Nutrition

The Rules of Pizza

As crazy as Americans are for pizza, few ever dare to make it at home. That's truly a shame, because the pizza we turn to is overpriced, awash in empty calories, and ultimately not all that delicious. Anyone can do better in their home by combining a handful of fresh ingredients and following a few simple steps. And believe it or not, pizza made the right way can make for a truly well-balanced meal. Preheat the oven and follow along.

 

4. Pizza Rule #1 : The Hotter, the Better

The higher the heat, the better. True Italian pizzas are cooked in about 2 minutes in 1,000 degree fahrenheit ovens. Preheat your oven for 30 minutes at 500 degrees fahrenheit (the max temp for most home ovens) for a light, crispy crust.

3. Pizza Rule #2: Fire Up the Grill

Nothing better approximates the smoky char of a wood-burning oven than a grill. Have your ingredients ready, slide the raw dough directly onto the hot grates, and grill until lightly charred, about 4 minutes. Flip and immediately add sauce and cheese, then cover the grill and wait for the cheese to melt.

2. Pizza Rule #3 : Go Easy on the Toppings

Pizza isn't about how much cheese you can cram onto a slice; it's about the subtle interplay of bread, sauce, cheese, and topping. Don't use more than 2 ounces of cheese and a few pieces of meat or vegetable per slice.

1. Pizza Rule #4 : Break Out of the Box

Nontraditional ingredients—barbecue sauce, chorizo, pistachios—can elevate a humble pie to new heights.

Healthy Living

30 New Sandwich Swaps

America is in the midst of a sandwich crisis. At its finest, a sandwich should be a delicately balanced, well-proportioned, healthy array of meat, vegetables, and condiments. Too bad our favorite restaurants feature poorly conceived creations that contain copious amounts of calories without the quality to match. What's worse, to keep up with the competition, many fast-food joints and sit-down restaurants have taken to haphazardly piling on extra ingredients in an effort to attract new customers. Just picking the wrong sandwich for lunch can mean an extra hour at the gym that evening.

But the good news is that all is not lost. We might not be able to do anything about the quality of the sandwiches, but healthier alternatives do exist, and we've found them. Make just one or more of these swaps a week, and you could end up losing 10, 20, or even 30 pounds by the end of the year!
  

30 New Sandwich Swaps

30. A&W Crispy Chicken Sandwich :

550 calories , 25 g fat (4.5 g saturated, 1.5 g trans), 1,130 mg sodium

The word “crispy” is the restaurant’s way of discreetly warning you that this piece of chicken has been covered with breading and plunged into a bucket of sizzling hot oil. Any similarity to regular chicken
was completely lost in the process.

Eat This Instead!

Cheeseburger

420 calories, 21 g fat (7 g saturated, 0.5 g trans), 1,040 mg sodium

29. Arby's Market Fresh Turkey & Swiss Sandwich:

710 calories, 28 g fat (7 g saturated), 1,780 mg sodium

The bread that houses this sandwich is responsible for an astounding 380 calories, much of which is thanks to a recipe that calls for 14 grams of sugar from mostly high-fructose corn syrup.

Eat This Instead!

Super Roast Beef

440 calories, 20 g fat (6 g saturated, 1 g trans), 1,060 mg sodium

28.  Atlanta Bread Company Turkey Club Panini:

710 calories, 24 g fat (9 g saturated), 1,920 mg sodium

Not an altogether terrible meal, but certainly not up the standard one would expect from turkey—an all-star
protein with serious low-calorie potential. The problem is the sandwich comes on oversized panini bread
doused with an agressive load of fat.

Eat This Instead!

Honey Maple Ham on Honey Wheat

410 calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated), 1,370 mg sodium

27.  Au Bon Pain Sausage, Egg, and Cheddar on Asiago Bagel :

810 calories, 46 g fat (20 g saturated), 1,340 mg sodium

Bread always trumps bagel in the breakfast sandwich category, but at Au Bon Pain, the race isn’t even close. Subbing in the Egg White and Cheddar sandwich would save you 560 calories and 35 grams of fat. 
Do you really love sausage that much?

