The top 5 fake health foods

You understand how some sneakers are specifically engineered for others and workouts, it turns out, are appropriate for nothing more than making fashion statements? Well, foods really are like that also. Many are dressed up to appear as they’re good for you when in fact they’re anything but. When you are trying to eat well, it can be bothersome when unhealthful impostors–full of sugar, fat, and sodium–undo your great work. Here’s how to spot and prevent seven of them.

1) Smoothies loaded with sugars

With so much fruit, how can a smoothie be a bad thing? Trouble comes to tropical heaven when a smoothie’s main component is fruit juice, which adds calories without supplying any of the good-for-you fiber you receive from the fruit itself. What is more, a few smoothie stains utilize sugar-loaded sherbet or frozen yogurt to bulge up flavor. Therefore you are going to be adding on the calories later when hunger comes back back.

On the go, opt for a low-fat yogurt and a bit of fruit.

In the home, try this recipe for a healthy smoothie: Blend a half-cup low-fat yogurt, a half-cup nonfat milk, one serving of fruit (for instance, a cup of frozen berries or a frozen banana), and a tablespoon of flaxseed.

2) Fat-free foods loaded with fillers

They sure sound good, but the issue with fat-free foods, says Greaves, is that “people view them as a ticket to eat more.” Which is particularly problematic because when you take fat from meals, something must replace the taste–and that something is generally added sugar and sodium. The proper kinds of fats are actually essential to a healthy diet, providing flavor, lowering the potential for heart disease, and even picking up your mood, says Greaves. What’s more, fat can help you feel complete; many meals become less satisfying without it, which may lead one to consume more in your next meal.

Dairy goods, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, are usually high in saturated fat; choose fat-free or low-fat versions.

Ditto with commercially processed foods like stick margarine and frozen meals, which are usually high in trans-fats.

On the other hand, “occasionally one routine cookie is a much better choice than eight fat-free cookies,” says Greaves. It may be more likely to satisfy you and keep you from overindulging.

Always go with full-fat, natural peanut butter, that is full of healthful polyunsaturated fats. Reduced-fat versions replace them with hydrogenated oils (which can be high in trans fats) and glucose.

Fat-free salad dressings are loaded with sodium and sugar.

3) Energy bars loaded with sugars

Just because they are available in a tiny package that says they’re loaded with vitamin and minerals, energy bars are not always a nutritious option. In fact, “a great deal of these are nothing more than glorified candy bars,” says Sari Greaves, RD, nutrition director for Step Ahead Weight Loss Center in New Jersey. “They can be packaged with enriched white flour, higher fructose corn syrup, and other additives.” Many are high in saturated fat, too, and low in fiber. “And should you eat them in inclusion to meals,” says Greaves, “that is an extra 300 to 400 calories in daily, which many of us can not manage.”

If you are replacing a meal using a power bar, select one with 200 to 300 calories; for a snack, shoot for 150 calories or fewer.

Opt for a bar whose ingredient list is short and starts with a whole grain such as brown rice, whole wheat, or whole oat flour.

Make certain your pick matches at least 2 of Greaves’s requirements: fewer than 15 g of sugars, less than 2 g of saturated fat, at least 3 grams of fiber, and also at least 5 grams of protein.

If you can’t locate one containing that much protein, add it yourself: Spread a low-carb pub with a thin coating of peanut butter, or enjoy a glass of low-fat milk or a piece of low-fat chain cheese with it. “Adding in the protein will allow you to feel more satisfied longer,” says Greaves.

4) Sports drinks and fruit juices

An increasing body of research indicates that ingesting added glucose from sweetened beverages increases the risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. In fact, the American Heart Association urges we get no more than 6.5 teaspoons of additional sugar daily. But the majority people strategy outpace that. Between 1970 and 2005 the average American’s intake of added sugars (cane sugar, beet sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, or agave) jumped by 20 percent, and the majority of the increase came from beverages. You likely have 22 to 30 teaspoons of additional sugar every day, which adds around 350 to 475 empty calories daily.

Soda takes a whole lot of the heat, but the problem doesn’t start and end there. For instance, the 20-ounce jar of SoBe Green Tea provides 15.5 teaspoons of added sugar–only 1 teaspoon under a 20-ounce Coke. Along with a Minute Maid lemonade of the same size includes a half-teaspoon over a Coke. Gatorade and Vitamin Water may sound healthy, but a 20-ounce jar of either exceeds your daily sugar allowance by two teaspoons.

In restaurants, request unsweetened beverages–such as ice tea–and put in in a zero-calorie sweetener such as Splenda, says Greaves.

Look for sugar-free versions of Vitamin Water and lemonade (like good ol’ Crystal Light), and Gatorade’s G2 reduced-sugar drink.

In the home, create your own flavored water, adding in sliced cucumbers, berries, oranges, lemons, or limes. Pop a multi together with your own water.

5) Unhealthy salads and wraps

“I’ll just have a salad” has been the universal slogan of the well-intentioned eater, but consider this: Some restaurant chains possess salads on their menus that top out at 1,000 calories. And if you pick up a premade Caesar-salad kit at the supermarket you may also have stopped into Burger King for a Whopper, ” says Greaves. The truth is, many fries are packed with unhealthy add-ins, such as cheese (100 calories in four dice-sized cubes), bacon pieces, creamy dressings, and croutons. Nothing against a big bowl of healthy greens; it’s the company they maintain that is worrisome.

With little leaves of lettuce peeking out and slender slices of deli meats, wraps look like a solid option. Nevertheless, the flat breads that provide the sandwiches their name may bring 300 calories into the table all in their own, says Marisa Moore, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association in Atlanta. By the time you add in certain cheese, cold cuts, along with a disperse, you could be putting away a 700-calorie meal that feels more like a snack. Plus, wraps are often made from processed grains–so they don’t give you the fiber that you need for a healthful lunch.

If you are dining out, always ask for dressings on the side. Dip your fork into the dressing first, then spear some greens.

In the salad bar, skip whatever’s blended with mayonnaise, such as tuna or egg salad. Select grilled chicken breast, tofu, or even a half-cup of chickpeas instead.

If you like cheese, dust a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on your salad before eating, to give it a lot of taste with way fewer calories.

Rather than sliced ham or croutons, go for a tablespoon of slivered almonds or sunflower seeds for flavor and crunch.

At house, replace dressing with flavorful fresh fruit–like pears or mandarin oranges.

Check nourishment info, if it’s available: A wrap made from whole grain is greatest. Barring that, look for the choice that’s best in fiber, which will help you feel fuller.

Eat only half of the sandwich for lunch, using a slice of fruit and a side of greens; instead rescue the other half for a post-exercise or afternoon snack.

Scatter the cheese and select avocado (that can be saturated in visceral fat) instead.

Select Dijon or spicy mustard over mayonnaise.

Select Dijon or spicy mustard over mayonnaise. Pile on extra veggies, including green peppers, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes.

Cooking healthy recipes hasn’t ever been this easy.