Beware of Health Food Imposters

Hello Readers -

I have always been one to cheat; I think I learned it from my Grandma when she always won at Domino’s. I’ll assume that you too like things as easy as possible and would love to “win” at this dieting game, but indulging in things that seem healthy and really aren’t, is not the way to do it. Here is a list of health food imposters and ways to substitute them (it may  not be as good as the real thing, but winning is a much better feeling!)

In the article 7 Health Food Imposters To Avoid, they list foods that try to trick us but also give us alternatives:

Juice: Juice, is not a substitute for fruit by any means. It’s filled with sugar and artificial flavors that we do not need. In fact, when I started packing on the pounds in my early 20’s I found that avoiding all liquids that contained calories helped me lose weight much faster. In my opinion, we should get our calories from food and not from our drinks. But yes I know you are tired of drinking water all day every day. In the article it says “If you’re going to go for the juice, try picking dark-red fruits and drink it in smaller portions.” At the store I buy cranberry juice and splash it in my water. It helps with the craving and cuts back my sugar intake.

flickr: paxye

Turkey Burgers: You may think you are doing yourself a favor by choosing turkey over beef, but watch out for all the fillers and fat that come with the burger. A good alternative is a veggie burger, but I can’t even manage to order one of those. I absolutely love the Portobello mushroom burger at about any place that sells them. The Portobello mushroom is a substitute for your meat patty and then you get all the fixings – delish!

Snacks: Looking for a healthy snack? Pretzels are great, but avoid dipping them in ranch dressing and indulging in the honey mustard pretzels and whatever else they have out there. You want a snack? Think pretzels and pretzels only.

Wheat Bread: Not all wheat bread is healthy. When buying wheat bread, think whole grains or go even better and pick the 7 grains. That’s what they really meant when the whole brown over white battle began, grains are what your body really needs.

Cereals: I love cereal for breakfast, it’s fast and easy and if you read the back of the box it seems like I’m getting everything I need. But a lot of cereals contain too much sugar. A smart cereal choice is fiber-rich and low in sugar. I like to eat granola mixed with non-fat original yogurt instead of milk, yum! Which brings me to the next food impostor…

flickr: nooccar

Yogurt: Yogurt with artificial fruit and flavors contains too much sugar. My favorite snack use to be non-fat original yogurt with fresh

blueberries or raspberries. I was then introduced to vanilla yogurt and fell in love with that as well.

Granola: Granola bars are like eating candy bars. Make your own granola and reap in the benefits.

Other health food imposters can be iceberg lettuce (choose spring mix or spinach), yogurt covered raisins and dried fruit. When you can, choose the real thing and your body will benefit along with your weight loss goals!

By for now,

Missy

Posted in Main at March 9th, 2010 by Missy
Tags: Healthy eating
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