Eat This Instead!

Egg Whites and Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich

250 calories, 11 g fat (6 g saturated), 550 mg sodium

26. Blimpie Grilled Chicken Caesar Ciabbatta:

580 calories, 20 g fat (5 g saturated), 1,480 mg sodium

The emperor has no clothes! Nine times out of 10, when you see the word Caesar, expect trouble. Consider this in the same nutritional red zone as mayo-bloated chicken salad. Ciabatta sounds fancy, but it’s essentially no different from white bread. Switch to 6-inch wheat and you’ll gain an immediate 3 grams of belly-filling fiber.

Want to eat healtheir but don't have the time to shop? Check out our list of The Best Mail Order Foods.

Eat This Instead!

Turkey and Cranberry

350 calories, 4 g fat (0.5 g saturated) , 1,220 mg sodium

25. 6. Boston Market Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich:

1,050 calories, 64 g fat (10 g saturated, 1 g trans), 1,700 mg sodium

Boston Market may have shaved 4 grams of trans fat from this sandwich, but it also grew by an extra
240 calories. Chicken salad has hit a new all-time low.

Eat This Instead!

Beef Brisket, Green Beans, and Dill Potatoes

430 calories, 19.5 g fat (6 g saturated), 870 mg sodium

24.  Carl's Jr. Charbroiled Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich :

640 calories, 36 g fat (8 g saturated), 1,370 mg sodium

Triple Whoppers are supposedly charbroiled, but that doesn’t make them healthy. Here, the addition of cheese and a mayo-based sauce ups the fat ante by a factor of five.

Eat This Instead!

Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich

390 calories, 7 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 990 mg sodium

23. Cheesecake Factory Grilled Turkey Burger:

1,331 calories, 31 g saturated fat, 1,674 mg sodium

Terms like “grilled” and “turkey” are intended to temper your nutritional worries, but a quick look behind
the buzz terms reveals that you could stuff nearly four Wendy’s Double Stack Burgers into the vast caloric trench created by this “healthy” alternative.

Eat This Instead!

The Factory Burger

737 calories, 15 g saturated , 1,018 mg sodium

22. Cosi Tuna Melt:

774 calories, 41 g fat (11 g saturated), 1,060 mg sodium

Another complete waste of one of the world’s healthiest proteins. What is it about tuna that drives sandwich makers to turn to an ocean of mayo and a sea of melted cheese? This is one of the worst items in the entire store.

Eat This Instead!

Shrimp Remoulade Sandwich

454 calories, 20 g fat (6 g saturated), 735 mg sodium

21. Denny's Grand Slamwich :

1,520 calories, 101 g fat (44 g saturated, 1 g trans), 3,550 mg sodium

Bacon, sausage, ham, eggs, cheese, and mayo conspire to create the worst breakfast sandwich in America.
Start your day with this and you’ll need to wait 48 hours before consuming another gram of saturated fat. And that’s before you get to the hash browns that come on the side.

Eat This Instead!

2 Fried Eggs with Honey Ham and Hash Browns

580 calories, 38 g fat (11.5 g saturated), 1,595 mg sodium

20. Domino's Pizza Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich :

870 calories, 45 g fat (16 g saturated, 1 g trans), 2,380 mg sodium

Don’t bother looking to the sandwich menu for reprieve. More than half of these greasy bread boats break 800 calories, making them second only to pasta in their potential for caloric punishment. If you want something other than pizza, wings are your best bet.

Eat This Instead!

Chicken, Bacon, and Roasted Red Pepper Pizza (2 slices; large, Brooklyn crust)

670 calories , 32 g fat (13 g saturated), 1,850 mg sodium

19. 13. Five Guys Cheeseburger:

840 calories, 55 g fat (26.5 g saturated), 1,050 mg sodium

What Five Guys calls a “cheeseburger,” the healthy world calls a “double cheeseburger.” Yes, even without embellishments this bulky hunk of beef has more calories than two McDonald’s Quarter Pounders.

Eat This Instead!

