend?

Well, that was nearly 3 years ago now and I’ve hit a few speed bumps since then including two injuries and a few illnesses along with a recent relapse of depression and anxiety. I few years back I wrote about giving up on my perfectionist tendencies. I was concerned that my “slip” in my fitness focus would make me less credible. But, now I am proud to be out of the closet with my fitness failures, sharing them with my readers in addition to my successes.

Besides, PERFECT SUCKS! Don’t strive for it. It does not exist. I was doing a Jillian Michaels workout today and she said it herself. It really rang true with me. She also said something like “Trasformation is not an end result. It is something you do with your actions each and every day.” This is so true. While I agree that setting a goals are good, don’t see it as an ending “transformation.” Work toward transforming yourself each and every day in different ways.

THIS is the new me. THIS is what I am aiming for. I am not striving to be perfect, but to better myself, even if just a little, each and every day. We’ll keep working together to be stronger, more fit, flexible, health and happy. I’m here for you and so many of you are here for me as well. On with the journey! SCREW PERFECT! It’s a myth, a legend of air-brushed models. We are REAL people and real people work hard, fail, succeed and help one another. Let’s do this!

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2-1/2 cups chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
5-1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, for about 1 more minute. Add squash, broth, and red pepper and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until squash is soft, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.

Once it’s cooled, puree soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Return pureed squash mixture to pot. Add 1 teaspoon of thyme and stir. If desired, thin soup with more broth, then simmer 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into 6 bowls, sprinkle with remaining thyme, and enjoy!

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Nutritional Information (per serving)
Calories Protein Fiber Carbs Fat Total Saturated Fat
147 5 grams 4 grams 23 grams 5 grams 1 gram