The Biggest Loser Thanksgiving Menu

Cheryl Forberg R.D.--

Cheryl Forberg--The Biggest Loser's Nutritionist

I have received so many requests for this that we decided to upload an absolutely delicious feast of holiday recipes for you and your family.  I prepared this menu with the Biggest Loser contestants just a couple weeks ago while visiting the Ranch (and planning ahead for Thanksgiving!).  The best part of all is that it contains no guilt!. Happy holidays and bon appetit!  And if you would like more frequent nutrition and cooking tips, please sign up for my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/cherylforbergrd

  Thanksgiving Menu from The Biggest Loser Nutritionist
   Smoked Salmon Spread
  Poached Turkey Breast
   Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Prunes
   Spicy Spanish Green Beans
   Roasted Root Veggies
   Cranberry Ginger Sorbet

Recipes with permission from The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps by Cheryl Forberg RD and Melissa Roberson (Rodale/ 2009) and The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jumpstart by Cheryl Forberg RD and Melissa Roberson (Rodale/ 2009).

Smoked Salmon  Spread
Move over cream cheese. This light and full flavored spread is great on a toasted whole grain bagel with tomato slices and capers. It can also be thinned and used as a dip. smoked salmon has a richer color and flavor, but canned pink salmon works well too. For Thanksgiving, serve on cucumber rounds or small whole grain crackers.

Makes about 1 ½ cups  or Six ¼ cup servings

Ingredients:
1 cup (8 ounces) plain non fat Greek-Style yogurt
¼ cup (2 ounces) low fat cream cheese
4 ounces finely chopped smoked salmon (or 4 ounces drained, canned wild salmon)
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon. prepared horseradish
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Garnish: Chives

Instructions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine yogurt and cream cheese until smooth.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Refrigerate for at least one hour.  Stir before serving. Garnish with chives

Nutritional Analysis:  Per ¼ cup- serving
Calories    60
Total Fat g   2.5
Sat Fat g   1
Chol mg   10
Sodium mg  500
Total Carb g 3 
Fiber g    0
Sugars g    1
Protein g    7

With permission from The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps by Cheryl Forberg RD and Melissa Roberson (Rodale)

Poached Turkey Breast
This is an easy way to cook a really moist turkey breast. The added bonus is that the flavorful broth can be used as a soup base for your leftover turkey—or it can be frozen to use later.

Makes 12 (4-ounce) servings (about 3 pounds cooked turkey) and 2 quarts broth

Ingredients:
1 whole turkey breast (about 6 pounds), halved, skin and bones removed
8 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
6–10 peppercorns (optional)

Instructions:
Fold each turkey breast in half lengthwise. Cut six 12" lengths of kitchen string or twine and tie 3 pieces, evenly spaced, around each breast. The breasts should be somewhat cylindrical. Set them aside.

Place the broth, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, oregano, and peppercorns (if desired) in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven. Bring to a boil.

Carefully place the turkey breasts in the hot poaching liquid. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, turning the breasts occasionally, for about 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest portion reaches 170°F and the juices run clear.

Remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Allow the turkey to cool in the broth for about 20 minutes, then remove the turkey and reserve the poaching liquid for soup or gravy. Strain the broth and refrigerate or freeze it. Slice the turkey thinly and serve it hot or cold.

Per serving:
150 calories, 34 g protein, 0 g carbohydrates (0 g sugars), 1 g fat (0 g saturated), 95 mg cholesterol, 0 g fiber, 220 mg sodium

With permission from The Biggest Loser 3-Day Jumpstart by Cheryl Forberg RD and Melissa Roberson (Rodale).

Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Prunes
This scrumptious dish is fancy enough for a special occasion but so delicious that it’s bound to become a mainstay on your dinner table. And unlike most dressings, it’s as rich in health benefits as it is in flavor.

Makes 14 servings (about 1⁄2 cup each.)
5 cups toasted cornbread cubes
8 ounces (about 2 links) lean turkey Italian sausage
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1⁄2 cup chopped celery
1⁄2 cup chopped carrot
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 cup coarsely chopped prunes
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried sage
1⁄2 tsp. dried marjoram
2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. salt
1⁄2 tsp. ground pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Place the toasted bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside.

