1. Prepared Salads

Don’t assume that anything with the word “salad” in it must be healthy. Prepared tuna salads, chicken salads, and shrimp salads are often loaded with hidden fats and calories due to their high mayonnaise content. While a lot depends on portion size and ingredients, an over-stuffed tuna sandwich can contain as many as 700 calories and 40 grams of fat. If you’re ordering out, opt for prepared salads made with low-fat mayonnaise, and keep the portion to about the size of a deck of cards. Better yet, make your own.

2. Granola

Granola typically starts with nutritious ingredients: rolled oats, dried fruit, and a healthful dose of fat from nuts and seeds. The problem with this breakfast cereal is that most of the whole grain goodness and fiber is coated in sugar, honey, and molasses and then baked in oil to deliver the crunchy texture and taste we all love.  The price we pay for granola’s sweet and crunchy appeal is a hefty caloric punch. A traditional 1-cup breakfast serving can pack nearly 600 calories and 20 grams of sugar before adding milk or yogurt! Not to mention, with the addition of gourmet ingredients (think: coconut, chocolate, and roasted almonds) some commercial brands deliver as much as 25 grams of fat per serving! The verdict: If you can’t live without the crunch of your favorite granola clusters, try using this whole grain as a condiment and simply sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons onto Greek yogurt or hot oatmeal for an added crunch.  Or try our Homemade Energy Bars! If you are looking for a commercially available option that won’t bust your diet, read labels carefully and check to see that the granola is lower in fat and sugar, and remember a serving size for this food is typically only ¼ to ½ cup.

3. Bran Muffins

Most bran muffins, even those sold at delis and coffee shops, are made with generally healthy ingredients. The problem is portion size. Many muffins sold in stores today dwarf the homemade muffins made a generation ago. A random sampling of some coffee and restaurant chain bran muffins showed that many topped 350 calories apiece, and that’s before any butter or jam. The bran muffins at one popular chain bakery contain 600mg of sodium―roughly one-third of a day’s maximum. Even a healthful food, if over-consumed, can be not-so-healthful. Enjoy your bran muffin, but just eat half, and save the rest for an afternoon snack. If you want to save money and calories, bake your own. Continue reading Some Foods that Sound Healthy… But Really Aren’t →