Recently, we ran a blog about unhealthy snacks that masquerade as health foods. Today, we’re looking at deceptively unhealthy meals. We have picked out some offenders that might change your choices. There’s nothing worse than finding out the “healthy” option is no better than the real thing.
We all know that turkey is leaner than ground beef. Except, that’s not necessarily true. Ground turkey can come from any part of the bird, including skin and dark meat, which are both high in fat. Always read labels because it’s possible that the fowl may be far higher in fat and just as calorific as beef. The beef might be leaner. Moreover, in a restaurant, there is no telling what other ingredients they have added to up the flavor profile. Additionally, when out at a restaurant, the burger may be served on a carb-dense bun with little nutritional value. A better choice is to ask for your burger served on lettuce.
Pasta is one of our favorite carbohydrates, but it is just too high for most of us to fit into a blood sugar-friendly diet. Looking for a healthy alternative, we might see those vegetable fortified pastas as a boon. Spiralized zucchini and spaghetti squash are amazing. But those tri-colored noodles might be nothing but regular flour pasta with a bit of spinach or tomato for color. Read the label to make sure you’re getting what you think you are and remember that whole grain maybe deceptive phrasing. If you try high-quality veggie- or bean-based pastas and find you don’t like them, you could make a mix of them and traditional pasta, lowering your carbs, upping your nutrition and keeping the flavor you like.
When trying to cut carbs, but craving a sandwich, we all think a wrap is better. After all, we’re cutting out one slice of bread. But, actually, some wraps have more calories, carbs and sodium than two slices of bread. Additionally, they can hold far more filling than a sandwich. A study of 240 wraps from 80 stores in Ireland found that the wraps could vary from 300-1,000 calories. With that very wide range of calories, you’re no better off than with a sandwich! One option could be to ask the person making your wrap to go easy on the dressing. But, the better choice might be to forgo the wrap altogether and ask for a salad!
Speaking of salad, after all this information, you may decide to skip the pasta or turkey burger and order, or make, a salad. You might take your healthy choice one step further and use low-fat or fat-free dressing to make it even better for you. It turns out, that might not be such a great idea. For one thing, the dressings can be filled with sugar and carbs. Ken's Fat-Free Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette sounds tasty. But, as two tablespoons contain 260 milligrams of salt, 17 grams of carbs and 12 grams of sugar, it darn well should taste delicious. Moreover, many nutrients in vegetables are fat-soluble and cannot be absorbed by the body without fat. Another problem is that these healthy sounding dressings can be packed with corn syrup and other additives. Make sure to read labels and don’t believe the front of the bottle when it comes to healthy choices.
There you have it, four foods we’ll be avoiding as we try to lead healthy lifestyles. What do you think of our list? What would you add? Let us know at socialmedia@neulivenhealth.com.
