Because of the health and fitness explosion in the wake of record obesity, companies are using smart but sneaky marketing tactics to get you to buy foods that are not as healthy as you may think. One important tip to remember in general is if something has been removed (fat, sugar, etc) that in most cases something ELSE has been added in its place to maintain flavor and make it palatable. In many cases these food additives are unnatural, or you could be gaining extra sugar in place of fat or vice versa. Here are some examples. You don't necessarily have to avoid them, but make sure you know what you are getting. Reading nutrition labels is key to making smart choices. As a general rule, the fewer ingredients the better!
Quaker Instant Raisin & Spice (1 packet)
150 calories
2 g fat (0 g unsaturated)
14 g sugars
This box comes with a heart healthy logo and says it will reduce cholesterol. Sure, it's low in saturated fat and cholesterol, but it's absolutely teeming with sugar. One bowl has more sugar than a scoop of Edy's Slow Churned Rocky Road Ice Cream. Your best bet is to stick with Quaker's old-fashioned oats and sweeten it yourself with fruit, but if you're set on the single-serving packets, go with the Lower Sugar variety. It provides just as much fiber with a mere fraction of the sugar.
Smart swap:
Quaker Lower Sugar Apples & Cinnamon (1 packet)
110 calories
1.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated)
6 g sugar
Yoplait 99% Fat Free Strawberry (1 container, 170 g)
170 calories
1.5 g fat (1 g saturated)
27 g sugars
Just look at the ingredient list to see the true picture. After milk, sugar is the next ingredient. Scroll down the list a little and you'll find high-fructose corn syrup, too. So sure it's "99% fat free," but it also has more sugar than an entire Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar. Fage's is plenty sweet, but more of its sugar comes from real fruit. Plus it justifies the sugar with 17 grams of protein—more than 3 times as much as you'll find in Yoplait's yogurt.
Smart swap:
Fage 2% Strawberry
130 calories
2.5 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
17 g sugars
Breyers Carb Smart Almond Bar (1 bar)
180 calories
15 g fat (10 g saturated)
5 g sugars
The fact that this bar has only 5 grams of sugar is awesome, but the fact that it contains half your day's saturated-fat limit is not. Instead, look for a treat like Slim a Bear that puts a cap on both sugar and fat. Not only does that protect your heart, but it also diminishes your calorie impact.
Smart swap:
Klondike Slim a Bear No Sugar Added Ice Cream Sandwiches (1 sandwich)
100 calories
2 g fat (1 g saturated)
3 g sugars
PowerBar Energize Berry Blast (1 bar)
210 calories
3.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated)
24 g sugars
When we hear about fruit we automatically jump to the conclusion that something is healthy. But, this bar contains almost NO fiber, and the first ingredient is evaporated cane juice, otherwise known as sugar. Switch to Kashi's GoLean Crunchy! and you'll earn a touch more protein and a ton more fiber. Plus, you'll drop your sugar load by almost half. AND IT'S CHOCOLATE!!!! Who would have known that chocolate would be more "healthy."
Smart swap:
Kashi GoLean Crunchy! Chocolate Caramel (1 bar)
150 calories
3 g fat (2 g saturated)
14 g sugar
Arnold Whole Grains Health Nut (2 slices)
240 calories
4 g fat (0 g saturated)
4 g fiber
Not much sounds healthier to me than whole grain bread. BUT.... that's not always the case. It's important with bread to try to save your calories for the nutrient-dense stuff that's going inside. Arnold's Whole Grains Health Nut earns the Worst Bread distinction by being high in calories and carrying a load of refined flour. Make your sandwiches on Nature's Own Double Fiber Wheat instead and you'll eliminate 140 calories and double your fiber intake.
Smart swap:
Nature’s Own Double Fiber Wheat (2 slices)
100 calories
1 g fat (0 g saturated)
10 g fiber
Smoothie King Banana Boat (20 oz)
524 calories
12 g fat (6 g saturated)
77 g sugars
Smoothies have been the rage for a while. It's an easy meal, portable, and most appear to be the picture of health. Given that, it would stand to reason that there is nothing unhealthy in the smoothie shop. BUT.... check this out. It sounds healthy enough, but it's made with ice cream! It also packs in more sugar than 4 Twinkies. This swap is still not a great winner, but your waistline will thank you.
Smart swap:
Smoothie King Youth Fountain (20 oz)
T.G.I. Friday's Santa Fe Chopped Salad
1,830 calories
29 g saturated fat
3,450 mg sodium
We have had it in our heads that salads are GREAT for the health conscious. BUT... on our menus these days, you get the leafy veggies that you need with a little extra. Fried tortilla strips and a reckless deluge of ranch dressing on this dish. In the 15 minutes it takes you to eat this salad, you'll take in a day-and-a-half's worth of sodium and saturated fat along with nearly a full day's worth of calories. You'll also see almost a third less sodium. You could add a soup or something a little more filling to this smart swap and still come out on top.
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