Seemingly healthy foods such as yogurt and oatmeal may contain copious amounts of added sugars. Breads and crackers are often made with heart-unhealthy hydrogenated oils (trans fat). “Miracle” juices and “energy” bars, touted as healthful, are usually just vehicles for added sugars and excessive calories.
Consider this representative list of what may be surprisingly unhealthy foods:
Yogurt: Plain, low-fat or nonfat yogurt is such a healthy food because it’s a delicious source of calcium, vitamin D, magnesium and protein, but many manufacturers have taken liberties with yogurt, loading it up with excess calories. Yogurt should have but two ingredients: milk and live cultures.
Tortilla and taco shells: They’re generally low in fat and usually made from corn or wheat or both, but read the ingredient label first because many brands are quite high in fat and are often made with hydrogenated fat or trans fat Trans fat can raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. Search for whole-wheat tortilla and taco shells made with canola or other vegetable oils.
Instant oatmeal: We know not to choose sugary cold cereals, but the same is true for convenience packages of instant oatmeal. Read the ingredient label first — one teaspoon of sugar equals four grams. Some of the “maple” or other flavors of instant oatmeal have more than 12 grams per serving. Instead, buy whole oats, microwave them for a minute in a glass dish, stir in a quarter cup of raisins and cook one more minute.
Granola: It may be “natural,” but it’s also typically a calorie-dense food and full of oil and sugar. There is no standard serving size for cereals, and most packaged granolas list the serving size as a mere quarter cup, with about 160 calories per serving. But no one is satisfied with just a quarter cup of cereal and usually will pour their usual cup — that’s 640 calories, plus milk. Stick with a high-fiber, lower-sugar cereal. If you like granola, use it as a topping on a yogurt and fruit parfait.
“Miracle” juices: The front of the package appeals to your quest for good health with words like “immune promoting” and “antioxidants” and appealing photos of fresh fruit. But, unlike fresh fruit, juice has almost no fiber, and it’s a very quick way to get excess calories. Eat whole fruit for more energy and fiber, and save your calories for fullness.
“Energy” bars: Another word for “energy” is “calorie,” and most bars are more akin to candy bars than nutritious snacks. The first ingredient is usually refined flour (not whole-grain), then sugar, sugar and more sugar, in a myriad of guises, including corn syrup, molasses, honey and more. For sustainable energy, grab a cup of 100-calorie yogurt and stir a cup of crunchy low-sugar cereal into it; make a fresh-fruit smoothie with nonfat yogurt, milk and berries; or pack a tuna sandwich on whole-wheat bread with an orange.
Microwave popcorn: Popcorn is a great snack, but not when it’s loaded with hydrogenated fat, artificial flavors and preservatives. The additives often found in microwave popcorn make it high in fat calories relative to volume. Instead, use an air-popper to pop a few cups of popcorn. For a heartier snack, toss the hot popcorn with grated cheddar cheese.
Rice cakes: Although they’re somewhat lower in calories than potato chips or corn chips, rice cakes offer little in nutritional value and certainly little fiber, and they’re often are high in sodium and sugar (if they’re flavored). A better choice is whole-wheat pita chips with hummus or peanut butter.
No comments:
Post a Comment