Food Court targeting to start selling healthy snacks and meals

It's often said that Target has a $20 cover charge—who hasn't gone into the store for eggs and walked out with a cute designer top, a mug shaped like a penguin, and a package of pens (and completely forgotten the eggs)? It's understandable you might need a quick snack to fuel those epic shopping trips. Good news for all you health-conscious foodies: Target just announced they're revamping their deli to serve less fast, fatty treats and more fresh, healthy eats.
Where you used to find hot pretzels, bottomless sodas, and corn dogs, the store says you'll soon see fresh salads, sandwiches, and even artisanal pizza. Certain stores will be testing the new program in Minneapolis where Target is headquartered, starting in October. They are rolling out several options including Freshii, a cafe serving salads and pressed juices; a smaller versions of the popular Minnesotan Italian restaurant D'Amico & Sons; and a spiffed-up Pizza Hut featuring a health-ified menu of "artisan" pizzas like margarita and barbecue chicken. (Surprised? Pizza Hut is actually one of 9 Chain Restaurants with New Healthy Fast Food Options.)
"We think this takes us a giant step in the direction of making a much better first impression," said Tina Tyler, Target's Chief Stores Officer, adding that they'd been receiving feedback that customers wanted higher-quality food in a casual environment in the stores.
Target has made similar moves toward healthier products in the past few years. First, they added grocery sections to their stores so customers could go to Super Target and score fresh produce among other products. Last year, they converted all products under their in-house grocery brand, Simply Balanced, to be GMO-free. And they not only have an activewear section, but also their own partnership with athletic clothing giant Champion, C9.
The new healthy deli program will only be in Minneapolis at first, but Target reps say they are hoping to bring it to their 1,800 other stores around the country soon. Until then, grab these 15 Smart, Healthy Alternatives to Junk Food instead. Now if you'll excuse us, we have some shopping to do!

Iron-rich foods may lead to overeating and weight gain

Here's one more reason to cut down on your red meat intake before all those Labor Day barbecues: High levels of iron consumption—like the super dose you get with a serving of steak—can lead to over eating and increased appetite later in the day, reports a new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina. (Nix the problem with these 5 Ways to Feel Full Eating Less.)
Researchers looked at mice who were fed high-iron diets (equivalent to heavy red meat consumption) and found they had lower levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses appetite and regulates metabolism. Without proper levels of leptin, you're likely to eat more food throughout the day, which is obviously a recipe for diet disaster. What gives? Fat tissue controls the release of leptin, but it adjusts its regulation of the hormone based on the amount of iron available. Higher levels of iron keep the tissue from signaling the body that you're full.
Even if you're not worried about your waistline, previous studies have linked high levels of iron to certain illnesses like Alzheimer's disease and heart disease.
"The recommended daily allowance, or amount necessary to meet requirements of healthy individuals, is about 18 milligrams for adult females," says Lisa Moskovitz, a New York-based registered dietitian. Getting more than 25mg can lead to gastric upset, nausea, faintness, and interfere with your body's zinc absorption, she adds. (However, getting too little can have adverse effects too. Are Iron Supplements the Kick Your Workout Needs?)
But it's not just about banishing burgers. Even some of our favorite healthy staples—like dark leafy greens, beans, and soy—are rich sources of iron, so if your diet happens to be rich in the vegetarian sources, you could still be getting too much. (One cup each of soybeans, lentils, and spinach already puts you over Mostovitz' recommended amount.) Plus, a lot of multi-vitamins are fortified with iron.
"The key is to have to a balanced diet, including plenty of plant-based foods as well as lean protein sources," says Moskovitz. "Avoid eating large quantities of red meat only for the reason that it can take the place of other nutrient-dense healthy plant foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes."
Iron is an important nutrient and shouldn't be avoided, but if you have a diet that's already packed with iron-rich foods, make sure you're not running the risk of falling into that high-iron, high-hunger group. Luckily, a six-ounce steak is only about 6mg of iron, so you'd basically have to be iron-loading breakfast, lunch, and dinner to risk the increased hunger and potential increased weight gain.
But still, back slowly away from that second burger at the barbecue—or whip up one of these Crazy-Good Burger Recipes for a Vegetarian Cookout instead.

