The 10 Daily Diet Mistakes You May Be
Making:
1. Salad
The biggest pitfall with a salad is ruining a veggie-filled
meal with hundreds of calories in dressing. Check the label, often-times the
dressing with a salad at a restaurant has more calories than a chocolate bar. Order
dressing on the side. You should aim to put no more than 60 calories of
dressing on a salad.
Salad dressings are all over the nutritional map. Some, such
as blue cheese, are hefty in sat fat (1.2g per tablespoon) and others, such as
balsamic vinaigrette, provide a good dose of healthy fats (1g of
monounsaturated and 1.3g of polyunsaturated, with 0.4g sat fat). When
purchasing a bottled dressing, shift your focus away from total fat. The
nutrition label’s number for total fat includes bad fats and good fats, so it
is misleading. Instead, look at the specific types of fat listed under total
fat; aim for more mono- and polyunsaturated fats, less saturated, and no trans.
Oil and vinegar–based dressings are
generally high in healthy fats. In addition to the good-for-you components of
dressings, those fats add rich texture and flavour and also help you absorb
the fat-soluble nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, and K) found in salad.
2. Smoothies
Blending fruit with frozen yoghurt sounds like a sure-fire healthy
snack. But dieticians warn against too much of a good thing. You may think, it
fruit and therefore it’s healthy. However, most smoothies especially those sold
at places like New Zealand Natural, Pita Pit and Tank are 475ml to nearly a
litre for a large and contain too many servings of carbohydrates. So keep it
small, and try to add vegetables to your smoothies whenever possible.
3. Soy Milk
Both soy and almond milk are great options for those who are
lactose intolerant. But many people regularly grab the vanilla or sweetened
varieties of these drinks, ignoring the excess sugar and paying attention only
to the healthy connotations of the word "soy" or "almond."
If the sweetened versions are all you can tolerate, though, avoid the added
sugar by mixing a teaspoon of vanilla flavouring into the unsweetened kind.
4. Granola/Toasted Muesli
Granola is a food that most people consider an uber-healthy
breakfast choice. But granola can also be very high in sugar and low in fibre. When
you look for granola/muesli, you need to read the label carefully. Not all
granola is created equal. Make sure the cereal or granola you're choosing from
the store shelf has a minimum of 4 or 5 g of fibre, less than 10 grams of sugar
per serve and very low (<2g) saturated fat.
5. Muffins
You're rushing to get to work on time and dash into the
nearest cafe to pick up a quick breakfast. In the name of health, your eyes are
drawn to those bran muffins on display beside the donuts. But don't let the
word "bran" or "yogurt" trick you when it comes to muffins.
Think of them more in the donut category. Bran muffins often contain extra fat,
necessary to hold the bran together. And the fat-free versions usually contain
extra sugar to compensate for the reduced in mouth-feel and flavour. But
today’s giant bakery muffins contain from 340 to 630 calories each, without any
butter or other spread.
Most bakery muffins contain from 11 to 27 grams of total
fat. Of that total, 2 to 8 grams are saturated fat. Although the trans-fat
content of muffins is extremely low in most cases, the total saturated fat plus
trans fat of giant bakery muffins is only slightly less than doughnuts.
Reduced-fat muffins are usually a better option. They have
only 2 to 5 grams of total fat, and only 0 to 2 grams of that is saturated fat.
And unlike other reduced-fat products, the sugar content in these muffins is
generally the same as in regular muffins. Calories remain in the 300 to 400
range.
Pick Your Breakfast:
|
Spinach and Parmesan Omelette – 300 calories
|
VS.
|
Muffin Break - Apple and Raisin Muffin – 574 calories (21g fat and
49g sugar!)
|
||
 |
 |
Parmesan omelette recipe:
In a medium
skillet coated with non-stick cooking spray, sauté 1 cup chopped spinach and 1
tablespoon chopped spring onions for 1 minute. Beat 2 eggs with a dash chilli sauce; add to skillet. Cook until egg is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Flip
and add 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan; cook 15 to 30 seconds. Serve with 1 slice
toasted oat bread and 1/2 cup grapes.
6. Sushi
This one might be surprising since the tuna, salmon and
other fish commonly found in sushi is about as lean as it gets. Yet when you
factor in the cream cheese or the mayonnaise in most spicy tuna rolls the
calorie count sky-rockets. Portion size matters, too; stick to three rolls or
less, and choose brown rice when possible.
Chicken Rice Ball: 489 calories (Want
it tempura/crispy make it: 531 calories!) VS. One roll (8 pieces) generic
chicken sushi (teriyaki): 376 calories
7. Turkey/Chicken Burgers
When a burger craving hits, the calorie-conscious person
often turns to a turkey/chicken burger as the second-best option. But be careful,
if you have a turkey/chicken burger made with dark meat and skin, it can be
higher in calories than a sirloin burger. At the grocery store: Check the label
and pick a lean meat with less than 10 g of fat per serving.
You have a craving for fast food? Grilled chicken beats beef
burger right? Wrong.
Result: Sodium overload, and not necessarily
much in the way of calorie savings, either
Sodium can soar in a chicken sandwich. The chicken breast may have been injected with a salty brine solution to help the meat stay moist. At Burger King, the Tendergrill Chicken sandwich has 1,100mg sodium, and 75% of that comes from the chicken itself. (A Whopper Jr. burger has half the sodium, little of it from the beef, and 130 fewer calories.)
