Do you buy your snacks because they say “baked, multi-grain, or fat-free?” It is so hard in a world that has so many choices to know which of those choices are good and which are bad. Here is the skinny on some that may fool you. 1. Multi-grain or Whole Wheat: breads that are showing this on their label still tend to be made from refined grains. Meaning, they have been stripped of the essential things that make them a whole grain. These being the grain seed which is the bran, the germ and the endosperm. If the bread was truly a whole grain these would be intact and you would be getting much more protein and fiber. Watch your ingredient list and see if say “enriched wheat flour, or unbleached…..” This is not a whole grain 2. Fat-free: take fat-free salad dressing for example. You are not helping yourself by skipping the good fat that is in olive oil by substituting for a fat-free dressing. Salads are full of nutrients and minerals that are fat soluble. This is what our body needs and helps to protect us from disease. By choosing fat free you not going to absorb all the nutrients your salad is offering you. Try oil and balsamic vinegar. This also goes for low-fat peanut butters. There is much more sugar in the peanut butter that is reduced in fat. Better to have a whole fat natural version. 3. Energy Bars: They look and have the sound of a healthy alternative when picking something up on the go. Unfortunately they are loaded with sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and quite a lot of chemicals that we don’t always know what it is or can even pronounce. Better to have trail-mix or something of the same thing. How about an apple with natural peanut butter? 4. Smoothies: This seems like a great choice. However even though it is often made with fruit or veggies, when you are getting it out the portion size is very large, it is usually sweetened with a syrup, and often the yogurt or dairy in there is also a reduced fat version so the sugar content is quite high. A good option would be to just make it at home. 5. Baked Chips: Baked chips do not offer a lesser calorie option. The fried chip is actually a better choice. The fried chip is much more satisfying because fat is filling. You will eat more and feel the fullness instead of feeling un-satisfied with the baked version. We also think when we are making a healthier choice that it is ok to eat bigger servings. This will happen when we pick the “healthy” chip. Read your ingredients. Better to have a small amount of the real thing, feel full and satisfied, than try to go for the versions that have extra ingredients or have an essential ingredient taken out. This is the meaning of healthy eating. Resources http://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/1002969-21-foods-sound-healthy-but-n...