In a small nonstick skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until brown and cooked through. Drain well, crumble and set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the onions, celery and carrot, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, but don’t allow the garlic to brown. Stir in the sausage, prunes, thyme, sage, marjoram and 1⁄2 cup of the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Pour the vegetable mixture over the cornbread. Add the parsley and stir well. Season with the salt and pepper. (The stuffing may be prepared to this stage a day ahead and refrigerated, covered, in the mixing bowl.)

Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish. Combine the eggs and the remaining 1 1⁄2 cups broth and pour over the cornbread mixture, tossing well. Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake the stuffing for 25 minutes. Remove the foil. Turn the oven up to 375 degrees and bake the stuffing for about 10 minutes longer, or until the top begins to brown.

Per serving: 150 calories, 7 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat (1 g saturated), 65 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 400 mg sodium.

With permission from The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps by Cheryl Forberg RD and Melissa Roberson (Rodale).

Rosemary-Roasted Root Vegetables

Perfect vegetable  roasting requires a hot oven and a   pan large enough to eliminate crowding.  This ensures a crispy exterior and even browning.  You can change the proportions of the vegetables if you like; just be sure they're cut the same size for even baking. Butternut squash or sweet potatoes work well too.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
16 ounces any combination of parsnip, rutabaga, or turnips, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
½ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place vegetables on a 15 x 10-inch baking sheet.  Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with seasonings.  Toss well and distribute evenly over pan.  Roast, stirring or shaking vegetables every 15 minutes, until tender and evenly browned, about 45 minutes.  Sprinkle with pepper; taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Nutrient Analysis – per serving
Calories 70
Total Fat  2
Sat Fat g     0
Chol mg    0
Sodium mg   180
Total Carb g   13
Fiber g 3
Sugars g    5
Protein g 1

With permission from The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps by Cheryl Forberg RD and Melissa Roberson (Rodale).

Spicy Spanish Green Beans
This colorful green bean dish is adapted from a classic Spanish sauce called romescu, whose key ingredients are dried chile peppers, almonds, olive oil, garlic, and sometimes tomatoes or roasted red bell peppers.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed, and cut in 2" lengths, or 12 ounces frozen green beans, thawed
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced chipotle pepper (see note)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 medium red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and cut into 2" strips
1 tablespoon slivered almonds, toasted
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions:

In a 2-quart saucepan, blanch the green beans by adding them to lightly salted boiling water and cooking them for about 2 minutes. Quickly drain and transfer the beans to ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes, until they’re softened but not browned. Add the garlic, chipotle pepper, and paprika to the shallots and stir well. Add the beans and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until nearly tender. Add the bell pepper, stir well, and cook for another minute, or until heated through. Remove from the heat. Add the almonds and lemon peel, and mix well. Season with the salt and pepper.

Note: Chipotle peppers, canned in a spicy sauce called adobo, are available at Latin American markets, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets. Leftover canned chipotles can be transferred to a glass jar and stored in the refrigerator.

Per serving:
60 calories, 3 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates (3 g sugars), 2 g fat (0 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 310 mg sodium

With permission from The Biggest Loser 3-Day Jumpstart by Cheryl Forberg RD and Melissa Roberson (Rodale).

Cranberry Ginger Sorbet
The motto at the Ranch is “eat your calories”. For that reason, the focus is always on whole fruit instead of  juice. But used as a cooking ingredient juice can be a great way to add fruity flavor while minimizing use of added sweeteners.  This creamy frozen treat is as gorgeous as it is scrumptious.

Yield;  3 cups   Six ½-cup servings

Ingredients:
 
2 cups fresh (or frozen thawed) unsweetened cranberries
16 ounces (2 cups) Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
Pinch salt
1/3 cup agave nectar  (or xylitol)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
Place cranberries, juice, ginger and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until berries have popped. Cool slightly and place e in work bowl of food processor. Add agave nectar and vanilla. Cover and process until completely pureed. Chill. Freeze.

Nutrient Analysis – per serving
Calories    110
Total Fat g   0
Sat Fat g    0
Chol mg   0
Sodium mg  20
Total Carb g    27
Fiber g    1
Sugars g    25
Protein g   0

With permission from The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps by Cheryl Forberg RD and Melissa Roberson (Rodale).

