Calories in Alessi Risotto with porcini mushrooms

WeightWatchers Points are estimated by carbohydrates, fats, protein and fiber in product. They are not an affirmation of better quality or nutritional value of the product or its manufacturer. Only way to count for dieters. Less points are better.
Read more at Weight watchers diet review

The average American consumes 5,000 mg of sodium daily — twice the recommended amount amount of 2400mg for healthy adults, this is 1 teaspoon of salt.
For medical reasons many people should not exceed 1500mg of sodium.
Surprisingly, you're responsible for only 15% of the sodium in your diet the bigger part - 75% of the sodium that you consume each day comes from processed foods, not home cooking or the salt shaker.
Excess sodium intake increases the risk of high blood pressure, hypernatremia, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and other heart problems.
Are these reasons enough to cut the sodium intake? No doubt!

Salt (NaCl) is not excactly sodium (Na).
It is not right to use these terms as synonyms.
The FDA recommended limit of sodium is 2,300 mg per day (or even less - about 1500 mg while one is on low sodium diets).
This is much less than the weight of salt.
(5,750 mg per day or 3,750 mg for low sodium diet) and not so convenient to calculate.
Know how much sodium is in your salt - without a calculator:
1/4 tsp salt = 600 mg sodium
1/2 tsp salt = 1200 mg sodium
3/4 tsp salt = 1800 mg sodium
1 tsp salt = 2300 mg sodium

Great! Contains less than 1.5 tsp of sugar per serving!

It is not really good to have a breakfast with so little amount of fiber!
Your morning meal should have more fiber or it won't have good effect on your health.
You should add some natural fiber to your cereal or switch to a better one, that has more than 4g of fiber per serving.
Some suggestions to make this product better:

• add some fresh fruits or eat them as a dessert
• add some seeds or nuts
• add any high fiber cereal (for example Granola or bran)

There is not much fiber in here and that's not good!
Your breakfast should have more fiber and this cereal alone won't do the trick.
Either switch to a healthier cereal (with at least 4 grams of naturally occurring fiber)
or add some healthy natural fiber to your cereal or breakfast.

TIPS on adding fiber to cereal:

• Mix in some high fiber cereal, like wheat bran
• Add 2 Tbsp of ground flax seeds
• Eat fresh fruit or berries

Monosodium Glutamate is used as a flavor enhancer with an umami taste that intensifies the meaty, savory flavor of food.
Naturally occurring glutamate does it in foods such as stews and meat soups.

Despite the fact that MSG is one of the most extensively studied food ingredients and is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by FDA.
Some people should steer away from it as they feel that react adversely to MSG.

MSG is generally found in processed, low-quality foods, stuff that you shouldn’t be eating much.

REMEMBER: Any food ingredient listed as hydrolyzed, protein-fortified, ultra-pasteurized, fermented or enzyme-modified is often MSG, or creates free glutamic acid during processing.

People feeling reaction to MSG may also react adversely to MSG-like substances.
Glutamates or chemically similar items are added to improve a product's taste.

Here is a short list of common MSG-like substances:

• Yeast extract
• Autolyzed yeast
• Hydrolyzed proteins
• Textured proteins
• Anything "enzyme modified"

Consumption of food containing trans-fat has unequivocally been shown to increase the risk of heart disease by raising levels of LDL (bad cholesterol), and lowering levels of HDL (good cholesterol). Why do the nutrition labels on some products say that there are no trans fats, while Fooducate insists there are? Unfortunately there is an FDA loop hole here. If the amount of trans-fat in a product is less than half a gram per serving, manufacturers can round it down to 0. But even 0.49 grams of trans-fat is bad for you. And don't even get us started on the actual consumption versus the tiny serving size. So how do you know if a product does have trans fat in it? Look for "partially hydrogenated" oils and fats in the ingredient list. Sources: ----------- Mensink RPM, Katan MB. Effect of dietary trans fatty acids on high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in healthy subjects. N Engl J Med 1990;323:439-45. Zock PL, Katan MB. Hydrogenation alternatives: effects of trans fatty acids and stearic acid versus linoleic acid on serum lipids and lipoproteins in humans. J Lipid Res l992;33:399-4l0. Judd JT, Clevidence BA, Muesing RA, Wittes J, Sunkin ME, Podczasy JJ. Dietary trans fatty acids: effects of plasma lipids and lipoproteins of healthy men and women. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59:861-8. Lichtenstein AH, Ausman LM, Jalbert SM, Schaefer EJ. Effects of different forms of dietary hydrogenated fats on serum lipoprotein cholesterol levels. N Engl J Med 1999;340:1933–1940 Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Manson JE, Rimm E, Colditz GA, Rosner BA, et al. Dietary fat intake and the risk of coronary heart disease in women. N Engl J Med. 1997;337:1491–9. Mozaffarian D, Katan MB, Ascherio A, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. Trans fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med. 2006;354:1601–1613.

Monosodium Glutamate is responsible for the umami (savory) flavor of foods, but some people steer away from it as it causes them adverse reactions.

* FoodPoints are calculated by Fooducate based on fats, carbs, fiber, and protein. They are not an endorsement or approval of the product or its manufacturer. The fewer points - the better.

This product is highly processed. If you'll take a look at its ingredient list, you'll discover new words to add to your vocabulary. Many of theses ingredients are required to increase the shelf life of the product and improve the flavor that disappears when food is not fresh.

People sensitive to MSG may also be sensitive to MSG-like substances. These are glutamates or chemically similar items added to improve a product's taste. Here is a short list of common MSG-like substances (see our blog for more): - Yeast extract - Autolyzed yeast - Hydrolyzed proteins ---- Source: Scopp AL. MSG and hydrolyzed vegetable protein induced headache: review and case studies. Headache. 1991;31(2):107-10. Questions and Answers on Monosodium glutamate (MSG) http://www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/foodadditivesingredients/ucm328728.htm Natural Flavorings on Meat and Poultry Labels http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/natural-flavorings-on-meat-and-poultry-labels

Companies add flavorings to make products taste better. They are created in a lab and the formulations are guarded as trade secrets. Flavorings can compensate for flavor loss during processing, substitute for ingredients, lower production costs and increase shelf stability. Natural flavorings are more expensive to source than artificial flavors, but tend to be better received by consumers. People sensitive to MSG, vegans, vegetarians and those with allergies should pay special attention to the phrase "natural flavorings" since glutamates, animal products or allergens may be the source of natural flavors. You can always contact the manufacturer for more information.

Disodium inosinate provides an umami flavor to foods. It is often found together with MSG. It can be sourced from vegetables, fungi, or animal sources.

Disodium guanylate imparts the umami flavor to foods such as soups and savory snacks. This allows the reduction of the sodium content. This "food enhancer" may be problematic for babies, asthmatics, people who suffer from gout or uric acid kidney stones. In most cases it is derived from vegetable sources. But sometimes it may come from fish, so vegetarians or vegans, ask the manufacturer to be certain.

Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide that is used as a food additive. A polysaccharide is a type of carbohydrate. It is produced from starches of corn, wheat, potatoes or rice. Its flavor can be slightly sweet or almost flavorless. Maltodextrin is used as a bulking base for artificial sweeteners, for example in Jell-o it is used in conjunction with Aspartame and Acesulfame Potassium. It is also the bulking agent in Splenda.