Eat Out Eat Well

Calorie Tips, Healthy Eating, Food Facts

Is Food In The Refrigerator And Freezer Safe To Eat After A Power Failure?

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The power is out all over town. Hurricane Irene has downed power lines up and down the East Coast and I’m sure many of you are wondering what to do with all that food in your fridge and freezer.

From numerous past experiences I know that one of the challenges in the aftermath of a power failure is figuring out what to do with the food in the fridge and freezer. 

The Basic Rules For Leftovers

If you cooked up a storm right before the actual storm (or whatever caused the power failure), according to the March 2010 edition of the Nutrition Action Healthletter (Center for Science in the Public Interest), you should follow these general rules:

  • The mantra is:  2 Hours–2 Inches–4 Days
  • 2 Hours from oven to refrigerator: Refrigerate or freeze your leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Throw them away if they are out longer than that.
  • 2 Inches thick to cool it quick: Store your food at a shallow depth–about 2 inches–to speed chilling.
  • 4 Days in the refrigerator–otherwise freeze it:  use your leftovers that are stored in the fridge within 4 days. The exceptions are stuffing and gravy– which should be used within 2 days. Reheat solid leftovers to 165 degrees F and liquid leftovers to a rolling boil. Toss what you don’t finish.

Food Safety

The following food safety information is from the CDC:

  • If power is out for less than two hours food in the refrigerator and freezer will be safe to eat. While the power is out keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.  This helps to keep food cold for a longer period of time.
  • The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four  hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.
  • If power is out for longer than 2 hours follow these guidelines:
    • Freezer:  “A freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours. Do not open the freezer door if you can avoid it.”
    • Refrigerator: “Pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy, and spoilable leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice. Inexpensive Styrofoam coolers are fine for this purpose. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Can Thawed Or Partially Thawed Food In The Freezer Be Frozen Again?

According to the USDA:  “food may be safely refrozen if the food still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below. You will have to evaluate each item separately. Be sure to discard any items in either the freezer or the refrigerator that have come into contact with raw meat juices. Partial thawing and refreezing may reduce the quality of some food, but the food will remain safe to eat. See the attached charts for specific recommendations.”

What If Flood Water Covered Food Stored On Shelves And In Cabinets? 

According to the USDA follow these guidelines for what can be kept or should be thrown out:  “Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water. Discard any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water. Food containers that are not waterproof include those with screw-caps, snap lids, pull tops, and crimped caps. Also, discard cardboard juice/milk/baby formula boxes and home canned foods if they have come in contact with flood water, because they cannot be effectively cleaned and sanitized.”

For more specific information please visit this USDA site.

How Many Calories Are In Your Wine Glass?

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Do you love wine with dinner – or maybe a glass of champagne at your friend’s wedding?  What about that wonderful, sweet, thick dessert wine to polish off a fantastic meal?

You may have your preference – most of us do – but whether it’s red, white, dry, sweet, or sparkling, it is really easy to overlook the calories in those long-stemmed glasses.

How Big Is Your Glass?

A standard portion of table wine (red or white) is 5 oz. and contains about 12% alcohol.  A standard portion of fortified wine, such as sherry or port, ranges from 3 – 4 oz. and contains about 17% alcohol.   But how many ounces are really in the glass of table wine that you usually drink?  Probably five to eight!

On average, an ounce of red or white table wine has about 24 calories, so you’re drinking anywhere from around 120 to 200 calories of wine – in one glass!

What About Sweeter Dessert Wines?

If you have a sweeter dessert wine after dinner it’s about double the calories per ounce although the standard serving is less:  usually 3 to 4 oz.  So figure about 140 to 190 calories for each glass.

Calories in Wine:

  • 1 oz. of Champagne:  19 calories
  • 1oz. of red table wine (burgundy, cabernet):  25 calories
  • 1 oz. dry white table wine (Chablis, Hock, Reisling):  24 calories
  • 1 oz. sweet white wine (Moselle, Sauterne, Zinfandel:  28 calories
  • 1 oz. rose:  20 calories
  • 1 oz. port (about 20% alcohol):  46 calories
  • 1 oz. sweet dessert wine:  47 calories

How Many Calories Top Your Ice Cream Sundae?

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Do You Like Your Ice Cream Naked Or With Toppings?

Sometimes there’s nothing better than an ice cream sundae. Sundaes can be made with just about anything and I freely admit that my favorite part is the stuff you put on top of ice cream, not the ice cream itself.

So Many Choices

You can put just about anything on ice cream.  Perhaps broccoli or smoked salmon isn’t your choice, but somebody, somewhere in the world, has probably gotten very creative with ice cream toppings.

Toppings Can Add A Mountain Of Calories

The standard fare:  toppings like hot fudge, whipped cream, peanuts, walnuts in syrup, crushed heath bar, caramel sauce – can all add hundreds of calories to your sundae.  For instance:

  • Smucker’s Spoonable Hot Fudge Topping:  2tbsp, 140 calories, 4g fat, 24g carbs, 2g protein
  • Smucker’s Spoonable Ice Cream Topping Pecans in Syrup Topping:  1tbsp, 170 calories, 10g fat, 20g carbs, 1g protein
  • Regular Redi Whip:  2tbsp, 20 calories, 2g fat, 1g carbs
  • Cool Whip, extra creamy:  2tbsp, 32 calories
  • Regular M&M’s:  10 pieces,103 calories, 5.2g fat, 12.1g carbs, 1.9g protein
  • Peanut M&M’s:  about 16 pieces, 200 calories, 10.15g fat, 23.48g carbs, 3.72g protein
  • Peanuts (1oz): 160 calories, 14g fat, 5g carbs, 7g protein