A registered dietitian and professional chef, Cheryl Forberg is the nutritionist for the NBC reality series The Biggest Loser and an advisor for Prevention magazine. She has written or contributed to several books, including Simple Swaps (Stop the Clock! Cooking, The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook, and The Biggest Loser: The Weight Loss Program, and the recently published Positively Ageless. She is also a recipient of the prestigious James Beard award for healthy recipe development. To learn more about Cheryl and her work, visit her Web site at www.cherylforberg.com.

FirstLook Review: The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps

Biggest Loser Helen Phillips: Before and AFTER

Book Review: Lidia Cooks From The Heart Of Italy By Lidia Bastianich

By David M. Kinchen

'Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy': A Moveable Feast from 12 Italian Regions

Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and her daughter Tanya Bastianich Manuali take us on a gastronomical Tour of Italy in Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes  (Knopf, 432 pages, $35.00).

This lavishly illustrated cookbook and travel book in one picks up where she left off from Lidia's previous 2007 book Lidia's Italy and her other books, covering well-known regions and little-known ones alike.

Lidia Bastianich awakens in us a new respect for food and for the people who produce it in the little-known parts of Italy that she explores. All of the recipes reflect the regions from which they spring, and in translating them to our home kitchens, Lidia passes on time-honored techniques and wonderful, uncomplicated recipes for dishes bursting with different regional flavors—the kind of elemental, good family cooking that is particularly appreciated today.

Penetrating the heart of Italy—starting at the north, working down to the tip, and ending in Sardinia—Lidia unearths a wealth of recipes:

From Trentino–Alto Adige: Delicious Dumplings with Speck (cured pork); apples accenting soup, pasta, salsa, and salad; local beer used to roast a chicken and to braise beef. Alto Adige is a German oriented region centering around Bolzano, called Bozen in German. Alto Adige was formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, known as South Tyrol, and was annexed by Italy after World War I as a reward for Italy joining the Allies in the fight against the German and Austro-Hungarian emplires.

From Lombardy: A world of rice—baked in a frittata, with lentils, with butternut squash, with gorgonzola, and the special treat of Risotto Milan-Style with Marrow and Saffron

From Valle d’Aosta: Polenta with Black Beans and Kale, and local fontina featured in fondue, in a roasted pepper salad, and embedded in veal chops.

From Liguria: An array of Stuffed Vegetables, a bread salad, and elegant Veal Stuffed with a Mosaic of Vegetables. Genoa (Genova in Italian) is the biggest city in this region.

From Emilia-Romagna: An olive oil dough for making the traditional, versatile vegetable tart erbazzone, as well as the secrets of making tagliatelle and other pasta doughs, and an irresistible Veal Scaloppine Bolognese

From Le Marche: Farro with Roasted Pepper Sauce, Lamb Chunks with Olives, and Stuffed Quail in Parchment

From Umbria: A taste of the sweet Norcino black truffle, and seductive dishes such as Potato-Mushroom Cake with Braised Lentils, Sausages in the Skillet with Grapes, and Chocolate Bread Parfait

From Abruzzo: Fresh scrippelle (crêpe) ribbons baked with spinach or garnishing a soup, fresh pasta made with a “guitar,” Rabbit with Onions, and Lamb Chops with Olives

From Molise: Fried Ricotta; homemade cavatelli pasta in a variety of ways; Spaghetti with Calamari, Shrimp, and Scallops; and Braised Octopus

From Basilicata: Wedding Soup, Fiery Maccheroni, and Farro with Pork Ragù

From Calabria: Shepherd’s Rigatoni, steamed swordfish, and Almond Biscottini

From Sardinia: Flatbread Lasagna, two lovely eggplant dishes, and Roast Lobster with Bread Crumb Topping

If you're not drooling by now, you are possessed of amazing self-restraint! My review copy probably is moistened by my own saliva! The food photography is outstanding and the book includes photos of attractions that will make you want to visit Italy. Every region competes for tourists, although many are just now becoming known to international travelers. I have a friend in Texas, east of Dallas, who lived and worked in Italy; he considers it the most beautiful place on earth.

