Deceptively Healthy Snacks You Need To Stop Eating Now

Last week, we talked about food snacks that you can eat while you are on your weight loss programme. This week, we take the opposite view and look at for snacks you must stop eating now because they are really not as healthy as you believe them to be.

These snacks, unlike the obviously unhealthy snacks, are deceptively healthy. They are usually snacks which may have been healthier in their original form, but having been coated with sugar, like preserved fruits, or been processed, like soy milk, or just made up of a poor combination of protein and carbs, like the energy bar, thus making them seem like they are healthier than junk food, but if you pause to think about it, or make an effort to read the label, will realize that they ARE junk food.

So get yourself back on track with that weight loss diet and stop eating these 5 foods immediately.

Dried / Preserved / Candied fruits:

Ok. We don’t mean to nag, but come on! This is a little too easy to guess isn’t it? Don’t get it? Alright, let’s spell it out. These buggers are high in sugar, preservatives and calories. To make matter worse, they are easy to overeat!

Alternatives: fresh fruits of course. But be smart about your choice of fresh fruits too, don’t go eating loads of durians for instance, which are the fattest of fat fruits.

Yoghurt ice cream:

Contrary to common belief, yoghurt ice cream is really not as healthy as you think it is. The biggest myth is that it is rich in probiotics, which it honestly isn’t, because the poor bacteria have all been frozen to death, really. Instead, this snack is high in sugar and fat, both of which you absolutely do not need any more of, especially when you’re trying to get rid of the later.

Alternative? Low fat and low sugar yoghurt, duh. What this means is… no sugared/ flavoured yogurts, please. If you find Greek yoghurt too plain or sour, you could consider using fresh fruits to flavour it. Blueberries for instance, are great for flavouring a plain yoghurt.

Fruit juice:

If you haven’t heard, read this clearly and carefully now. If you want vitamins, eat your fruits. If you want sugared water, drink fruit juice. What? Yes, that’s right. Fruit juice really isn’t as healthy as you imagine it to be. It is often high in sugar, very dense (packed full of sugar) and lacking fiber which helps with satiety (feeling of fullness which is achieved when eating fiber). Fruit juice that you buy from the hawker stalls also often use syrup or sugar to sweeten the drink. That sounds like one drink you shouldn’t be having if you’re serious about losing weight.

Alternative: Water.

Energy bars:

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Energy bars are quick snacks that are packed to give you are energy boost that you need. This means it is usually loaded with carbs, not protein. Carbs can take the form of high amounts of sugar, perhaps some vitamins and minerals, but they are usually low in protein. This is what makes the energy bar a deceptively healthy snack as it has the reverse effect of an energy crash once the sugar your body absorbed from this bar is used up.

Alternative: Low sugar protein bar. Protein bars come in various receipts, so depending on the brand and the flavor, protein bars too can be deceptively healthy. Be sure to read the nutritional list before buying a protein bar.

Soy:

This is a tricky ingredient because it is both good and bad for you. If we distill this, in it’s fermented form, it is good for you, and in the form of soy milk, don’t take it unless you really have to. Fermented soy is derived from a natural process, which makes it more acceptable by the body. Soy milk is derived from a manufacturing process which pumps the milk with chemicals and preservatives, resulting in high levels of toxins, which obviously isn’t good for your body.

Alternative: Fresh milk, or, if you are lactose intolerant, nut milks like Almond milk is a great option. Otherwise, you can also consider coconut milk, oat milk or rice milks. These all vary in taste and availability, so you may have to experiment a little.

We hope this article has given you some insights into a healthier diet which will help with your weight loss programme!