Little Cheeseburger

550 calories, 32 g fat (15 g saturated), 690 mg sodium

18.  Hardee's Charbroiled Chicken Club Sandwich:

610 calories, 30 g fat (8 g saturated), 1,640 mg sodium

What goes into a club at Hardee’s? Cheese, bacon, and mayonnaise—the unholy trinity of sandwich toppings.

Eat This Instead!

Little Thick Cheeseburger

430 calories, 23 g fat (9 g saturated), 1,090 mg sodium

17.  Jack in the Box Sausage Croissant:

565 calories, 39 g fat (16 g saturated, 1 g trans), 776 mg sodium

Two simple but immutable rules are at play here:

1) Bacon always beats sausage, and
2) buns always beat croissants.

Eat This Instead!

Bacon Breakfast Jack

316 calories, 15 g fat (5 g saturated), 761 mg sodium

16. Panera Bread Grilled Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Sandwich:

510 calories, 25 g fat (10 g saturated), 1,170 mg sodium

There are two differences between these sandwiches. First, this one is built on ciabatta, which provides 50 more calories and half as much fiber. And second, it replaces the ham with bacon, which means an extra 100 calories of mostly fat.

Eat This Instead!

Breakfast Power Sandwich

340 calories, 15 g fat (7 g saturated), 820 mg sodium

15.  Quiznos Turkey Club Torpedo :

830 calories, 35 g fat (9 g saturated), 2,280 mg sodium

We can't vouch for the militant theme running through the names of Quiznos’ subs, but this is one that lives up to the title. They load bacon, cheese, and mayonnaise into the war-head and aim the Torpedo right at your gut.

Eat This Instead!

Pesto Turkey Bullet

380 calories, 13 g fat (3 g saturated), 1,250 mg sodium

14. Starbucks Egg Salad Sandwich with Grande Tazo Iced Chai Tea Latte:

730 calories, 26 g fat (7 g saturated), 945 mg sodium

The words salad and sandwich are best taken on their own. When combined, expect an excess of mayo-based binder and a flood of calories. Tack on a Chai Tea Latte with 42 grams of sugar and you have a snack with more calories than five bowls of Breyer's chocolate ice cream.

Eat This Instead!

Roma Tomato and Mozzarella Sandwich with Grande Black Shane Iced Tea

460 calories , 18 g fat (7 g saturated), 590 mg sodium

13. Subway Steak, Egg, and Cheese Omelet Sandwich :

430 calories, 15 g fat (5 g saturated), 1,220 mg sodium

Subway’s Omelet Sandwiches, albeit better than most fast-food breakfasts in the country, are still a big step down from the Muffin Melts. Make sure you choose accordingly.

Eat This Instead!

Steak, Egg, and Cheese Muffin Melts

200 calories, 6 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 590 mg sodium

12. T.G.I. Friday's Turkey Burger with fries:

1,230 calories, 60 g fat (16 g saturated), 2,530 mg sodium

This sounds like the healthy rebuttal to a plain burger and fries, but the calories tell another story entirely. When will a chain restaurant finally make a turkey burger worth eating?

Eat This Instead!

Flat Iron Steak with broccoli and mashed potatoes

740 calories, 41.5 g fat (14 g saturated), 3,260 mg sodium

11. Wendy's Asiago Ranch Chicken Club Sandwich :

690 calories, 36 g fat (12 g saturated), 1,630 mg sodium

Chicken clubs rarely deliver on their low-cal reputation, and that’s especially true at fast-food joints. Unless it’s made with grilled chicken and no mayo or dressing, expect it to be on par with the burgers.

Eat This Instead!

Jr. Cheeseburger and 5-Piece Crispy Chicken Nuggets

510 calories, 27 g fat (9 g saturated, 1 g trans), 1,280 mg sodium

10.Hardee's Monster Biscuit :

640 calories, 44 g fat (16 g saturated) , 2,130 mg sodium

When they say “Monster,” they mean it. This 700-calorie behemoth should be enough to scare anyone: It contains nearly a full day’s worth of sodium and saturated fat. Instead try the Sunrise Croissant with Bacon. It’s not exactly diet-friendly, but if you’re stuck at Hardee’s, it’s a way to escape without too much damage.