This is just a sampling of the many delights Lidia has uncovered. All the recipes she shares with us in this rich feast of a book represent the work of the local people and friends with whom she made intimate contact—the farmers, shepherds, foragers, and artisans who produce local cheeses, meats, olive oils, and wines. And in addition, her daughter, Tanya, takes us on side trips in each of the twelve regions to share her love of the country and its art.

If you're wondering how you can create these fabulous dishes in your own U.S. kitchen, Lidia has good news: thanks to the Internet, you can get authentic Italian ingredients by mail. Lidia provides sources.  If you live in a city with many Italian food sources -- New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco -- you probably can get them locally, too. I've been to New Orleans many times and imported Italian products are available there, too. 

And -- a personal suggestion -- you should definitely consider Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, MI. (www.zingermans.com). My latest catalog from this Detroit area landmark lists many items from Italy, including balsamic vinegars from La Vecchia Dispensa near Modena; Agrumato lemon oil and other Italian citrus oils; a wonderful variety of Italian olive oils; Italian cheeses and many, many desserts. Zingerman's is not just for the holidays, although they ship much of their mail order items this time of the year; it's for year-round gourmet cooks.

Lidia Matticchio Bastianich was born in 1947 in Pula (Italian: Pola), county of Istria, Croatia. Her family emigrated  to the New York area in 1958. She specializes in Italian-American cuisine, and became a TV celebrity through her cooking shows. She has been a regular contributor to the PBS cooking show lineup since 1998. In 2007, she launched her third TV series, Lidia's Italy. She also owns four Italian restaurants in the U.S. in partnership with her son, the winemaster and restaurateur  Joseph Bastianich: Felidia (founded with her ex-husband, Felice) and Becco in Manhattan;  Lidia's Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA;  and Lidia's Kansas City in Kansas City, MO.  You'll find the author online at www.lidiasitaly.com

Book Review: Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

Top 10 Thanksgiving Survival Tips

Joanna Dolgoff, MD--

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, you might think it is impossible to stick to a healthy eating plan-right? Wrong! Although high calorie foods and holidays go hand in hand, it is 100% possible to stay on track! Do not let the cornucopia of food options weigh you down; it is time to kick off the holiday season right. Follow these tips to ensure you have a happy AND healthy season!

Top 10 Thanksgiving Survival Tips

1. Eat a well-balanced breakfast and lunch before your Thanksgiving extravaganza to prevent hunger and the overeating that often results from it!

2. Bring a low calorie dish or dessert to your Thanksgiving dinner (even if you aren’t asked) to ensure you have healthy options available.

3. On the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, make sure you maintain a healthy lifestyle every day. Choose to eat well and exercise often to prevent any unnecessary weight gain.

4. Drink plenty of water on Thanksgiving! It helps fill you up without any extra calories.

5. Aim for just one helping from each food group! Enjoy a balance of protein (white meat turkey), vegetables, and one type of starch, such as corn or potatoes, to fill you up!

6. If you must, save a red light food to have an extra helping of potatoes or a dessert!

7. Enjoy special holiday foods! Don’t waste calories on foods you can eat everyday; instead, choose smaller portions of holiday favorites like Pumpkin Pie or Sweet Potato Pie.

8. Avoid noshing on small appetizers because they can add extra calories to your meal without making you feel full.

9. Fortunately, white meat turkey, vegetables, and sweet potatoes are healthy options found at most Thanksgiving dinners! Just be aware of how they are prepared; avoid fried foods, heavy sauces and foods made with a lot of butter or oil.

10. Nix leftovers! Give your guests “doggie bags” or donate leftover food to a homeless shelter in your area.

Thanksgiving is a day to focus on family and friends and to give thanks for all the blessings in your life! You may want to even start a new Thanksgiving tradition in order to celebrate. Instead of focusing solely on the food being served, get the whole family moving with a friendly game of touch-football or basketball. Don’t forget to give thanks for your ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle during the holiday season!