What is best for weight loss: diet or exercise?

While hitting the gym has many great health boons, it might not be the best way to lose weight 

When you set your sights on weight loss, the formula seems easy: work out more, eat less. But a new study in the International Journal of Epidemiology shows that it might be more about what you eat, putting truth to the idiom "abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym." (Want more truths? Check out these 25 Inspirational Fitness Quotes to Motivate Every Aspect of Your Workout.)
In 2013, researchers from Loyola University began looking into the relative power of diet and exercise as they relate to moving the scale. They thought they'd discover that exercise would prove to be a crucial component for weight loss. Two years later, though, the science shows that the largest driver behind obesity is not how sedentary people are but instead how poor their diet is.
"Physical activity is crucially important for improving overall health and fitness levels, but there is limited evidence to suggest that it can blunt the surge in obesity," the study authors explained. Why? The more you work out, the more your appetite increases.
Of course, this new Loyola study isn't the first to come to this conclusion. Research has consistently shown for years now that exercise doesn't necessarily lead to weight loss. In a meta-analysis published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics last year, for example, researchers found that people only lost noticeable weight if they combined exercise and calorie restriction.
This is the problem with most weight-loss advice, the Loyola researchers said, which often puts statements like "take the stairs instead of the elevator" or "walk 10,000 steps a day" on par with calorie restriction. Study authors Richard S. Cooper, M.D., and Amy Luke, Ph.D., said they're not trying to drive people away from fitness, but rather expose problems with current health campaigns. Take this new one funded by Coca-Cola—it (falsely!) emphasizes exercise over a healthy diet.
But don't you dare drop your gym membership! Being active has a ton of benefits that go far beyond what the scale says. Increasing your strength and endurance has been shown to help prevent cancer, improve mental health, help diabetes, and help you live longer. Plus, research shows that dieters who exercise are better able to maintain weight loss and are also able to lose fat while keeping valuable muscle. (Learn about The Best Workout to Avoid Gaining Weight.) You just need to make sure you're logging your gym time and your food intake. (For how closely should you track your calories, read Should You Count Calories to Lose Weight?)

11 swap cut calories for a healthy dinner

Rumor has it that it takes a lot of extra work to cook up a healthy meal—not true! Without dieting or sacrificing taste, we have simple tips, tricks, and swaps that will easily lighten up your dinner without much effort. It's as simple as downsizing plates and choosing wine over a cocktail. The best part? Before you think this all sounds too good to be true, read our lazy girl's guide to find out how easy and tasty it truly is.
1. Pack up the leftovers: Going back for seconds and sometimes even thirds can easily make a good meal go bad. If you're guilty of eating more than your fair share, pack up the extras before you sit down for your first serving. Not only will you have your next day's lunch ready to go, you'll be less likely to overeat.
2. Trade in white rice for brown: While white rice may be a guilty pleasure, try your best to choose brown. Brown rice is significantly higher in nutritional value and can even reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
3. Break up with butter and bread: Break the habit of having bread and butter before dinner. If you must have something before dinner, opt for a fiber-filled option like veggies with dip or even rice crackers to significantly cut calories.
4. Rethink your pasta: A simple way to save about 130 calories is to switch whole-wheat spaghetti for squash. It's not hard to make and can lend itself to a variety of pasta dishes, including one with roasted shrimp.
5. Become a wino, not a mixologist: Although fruity cocktails are great, they can often add up to around 400 calories! If you're looking to wind down at dinner, stick with wine. It's rich in antioxidants and around 100 calories per glass.
6. Ditch the dried fruit: Rather than opting for dried fruit in your salad (around 130 calories per a quarter cup), save yourself by sticking with the fresh stuff.
7. Bake, steam, but never fry: Fried foods are a diet buster. If you're still craving that crispy, crunchy texture, turn on the oven. These fried alternatives will leave you satisfied, minus the extra fat and calories. Plus, the cleanup will be easier too!
8. Size down: To avoid eating more calories than you intend, serve up dinner on salad plates instead of your larger, entrée-size ones. Because we take visual cues when it comes to eating, this will help with portion control and save you calories.
9. Trade in chips for veggies: If you're enjoying an appetizer before dinner, stay clear of the chips and dip. Instead, replace the chips with veggies and whip up one of these healthy dips.
10. You'll get more from vinegar than cream: No need to go dressing-free, just switch out your creamy favorite for a simple balsamic vinegar dressing or one of these salad dressings under 50 calories.
11. Spice it, don't sauce it: Rather than slathering your protein in a heavy BBQ or butter sauce, add flavor through spice. Not only are spices calorie-free, they're loaded with flavor too.

