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Top Healthy Fast Food Breakfast Choices

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:00:00 -0700

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, but should you skip it if there is nothing but fast food joints on the horizon? Not so much. The good news is that Yahoo Food has done the dirty work for us and come up with the best fast food breakfast items at some of the most notorious fast food joints. You may be pleasantly surprised, so here are highlights on a few healthy fast food breakfast ideas:

McDonald's:

Fruit n' Yogurt Parfait with Granola: 160 calories, 2g fat (1g saturated), 5mg cholesterol, 85mg sodium, 1g fiber, 4g protein
Snack Size Fruit and Walnut Salad: 210 calories, 8g fat (1.5g saturated), 5mg cholesterol, 60mg sodium, 2g fiber, 4g protein

Starbucks:

Spinach, Roasted Tomato, Feta, and Egg Wrap: (It's a little high in fat but compensates with lots of fiber and protein.) 240 calories, 10g fat (3.5g saturated), 140mg cholesterol, 730mg sodium, 7g fiber, 13g protein
A Skinny Latte and a package of SB's dried fruit and nut mix: Latte (12-oz. "tall"): 90 calories, 0g fat (0g saturated), 5mg cholesterol, 125mg sodium, 0g fiber, 0g protein, Fruit/nut packet: 150 calories, 9g fat (1g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 100mg sodium, 2g fiber, 4g protein

There are more including choices from Jamba Juice and Dunkin' Donuts so read more.

Jamba Juice:

Any 16-oz. "Jamba Light" smoothie: 150-160 calories, 0-0.5g fat (0g saturated), 5mg cholesterol, 210-220mg sodium, 2-3g fiber, 6g protein
Any 16-oz. "All Fruit" smoothie: 200-220 calories, 0-0.5g fat (0g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 5-20mg sodium, 4g fiber, 1-2g protein

Dunkin' Donuts: (Last resort only!)

Egg and Cheese English Muffin Sandwich: 280 calories, 9g fat (4.5g saturated), 140mg cholesterol, 1010mg sodium (yikes - that's why it's your last resort), 1g fiber, 15g protein
4 Powdered Cake doughnut holes: 260 calories, 15g fat, 7g saturated fat, 10mg cholesterol, 210mg sodium, 2g fiber, 3g protein

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Is McDonald's Launching a Dollar Breakfast Menu?

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:00:56 -0800

In this economy, even the savviest of fast food diners have a hard time stretching their dollar. But if the rumors are true, value-seekers may soon find it a lot easier to fill up for a buck early in the day. According to the Chicago Tribune and the Wall Street Journal, McDonald's plans to reveal a nationwide breakfast dollar menu.

Based on internal documents obtained by the two publications, the McDonald's breakfast dollar menu will begin a national advertising run in January 2010. Although McDonald's has declined to comment, the burger giant tested a breakfast menu with $1 items in August in its Chicago stores, offering items such as a sausage McMuffin, breakfast burritos, and hash browns.

The chain, which is also rolling out the Mac Snack Wrap nationwide in January, will face some stiff competition.

Burger King recently added the quarter-pound Double Cheeseburger to its menu through March, and Dunkin' Donuts just rolled out a temporary $0.99 menu in Chicago. If two leading newspapers are publishing stories on it, the alleged menu can't be too far from the truth. What would you hope to see on a $1 breakfast bonanza?

Burger King Launches Burger and Breakfast "Shots"

YumSugar — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 05:30:21 -0800

Burger King is continuing its strategy of adding petite-sized, lower-cost items to its menu at a time when food prices have soared but consumers are strapped for cash.

The fast food chain announced today that it will roll out new burger and breakfast "shots," or burgers in miniature sizes.

The sliders will come in a two-pack ($1.39) and a six-pack ($4.09) and will consist of a flame-broiled patty, ketchup, mustard, and two pickle slices, sandwiched between a plain bun. The fast food chain is also revving up its breakfast menu with BK Breakfast Shots. The breakfast sandwiches, which are available in a two-pack ($1.49) or a four-pack ($2.89) during the store's breakfast hours, contain egg, a "smoky cheese sauce," and a choice of ham, bacon, or a sausage patty.

This is probably another attempt by Burger King to offer smaller portions at higher prices, but I'm a sucker for all things mini, so I'm bound to buckle and buy some of the breakfast shots. What do you think of this addition to the menu?