Healthy and Hearty Thanksgiving Staples

Pumpkin Spiced Squash Pie

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ready Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:

· 1 cup cooked mashed butternut squash

· 3/4 cup fat-free milk

· 2 eggs

· 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

· 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

· 1 tsp cinnamon

· 1/8 tsp salt

· 1 store-bought graham cracker crust

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. blender, purée squash, milk, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt until completely mixed.

3. Pour into graham cracker crust and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the pie is set in the center.

4. Let pie cool on the counter and then refrigerate.

Makes 8 servings

1 slice (1/8 pie): Yellow

Nutty Bean Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ready Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

· 8 cup small green beans, ends trimmed

· 2 cup sliced green onions

· 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or almonds

· 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

· ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

· 1 1/2 Tbsp grated lemon rind

Preparation:

1. Arrange green beans in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam 8 to 12 minutes or until crisp-tender. Place beans into cold water to stop the cooking process; drain.

2. Spray a sauté pan with cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, add green onions and sauté until tender. Add green beans, walnuts, rosemary, and lemon juice.

3. Cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with lemon rind and serve.

Makes 8 servings

1 cup: Green

Cranberried Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ready Time: 65 minutes

Ingredients:

· 2 medium sweet potatoes

· 2 Tbsp cranberry juice

· 1 Tbsp brown sugar

· 1 Tbsp butter, melted

· 1/8 tsp ground ginger

· 4 tbsp craisins

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Scrub potatoes and cut in half lengthwise; do not peel.

3. Spray a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the potatoes in pan, cut-side down. Bake in the preheated oven 30 to 40 minutes or until almost tender.

4. Stir together the cranberry juice, brown sugar, butter, and ginger. Turn potatoes cut-side up and brush with cranberry mixture. Bake 5 to 10 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle each half with 1 tbsp of craisins. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

½ potato per serving: Yellow

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE THANKSGIVING!

Joanna Dolgoff, M.D. is a pediatrician whose practice solely deals with child and adolescent weight management. A graduate of Princeton University, she completed her education at NYU School of Medicine and finished her Pediatric Residency training at Columbia Presbyterian's Children's Hospital of New York. She has previously worked as a private practice pediatrician, helping children reach their weight loss goals. A Board Certified Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Dolgoff is also the proud mother of two children. She is the author of Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right (Rodale/ 2009). Click here to learn more about Dr. Dolgoff's Weigh Child and Adolescent Weight Management Program.

School Lunches Usually Not Healthy--Alternatives

Top 10 Food Myths

The Truth About High Fructose Corn Syrup

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

Restaurant Review: Bonefish Grill

Reviewed By Dr. Joseph S. Maresca

Go to the Bonefish Grill for a wide selection of  food including grilled fish, sirloin steak, filet mignon, Lile's chicken and filet and crab. The menu provides  gluten-free choices for people having food sensitivities . The grilled fish is offered sauteed and baked with a variety of soups and greens.

Patrons have a selection of wine and Martinis.  There is a very helpful website locator so that first time visitors are able to locate the nearest Bonefish Grill. The site displays the Gyotaku art of making fish prints on rice paper for interested artisans.

Bonefish Grill was founded in 2000 in St. Petersburg, Florida, where it quickly became popular because of its delicious menu.  The restaurant chain dedicates itself to responsible fishing practices.  It follows the recommendations of NOAA  and issued government regulations. It also consults with Ocean Trust and the OSI Seafood Advisory Council.

Bonefish Grill's famous recipes are available online here.

A 5 Star Restaurant

Book Review: The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

CSPI: Regal Theater Popcorn Has 1,200 Calories, 60g Saturated Fat!

‘Two Thumbs Down’ for Movie Theater Popcorn

New Lab Tests of Movie Theater Popcorn Show It’s Still the Godzilla of Snacks

WASHINGTON—It’s hard to picture someone mindlessly ingesting three McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with 12 pats of butter while watching a movie.  But according to new laboratory analyses commissioned by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, that food is nutritionally comparable to what you’d find in a medium popcorn and soda combo at Regal, the country’s biggest movie theater chain:  1,610 calories and three days’ worth—60 grams—of saturated fat.  (Nutrition aside, that combo costs $12—for raw ingredients that must cost Regal pennies.)