Body fat leads to weight gain stress cycle

It's no surprise that a long day at work makes fast food more tempting or that a breakup can send you straight to the loving arms of Ben & Jerry. And researchers have long known that stress can drive us to overeat, making us gain weight. But a new study from the University of Florida shows that it works the opposite way too: Your actual body fat affects the way you deal with worries—and the more fat you have, the more stressed out you feel by everyday life. (10 Weird Ways Your Body Reacts to Stress.)
We're not just talking about the alarm you feel from too-tight pants—according to the study, body fat, technically called adipose tissue, sends a signal to your brain that starts a vicious cycle where you eat because you're stressed out and then the weight you gain heightens the alarm response which leads to more stress eating. Plus, Stress Eating Can Make You Burn Fewer Calories.
The study, published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, is the first to prove that emotional eating is not all in your head by showing this biofeedback loop between body fat and cortisol levels.
"Before this, everyone thought that the regulation of stress was mainly due to the brain. It's not just in the brain. This study suggests that stress regulation occurs on a much larger scale, including body systems controlling metabolism, such as fat," said James Herman, Ph.D., a co-author of the paper and a professor at the University of Cincinnati.
Herman believes they've found a previously unknown fat-to-brain pathway. Fat tissue has glucocorticoid receptors, which help communicate stress levels to the brain to help regulate metabolism. This can be helpful when it's telling your brain to control its stress reponses and energy balance, but, over time, the chronic bombardment of messages from the fat to slow down your metabolism can create a self-perpetuating cycle of weight gain and worry. So instead of tension simply causing us to gain weight, now our weight gain is causing us to feel more chaos in our lives.
"The big question is the nature of that signal to the brain. We need to learn how to go in and break that cycle of stress, eating, and weight gain," Herman said, adding that this research could lead to better ways to help people deal with hectic events.
While this news might seem depressing at first, it offers us two important clues on how to live a healthier life. According to the scientists, the less body fat you have, the less anxiety you'll feel—so it's worth it to pick up the heavy weights at the gym. Plus, the study shows the importance of breaking the stress-weight gain cycle early by taking measures to both manage weight and reduce worry immediately. Not sure where to start? Try these 20 Simple Stress Relief Techniques, but also hone in on the trigger with Anxiety-Reducing Solutions for Common Worry Traps.

8 mobilize foods Weight Loss

To lose those remaining stubborn pounds, many of us just need to tweak our diets and cut our portion sizes. One secret is to incorporate low fat, low calories foods, like these, into your diet. The following eight filling foods deliver the goods as far as dietary fiber, powerful protein, and essential nutrients so you get more bang for your bite…

1. Apples

How do you like dem apples—especially since they rank number one on our list of satiating foods. Apples contain a secret-weapon when it comes to slowing digestion and creating that full feeling for longer—it’s called pectin.
According to nutritionists at Tufts University, pectin in a whole apple is more filling than the equivalent amount of fruit in juice. After all it takes effort (just ask your jaw) to devour an apple so your brain and body have adequate time to register a feeling of hunger satisfaction.

The diet food Be Soylent end as we know it?