Lean chicken sometimes picks up salty toppings, like the bacon and cheese on the McDonald’s Premium Grilled Chicken: 1,410mg of sodium, 18% more than a Quarter Pounder with Cheese—and is not lower in calories.
What to do: You have a 2,300mg-per-day sodium budget. Take a minute to scan the restaurant’s nutrition data—online, in-store, or from a smart phone.
Sodium can soar in a chicken sandwich. The chicken breast may have been injected with a salty brine solution to help the meat stay moist. At Burger King, the Tendergrill Chicken sandwich has 1,100mg sodium, and 75% of that comes from the chicken itself. (A Whopper Jr. burger has half the sodium, little of it from the beef, and 130 fewer calories.)
Lean chicken sometimes picks up salty toppings, like the bacon and cheese on the McDonald’s Premium Grilled Chicken: 1,410mg of sodium, 18% more than a Quarter Pounder with Cheese—and is not lower in calories.
What to do: You have a 2,300mg-per-day sodium budget. Take a minute to scan the restaurant’s nutrition data—online, in-store, or from a smart phone.
8. Frozen Meals
There's a whole section of frozen meal options that are
quick and easy to make and boast low calorie counts. Yet many are also packed
with sodium. Frozen and prepared foods can often have a day's worth of sodium, which
is roughly 2,300 mg per day.
9. Bagels
Bagels can have fewer calories — if you are careful about
portion size. The mini-bagels have about 72 calories. But average deli bagels
contain 300 to 380 calories each — without any cream cheese. Beware of
“reduced-carbohydrate” bagels. In at least one such product, the amount of fat
is increased, so there are as many calories as in a regular bagel.
Bagels are another good choice for limiting total and
saturated fat. Even those big deli bagels usually have no more than 2 grams of
total fat and only a trace of saturated fat. Bagels with cheese or chocolate,
however, can hold as much saturated fat as a doughnut.
Toppings is where things go wrong:
Of course, the fat content of bagels is heavily influenced by the topping. About two tablespoons of regular cream cheese add around 100 calories and 6 grams of saturated fat. This will make your bagel the saturated plus trans fat equivalent of a doughnut and the calorie equivalent of one or two doughnuts. Light cream cheese is a healthier topping with 90 calories and 5 grams of saturated fat, but peanut butter is even healthier.
Of course, the fat content of bagels is heavily influenced by the topping. About two tablespoons of regular cream cheese add around 100 calories and 6 grams of saturated fat. This will make your bagel the saturated plus trans fat equivalent of a doughnut and the calorie equivalent of one or two doughnuts. Light cream cheese is a healthier topping with 90 calories and 5 grams of saturated fat, but peanut butter is even healthier.
Although two tablespoons of peanut butter has 185 calories,
the fat content has a better make up with only 3 grams of saturated fat and just
a trace of trans fat. Because of the protein, a peanut butter bagel should
satisfy your hunger for a long time, too, while doughnuts probably won’t.
If you choose carefully, bagels offer another advantage:
nutritious whole grains. But you will need to look for whole-grain bagels
closely. Bagels with a “whole wheat” label come from whole grains, but
“nine-grain” and “multi-grain” bagels may not. To know for sure, look at the
list of ingredients. A whole grain should be the first item. If you see just
the word “wheat,” the product is mostly made with refined white flour.
10. Portion Control
Do you ‘free-hand pour’ at the breakfast table?
I noticed my flat-mate looking at me funny as I portioned
out the recommended serving size for my morning cereal and smiled as she poured
her cereal in a bowl free-hand with abandon…she thought I was crazy, I knew
better.
Result: You
likely eat enough for 1.4 people.
When a study asked 100 people to show us their typical cereal pour, only 1 in 10 poured close to the recommended portions. For flake cereals, the average pour was 40% more than the 1-cup serving size. A full cup of skim milk in the bowl means you’ve added 40 more calories over the label standard.
What to do: Read labels, then practice with a measuring cup, just to get an idea of the recommended serving. If you change cereals, start over.
When a study asked 100 people to show us their typical cereal pour, only 1 in 10 poured close to the recommended portions. For flake cereals, the average pour was 40% more than the 1-cup serving size. A full cup of skim milk in the bowl means you’ve added 40 more calories over the label standard.
What to do: Read labels, then practice with a measuring cup, just to get an idea of the recommended serving. If you change cereals, start over.
My number one top tip:
Look at The Nutrition
Information!
The key to knowing whether the foods you're buying are as
nutritious as they seem is being able to read the nutrition labels. Some tips
from the experts can help you navigate the information on a food package:
• Be mindful of portion size: people often miss the serving
size. The packaging can make a food or drink look like a single serving, when
it's actually two or more.
• Look for foods that are trans fat-free: Trans fat is
harmful for your heart. While you're at it, though, also scan the label for
partially hydrogenated oils, another ingredient you should avoid.
• Don't be seduced by misleading words: "Organic"
doesn't necessarily mean a food is low in calories, and "fat-free"
can be a mask for loads of added sugars to hide behind. Instead of assuming
these marketing catch-phrases indicate a healthy food, check out the label and
be mindful of the order in which the ingredients are itemized. If an unhealthy
one like sugar is at or near the beginning of the list, steer clear of the
food.