Eat This Instead!

Sunrise Croissant with Bacon

450 calories , 29 g fat (12 g saturated) , 900 mg sodium

9. Denny's Moon Over My Hammy:

760 calories, 41 g fat (15 g saturated), 2,320 mg sodium

The Moon Over My Hammy has been a staple on the Denny's menu for years. Considering the dish serves up 16 grams of saturated fat and an entire day's worth of sodium, we think it's overstayed its welcome. 

Denny's either needs to give this breakfast classic a nutritional makeover or strike it from the menu completely.

Eat This Instead!

Veggie-Cheese Omelette

460 calories, 33 g fat (12 g saturated), 680 mg sodium

8. Chili's Buffalo Chicken Ranch Sandwich w/ fries:

1,410 calories, 68 g fat (12 g saturated) , 3,940 mg sodium

Given the rate of wing consumption in this country, clearly hot sauce-slathered chicken and blue cheese or ranch is a winning combination. Problem is, chains such as Chili's are using this high-calorie combo to create sandwiches that are some of the worst on the menu. Along with fries, this tangy train wreck has two days' worth of sodium and more than a day's worth of fat.
  
Eat This Instead!

Grilled Chicken Sandwich w/ Veggies

610 calories, 13 g fat (5 g saturated), 1320 mg sodium

7.  Panera Bread Italian Combo on Ciabatta :

980 calories, 41 g fat (15 g saturated, 1 g trans), 2,620 mg sodium

When it comes to Italian-style sandwiches, you can always count on a mound of fatty meat tucked inside a big portion of doughy bread. All told, the final product usually ends up somewhere around the 1,000-calorie mark—like this one at Panera Bread. Cut calories and get a range of flavors by going with a You Pick Two combo.

Eat This Instead!

Half Asiago Roast Beef Sandwich and Half Fuji Apple Chicken Salad

630 calories calories, 31 g fat (11 g saturated, 0.5 trans) , 1,080 mg sodium

6. Applebee's Reuben:

1,140 calories, 81 g fat (28 g saturated, 2.5 g trans), 3,500 mg sodium

Piled sky high with fatty slices of pastrami, the Reuben is a sandwich that is guaranteed to destroy your diet for the day. Although the calorie, fat, and sodium counts are all high, what's most troublesome about this version from Applebee's is that it contains 2.5 grams of trans fat. That's more than a day's worth and reason enough to stay away from this sandwich.

Eat This Instead!

Asiago Peppercorn Steak

380 calories, 14 g fat (6 g saturated), 1,520 mg sodium

5. Red Robin Whiskey River BBQ Chicken :

1,022 calories, 57 g fat, 1,518 mg sodium

Alternative burgers nearly always lead you astray in the restaurant world. Any nutritional benefits you might receive by swapping out ground beef for a lean chicken breast are lost when it's smothered in salty sauces and sitting on a bed of deep-fried onions. At Red Robin, the safest choice is always the Natural Burger. It's not the healthiest in the world, but at least you can escape fairly unscathed.

Eat This Instead!

Natural Burger

599 calories, 24 g fat, 1,149 mg sodium

4. 19. Outback Roasted Filet Sandwich :

856 calories, 51 g fat (16 g saturated), 3,970 mg sodium

Outback's ability to bump up the calorie count of almost any dish is once again on display here. By no means should a steak sandwich with provolone cheese and garlic herb aioli have over 800 calories. Treat yourself to a New York Strip and save roughly 250 calories.

Eat This Instead!

Outback Special Steak (9 oz) and Grilled Asparagus

433 calories, 23 g fat (8 g saturated), 564 mg sodium

3. Cheesecake Factory Grilled Portobello on a Bun :

1,377 calories, 22 g saturated fat, 1,362 mg sodium

Like the turkey burger, the portobello burger is another sandwich that restaurants love to tout as a healthy alternative. Unfortunately, that's rarely the case. This example from Cheesecake Factory is the worst we've found, but you should remain skeptical anytime a portobello sandwich is on the menu.

