To me, nothing says spring quite like long leisurely lunches with friends on warm afternoons. And nothing says lunch quite like a sandwich. Opting for a fresh sandwich loaded with veggies and topped off with whole grain bread over something laden with fat and calories, like a burger, seems like the healthy way to go. And I always give myself bonus points for ordering a salad on the side instead of the standard fries.

But are sandwiches always the healthier option? Take one of my favorite -- the club -- and tell me.

Between all the crazy things people deep fry and Paula Deen's Brunch Burgers, I thought I had heard it all. But the bacon explosion takes me to a new level of disgusted.

To make the bacon explosion (which could also be called the "heart attack on a plate"), you weave together strips of raw bacon and sprinkle it with barbecue seasoning. Then cover the bacon with a layer of sausage and sprinkle with crumbled, cooked bacon. Roll it all up, sprinkle with more seasoning, and grill.

The Examiner estimates that the whole thing adds up to around 5,000 calories and 500 grams of fat (much of which is saturated fat). That is one recipe to stay far away from. If you're looking for some savory treats for Super Bowl Sunday, try some of these skinny Super Bowl recipes, instead.

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I just think Paula Deen is the best. She's sweet, funny and the epitome of southern charm. It's a rare day that Paula claims any of her recipes are light and healthy -- after all, butter is The Lady's favorite ingredient. But I'm OK with that. I've tried a few of her recipes, and so far they've all been yummy; they just need to be served in small portions and paired with very light and nutritious sides.

But Paula really takes the cake with her recipe for Brunch Burgers. Or should I say she takes the doughnut? She makes a basic burger and tops it with bacon and a fried egg. It's a little non-traditional, but I can get on board with that. In fact, it might be quite tasty. But then she pulls out glazed doughnuts and uses them in lieu of a hamburger bun. I swear to the Gods of Food Network, my arteries started to clog just watching her do that.

If you're a fan of burgers, try some of these healthier burger recipes.

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Fancy a big, heaping serving of salt on your breakfast plate? Yuck. I don't know about you, but the thought turns my stomach. However, recent studies show that many of us are getting our half and sometimes even a full day's worth of salt in our first meal of the day. What's even more alarming about this statistic is that this is true even for those of us who make our own breakfast at home.

I think everyone accepts that a big breakfast of bacon, eggs and hash browns is a salty way to start the day but apparently, many seemingly inauspicious items are also high in salt -- things like Starbucks skinny muffins, as well as many pastries and croissants. Even some toast toppings have more sodium than bacon! Consider this -- a Skinny Blueberry Muffin from Starbucks has 2400 mg of sodium, while a slice of bacon has a mere 303mg.

Do your heart a favor: Check the labels and do what you can to make sure you're not getting too much sodium in the AM -- or any time of day. The daily RDI of sodium here in North America is 2300 mg.

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Fried green tomatoes, step aside: there's a healthier dish in town. Full of flavor and nutritious goodies, green tomato rice may become the new "in" side dish using the popular unripe fruit.

We don't want the trans fats that frying gives us, and bread crumbs have almost no nutritional value. And we certainly don't want the calories in fried green tomatoes -- 312 calories in just one tomato! Brown rice, on the other hand, supplies B vitamins and fiber, and garlic, thyme and jalepeno all have their heart-smart health benefits.

To get the most from green tomato rice, be sure to use brown rice (and increase the broth slightly) and nitrite-free turkey bacon; then enjoy your new green tomato staple side dish!

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Feel free to borrow these tips, ladies, but men -- these are mostly for you. Well, those of you who just can't part with goodies like cookies, beer, bacon, and chips. This list offers you options for satisfying your cravings but without the ill-effects. Don't delay -- click on the thumbnails to read on!

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We all indulge in 'bad' foods from time to time, but what are the chances that most of us are indulging in bad things most of the time? Pretty high if you live in Britain. Recent studies out of the UK showed that in every region of the country, people were eating more than their recommended daily intake of saturated fat on a regular basis. In more urbanized parts of the country, the average person consumed 20% more saturated fat than they should have, while in more rural parts of the country, they were eating double the amount they should. Yikes.

Why should we care about what they're eating in England? I have a very good feeling that we North Americans aren't far off. Eating too much saturated fat can raise your cholesterol, up your chance of heart disease and shorten your lifespan, among other things.

You should be getting no more than 20 g - 30g of saturated fat a day. Lower your average intake by cutting out processed meats like bacon and sausages and cutting down on how much butter you consume.

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Google, the ingenious company that has seemingly single-handedly conquered the internet, could use some lessons in nutrition, apparently. Well, at least their NYC Cafe could. The eatery recently served up a stomach-churning, heart attack-inducing, vomit-inspiring doozy of a sandwich. The Bacon Krispy Kreme Burger is just that -- a cheeseburger with bacon served on a Krispy Kreme donut as the bun. The only way they could possibly make it less nutritious is if they deep fried it.

How many calories does you think is in one of these? Let's see, about 200 in the donut, 250 in the pattty, 150 in the bacon and 100 in the cheese? At 700 calories and about a jillion grams of fat, let's hope Google provides its employees with good insurance plans.