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Jack in the Box Expands Breakfast Menu

partysugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:15:46 -0700

Jack in the Box has announced its plan to jump on the fast-food breakfast bandwagon with its new Breakfast Bowl, an entire, portable meal. A mix of eggs, hash browns, cheese, peppers, and meat, the dish is a "Sunday brunchworthy meal" to be "enjoyed on a weekday schedule." Jack in the Box hopes to satisfy consumers' need for a hearty breakfast on the go.

Of the fast-food giants, currently McDonald's has the highest amount of breakfast sales. Only time will tell if Jack in the Box's Breakfast Bowls will become as popular as the Egg McMuffin. In other breakfast news, Denny's will compete with the Breakfast Bowls with its new to-go meal that involves a two-tier takeout container filled with bacon, eggs, and pancakes.

Do you eat breakfast at fast-food restaurants? Will you try Jack in the Box's Breakfast Bowl?

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Say Farewell to Herb Peterson, Inventor of the Egg McMuffin

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:40:18 -0700

Folks, it's a sad day in the breakfast world. Herb Peterson, the 89-year-old inventor of the Egg McMuffin, passed away Tuesday at his home in Santa Barbara. While most may not be familiar with his name, they are definitely familiar with his creations. In addition to coming up with McDonald's first national slogan, "Where Quality Starts Fresh Every Day," and creating Ronald McDonald's outfit, he introduced the world to the deliciousness that is the Egg McMuffin. He created the sandwich for McDonald's in 1972, and the fast-food breakfast world was never again the same. What began at his McDonald's franchise in Santa Barbara soon spread across the nation and was happily gobbled up by millions. It's been a while since I've had one - I'm never early enough for breakfast! - but I'm going to have to remedy that so I can raise a proper ~~toast~~ muffin to Herb.

Will you do the same? Are you interested in Egg McMuffins?

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A Conversation With Diddy

partysugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:00:03 -0800

Rapper and mogul Diddy was in San Francisco last week promoting Cîroc, his vodka brand. I was lucky enough to sit down with the musician, and we chatted about entertaining. Not surprisingly, he consumes a lot of Cîroc and his signature drink is a Cîroc and lemonade - say it fast and it sounds like a lyric in one of his songs, "ci-rocking lemonade." To find out what the Diddy had to say, read more.

PartySugar: What’s new with Cîroc?
Diddy: The newest thing with Cîroc is our success. Our success and our appeal. The sales went up 1,000 percent and just the appeal is becoming more recognizable to the consumer.

PS: Aren't you coming out with some new flavors?
D: Yeah. In the world of Cîroc, one of the biggest differences is the flavors. Red Berry and coconut. Now most flavors, to be honest, in the vodka industry, most flavors just haven’t been done right. They taste like cough syrup. I went down with the innovation team, and I was like, whatever we do I want to make sure that this doesn’t taste like cough syrup.
And then also make something that really tastes like what it says. If it says coconut, let’s make sure it tastes like coconut. If it says red berry, let’s make sure it tastes like red berry.

PS: Do you ever cook?
D: I cook breakfast.

PS: What music do you recommend for cooking?
D: Music for cooking? Marvin Gaye’s always good for cooking.

PS: What are your guilty pleasure foods?
D: I would probably say jello. Strawberry jello.

PS: If you had to drink one type of alcohol for the rest of your life what would it be?
D: Vodka. Cîroc.

PS: Besides yourself, who are some celebrities that know how to entertain/host a good party?
D: I never seen anybody do it how I do.

PS: What was the first alcoholic drink you ever drank?
D: Peach schnapps and orange juice, before I was enabled.

PS: What do you think will be the next big thing in cocktails?
D: Jello shots.

Stay tuned for Diddy's tips for hosting the ultimate party!

Fast & Easy Dinner: Poached Eggs With Baked Feta

partysugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:50:26 -0700

As a little girl, I used to love it when my mom declared that we were having "breakfast for dinner." This meal usually involved pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. Nowadays when I enjoy breakfast for dinner, the menu is a little more sophisticated and always includes poached eggs. The next time I am craving eggs for dinner, I'll be making this vegetarian recipe. With its slab of broiled feta cheese and dusting of spicy ancho chili powder, it's a masterpiece of simple, elegant cooking. Briny olives, crispy focaccia, and fresh sage finish off the dish while providing a Mediterranean feel to the meal. To serve with a glass of chilled fruity Rosé, get the recipe and read more.