Touted as the "food of the future," Soylent claims to have sufficient nutrients to replace food, but we're not buying into the meal replacement powder just yet 


Here at PureWow, we love our food. But a bunch of Silicon Valley tech geeks think we’re wasting our time—and our money. Enter: Soylent, a new high-calorie liquid gruel intended to replace every single one of your meals. Here’s the deal:
Wait, what the hell is this? It’s a powder and an oil that you mix together to make a 500-calorie, 16-ounce beverage, that you drink three times a day (or as often as you like). If that sounds complicated, fear not: The company is taking preorders for a new, pre-mixed version.
And what does it taste like? Descriptions range from “thin pancake batter” to “slightly better than the stuff you get before a colonoscopy.”
It sounds unappealing. Why has it gotten so much attention? Besides its ironic name, Soylent has a great origin story. The inventor, Rob Rhinehart, was a 22-year-old Silicon Valley app developer who resented spending so much money on food, so reversed-engineered a chemical slurry that would give him a whole day’s nutrition for the price of takeout (about $9 a day).
Is anybody actually subsisting on it? Mr. Rhinehart claims to have lived on it for 2 years and counting.
What does it do to your body? On the plus side, users report feeling energized. On the minus side, there’s lots of bloating and farting the first week.
What do doctors say? There’s some controversy about humans needing phytochemicals (nutritional stuff from plants) which Soylent doesn’t have. Other critics have noted it’s not that much different from liquid food supplements like Slimfast and Nutren.
So, what’s the verdict? No thanks. We’ll stick to chewing.
This article originally appeared as The New Food Substitute Everyone’s Talking About on PureWow.

Delivery absurd America's eating habits add up quickly

Anyone looking to clean up their diet knows that cooking is key. But the weekly Hunger Games at the grocery store, late night at works, and knowing about that ridiculously delicious risotto the Italian restaurant down the street all leave you with a heck of a lot easier option: ordering delivery.
We're becoming pretty reliant on this convenience—and we're paying a pretty penny for it. A new survey conducted, weirdly enough, by the turkey company Butterball, revealed that Americans each spend an average of $1,100 on takeout each year. That’s roughly $21 a week—or the entire plane fare to that exotic destination you really want to take but can’t seem to afford.
Butterball surveyed 1,000 people and found that one in four people order delivery at least once a week. Their excuses? Laziness, of course, was one of the top reasons. But tiredness and irresistible cravings—which we can all relate to—were the top reasons for indulging in order-in.
But you’re not just wasting money on the delivery itself: More than eight in 10 people surveyed said they get takeout even when they have a fully stocked fridge, which means you’re continually pushing the lifespan of your fresh produce and very likely having to toss unused rotten vegetables at the end of the week. This guilty habit may be part of the reason why Americans admit to throwing out roughly $640 of food each year, according to a recent survey by the American Chemistry Council. (Find out 6 Ways to Save Money On (and Stop Wasting!) Groceries.)
Even more than the money we’re wasting having food delivered, though, is the cost of convenience to our health. A study published in Public Health Nutrition last year found that the more meals people cooked at home, the less calories they consumed and the healthier their diet was overall.
Look, we totally get it—sometimes you come home too exhausted to put in any more effort than pressing three buttons on your smartphone. Or you simply get a hankering for Indian food that you just can’t shake. And with the advent of services like Seamless and GrubHub, it’s easier than ever to satisfy that whim with tikka masala and naan dropped of at your door within the hour.
But if you want to save some cash and stick to your healthy eating plan, try these three tips to break the takeout cycle.
1. Get groceries delivered. If you skip shopping on the weekend, that empty fridge is going to encourage you to look at takeout menus come Monday night. But you can order more than just takeout online. In major cities, you can take advantage of grocery delivery services like FreshDirect and Peapod, but even major chains like Safeway and Whole Foods will deliver your entire supermarket list to your door for a small fee (that’s probably still cheaper than your Seamless bill).
2. Pick simpler recipes. Cooking doesn’t have to be a total time suck. If you grocery shop for quick recipes, you won’t feel overwhelmed by the effort it takes to make dinner. Try one of these 10 Healthy Recipes You Can Make In the Time It Takes to Pre-Heat the Oven or 9 Microwave Recipes That'll Save You Time.
3. If you’re going to order in, choose wisely for your waistline. Most delivery platforms like Seamless or GrubHub have the option of “healthy” under types of cuisines. It’ll remove all the pizza and burger options and leave you with only guilt-free fare for when you just can’t bring yourself to cook. Plus, stick to these other 7 Tips for Ordering Healthy Takeout Online.