New Year’s resolution No. 1: Fit into fabulous clothing.

You may ask why a fashion writer is doing a piece on healthy eating. The answer is that you need to eat healthy in order to fit into your fabulous frocks. Eating at Mickey D’s isn’t going to get you into that YSL gown.

I’m sure we have all packed on a few extra pounds over the holidays that we need to shed. Eating out and those cravings for sweets are the saboteurs of any healthy eating plan.

Red Velvet Cafe and Sammy’s Woodfired Grill have some great ways to quench those craving while keeping your calories in check.

There has been a frenzy of talk about Red Velvet Cafe’s 200-calorie cupcakes, generated mostly by moi. I am a dedicated patron and mayor of Red Velvet on FourSquare. Yeah, I eat there a lot.

I sat down with Red Velvet Cafe to get the so-called “skinny” on their famous 200-calorie cupcakes.

Q: So what’s the real deal with the cupcakes? Are they really under 200 calories?

RVC: Yes, they are. Every single flavor of the cake is handcrafted fresh everyday and weighed and measured to get the perfect calories and grams of fat. And, yes, all are cakes are below 200 calories and approximately 6 to 7 grams of fat.

Q: How is this possible? They are so good!

RVC: By using the highest quality of organic ingredients. Chef Aneesha does not use any eggs, dairy, butter or nuts in her baking, which brings the caloric count and the fat grams to almost nothing which also makes our products vegan.

Q: What gave you the idea to create these magical delicacies?

RVC: Chef Aneesha saw a lot of kids and adults suffering from so many  food allergies she decided to help people with keeping certain ingredients out from their diet. When it come to cakes, pastries and desserts, people somehow shy away because of calories or grams of fat or sugar. Being a pastry chef, Chef Aneesha started creating desserts with fewer calories, grams of sugar and controlling the fat grams. That was the idea to do the right thing for the kids and people who wanted to take care of their health.

Q: What flavors do they come in?

RVC: Every flavor you can imagine. The main flavor is the Red Velvet Cake and than it goes on to many more.

Q: Do you make gluten-free desserts?

RVC: Yes, we do make gluten-free by special orders. Just make sure to call the night before to place order.

Red Velvet Cafe is located at 7875 W. Sahara Ave., 702.360.1972.

Oh pizza! One of my favorite high-calorie foods! Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza has found a great way to lower the calories of this guilty pleasure while making it available to people who previously couldn’t partake. They have introduced a low-calorie, gluten-free pizza.

What is gluten? It’s found in pasta, crackers, cereal, breads and other baked goods. Gluten also lurks in less obvious places such as malt vinegar, soy sauce, breaded meats, many flavorings and emulsifiers, beer, gin, whiskey and rye, and gravy and sauces thickened with flour.

Why eat gluten free? According to Journal Now, “There are people with celiac disease who must be on the diet; others who believe that the diet can alleviate chronic intestinal complaints and boost energy. Still others believe that the gluten-free diet might help in the treatment of Autism and a host of other disorders, including schizophrenia, chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis, attention deficit disorder, migraine and even fertility problems. And then some people are trying the diet simply because they’ve heard it is healthy.”

Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza filled me in on their new dough:

Q: Why did Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza decide to start carrying gluten-free pizza?

SWP: Sammy’s decided to start carrying gluten-free pizza to accommodate our guests with gluten sensitivities. An estimated 1 in 100 Americans has celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that is triggered by gluten. With so few dining options available, we wanted to offer those with gluten sensitivities an opportunity to have a pizza and a beer! (Bonus: SWP has Gluten free beers as well!)

Q: How many calories is the crust?

SWP: Only 160 calories! (I suggest you order it with the nonfat or vegan cheese Sammy’s offers)

Q: What are some benefits of eating gluten free?

SWP: There are no proven benefits to a gluten-free diet for those without gluten sensitivities. However, avoiding gluten can help you make healthier choices. Natural, gluten-free foods are foods, for example, that are grown on trees, grown from the ground, or beef/poultry. If you’re avoiding processed foods, then you can avoid eating gluten and will likely feel more energetic.

Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza has five locations in Las Vegas as well as locations in San Diego:
Central Las Vegas: 6500 W. Sahara Ave., 702.227.6000
SW: 7345 Arroyo Crossing Pkwy #100, 702.263.7171
Green Valley: 4300 E. Sunset Rd., Henderson, 702.450.6664
Summerlin: 9516 W. Flamingo Rd., 702.638.9500
Centennial Hills: 7160 N. Durango Dr., 702.365.7777

Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza wants to help you kick off the new year by eating well and feeling good plus Red Velvet Cafe will quench those sweet cravings and keep your eating plan on track. One lucky winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to Sammy’s and another lucky winner will receive a $20 gift certificate to Red Velvet cafe to stock up on those yummy 200-calorie cupcakes.

To enter, if you haven’t already subscribe to this blog. Then leave a comment on this post between Jan. 2 and Jan. 8 telling me your top two new year’s resolutions.

Good luck and thanks for reading. Happy 2011.

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