(via Celebrity Diet Doctor)

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Yuck! I just watched a little news bit about Minnesota on Fox News. They were featuring the state as it is hosting the Republican Convention in St. Paul. (That title is meant to be read with an adorable accent.)

Apparently all the folks in Minnesota aren't in "the know" about health. On display in this feature was an obnoxious amount of fried food being carried around on sticks. Mmmmm. Heart disease. Corn dogs, fried chips, fried meat and to top it off, chocolate covered bacon!

Would you ever even consider eating this? It looked pretty fowl to me, though I am fairly particular about what I put in my mouth. I can only imagine some guy sitting in a diner one day thinking, "how could I improve on this strip of pig fat? I know! Let's dip it in chocolate!"

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It's no secret that a traditional English breakfast isn't healthy. That's just what happens when a meal is made up of fried eggs, fried bacon, fried hash browns, fried tomatoes and--good lord--fried bread (though to be fair, the breakfast is also served with baked beans, which are hopefully not fried as well).

But while proponents of the fry-up may look towards any kind of benefit in the menu -- protein! healthy egg whites! -- it's clear that the full English does more harm than good. Here's what's wrong with it:

• It increases your risk for bowel cancer by 63%, according to recent reports.
  
• It also significantly increases your risk of obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease and a number of other killer ailments.
  

I'll say it again: Moderation. No one died from eating a full English fry-up once in their life, but having a meal of these proportions every day can literally kill you. Proceed with caution.

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Now that it's summer, it's time for salads: fresh, crisp, cool delicious salads. Order one with a side of iced tea and you've got yourself a refreshing, light, summer meal. But the thing about salads is this: You have to be careful. Salads can pack a real calorie punch if you overdo it on the ingredients; Things like cheese and dressing can wreak havoc on the best dieting intentions.

One of my favourite salads is a Cobb salad. Mmmmmm, tasty -- and it really hits the spot on a hot summer day. So I have to wonder about the good old Cobb salad. How many calories does it have? Fat? I really have no idea -- do you?

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When you're grabbing a meal on the run, most of us know better than to order our meal with fries. Why? They're loaded with fat and sodium, and will make a big caloric dent in our daily intake.

But when a sandwich isn't enough, what can we get to go with our fast food entree? Most places now offer sides of stuff like salad, fruit or other healthy fare. And at Wendy's, you can even enjoy potatoes without having to order them deep-fried and covered in salt -- you can order a baked potato on the side.

But are baked potatoes a healthier option than fries? One would think so, based on the fact that they're cooked in the oven instead of the deep fryer. But what baked potatoes lack in deep-fried goodness, they make up for with add-ons like sour cream, bacon bits, butter and cheese. Still, how bad can it be? You tell me.

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If you're trying to lose weight, or even just trying to eat healthy, you've probably long since given up on pizza and ice cream. But not so fast, says WebMD. Here's their list of five foods that aren't as bad for you as most people believe:

• Red Meat. Protein is great for curbing hunger and building muscle. Just make sure you get an extra-lean cut.
  
• Ice Cream. Studies show that women who eat a serving of full-fat dairy a day lose more weight than those who don't. Who knew?
• Eggs. Eggs are a great, low-fat source of protein, and contrary to popular belief, they're not bad for you heart -- at least in moderation.
  
• Pizza. With a few healthy modifications, pizza can be a perfect meal. Opt for thin, whole wheat crust with tons of veggies and just a sprinkling of cheese and you're getting one well-rounded dish
  
• Bacon. Well, Canadian bacon, that is. It's got a third of the fat of regular bacon, and none of those worrisome nitrates. Not a fan? Try turkey bacon.
  

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Toss those hot dogs, bacon, and cured meats you're planning to devour -- because they could just take your breath away.

According to an analysis published recently in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, people who munch on these meaty items have an increased risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD, the umbrella term for emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is the fourth leading cause of death in America and is primarily caused by smoking. Still, diet plays a role and while studies don't conclusively link eating habits with COPD, there does seem to be an association. Specifically, those who ate 14 or more servings of cured meat per month increased their odds of developing this condition by 80 percent.

I don't know about you, but 80 percent seems pretty significant to me. This, along with the fact that cured meats contain large amounts of nitrates -- linked to lung damage in animals -- is enough for me to steer clear of these iffy meats for the rest of time.

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Bacon is a breakfast staple across North America and some other countries too. I know it was for my family; growing up, Sunday mornings were always accompanied by the smells of coffee and bacon, made just how I like it -- crispy. Now that I'm on my own, I rarely have bacon, if only for the fact that I am too lazy to cook it on a Sunday morning (what a mess!) But I still like the occasional slice when I'm eating breakfast elsewhere.

Fitsugar recently asked the question Is Bacon Really That Bad For Me? And the answer was a resounding YES. Even if you overlook the fact that bacon has more sodium and saturated fat than is good for you, you can't ignore the nitrates -- those chemical additives that are carcinogenic when cooked at high heat.

So unless you can find nitrate-free bacon, skip the salty goodness and start your day off with a healthy, non-cancer-causing dish.

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