Foods That Look Healthy But Aren't: From Salads to Instant Oats, Are Your 'Weight Loss' Foods Lying to You?
If you are trying to overhaul your diet, loading up on nutritious foods is one of the best things you can do. However, there are some "healthier" options that may end up ruining your efforts. Here are some of the biggest offenders.
When it comes to eating better and losing weight, we make the effort to choose healthier foods: vegetable chips instead of potato chips, a salad instead of chicken wings, or sparkling water over a soda. But turns out that your favourite health foods may not be that healthy. Some foods that are believed to be better for you may actually have a health halo effect: the idea that food is marketed as being healthy when it's really not. Here's why you should cut down on those so-called healthy foods.
Fast-Food Salads
Fast food has not always been synonymous with healthy eating so how would that salad be healthy? Loaded with mayonnaise and other calorie-dense dressings, these fast food salads can fill you up with as much as 500 calories. If you are ingesting so many calories, why not go for a burger instead?
Granola Bars
You must be reaching for that granola many times especially when you are too busy to prepare a meal. Granola bars make a good option since they are a good source of whole grains, protein, and fibre right? Wrong. Some brands of granola use additional sweeteners which can actually show on your waistline. If you cannot do away with that granola, it is best to keep portions small.
Pre-Bottled Smoothies
Pre-bottled smoothies have more sugar than you think. Some of them can have up to 50g of sugar which is twice the amount of sugar recommended by the World Health Organisation in one day. So maybe just make your own smoothie next time? Dietician Recommends 15 Affordable Foods That Are Packed With Vital Nutrients.
Instant Oatmeal
Instant oatmeal can also contain extra sugars and artificial colours. The apple and cranberry flavoured oatmeal of any brand can contain as much as 12g of sugar in just one packet. Steel-cut oats might be a safer choice. Include These 5 Foods in Your Diet To Lower Blood Sugar.
Vegetable Chips
Veggie chips can be healthier than potato chips but that doesn't mean they are good for you. Just one serving of garden veggie chips contains around 230g of sodium when you compare it to potato chips which contain only 170g of sodium.
Protein Bars
After a workout, we want to reach for the most convenient food and that is often a protein bar. But just because the wrapper claims it's good for you, doesn't mean that you can indulge in it. Most protein bars contain artificial ingredients, added sugar and up to 43g of carbs. Therefore, always check the label. Eating Out On a Weight Loss Diet: Healthiest Foods to Order At a Thai Restaurant.
Coconut oil is touted to be one of the healthy foods but if you are not portioning it out, it may lead to added calories in the diet, causing weight gain. The amount you add in a day can quickly add up so portion control is extremely important.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 30, 2019 01:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).