Healthy Food Imposters

IMPOSTERS.

 No I’m not talking about dance floor imposters (those guys who awkwardly come up behind you and start grinding when you’re in a circle with all your friends) or gym imposters (girls who think a workout means: setting the elliptical at level 1, wiping every little drop of sweat of their orange fake tanned face, and BBM the entire time, yes you know who you are…) but today’s topic is food imposters. I’m talking about foods you find in the grocery store that claim to be healthy or help you lose weight, but are overpriced and lacking in nutrition. I could write an entire thesis on this, but will stick to three main food imposters.

1.     Quaker 100-calorie granola bars.

POLYGLYCEROL POLYRICINOLEATE, MODIFIED HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL, BHT (PRESERVATIVE), ARTIFICIAL FLAVOUR. These are a few of the 51 ingredients I counted on a package of Quaker 100 calorie granola bars. I was honestly disgusted by the amount of sugar, artificial crap and modified ingredients there was listed. I know a lot of people that buy 100 calorie granola bars/ snack bags thinking that are doing themselves a favor by saving calorie and watching their portion control. But here’s the thing, this granola bar has only 1g of fibre and protein each, which means you will most likely still be hungry after eating one. A better choice is the Kashi chewy granola bars (buy them in bulk at Costco). Each bar is a good source of protein, fiber and healthy fats, and real ingredients, leaving you feeling full and satisfied. Can’t tolerate gluten or dairy? I’ve heard really good things about Larabars, you can also buy them in bulk at some Costco locations.

On a tight budget?  Try making your own homemade Larabars using the link here http://www.damyhealth.com/2011/03/how-to-make-homemade-lara-bars/

2.     Activia Yogurt.

I don’t buy the claims in these yogurt advertisements. It’s not that I don’t think probiotics are important, I just don’t think Activia is really much better than any other type of yogurt. At almost twice the price of some other brands, I don’t think you get much bang for your buck. A 100g serving contains 11g of sugar (fructose is the third ingredient) and 0.1 grams of trans fat (ANY amount of trans fat is bad). The fat free version isn’t any better because it’s still full a sugar. A better option is plain, unsweetened, yogurt, either Greek or regular will do. IF you’re watching calories, look for 0% milk fat (M.F.) on the label. If you can’t stand the taste of plain tart yogurt, try adding frozen fruit (mango chunks and wild blueberries are my fav) or a small squeeze of honey for more flavor.

3.     Orange Juice

I know a lot of people who start their day off with a big glass of juice. I don’t know many people who reach for a can of Coke in the morning, but these two items are really the same. Both pop and juice contain simple sugars, they are digested quickly, causing a huge surge in insulin release. This will cause a “crash” in blood sugar later on, leaving you with that hungry tummy and sluggish feeling a 10a.m. I HATE juice, I think it’s on the biggest reasons we are seeing a rise in childhood obesity.  To help you understand my stance better, here is the nutrition for 500ml of orange juice (the amount most people drink) versus 1 orange.

Nutrients	Juice	Orange
Calories	241	65
Fiber	1	3.5
Sugars	42	13
Vitamins (percent based on recommended intake per day)	240% vitamin C, 2% calcium, 0% vitamin A and iron	106% vitamin C, 6% vitamin A, 6% calcium and 1% iron

As you can see, the juice has way more calories and sugars, and less than 1/3 the fiber of an orange. Yes it has more vitamin C, but this is a water-soluble vitamin meaning any excess levels you just pee out and won’t do your body any good!

So in the morning, do yourself a favor and reach for an orange, A REAL ORANGE, the one with the skin, that you have to peel, do people even know what real fruit looks like any more?

If you still like to have a glass of something in the morning, opt for low-fat milk, or unsweetened almond/soy milk instead.