food fake-outs: that means foods that sound or look healthy but in reality aren’t. instead you’re getting baited with enticing words like “lite ” “healthy ” “low fat ” “sugar free ” or “low calorie ” when you’re really buying items loaded with processed foods fat and sugar. these fake-out foods carry a phony “health halo” and you need to be aware of the nutrition land mines out there especially at restaurants. to help you navigate these challenges here are some examples of food fake-outs complete with health halo and tips about how you can adapt and adjust with healthier options. smoothies problem: something about that word “smoothie” just makes you want to down one right now. buyer beware! you’ll often end up guzzling 80 grams of sugar and over 300 calories in the blink of an eye. solution: know what goes into that drink. be assertive. ask for the list of ingredients if it’s being made for you. if you’re making one yourself or having one made for you you don’t need to drink any more than 8 ounces use water skim milk or yogurt and add fresh fruit and protein powder. if you’re buying one premade read the label carefully for number of servings per container as well as total fat carb and protein. energy bars problem: it says “energy” and “healthy” and you go for it not realizing that most of these are glorified candy bars. you can take in up to 500 calories and never know it. solution: if you want to try one read the label. make sure the total calories doesn’t excess 200 the total fat is not more than 10 grams and no more than 4 grams of saturated fat no more than 20 grams of carb and you want to see at least 5 grams of fiber and 10-20 grams of protein. i tend to recommend energy bars for those people who really need a snack to carry them over in places where they can’t access whole food. for instance road warriors who are stuck on planes and trains and travel delays and need a tie-me-over food. sugar-free fat-free or lite foods problem:these words will try to snag you every time. you see the word “free” or “lite” and you’re hooked. watch out! if a food is sugar-free then it’s probably loaded with fat and if it’s fat-free it’s loaded with refined sugar. as for “lite” that food is lighter relative to what? it could be a high fat item that’s 10% less in fat leaving it still a high fat item but relatively speaking it’s lighter. solution: personally i eat real whole foods in balance. if you do find yourself in a position of buying one of these fat/sugar free or low fat/sugar or “lite” items please read the label carefully! if it’s a “lite” food make sure the total fat is low and the carb content (especially sugars) is no more than 20 grams or so and hopefully there’s at least 5-10 grams of protein per serving. for the fat/sugar-free items watch out for high fat (greater than 10 grams and more than 5 grams saturated fat) or refined sugar content (greater than 25 grams). fancy water problem: it looks perfectly innocent and heck it’s water for crying out loud. what could be wrong? everything! many of these “enhanced” waters can be loaded with sugar. solution: read the label! i’m sounding like a broken record but you need to know what you’re consuming. many of these drinks can easily be 125 calories of diet wrecking sugary water per serving. if you’re an athlete who is really sweating up a storm and is working out vigorously for hours on end then they need these sports drinks to replenish glucose fuel and fortify with electrolytes. for everyone else drink plain water when you’re working out. salad bar problem: you’re feeling particularly saintly as you head to the salad bar to grab some lunch. you’re entering a field of potential food landmines. you pile everything on your plate and munch away without realizing the amount of salt and fat you’re ingesting. solution: those artichoke hearts olives and chick peas were usually taken out of cans where they were preserved in lots of salt. if you want to consume them wash them first. choose low-salt options like lettuce and fresh produce like peppers mushrooms onions spinach carrots and cucumbers.
what are food fake-outs?