OK, maybe this one shouldn't be too shocking, but Giancoli says, "a cookie can be vegan, but it's still a cookie." Translation: While that cookie may not have any butter or lard in it, it can still have plenty of fat (via vegetable oil) and sugar. Metsovas does concede that vegan or organic desserts are "technically healthier, since they typically contain fewer refined ingredients." But, she adds, "you'll still put on weight even if it's natural fat and sugar."
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Organic canned soup
While these are generally better than traditional, non-organic canned soup, they can still be packed with sodium. For example, Amy's Organic Chunky Vegetable Soup has 680 mg of sodium, more than half your recommended daily allowance. Giancoli says to look for canned soups with less than 400 mg per serving (and to watch out because many cans actually have two servings). Then you can add herbs like oregano, thyme, and basil to boost the flavor without the salt.
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Juices and smoothies
You already know that juice "cocktails" are loaded with added sugar, and that juice and smoothies in general pack a big calorie punch. But those 100 percent organic drinks are still a tempting alternative to a bowl of fruit, especially when you're on the go.
Giancoli highly recommends limiting yourself to a 6- to 8-ounce serving at a time (so keep an eye on your portions, especially with smoothies). The reason: Juice has concentrated fruit sugar, which means more calories but less satiety than if you were to just eat a piece of fruit. Plus, all that sugar (even though it's naturally from the fruit) will make you crave more sweet stuff later in the day, says Metsovas.
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Baked chips
Yes, baked chips are healthier than their fried counterparts, but there is a catch. "Fried chips make you feel full faster because there's more fat in them," says Metsovas. "If you're not mindful, you can eat a lot more baked chips because they have less fat." This wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that more chips (baked or otherwise) means more carbs, which means a higher number on the scale.
Thankfully, Metsovas has a solution for when you just have to have your baked chips: "Try to have something mixed in with baked chips, like raw almonds. That way you'll get some fatty acids in your snack that'll help you feel full."
Want more tips to improve your diet? Check out this guide to healthy fast foods.
As a moderately health-conscious woman, I always check the labels when I go grocery shopping. Well, almost always.
For some reason, when I head into health food stores like Whole Foods, I just assume that everything in there is healthy, so I don't need to waste my time reading nutrition facts -- I can just toss whatever I want in my basket. And really, when half the products have some form of "organic," "all natural," or "gluten-free" on the packaging, can you blame me?
I'm not totally off base with my reasoning. Whole Foods promises on its website not to sell any products with "artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats." So I already know I don't need to check the labels for any of those.
But, just because an item is in a store like Whole Foods and free of all that artificial stuff doesn't necessarily mean it's healthy. There are plenty of unhealthy health foods out there ready to help me pack on the pounds. To find out which so-called health foods are the worst offenders, I asked a team of nutritionists to head to their local Whole Foods stores, scrutinize food labels, and report back on the items they'd never drop in their carts.
Some of their picks (like the vegan cookies I chow down on almost daily) I had to admit I knew weren't good for me. But there were other health foods I was shocked to learn were actually really unhealthy. Keep reading to see what I mean and be prepared to re-think how you shop at Whole Foods and other health food stores.
