It happens to the best of us. With all good intentions we start eating something that we thought was healthy or at least the healthier alternative. And let me correct myself – these five things I’m going to list aren’t the end of the world if you consume them, don’t get me wrong. But it’s all about how you go about it.
#1 Juice Smoothies – Naked, Odwalla, Jamba Juice, etc.
Fruit is good. But don’t forget it’s still sugar. When you drink these smoothies more than likely you may be consuming more than one serving. So what, you say? Well, let’s look at the impact shall we:
Naked Juice – The Mighty Mango flavor has 30 grams of sugar per one serving. Yikes! How many servings are in the typical 15.2 fluid ounce bottle you see in most grocery stores? About 2. So, if you drink the whole 15.2 ounce bottle at once, that’s right – you just downed 60 grams worth of sugar!
Jamba Juice smoothies aren’t any different – one 16 ounce Pomegranate Paradise Smoothie contains 53 grams of sugar!
#2 100 calorie snacks
These little snacks can let you have your cake and eat it, too. They give you a taste of what you might be missing and teach you about portion control. But, things start getting out of control when you reach for a second, third, or even fourth pack. The point of 100 calorie snacks are so you can still eat your favorite snacks just not in big amounts. So, if you know you can’t stop yourself from eating more than one pack at a time, then just don’t buy them at all.
#3 Baked potato chips
You can’t eat just one! But don’t get fooled by the word “baked”, these chips may still contain high amounts of sodium and traces of saturated fat.
#4 Granola – not all granola is created equal
If you’re going to eat granola you have to find one that has a high fiber, high protein – low sugar, low fat content -some brands tend to be the opposite.
#5 Frozen Yogurt
Frozen yogurt has become very popular as an alternative to ice cream, but ingredients reveal it to be anything but healthy. Ingredients from carrageenan to disodium phosphate, propylene glycol monoesters and other artificial ingredients can be found in frozen yogurt. And what about the frozen yogurt places that just allow you to fill up a cup? Just because the cup is a certain size doesn’t mean you have to fill it all the way to the top.
#6 Sports drinks – Powerade, Gatorade, etc.
Sports drinks are mainly used for times when athletes or very physically active individuals are exercising for at least an hour or more at a time. These drinks typically contain high amounts of sugar because they are meant to replace the fluid and electrolytes lost during the time of physical activity. Any workouts less than an hour don’t call for sports drinks as water will suffice. If you are a person that fits the criteria to consume a sports drink be careful to look at the ingredients as some may contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and artificial colors.
Sources:
The Sad, Sad Truth About Frozen Yogurt
