Health Foods That Aren't Healthy
Beware of These High-Calorie Foods in Disguise!

With all of the claims about foods being “low-fat”, “less fat”, “fat-free”, “light”, and “healthy”, it’s hard to tell which options really are healthier. Many times, foods are marketed as being good for you when they really aren’t. With your diet, it’s not the thought that counts. So read labels, ask for nutritional info, and be informed. Don’t just assume your food is healthy because it’s made to sound and look that way.

Below are a few of top enemies in the war against unhealthy health foods.

Bran Muffins and other “Healthy” Muffins-

Bran Muffins look healthy, sound healthy, and taste healthy. But they aren’t healthy. The problem is that dieters will eat more of something they assume is healthy. If you’re eating a whole bran muffin, you could be consuming over 350 calories and 600 mg of sodium. Portions are too large and though the ingredients are generally healthy, they shouldn’t be consumed in one sitting.

Just because it’s a bran muffin and not a blueberry muffin doesn’t mean you should eat the whole thing.

The Apple Bran Muffin from Starbucks contains 350 calories and 520 mgs of sodium. That’s actually more sodium than the Blueberry Streusel Muffin from Starbucks and only 10 fewer calories. The Zucchini Walnut Muffin which sounds incredibly healthy contains 490 calories. Choose something like the Mini Chocolate Croissant, which sounds much unhealthier, and you’re only consuming 140 calories and 135 mg of sodium.

Large portion size is the enemy here, so keep that in mind when ordering and try eating only half of your breakfast treat.

Smoothies-

Smoothies are one of those foods that dieters consume with really good intentions. It’s just liquid fruit in a cup, right? Not exactly. Large serving sizes, sugar, frozen yogurt, and sherbet, can turn your after workout snack into more of a decadent dessert. An original size Banana and Berry Smoothie from Jamba Juice has 400 calories. An original size of the Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and Banana Smoothie has 770 calories.

You might as well be drinking a milkshake after your workout.

Once again, too-large portions have turned a could’ve been healthy drink into a cup of no-no. Try ordering an all-fruit or light smoothies instead and stick with the 16-oz. You’ll find you don’t even want more than 16-oz and you were just sipping on extra calories because they were there. The Strawberry, Banana, and low calorie base blend from Jamba Juice contains only 150 calories in a 16-oz cup.

Salad-

The word salad is not synonymous with the word healthy. Many people seem to think it is and they choose so-called “salads” wherever they go. Unfortunately, the truth is that many times salad is the worst choice on the menu. Pasta salad, egg salad, and chicken salad are loaded with mayonnaise, calories, and sodium. The Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich from Arby's contains 769 calories and 1,240 mgs of sodium. That’s over half of the recommended daily sodium intake for a typical adult.

If you’re thinking that you already know sandwiches are a bad choice, get a load of this salad. The Santa Fe Salad at Arby’s is a bowl of lettuce with 773 calories and 1,823 mgs of sodium! The Regular Roast Beef Sandwich serves up half the calories and sodium.

Things To Remember-

Beware of prepared salads with mayo or lettuce smothered in dressing. Always ask for the dressing on the side and use half as much. Enjoy smaller portions of smoothies and muffins and don’t assume that having a name with a fruit or vegetable in it makes it healthy. Read labels and ask questions. That way you can enjoy the nutritional meal you thought you were eating all along.

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