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9
health foods that aren’t
The
authors of “Eat This, Not That!” uncover the most misunderstood
foods
If
your New Year’s resolution consists of giving up pizza and
cheeseburgers in favour of flaxseeds and rice cakes, it’s time
to reconsider your strategy.
In the hot bestselling book “Eat This, Not That!” co-authors
David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding insist you don’t ever have
to diet again. You can eat all of your favourite foods and still
drop 10, 20, 30 pounds before the ball drops next December.
To do so, though, you must be able to spot the many perilous nutritional
traps that continue to plague health-conscious consumers every day.
Seemingly nutritious packaged and prepared foods often abound with
added sugars, preservatives, and dangerous, belt-breaking fats.
To help you slim down in ’08, the Eat This, Not That! guys
have identified the nine most punishing health ruses and replaced
them with delicious alternatives that will keep you satisfied and
give you all the purported nutritional benefits that many of our
most beloved foods sadly do not.
Bran
muffin; 420 calories,20 grammes of fat
Eat
this instead: Ham, egg and cheese on an English muffin;
300 calories, 12 grammes of fat
Bran muffins are comprised of two things your body doesn’t
want in the morning: sugar and refined flour. Both will work to
spike your blood sugar, which signals your body to start storing
fat and sets you up for a mid-morning crash. And with only trace
amounts of fibre, there’s nothing healthy about this misunderstood
muffin. The breakfast sandwich, on the other hand, is a surprisingly
great way to start your day. Besides having fewer calories, fat
and carbs, it also offers about 20 grammes of protein, which we
really need in the morning to jumpstart our metabolism.
Chicken
Caesar salad; 900 calories, 60 grammes of fat
Eat
this instead: Grilled chicken on mixed greens; 400 calories
and 20 grammes of fat
Caesar salads suffer the consequences of two natural disasters:
a flood of fatty dressing and a blizzard of Parmesan cheese and
croutons. Even a Caesar side salad before a meal can cost you up
to 500 calories. Skip the emperor treatment in favour of a simple
grilled chicken breast tossed in a bed of mixed greens tossed with
a balsamic vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is a vast improvement over
the treacherous Caesar dressing, and the absence of a Parmesan sea
means that you’ll save nearly entire meal’s worth of calories
by making this simple swap.
Tuna
melt; 900 calories, 50 grammes of fat
Eat
this instead: Roast beef or ham sandwich; 500 calories,
15 grammes of fat
Plain tuna out of the can is healthy; tuna doused in mayo, shrouded
in melted cheese, and slicked with another layer of dressing is
not. Both ham and roast beef are packed with protein and are super
satisfying and surprisingly lean, which means you can eat the same
size sandwich and save 400 calories and 35 grammes of fat.
Chicken
wrap; 700 calories, 35 grammes of fat
Eat
this instead: Grilled chicken sandwich, 375 calories, 15 grammes
of fat
The wrap itself is the real offender here, dense with fast-burning
carbs and containing up to 400 calories. It’s a tortilla shell
pumped with a bunch of modified starch and fat. Plus the huge surface
area means more room to slather dressing and pack in more cheese
and meat than your typical sandwich. Definitely not a health food.
A grilled chicken sandwich on a bun offers a great balance of fat,
carbs, and protein, plus having a bun instead of a huge tortilla
provides so much-need portion control. Bonus: Nix the mayo in favour
of bbq sauce or salsa (which is the ultimate fat-free, low-cal condiment).
Turkey
burger; 850 calories, 50 grammes of fat Eat this instead: 7
oz sirloin steak; 350 calories and 20 grammes of fat
People hear turkey and automatically think lean and healthy, but
depending on the type of ground turkey and toppings used, one of
these poultry patties can be every bit as fatty and caloric as a
beef burger. Sirloin, on the other hand, is one of the leanest cuts
of meat available, which makes for an incredibly satisfying, protein-enriched
meal that will keep you feeling fuller, longer. Who wouldn’t
want to make this swap?
Fruit
smoothies; 600 calories, 120 grammes of sugar
Drink
this instead: 100% fruit smoothie; 350 calories, 75 grammes
of sugar
Many fruit smoothies contain added sugars and high fructose corn
syrup, which means they’re more milkshake than smoothie. The
key here really is in the name: A 100% fruit smoothie made with
plain yogurt instead of ice cream or sherbet will contain nearly
half the calories and significantly less sugar, plus it will provide
all of the vitamin and antioxidant capacity that a smoothie is supposed
to have.
Granola bar; 200 calories,15 grammes of sugar
Eat this instead: 1 oz cheddar
cheese with Triscuits; 150 calories, 5 grammes of sugar
Ever wonder what keeps a granola bar together? The makers of one
of America’s favourite (and most misunderstood) snacks use
mostly high-fructose corn syrup as their glue, which in turn quickly
raises blood sugar and cancels out any of the potential benefits
you might otherwise get from the oats. By switching over to good
old fashioned cheese and crackers, you swap out sugar and calories
for protein and fiber. Talk about a great deal!
Pasta
salad; 300 calories, 20 grammes of fat
Eat
this instead: Egg salad; 200 calories, 14 grammes of fat
When the main ingredient for a snack or a side is pasta, you’re
asking for trouble. That’s because pasta is made from highly-refined
flour, which means quick-burning carbs and a huge spike in blood
sugar. Not only does it save you a hundred calories, but the egg
salad replaces those troublesome carbs with healthy protein, which
helps fill your belly faster and keeps your metabolic fires effectively
stoked.
Yogurt
with fruit on the bottom; 190calories, 30 grammes of sugar
Eat
this instead: Plain yogurt with fresh fruit mixed in;
110 calories, 15 grammes of sugar
You wouldn’t start your morning with a can of Coke, would you?
Then you should pass on these troublesome yogurt cups, since they
contain as much sugar as a soft drink. Almost all of that comes
directly from the “fruit,” which is mostly high-fructose
corn syrup. Yogurt and fruit can be a great way to start your day,
but do it yourself by mixing a cup of nonfat plain yogurt with a
half cup of mixed berries.
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