A & E

Weighing in for "Loser":

• General Mills, maker of Yoplait yogurt, Cheerios and Progresso soups, will tie in a charity promotion, the Pound for Pound Challenge. It will donate 10 cents to Feeding America for every pound of weight loss pledged at www.biggestloser.com.

• New this month are more "The Biggest Loser" licensed products -- 2008 sales nearly doubled 2007's to $50 million -- including scales for people and food, juicers and grills by Taylor HoMedics. Also rolling out are fitness balls by Gaiam and protein powders by Next Proteins. The sixth branded book, "The Biggest Loser 30 Day Jump Start," is due in February.

• Biggestloserclub.com has about 50,000 subscribers paying $19.95 a month for diet and fitness information tailored to their goals. A "Biggest Loser" mobile application will launch on Jan. 20.

Market District stores will host Chef Sandy Tadlock of Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices on Jan. 17. Tadlock will share her signature recipes developed with Gourmet Garden's squeezable fresh herbs. A native of Erie and a devoted culinary master, Tadlock has spent more than five years writing original recipes for some of the nation's best-known food products. She brings her fresh approach and passion for cooking to the creation of healthful, flavorful cuisine.

The program runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bethel Park store (412-831-1480), and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Shadyside location (412-681-1500).

• Fans of salty-sweet, here's a snack for you. Seattle-based Sahale Snacks offers creative combinations of fresh roasted nuts and dried fruit with no additives or preservatives, such as glazed almonds with cranberries, honey and sea salt; and Almond PB&J, almonds and peanuts in a lightly sweet berry glaze. They make a great afternoon treat and a terrific addition to salads. Recommended retail price is $3.99 per five-ounce bag. Available at natural foods stores, Target and Whole Foods Market.

• If your New Year's resolution is to add more vegetables to your plate, the "Vegetable Box" (Octopus Books USA, $34.99) is sure to provide inspiration. Inside the small crate are 14 mini-cookbooks with 300 recipes for vegetables from avocado to zucchini. Whimsical drawings of each vegetable serve as bookmarks, making it easy to find what you are looking for. At bookstores.

Economic times are tough, we know. And when the going gets tough, the tough retreat to a fast-food joint and order a "value meal."

A nonprofit nutritionist organization, the Cancer Project, has released its "Top 5 Worst Value Meals," in terms of nutritional content. Take our quiz in which we ask about fast-food offenders.

1. Taco Bell's Cheesy Double Beef Burrito, which weighed in at No. 2 for worst value, contains 1,620 milligrams of sodium. How much is the USDA recommended daily allowance of sodium?

a) 1,620 milligrams; b) 2,400 milligrams; c) 800 milligrams

2. Burger King's Breakfast Sausage Biscuit, the third-place finisher, is high in sodium (1,090), fat (27 grams) and cholesterol (35 milligrams). How many grams of fiber does it have? a) 3; b) 2; c) 1

3. McDonald's McDouble (two beef patties and one slice of cheese), No. 4 on the list, contains what percentage of the recommended daily value of saturated fat? a) 98.2 percent; b) 42 percent; c) 13 percent

4. Wendy's Junior Bacon Cheeseburger has the least amount of calories, compared with its four worse competitors. How many calories are in it?

a) 910; b) 710; c) 310

Answers: 1: b; 2: c; 3: b; 4: c

Source: www.cancerproject.org

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