If you are working to start or continue a healthy weight loss journey, it is important to pay attention to your eating habits. Even regular movement and exercise can be compensated by continuously poor food choices. Unfortunately, products in the supermarket will talk about their fat, diet or natural ingredients, but sometimes the same foods and drinks can track your progress and make you feel sluggish in the process. Yes, there are plenty of foods that ruin your weight loss goals.
“If you’re hoping to lose weight or just trying to improve your eating habits, it’s especially important to look beyond the label,” said Mascha Davis MPH, RDN, dietitian, nutritionist. NomadistaNutrition.com and author of Eat your vitamins, told us. “Just because many products are labeled as ‘organic’, ‘gluten-free’, ‘natural’ or ‘high-fiber’ does not mean that they are necessarily a good choice. It may make you believe that they promote long-term health, but in reality some of them may have lots of extra ingredients such as added sugar, sodium and hydrogenated oils. “
By becoming aware of some of these so-called “health foods”, you can put yourself on a path to gaining energy and maintaining your intentional weight loss, instead of being fooled by these foods that ruin your weight loss goals. Here are 20 things that are best exchanged for whole food options and enjoyed in moderation to help you lose weight and feel your best. And make sure you are filled with the 7 healthiest foods to eat right now.
Salads are a great option when working towards your weight loss goals. You can combine so many vegetables, fruits and lean proteins for one nutritional flour, but if you also load up on salad dressings in bottles, you will counteract all the healthy, delicious things in your salad.
If you actually look at the nutritional breakdowns in popular store-bought salad dressings, you will see that they not only contain soybeans or rapeseed oils, but they are filled with artificial flavors, colors and sodium-rich preservatives, along with added sugar (hey, high fructose corn syrup) and trans fat, according to research from Harvard.
A blueberry muffin sounds innocent enough, right? But before you buy a little from the bakery or cafe for breakfast, be aware that a typical muffin is actually high in calories and sugar with very little fiber.
But muffins Can be a healthy alternative if you do it right! Try making smaller muffins at home with hell flour and less sugar – replace sugar with honey, real maple syrup or even extra fruit for natural sweetness.
Low-fat or fat-free dairy products, especially yogurt, may seem like the perfect choice to reduce weight, but it turns out that the lack of flavor from the fat is sometimes compensated with added sugar. Instead of an overly sweetened yogurt with a high calorie content labeled “low fat”, “light” or “fat free”, choose the regular yogurt with full fat content – in moderation – and add flavor with fresh fruit and nuts.
Coconut oil has been in the spotlight for a while now as a healthy alternative for everything from sautéing vegetables, baking desserts or cutting on the body after a shower. But coconut oil actually has about 50% more saturated fat than butter and raises both well and bad cholesterol levels more than other oils.
Energy bars claim that you give yourself a boost of protein and energy and are often bought as a healthy snack or after exercise. But it is better for you to enjoy whole foods and lean proteins for energy. For the most part, these bars end up super rich in fat and sugar.
Granola can be filling and fibrous and provide a good snack, but not all granola is created equal. See, some granola is filled with added fats (like oils and peanut butter), sugars and sodium to taste. “While it’s good to incorporate more whole grains into your diet, these quick snacks can be an insidious source of added sugar,” says Davis. “Many of them contain high-fructose corn syrup and hydrated oils, which can contribute to weight gain and adverse health effects.” Look at the ingredients and nutritional facts to find a healthy granola to enjoy.
Nuts and nuts are good in dimensions – good too – but if you are not aware of portion sizes, you will consume a lot of fat. Again, you want to be aware of the ingredients. So you want to choose a nut butter that preferably has only one ingredient – your optional nut. Make sure it has no added salt and sugar, or any partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils, according to Andrea Hasson, registered dietitian at Cedars-Sinai.
Smoothies is a poster child for healthy eating and weight loss. But do not be fooled – they can also track your progress in just a few sips. Smoothies from the grocery store or cafes are usually filled with sugar, but even a homemade smoothie can have too much sugar and even fat if you add milk and nuts.
Pre-made protein smoothies can be especially detrimental to your weight loss goals. Davis explains that it is always important to read the labels.
“You may be surprised, but some high-protein ready-made drinks have about the same amount of sugar and artificial sweeteners that you can find in soft drinks and milkshakes,” she says.
It’s easy to consume from marketing that says you need to add protein powder to your smoothies, oatmeal, pastries – you name it. But some protein powders have up to 23 grams of sugar per scoop for flavor and are high in calories! Protein powders are also a supplement, which means that they are largely unregulated and may not contain very good chemicals.