Eat This Instead!

The Factory Burger

737 calories, 15 g saturated fat, 1,018 mg sodium

2. Quiznos Regular Tuna Melt:

1,060 calories, 74 g fat (17 g saturated), 1,300 mg sodium

Quiznos' melt suffers from the same affliction as Cosi's: too much mayo and cheese. This subpar sub certainly isn't worth the 1,000 calories.

Eat This Instead!

Bistro Steak Melt Flatbread Sammie

410 calories, 22.5 g fat (5.5 g saturated), 1,100 mg sodium

1. Subway 6-inch Meatball Marinara Sandwich :

480 calories, 18 g fat (7 g saturated) , 950 mg sodium

Subway offers plenty of healthy options, but the meatball sub isn't one of them. Add some cheese and maybe a sauce and this 6-incher will end up costing you at the gym.

Eat This Instead!

6-inch Roast Beef on wheat

320 calories, 5 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 700 mg sodium

Nutrition

How to get started in healthy eating — part 1

 

Choosing the right foods for health and fitness

We talk about healthy eating all the time — but what does it really mean? Is it really about throwing out the chocolate and stocking up on celery sticks? Or is there more to it than that? Here's how to get started in healthy eating ...

Healthy eating is about balance — about getting the right range of nutrients from a number of food groups. 
No foods are ‘forbidden’ — anything you want to eat will have its part to play and a place in a healthy diet — including chocolate!
 
Let us explain. There are different nutrients in different foods. You need a wide variety of foods so that you have a better chance of eating all the nutrients your body requires.

Ideally your meals should be based around the following five food groups: 

• Bread, cereals and potatoes
• Fruits and vegetables
• Milk and dairy products
• Meat, fish and alternatives
• Fats and sugars

Bread, cereals and potatoes should be the basis for every meal. This might be a baked potato, some mash, a wholemeal roll, pasta, steamed rice, couscous, polenta, bulgar wheat, pearl barley and the list goes on. Aim for wholegrain versions of cereals when you can — this means brown bread and rice and wholemeal pasta. Wholegrains have been associated with healthier hearts and contain extra fibre, which can help prevent constipation and bowel cancer.

Fruits and vegetables are a key part of your diet. They provide water, fibre and an array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They have been shown to help prevent a number of diseases and illnesses including heart disease, stroke, cancer, high blood pressure. Include these at every meal, and aim for at least five portions a day. A portion is usually around a handful — so that can be an apple, a fruit smoothie, a side salad, a can of tomatoes, some steamed broccoli …

Milk and dairy products are a good source of calcium as well as protein, vitamins and other minerals. If you do not eat dairy products or are a vegan, soya or similar replacements fall into this category. Eat two to three servings of low fat dairy products per day. This could be milk with your cereal, a yoghurt with lunch and some low fat cream cheese in the afternoon. Calcium can also found in tofu, nuts and beans.

Meat, poultry and fish provide protein, B vitamins, iron and zinc. Meat alternatives also fall into this category. Beans, nuts and pulses also provide protein, but contain less iron and B vitamins, so if you do not eat meat you need to ensure you are getting these micronutrients from other sources. Protein is very satisfying, so if you eat a little at every meal you are more likely to feel full and less likely to overeat or snack later. Oily fish are an extremely good source of healthy fats — aim for two portions per week. Trim visible fat from meat to cut down on bad fats.

Fats and sugars should make up the smallest part of your meal. Fats should be good fats where possible i.e. olive oil, nut, seed or plant oil. Sugary treats are fine on occasion and indeed are part of a healthy diet, but can cause tooth decay if eaten too frequently.

Remember to eat regularly to give your body the supply of energy it needs. Don’t skip breakfast, it’s a false economy! You will only end up overeating later in the day.

Drink at least eight glasses of water a day (this can be in diluting juice, herbal teas etc.) and feel free to have one alcoholic drink a day too — this can actually be beneficial to health. Binge drinking is however, a no-no.

