sodium

Fit Links: Picking a Gym and Beating Brain Drain

January 6, 2012 at 4:15 pm
By Karla Walsh

This week’s fit links from around the web:

• Follow these helpful tips if you’re checking out new gyms for 2012. — Fit Sugar
• Don’t blacklist beans, eggs and cheese. Cut calories but keep the protein to lose weight and maintain muscle! — L.A. Times
• Grab the crosswords! A new study says that declines in memory and brain functioning can begin as early as age 45.— HealthDay
• Watching your blood pressure or trying to be more sodium-savvy in the new year? Try one of these 10 low-salt restaurant meals during your next outing. — SparkPeople
• How to make your social life as healthy as your strong, fit body. — Ladies’ Lounge

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Five Ways to “Eat Fresh” and Build a Better Lunch

July 12, 2011 at 12:10 pm
By FITNESS Intern

Written by Lauren Cardarelli, Editorial Intern

Subway is known for promoting nutritious, fresh produce and made-to-order food (remember Jared and his amazing slimdown?). By recently introducing avocado to their menu and reducing sodium levels, the world’s largest restaurant chain has improved its reputation in the health world once again.

We had the opportunity to get the skinny on the healthy, fast food by chatting with Lanette Kovachi, MS, RD, Subway’s Corporate Dietician for almost 10 years, and Rachel Johnson, PhD, MPH, RD, member and vice-chair of the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Here are the top five tips we picked up to build a better lunch:

1. Load up the veggies. “We have lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green pepper, onions,” Kovachi said. “Add in all those vegetables, you get two servings of veggies. Bulk up the sandwich without adding many calories.”
2. No need to skip the condiments. “With our sandwiches, there’s room to add things and you’re still keeping it under 500 calories, which is a pretty good calorie level for a 6-inch sandwich,” Kovachi said. Looking to make some healthy swaps? Try avocado instead of mayonnaise on your sandwich or cut down on salad dressing calories with olive oil and vinegar.
3. Think beyond the sandwich. “I think there are lots of other healthy choices when you think about beverages,” said Johnson. “There’s water. They have milk, which, you know, most Americans have a shortfall of calcium and vitamin D, so that’s a great option.” Consider pairing your sub and drink with a bag of baked chips or apple slices to complete your meal.
4. Personalize while reaping the taste and nutrition you desire. Subway provides a plethora of healthy components so it’s hard to not have your cake—or should we say sub—and eat it, too. Start with one of the eight Fresh Fit sandwiches and customize with protein-rich meats, high-fiber breads (now fortified with calcium and vitamin D) and low-calorie vegetables!
5. Skimp on sodium without feeling deprived. The folks at Subway pride themselves on recently reducing sodium levels without affecting ingredient taste or quality. After years of evaluating and improving upon every sandwich component, the Subway Fresh Fit lineup has seen a 28 percent sodium reduction with a 15 percent reduction across the menu. “We had all the other bases covered with the fat and calories, vegetable quantity, fiber so this was the next step to really make the sandwich a complete nutritional package,” Kovachi said.

More from FITNESS: Make gourmet sandwiches at home with these recipes from top TV chefs.

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