This document provides a comparison of popular branded foods and drinks to healthier homemade alternatives. It examines the ingredients of Burger King smoothies, Jack in the Box sweet potato fries, Popsicle fruit pops, Fruit2O drinks, Doritos nacho chips, KFC chicken strips, Dannon Greek yogurt, Pillsbury toaster strudels, Aunt Jemima pancake mix, and provides recipes for making healthier knock-off versions of each item at home using more whole, unprocessed ingredients. It also provides the daily recommended amounts of dairy, vegetables, fruits, grains and protein according to the USDA's MyPlate guidelines. Lastly, it lists some cookbooks focused on healthy, kid-friendly recipes

1. An informative yet fun….guide to
making healthier choices By: Ben Sukeforth

2. Comparing Mango Madness
Burger King’s mango
smoothie
Healthy banana mango
smoothie
water, sugar syrup, concentrated
grape juice, apple puree concentrate,
concentrated pear juice, mango puree
concentrate, concentrated pineapple
juice, concentrated orange juice,
concentrated apple juice,
concentrated passion fruit juice,
natural & artificial flavors, xanthan
gum, pectin, guar gum, cellulose gum,
beta carotene, and citric acid.
6 oz plain no fat Greek yogurt
1 cup mango chunks either fresh or thawed
from frozen
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed *optional*
http://www.theimpulsivebuy.com/wordpress/2

3. Comparing Sweet Potato Fries
Jack in The Box Baked sweet potato sticks
Sweet Potatoes, High Oleic Canola Oil,
Sugar, Modified Food Starch
(Corn, Potato, Tapioca), Rice Flour, Salt,
Dextrin, Soy Protein, Spices, Garlic
Powder, Onion
Powder, Leavening (Disodium Dihydrogen
Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Spice
and
Coloring, Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavor. Fried
in Canola Blend Oil.
Contains Soy
http://assets.jackinthebox.com/pdf_attachment_settings/108/value/Ingredients_and
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon paprika
8 sweet potatoes sliced lengthwise
into quarters

4. Comparing Fruit Pops
Popsicle fruit popsicles Frozen fruit pops
Strawberry Pop: water, high fructose corn
syrup, corn syrup, strawberry juice (from
concentrate), sugar, contains 1 percent or
less of each of the following: malic acid,
citric acid, guar gum, locust bean gum, red
40, artificial flavor.
Watermelon Pop: water, high fructose
corn syrup, corn syrup, sugar, watermelon
juice (from concentrate), contains 1
percent or less of each of the following:
malic acid, citric acid, guar gum, natural
and artificial flavor, locust bean gum,
yellow 5, blue 1
http://www.popsicle.com/product/detail/107886/rainbow
Strawberry pop: 1/3 cup diced
strawberries, ¼ cup fresh pineapple
juice or orange juice
Watermelon pop: 1/3 cup diced
watermelon, ¼ cup fresh pineapple
juice or orange juice

5. Comparing Fruit Waters
Fruit2O My Fruity Water
• Purified Water
• Contains Less than 2% of Natural
Flavor
• Citric Acid
•Sodium Citrate
• Sucralose
•Sodium Hexametaphosphate
Potassium Sorbate
•Sodium Benzoate to Protect Flavor
http://www.fruit2o.com/Classic
•Water from tap, (Spring water,
or distilled up to you)
•Fresh fruit chunks

6. Comparing Nacho Chips
DORITOS® Nacho Cheese Flavored
Tortilla Chips
My knock offs
whole corn, vegetable oil (corn, soybean, and/or
sunflower oil), salt, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese
cultures, salt, enzymes), maltodextrin, whey,
monosodium glutamate, buttermilk solids,
romano cheese (part skim cow's milk, cheese
cultures, salt, enzymes), whey protein
concentrate, onion powder, partially
hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil, corn
flour, disodium phosphate, lactose, natural and
artificial flavor, dextrose, tomato powder, spices,
lactic acid, artificial color (including Yellow 6,
Yellow 5, Red 40), citric acid, sugar, garlic
powder, red and green bell pepper powder,
sodium caseinate, disodium inosinate, disodium
guanylate, nonfat milk solids, whey protein
isolate, corn syrup solids
•6-6inch corn tortillas
•1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
•1/2 teaspoons chili powder
•1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
•1/2 teaspoon salt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doritos#Ingredien

7. Comparing Chicken Strips
KFC Strips My knock off crispy baked chicken
strips
Chicken Tenderloins or Chicken Breast
Strips, Seasoning (Modified Potato Starch,
Salt, Onion Powder, Chicken Flavor [With
Maltodextrin, Autolyzed Yeast Extract,
Chicken Fat, Dehydrated Cooked Chicken],
Spice Extractive), Potassium and Sodium
Phosphate. Breaded with: Wheat Flour,
Salt, Spices, Monosodium Glutamate,
Leavening (Sodium Bicarbonate), Garlic
Powder, Natural Flavorings, Citric Acid,
Maltodextrin, Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids,
With Not More Than 2% Calcium Silicate
Added as an Anti Caking Agent.
Ingredients
1 package (1.75 pounds) boneless, skinless
chicken breasts
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
1 cup flour
2 eggs
8 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper divided
http://www.kfc.com/nutrition/pdf/kfc_ingredie

8. Comparing Greek yogurts
Dannon Greek yogurt Homemade strawberry Greek yogurt
2 cups strawberries
1 cup Greek-style Yogurt plain
2 tablespoons honey
http://www.oikosyogurt.com/assets/ima
ges/products/nutrition-
labels/1.1_NutritionLabel_Strawberry.gif

