Say It Isn't So

"All-natural", "reduced-fat", and "diet" are all words that make foods sound healthy, but are the products really good for you?  In lieu of our work out suggestions from previous posts, I wanted to share some facts about foods that are said to be "healthy" but truly are not .... 

Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is relatively high in fat, so you might think that a reduced-fat version would be better for you. Not so. The fats in peanut butter are heart-healthy fats, so don't let the higher number on the label scare you. You are better off keeping that healthy fat in the peanut butter and going with a natural version that is free of the hydrogenated oils and added sugars often found in reduced-fat versions.


Light Olive Oil: Light olive oil is not an olive oil with fewer calories. Instead, light in this case refers to the lighter color and milder flavor of the oil. Light olive oil can be a good choice for baking due to its more neutral flavor, but be sure it is 100% olive oil. Many times olive oil labeled as light is actually a blend of different oils-check the ingredient list to be sure.


Multigrain Bread: You might think the more grains a bread has the better and that multigrain bread is a great choice. But just because the bread may contain several grains, that doesn't mean it is a 100% whole-grain bread. Even if the label on the front of the bread says multigrain, if the first ingredient is enriched flour and not whole-grain flour, then it is still primarily made with white flour. Go for a 100% whole-wheat or 100% wholegrain bread instead.

Vegetable Chips: You've seen those colorful chips before that claim they are made with veggies, and they are, but don't think you are going to get all the benefits of eating your real veggies by snacking on these chips. They are still mainly potatoes, salt and oil, and their nutritional content is almost the exact same as a traditional chip in terms of calorie, fat and fiber content. Nothing wrong with having these as an occasional snack, but make sure you eat your real veggies too--these chips are not a substitute! And this is the one I am completely guilty of !! I LOVE VEGGIE CHIPS/STICKS. But hey, these chips make you feel less guilty than you would devouring a bag of Doritos because of the 7 Bud Lights you drank (at 110 calories EACH).

... LASTLY .. if you really want to tone up for summer, skip out on the alcoholic beverages. Light and Ultra beers contain as much as 120 calories a bottle and on a good Friday night who really stops at one?! If you are really craving a cold one (over the age of 21 ;) ) try a gluten free beer that does not contain all the carbs of a light or ultra beer such as Ramapo Razz Ale which is delicious and also brewed right in Upstate New York.

  - Cait