Poached Eggs With Baked Feta
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

Six 3-inch squares of rosemary focaccia, halved horizontally
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
10 ounces feta cheese, cut into 6 slabs
Aleppo pepper or ancho chile powder, for sprinkling
6 large eggs
Salt
18 pitted kalamata olives
1 tablespoon chopped sage

Directions

Preheat the broiler and position a rack 6 inches from the heat. Bring a large deep skillet of water to a simmer. Brush the focaccia with olive oil and broil until lightly toasted.
Put a slab of feta into each of 6 individual gratin dishes. Drizzle each slab with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Sprinkle lightly with Aleppo pepper and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned and sizzling.
Meanwhile, crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl, then slide them into the simmering water. Poach until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 4 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to the gratin dishes and season with salt. Sprinkle with Aleppo pepper, the olives and sage. Serve with the focaccia.

Serves 6.

Print recipe with images | without images

Taste Test: Starbucks Artisan Sandwiches

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:00:28 -0700

After a rough year, Starbucks has tried to start off 2009 on the right foot. In addition to rolling out a new line of instant coffee, it also began offering "value pairings" that include two new breakfast sandwich options. Considering the history of the chain's breakfast sandwiches, I was eager to try them out.

The Artisan Breakfast Sandwiches, as they're called, come on square-shaped, ciabatta-style rolls. The ham contains three slices of very thin black forest ham, mild cheddar, and a Parmesan egg frittata, while the bacon includes four short slices of smoked bacon, gouda cheese, and the same Parmesan egg frittata. To see what I thought of them, read more.

Last year, the coffee titan announced it would be modifying its breakfast sandwiches because customers were complaining that they gave off a pungent cheese smell that interfered with the aroma of coffee in stores. The egg layer, with its mixed-in Parmesan cheese, is the chain's solution to the aroma issue.

At less than 400 calories, and a price that won't empty your wallet ($3.95 for a sandwich and a tall coffee), the petite sandwiches aren't half bad.

I didn't mind the black forest ham and mild cheddar, although my palate was more suited for the bacon sandwich, with its thin, crispy strips of pork and überoozy gouda cheese. Although I love a good English muffin, I found myself preferring the new ciabatta rolls; they were more substantial and could stand up to the rest of the sandwich.

For a morning on the go - or when I'm craving breakfast as an afternoon snack - I would definitely order an artisan bacon sandwich to pair with my coffee. Have you tried one of Starbucks' new savory breakfast pairings? What did you think of the sandwiches?

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Next Up at Starbucks: Value Meals

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:00:05 -0800

Feeling the sting from other chains such as McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts, a desperate Starbucks announced last week that it will soon be introducing value meals of its own. The chain plans to launch value pairings in all its company-owned US stores on March 3. Although regular prices for food and drink items vary by store location, Starbucks claims the pairings will provide customers with an average savings of as much as $1.20. This strategy is the latest in a slew of tactics - from creating loyalty programs to ceasing brewing of decaf after noon - that the company has tried over the past year to recover from troubling sales numbers. To see the recession-friendly $3.95 breakfast pairings, which were revealed today, read more.

Tall latte and Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal
Tall latte and slice of reduced-fat cinnamon swirl cake
Tall drip coffee and new bacon sandwich with egg and gouda cheese
Tall drip coffee and new ham sandwich with egg and cheddar
Tall drip coffee and classic sausage, egg, and aged cheddar breakfast sandwich
Tall drip coffee and peppered bacon, egg, and aged cheddar breakfast sandwich
Tall drip coffee and Reduced-fat turkey bacon, cholesterol-free egg, and reduced-fat white cheddar breakfast sandwich

Considering the saga behind Starbucks' breakfast sandwiches, I'm interested in trying out the two new breakfast sandwich options come March.

Do you plan to utilize this new value pricing to your benefit? Do you think it will help the coffee chain turn its sales numbers around?

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Healthy Dose Link Time

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:15 -0800

Biggest Loser Ali Vincent's memoir will motivate and entertain - That's Fit
Start your day with a quick and healthy breakfast - Shape
Chocolate pumped up with antioxidants to fight acne? - Vital Juice
Kristen Stewart joins the fight against diabetes - FitCeleb
Plus-sized dance clubs: cool or not? - Vitamin G
Countdown to the Olympics: 95 until the opening ceremonies - Fresh Fitness Tips
Run in the woods to change the meaning of "happy trails" - Fit Bottomed Girls
Skip these fast-food sammies when traveling for T-day - Daily Spark