Day 4 - "HEALTHY" foods than can FOOL you.

Frozen or Canned Fruit

Any food swimming in juice or "light syrup" isn't good for you. Furthermore, most canned fruit is peeled, meaning you're being robbed of a valuable source of fiber. Frozen fruit is a little trickier. Freezing preserves the fruit itself, but some manufacturers add sugar during the freezing process to preserve color and taste. 

Solution: Read that ingredients list! You want it to say fruit, water—and that's it.

DAY 3 - "HEALTHY" food that can FOOL you.

CHICKEN

 

Just because you made the switch from red meat doesn't mean you're in the clear. Three ounces of raw chicken breast, meat only, has 93 calories, 19.5 grams of protein, and 1.2 grams of fat. Three ounces of dark meat (wings, thighs, and legs), meat only, has 105 calories, 18 grams of protein, and 3.6 grams of fat. It may not seem like much, but it adds up. 

Solution: Go for the breast, and while you're at it, ditch the skin. It's nothing but fat.

DAY 2 - 9 "HEALTHY" Foods that can FOOL you!

WHEAT

Wheat Bread

Whole-grain wheat is better for you than refined wheat. By keeping the bran and germ, you maintain the naturally occurring nutrients and fiber. But, for some reason, manufacturers constantly come up with new ways to lead you back to the refined stuff. One of their latest tricks is to refer to refined flour as "wheat flour" because, obviously, it's made of wheat. But just because it's wheat-based doesn't mean it's not refined. The distracted shopper can mistake this label for "whole wheat flour" and throw it in his cart. Another loaf of cruddy, refined, fiberless bread has a new home. 

Solution: Slow down when you read the label. That word "whole" is an important one.

DAY 1 - 9 "Healthy" Foods That Can Fool You

I will start with the first item on the list:  YOGURT

 

 

It starts out as good stuff. Fat aside, there's the calcium and protein you find in all milk products, along with probiotics, which make it easier to digest for those with lactose issues. The only problem is that straight yogurt can be pretty bitter, so manufacturers load the stuff with sugar and masquerade those carbs as fruit in an effort to make the whole thing more palatable. Have a look at most flavored yogurt and you'll find the second ingredient to be sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. One container of Yoplait® Original Strawberry has 170 calories, with 5 grams of protein and 33 grams of carbohydrates, 27 of which are sugar. Oddly enough, these are the exact same nutrition facts for Yoplait's other, less healthy-sounding flavors, including Key Lime Pie and White Chocolate Raspberry. 

Solution: Buy plain yogurt and flavor it yourself. You'd be amazed at how far a handful of raspberries or a tablespoon of honey will go to cut the bitter taste.

Stay tuned for Item #2 tomorrow...you may be shocked!