Everyone who is concerned about their weight and overall good health knows that to be healthy and fit, you need to eat healthy. Eating healthy is important in weight loss too, but there are healthy foods that can make you fat if you make them the star of your diet and consume too much. While you’ll never get fat no matter how much celery you eat every day, these healthy foods should be consumed with more caution because of their effect on your weight.
Is your granola or trail mix snack packed with nutrients or calories.
A healthy snack is important and two of the easiest snacks to carry and munch on in the afternoon are granola and trail mix. The fruit and nuts of the trail mix provide nutrition and energy to help you make it through until supper time, curbing your appetite in the process. The problem occurs with ingredients and portion size. Many of the commercially made mixes contain honey to make it more palatable, dried fruit and even chocolate. The serving size is about four tablespoons or a quarter cup. If you stick to one serving and check the ingredients, it’s not a problem. Most people don’t and wonder why this healthy snack is making them fat.
Are protein bars your nemesis or friend?
Again, manufacturers have taken a good thing and run with it to the far end of the field. Most protein bars are loaded with sugar or they would otherwise taste…well…healthy. In this case, it’s not a good adjective. Before you grab a box off the shelf as your go to snack, read the label. Does it provide as many nutrients as it should for the amount of calories you’re consuming or is it just a glorified candy bar? In many cases, a piece of fresh fruit would be lower in calories, be more filling and have more nutrition.
That healthy avocado should be eaten in moderation.
The avocado has come into its own in the world of healthy eating. It’s packed with healthy fats that keep your heart in better shape by lowering cholesterol levels. It can improve your skin, reduce the risk of cancer and help prevent diabetes. So, what’s not to love about this amazing superfood? It’s high in fat. Even though it’s loaded with healthy vitamins and minerals, it’s also loaded with fat. No matter how healthy the fat is, it’s still loaded with calories and when weight loss is important, lowering caloric intake is the goal. You can eat them, but sparingly.
– Dried fruit provides nutrients packaged in a smaller wrap than its fresh counterpart and that’s the problem. While it’s healthy, it’s less filling than fresh fruit and easy to eat more calories than you should. It’s also loaded with sugar that can play havoc with blood sugar levels.
– If you’re going gluten free because you think it’s healthier, not because of celiac disease, be aware that many gluten free products are calorie dense and more fattening than the gluten containing products they replace.
– Yogurt is good for you and a great addition to a diet, unless it’s flavored yogurt. The manufacturer sweetens the taste with sugar and fruit. You can create a healthier version by adding your own fresh fruit to plain yogurt.
– Tofu may be a healthy alternative, but it can also add pounds if it’s fried. It’s a sponge for the oil and soaks up calories to pass on to you.