9. Comparing breakfast pastries
Pillsbury® Apple Toaster Strudel® My knock offs
•Enriched Flour Bleached (wheat flour, malted
barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate,
riboflavin, folic acid), Water, Palm and/or
Soybean Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar,
Maltodextrin. Contains 2% or less of: Corn
Starch, Dextrose, Modified Corn Starch, Dry
Yeast, Hydrogenated Palm Oil*, Salt, Whey,
Apple Puree, Baking Powder (baking soda,
sodium acid pyrophosphate), Corn Syrup Solids,
Citric Acid, Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium
Citrate, Egg Yolk, Cinnamon, Preservatives
(potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, TBHQ,
citric acid), Artificial Color, Xanthan Gum,
Polysorbate 60, Guar Gum, Natural and Artificial
Flavor, Locust Bean Gum, Sucralose.*Adds A
Trivial Amount Of Trans Fat
•2 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
•½ teaspoons salt
•1 tablespoon sugar
•1 stick cold unsalted butter cut into ½
cubes
•1 egg slightly beaten
•⅓ cup ice cold water
•Jam or preserves
•1 cup confectioner’s sugar
http://www.pillsbury.com/products/brea
kfast/toaster-strudel/apple

10. Comparing buttermilk pancakes
Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Pancake mix My knock offs
•ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (BLEACHED
WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON,
THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC
ACID), SUGAR, LEAVENING (SODIUM
BICARBONATE, SODIUM ALUMINUM
PHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE),
SALT, DRIED BUTTERMILK, CALCIUM
CARBONATE.
CONTAINS WHEAT AND MILK INGREDIENTS.
MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF EGG AND SOY.
http://www.auntjemima.com/aj_products/pan
cakeMixes/buttermilk.cfm
•¾ cup all purpose flour
•¾ cup whole wheat flour
•3 tablespoons sugar
•1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
•½ teaspoon baking soda
•½ teaspoon salt
•1 ½ cups low-fat buttermilk
•1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•1 large egg
•1 large egg white
•Cooking spray
•¾ cup maple syrup *optional*
•3 tablespoons butter

11. Lets look now at the daily amounts recommended from MyPlate!

12. Daily dairy recommendations
Children:
2-3 years old 2 cups
4-8 years old 2 ½ cups
Girls:
9-13 years old 3 cups
14-18 years old 3 cups
Women:
19-30 years old 3 cups
31-50 years old 3 cups
51+ years old 3 cups
Boys:
9-13 years old 3 cups
14-18 years old 3 cups
Men:
19-30 years old 3 cups
31-50 years old 3 cups
51+ years old 3 cups

13. Daily vegetable recommendations
Children:
2-3 years old 1 cups
4-8 years old 1 ½ cups
Girls:
9-13 years old 2 cups
14-18 years old 2 ¼ cups
Women
19-30 years old 2 ½ cups
31-50 years old 2 ¼ cups
51+ years old 2 cups
Boys:
9-13 years old 3 cups
14-18 years old 3 cups
Men:
19-30 years old 3 cups
31-50 years old 3 cups
51+ years old 3 cups

14. Daily fruit recommendations
Children:
2-3 years old 1 cup
4-8 years old 1 to 1 ½ cups
Girls:
9-13 years old 1 ½ cups
14-18 years old 1 ½ cups
Women:
19-30 years old 2 cups
31-50 years old 1 ½ cups
51+ years old 1 ½ cups
Boys:
9-13 years old 1 ½ cups
14-18 years old 2 cups
Men:
19-30 years old 2cups
31-50 years old 2 cups
51+ years old 2 cups

15. Daily grains recommendations
Children:
2-3 years old 3oz equivalents grain and 1 ½ oz WG
4-8 years old 5oz equivalents grain and 1 ½ oz WG
Girls:
9-13 years old 5 oz equivalents
14-18 years old 5 oz equivalents
Women:
19-30 years old 5 ½ oz equivalents
31-50 years old 5 oz equivalents
51+ years old 5 oz equivalents
Boys:
9-13 years old 6 oz equivalents 3 oz WG
14-18 years old 8 oz equivalents 4 oz WG
Men:
19-30 years old 8 oz equivalents 4 oz WG
31-50 years old 7 oz equivalents 3 ½ oz WG
51+ years old 6 oz equivalents 3 oz WG

16. Daily protein recommendations
Children:
2-3 years old 2oz equivalents
4-8 years old 4oz equivalents
Girls:
9-13 years old 5 oz equivalents
14-18 years old 5 oz equivalents
Women:
19-30 years old 6 oz equivalents 3 oz WG
31-50 years old 6 oz equivalents 3 oz WG
51+ years old 5 oz equivalents 3 oz WG
Boys:
9-13 years old 6 oz equivalents
14-18 years old 8 oz equivalents
Men:
19-30 years old 6 ½ oz equivalents
31-50 years old 6 oz equivalents
51+ years old 5 ½ oz equivalents

17. Some healthy cookbooks to look
into….all books found at
http://www.amazon.com
• Kids' Fun and Healthy Cookbook by Nicola Graimes
• Healthy Kid's Cookbook: Fantastic recipes for children to cook that are good for
you too! 60 tasty dishes made... by Nancy McDougall
• My A to Z Recipe Box: An Alphabet of Recipes for Kids by Hilary Karmilowicz
• No Whine With Dinner: 150 Healthy Kid-Tested Recipes from the Meal
Makeover Moms by Weiss, Liz and Newell Bissex, Janice
• Healthy Kid's Cookbook: Fantastic recipes for children to cook that are good for
you too! 60 tasty dishes made easy, shown in 300 easy-to-follow photographs
by Nancy McDougall