Harvard Health points out that protein powder can cause a glass of milk to have more than 1,200 calories; Instead, turn to whole foods such as nuts, legumes, eggs and fish to meet yours daily protein requirements.
Sometimes you may crave a sugary, carbonated beverage and diet soda seems to be a good alternative to regular soda. But a study from 2015 showed that diet drinks can actually lead to increased belly fat in adults. “The results suggest that the increase in waist measurement of diet drinks per follow-up interval was almost tripled compared to non-users,” reported the study.
Rice – especially brown rice – is a healthy alternative to round out all meals. But white rice removes the nutrient-rich layers of bran and embryo, which means that it is also removed from fiber, vitamins and minerals. According to Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health, white rice has a higher glycemic index than brown rice, which means that it raises blood sugar levels more than brown rice after consumption. The school reported, “The average GI for brown rice is low at 55, while the GI for white rice is higher at 64. Observational studies have found an association between a high GI diet and a greater risk of type 2 diabetes.”
Popcorn, at its core, is a healthy snack and contains many vitamins and minerals: vitamins B1, B3 and B6 as well as iron, magnesium and phosphorus. It also contains a lot of fiber.
Typical microwave popcorn, however, contains added fat and salt, which does not provide a healthy snack that promotes weight loss.
Like most foods, cheese is good in measure. The American Heart Association recommends consuming up to 3 servings of dairy daily 1 to 1.5 ounces of cheese counts as one serving. But if you add cheese to your eggs in the morning, then your lunch salad, then your baked potatoes or pasta at night, you may be eating a little too much. Meanwhile, food like pizza has a lot more cheese than you need in a day. One ounce of cheese has about 9 grams of fat, which can add up if you are not paying attention to portion sizes.
Lunch can be prepared quickly by tossing some delicacy on bread and calling it a day, but these processed meats are for convenience, not health. Harvard’s School of Public Health found that eating processed meat is “associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and a 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes.” These meats are high in sodium and calories, which means that regular consumption can stay ahead in weight loss.
Are you looking for a low calorie snack? Rice cakes fit the bill. So how can they possibly sabotage your weight loss goals? First, rice cakes have a high glycemic index and can cause your blood sugar to spike, and they have low nutrients and fiber. Flavored varieties can contain a lot of sugar, sodium or fat. If nothing else, this snack is so airy and light, it can be easy to eat far beyond the recommended serving size. If you still want to enjoy rice cakes, add healthy, hearty toppings like avocado or hummus to make it a more balanced snack.
Although fruit itself is an important part of a healthy diet, fruit juices tend to contain a lot of sugar and calories and much less filling than whole, fresh fruit.
“There is no doubt, the cold-pressed juices you see in the grocery store may contain plenty of health-promoting nutrients, but if they are filled with fruit, they can increase your blood sugar because they lack fiber,” Davis says. “Therefore, they will not satisfy you or contribute to the fullness factor, which is counterproductive to weight loss.”
Whether you’re talking about dried mangoes or enjoying raisins in your track mix, dried fruits can actually be a problem if you’re trying to lose weight. Like fruit juices, dried fruit has concentrated sugar and calories. It’s also easy to eat more dried fruit than you would have fresh fruit, so remember the servings if you want to enjoy this snack.
Finished sauces and marinades can make dinner a breeze. While homemade is always best so you can check what’s in it, there is room for some sold out stores in a healthy diet. What can make these sauces and marinades so unhealthy is the amount of sodium, sugar and even fat.
Red meat can offer a lot of protein, iron and vitamin B12. But some meats contain more fat, which ultimately leads to weight gain. Be sure to choose lean or extra lean meat with 10 grams and 5 grams of fat respectively.
How about completely skipping meat? Drop the frozen vegetable steaks, as these products are highly processed, according to Dr. Frank Hu, chairman of Harvard’s Ministry of Trade and Industry.
“Although in the short term, a recent controlled feeding study showed that diets that contain a lot of ultra-processed foods cause excess calorie intake and weight gain,” wrote Dr. Hu.
Davis explains that vegetarian burgers are specifically made with highly processed soy products and preservatives. “A better choice is to look for vegetarian burgers made with minimal natural ingredients such as beans, whole grains and seeds,” she says.
Obviously, chips and french fries are likely to lead to weight gain, but remember that potatoes are generally a starchy vegetable that can prevent you from reaching your goals.
One long-term study found that “foods containing higher amounts of refined carbohydrates – whether added or not – were similarly associated with weight gain, and potato products (which are low in sugar and high in starch) showed the strongest weight gain compounds.”
If you consume potatoes, just make sure your portion is small!