To help you decipher the science surrounding healthy eating, check out How to get started in healthy eating — part 2. We have put together a jargon buster — just a little extra help to nudge you along the road to healthy eating.

7 Foods You Should Never Eat

Healthy Living

chemicals in food

7 Foods You Should Never Eat

 

Is your food loaded with toxic chemicals? These simple swaps can protect you from the worst of the worst.

By: Anne Underwood, Prevention

 

1 of 8 

 

Which Foods Should You Avoid?

Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal processing. Often they're organic, and rarely (if ever) should they contain additives. But in some cases, the methods of today's food producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at food through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering what's safe—or not—to eat. We asked them a simple question: "What foods do you avoid?" Their answers don't necessarily make up a "banned foods" list. But reaching for the suggested alternatives might bring you better health—and peace of mind. 

Is your food loaded with toxic chemicals? These simple swaps can protect you from the worst of the worst.

Which Foods Should You Avoid?
Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal processing. Often they're organic, and rarely (if ever) should they contain additives. But in some cases, the methods of today's food producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at food through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering what's safe—or not—to eat. We asked them a simple question: "What foods do you avoid?" Their answers don't necessarily make up a "banned foods" list. But reaching for the suggested alternatives might bring you better health—and peace of mind.

Canned Tomatoes
Fredrick Vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A, gives us the scoop:

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi.

Budget tip: If your recipe allows, substitute bottled pasta sauce for canned tomatoes. Look for pasta sauces with low sodium and few added ingredients, or you may have to adjust the recipe.

Read more: The Truth About Canned Soup

Corn-Fed Beef
Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming, gives us the scoop:

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. But more money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. "We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure," says Salatin.

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers' markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It's usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don't see it, ask your butcher.

Budget tip: Cuts on the bone are cheaper because processors charge extra for deboning. You can also buy direct from a local farmer, which can be as cheap as $5 per pound. To find a farmer near you, search eatwild.com.

Read More: Guide to Buying Grass-Fed Beef

Microwave Popcorn
Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group, gives us the scoop:

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer, and human studies suggest they could even lead to high cholesterol. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize—and migrate into your popcorn. "They stay in your body for years and accumulate there," says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. Or, make your own microwave popcorn in a paper bag. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.

Budget tip: Popping your own popcorn is dirt cheap.

Read More: 10 Products That Cost You Money AND Could Make You Sick

Nonorganic PotatoesJeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board, gives us the scoop:

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nation's most popular vegetable—they're treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. " Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won't," says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). "I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals."

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

Budget tip: Organic potatoes are only $1 to $2 a pound, slightly more expensive than conventional spuds.

Farmed SalmonDavid Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish, gives us the scoop:

The problem: Nature didn't intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. "You could eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer," says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. "It's that bad." Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.

Budget tip: Canned salmon, almost exclusively from wild catch, can be found for as little as $3 a can.

Read More: 12 Fish You Should Never Eat

Milk Produced with Artificial HormonesRick North, project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society, gives us the scoop:

The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. "When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract," says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. "There's not 100% proof that this is increasing cancer in humans," admits North. "However, it's banned in most industrialized countries."

The solution: Opt for organic milk, which is produced without the use of growth hormones.

Budget tip: Look for generic or store-brand organic milks if the national brands are too pricey, or find a local producer who can guarantee the milk comes from hormone-free cows. Even milk labeled "rBGH-free" can come from cows doused with high levels of antibiotics, which are also used to boost milk production.

Conventional Apples

Mark Kastel, former executive for agribusiness and codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods, gives us the scoop:

The problem: If fall fruits held a "most doused in pesticides contest," apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it's just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. "Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers," he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson's disease.

The solution: Buy organic apples.

Budget tip: If you can't afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them. But Kastel personally refuses to compromise. "I would rather see the trade-off being that I don't buy that expensive electronic gadget," he says. "Just a few of these decisions will accommodate an organic diet for a family."

Read More: Apples Among Most Pesticide-Laced Produce