Some Stand-bys Are Lower In Calories

  • Rainbow Sprinkles (Mr. Sprinkles):  1 tsp, 20 calories, 0.5g fat, 3g carbs, 0g protein
  • Chocolate Sprinkles (jimmies):  1 tbsp, 35 calories, 0g fat, 6g carbs, 0g protein
  • Smucker’s Spoonable Ice Cream Topping, Light Hot Fudge, Fat Free:  2 tbs, 90 calories, 23g carbs, 2g protein
  • 10 mini marshmallows:  22 calories, 0 fat, 5.7g carbs, .1g protein
  • 18 gummi bears: 140 calories, 0 fat, 43.5g carbs, 0 protein

Think Outside The Box For Lower Calorie Choices

The world is your oyster in terms of toppings.  Why not fruit, cereal, or a crushed up 100 calorie pack of anything? Here are some other suggestions:

  • Smucker’s Spoonable Pineapple Topping:  2 tbsp, 100 calories, 0g fat
  • Regular Redi Whip:  2 tbsp, 20 calories, 2g fat, 1g carbs
  • Fat Free Redi Whip:  2 tbsp, 5 calories, 0g fat, 1g carbs
  • Cool whip, light:  2 tbsp, 16 calories
  • Cool Whip, fat-free:  2 tbsp, 15 calories, 43.5g carbs, 0 protein
  • 1 mini box of raisins (.5 oz):  42 calories, 0.1g fat, 11.1g carbs, 0.4g protein
  • One medium banana: 105 calories, 0 fat, 27g carbs, 1g protein
  • One cup strawberry halves: 49 calories, 0.5g fat, 11.7g carbs, 1g protein
  • Sugar-free Jello pudding:  60 calories
  • One cup Froot Loops:  118 calories, 0.6g fat, 26.7g carbs, 1.4g protein
  • One cup blueberries:  83 calories,  0.5g fat, 21g carbs, 1.1g protein
  • Crushed pretzel sticks, 1 oz:  110 calories, 1g fat, 23g carbs, 3g protein

Margarita Or Mojito? Is There A Difference In Calories?

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Mid-August.  Time for vacation – and if not vacation, certainly some relaxing outdoor time, maybe with drink in hand.

Could a nice cold (or frozen) margarita or mojito be your drink of choice?  You might opt to go with the tequila, citrus, and salt flavors of a magarita or the rum, lime, and mint flavors of a mojito — but is there a caloric and alcoholic content difference (alcohol has 7 calories a gram) between the two?

Calories And Grams Of Alcohol In A Margarita And A Mojito

Remember to look at the serving size.  The stats given below are for 3.3 and 3.5 ounces – visualize the amount in a little more than two average sized (1.5 oz.) shot glasses.  A whole lot of drinks are served in much larger glasses.  They are the nutritional values for traditional margaritas and mojitos  — without embellishments.

  • Margarita (3.3 fluid oz. cocktail glass):   153 calories, 0g fat, 7g carbs, 4.3g sugars, 583 mg sodium, 0.2g protein, 17.7g alcohol
  • Mojito — without soda water or mint garnish (3.5 fluid oz. old fashioned glass):  149 calories, 0g fat, 5.8g carbs, 4.5g sugars, 1mg sodium, 0.1g protein, 17.9g alcohol

Peanut, Almond, Peanut Butter Or Plain M&M’s: Which Would You Choose?

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On a road trip?  Stuck in an airport?   Is a vending machine calling your name?

You’ve decided you need a snack.  Decision made:  it’s going to be candy – and it’s going to be M&M’s.  Afterall, M7M’s mean melt in your mouth, not in your hand – and who wants melted chocolate all over the steering wheel or suitcase or the mess of papers on your desk?

Why Were M&M’s Made?

M&M’s, around since 1941, were actually designed so people could enjoy their chocolate without it melting in their hands. Named after the inventors Forrest Mars and R. Bruce Murrie (haven’t you always wondered where  M&M came from?), they were introduced to GIs in World War II, flew into space in 1982, and have been part of space shuttle missions since then.

Choices, Choices

M&M’s now come in a whole bunch of varieties and seasonal colors.  But — when you’re staring at the array of colorful M&M packages, your hands itching to tear open the wrapper and pop some into your mouth, which would you choose:  plain, almond, or peanut, or peanut butter?

Of course the purists might say there is no choice other than plain.  But, since there are choices, are there some potentially redeeming nutritional benefits to adding nuts under the chocolate and candy coating?  Do some varieties have more protein or fewer calories or more fat?  Take a look at the nutritional information – maybe it’ll help you with your choice. (Note that the package weight of the different varieties is not identical but very close).

  • Plain milk chocolate M&M’s (1.69oz package):  240 calories, 10g fat (6 saturated), 34g total carbs, 1g fiber, 2g protein
  • Dark chocolate M&M’s (1.5oz package):  210 calories, 10g fat (6g saturated), 29g total carbs, 2g fiber, 2g protein
  • Peanut M&M’s (1.74oz package):  250 calories, 13g fat (5g saturated), 30g total carbs, 2g fiber, 5g protein
  • Almond M&M’s (1.5oz package):  220 calories, 12g fat (4g saturated), 25g total carbs, 2g fiber, 3g protein
  • Peanut butter M&M’s 1.5oz package:  220 calories, 12g fat (4g saturated), 25g total carbs, 2g fiber, 3g protein