“Regal and AMC are our nominees for Best Supporting Actor in the Obesity Epidemic,” said CSPI senior nutritionist Jayne Hurley.  “Who expects about 1,500 calories and three days’ worth of heart-stopping fat in a popcorn and soda combo?  That’s the saturated fat of a stick of butter and the calories of two sticks of butter.  You might think you’re getting Bambi, but you’re really getting Godzilla.”

Regal says that its medium popcorn has 720 calories and that its large has 960.  But CSPI’s lab tests found that those numbers were understated.  Regal’s medium and large sizes each had 1,200 calories and, thanks to being popped in coconut oil, 60 grams of saturated fat.   (The large size looks bigger, thanks to its titanic tub, but it costs a dollar more and comes with a free refill.)  A “small” at Regal has 670 calories and 34 grams of saturated fat.  That’s about as many calories as a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza—except the popcorn has three times the saturated fat.  Even shared with another person, that size provides nearly an entire day’s worth of the kind of fat that clogs arteries and promotes heart disease.  And every tablespoon of “buttery” oil topping adds another 130 calories.  Asking for topping is like asking for oil on French fries or potato chips, according to CSPI.

AMC, the second largest theater chain, also pops in coconut oil but has smaller serving sizes.  Its large popcorn has 1,030 calories and 57 grams of saturated fat.  That’s like eating a pound of baby back ribs topped with a scoop of Häagen-Dazs ice cream—except that the popcorn has an additional day’s worth of saturated fat.  A medium has 590 calories and 33 grams of saturated fat; and a small has 370 calories and a day’s worth—20 grams—of saturated fat.  (Like Regal, AMC reports calorie counts lower than those returned in CSPI’s lab tests.)            

Third-largest Cinemark pops in heart-healthy canola oil.  A large has 910 calories with 4 grams of saturated fat; a medium has 760 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat; and a small has 420 calories and 2 grams of saturated fat.   Though popping in canola gives this chain’s popcorn far less saturated fat than its competitors, it’s almost as high in calories and has the most sodium—about twice as much as Regal or AMC.  With 1,500 milligrams of sodium—a day’s worth of sodium for most people—a large popcorn without topping from Cinemark will be less likely to clog your arteries but more likely to elevate your blood pressure.  And while Cinemark uses a “buttery” oil topping similar to the toppings used at Regal and AMC, at some outlets, particularly in the West, it uses a topping made with real butter.  That version has 9 grams—half a day’s worth—of saturated fat per tablespoon.  

CSPI also took a look at the sodas and candies sold at the movies.  A small non-diet soda ranges from 150 calories at Cinemark to 300 calories at Regal.  Mediums have 300 calories at AMC and Cinemark and 400 calories at Regal.  With 33 teaspoons of sugar in nearly 2 quarts—54 ounces—Regal has the most outsized large soda, with 500 empty calories.

The oversized boxes and bags (four to five ounces) of candy sold at movie chains are universally high in calories.  A 5-ounce bag of Twizzlers has 460 calories and 15 teaspoons of sugar.  A 7-ounce box of Nerds has 790 calories and 46 teaspoons of sugar.  Chocolate candies like Butterfinger Minis, Raisinets, Sno-Caps, or M&M’s have between 400 and 500 calories and at least a half day’s worth of saturated fat.  An 8-ounce bag of Reese’s Pieces is just a cup of candy.  But with 1,160 calories and 35 grams of saturated fat, it’s like eating a 16-ounce T-bone steak plus a buttered baked potato.

“Sitting through a two-hour movie isn’t exactly like climbing Mt. Everest,” Hurley said.  “Why do theaters think they need to feed us like it is?”

The study, published as the cover story in the December issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter, updates a famous exposé the group conducted 15 years ago.  For Regal and AMC, CSPI tested samples from theaters in the Washington, D.C., area.  For Cinemark, samples came from Texas, Illinois, and Maryland. 

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a nonprofit health advocacy group based in Washington, DC, that focuses on nutrition, food safety, and pro-health alcohol policies.  CSPI is supported by the 900,000 U.S. and Canadian subscribers to its Nutrition Action Healthletter and by foundation grants. 

CSPI: Food Safety Fix Would Save 325,000 Unnecessary Hospitalizations Yearly