Foods That Seem Healthy But Really Aren’t
We are a month into the New Year and hopefully everyone is sticking with their resolution to get fit and make better food choices. That can sometimes be hard when the “diet foods” really aren’t the best choice. Let’s take a look at a few foods that are advertised as diet but are sometimes not the best options, and, additionally, what foods to substitute.
Frozen Diet Dinners (Lean Cuisine-Type Dinners)
Although the calorie count may be appealing on these dinners, it is important to look further down the nutritional chart. Often times, the sodium level is very high to make up for lack of flavor. They are also packed full of preservatives to make for a longer shelf life.
Here is the better option: make your own frozen dinners at home; if you make your own frozen dinners, you are in complete control of what goes into them. You will be able to make the calorie count match your needs and control the sodium and preservative levels. An example of an at-home frozen dinner: fill it full of vegetables, like carrots and celery, and use a low sodium broth. You will be able to freeze individual portions and have a healthier “diet frozen dinner”.
Restaurant-Style Turkey Burger
When you look at a turkey burger in a restaurant, you are saving some calories vs. ground beef, but in many restaurants, the burger is covered in a sugar-based sauce. When you are eating out, it is easy to order a burger with low calorie mustard instead of a sugary sauce and make the change to order without a bun. Making these small changes will cut your sugar and carb intake, which will make the turkey burger a good option.
Margarine
For many years, margarine was thought to be a much healthier option than butter, but that is not necessarily the case. Margarine is packed with many artificial ingredients, which are no better for you than the trans fats that it eliminates. For cooking, it is best to use olive oil or coconut oil, both of which are packed with beneficial omega-oils.
Protein Bars and Granola Bars
Some companies produce a protein bar that is somewhat healthy, but not all of them are. Reading the label will help you select the best protein bar for you. If the calorie count is above 200 and there are more than 20 grams of sugar, you are essentially getting a candy bar in a fancy wrapper. When purchasing a protein bar/granola bar look for one with as few ingredients as possible and bars that contain only nuts, dried fruit, and seeds.
If you would like to know more about making good food substitutions and how food choices impact your weight loss and fitness goals, stop by the clinic or give us a call at (970) 522-1969.
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