"14 foods to kick out of the kitchen forever" Review
Are you ready to face your grocery list? If you're like me, it probably reflects the food that you grew up on: Canned soups, pasta, cereals, and more. Although they feed your carb, sweet, and salt addiction, are you willing to do what you need to do to achieve weight loss results? Check out this list and finally kick out the obstacles to your health success (from the recent msn.com article "14 foods to kick out of the kitchen forever")!
READY-TO-EAT BREAKFAST CEREAL
When you’re reading a cereal box label, it’s easy to be fooled: By adding vitamins, food companies can make even junky cereals look like good choices. “Even those marketed as ‘healthy’ can be high in sugar,” says nutrition expert Kate Geagan, R.D.N. Think of it this way: Four grams of sugar on the label translates to one teaspoon of added sugar.
Newsflash: Buying whole-grain, fat-free pretzels won’t help get rid of your gut. Pretzels lack healthy fat, protein and fiber, so it’s easy to eat an entire bag in one sitting—and still not feel satisfied. Check out 50 Foods You Should Never Eat for other items you should avoid.
Stock this instead: Pistachios
Pistachios satisfy a craving for something salty but also deliver nutrients that keep you feeling full. They also have the largest serving size of any nut—you get to eat 49 pistachios instead of 23 almonds, 21 hazelnuts, 18 cashews or 14 walnuts. “In-shell pistachios are the best, because research has shown that the shells slow you down considerably, and you will consume about a third to a half less,” Geagan says.WHITE RICE
White rice isn’t as fluffy and harmless as it seems. “Aside from being stripped of nutrients, fiber and antioxidants, white rice is digested and absorbed quickly, creating a spike in blood sugar and insulin, leading to fat storage,” says New York Rangers nutritionist Cynthia Sass, R.D.WHITE OR “MULTI-GRAIN” BREAD
As tempting as it is to go old-school and pick up soft white bread, nutritionally you’ll be better off leaving it on the shelf. White bread contains zero whole grains, which help stave off heart disease and diabetes. Even breads labeled “multi-grain” are deceiving, says White. They can contain enriched flour—the stuff without fiber that’ll only spike your blood sugar, not fill you up.GENERIC PEANUT BUTTER
Spreading PB on fruit or whole-wheat toast is a smart snack, but many popular brands have a hidden ingredient that can lower levels of “good” cholesterol and make your “bad” cholesterol levels skyrocket: “If it’s not natural, there can be trans fats in peanut butter, and a lot of people don’t know that,” says White. “Even if it says ‘zero trans fats’ on the label, if it’s fully hydrogenated, which a lot of your peanut butters are, there can still be 0.5 grams of trans fats.”
Stock this instead: Natural peanut butter
Read the ingredient list before you pick one. The list should have three things and three things only: peanuts, salt and oil, says White.TRAIL MIX
When they’re dressed up with chunks of chocolate and dried fruit, many varieties of trail mix are more like candy. “A lot of the packages are really high in sugar. Just a fourth-cup serving can range up to 150 calories,” says White.
Stock this instead: Homemade trail mix
Customize the ingredients to your goals. To burn fat and build muscle, cut unwanted sugar and up the protein by focusing on oats, almonds and walnuts.PLAIN PASTA SAUCE IN A JAR
Going with a meatless or cheese-free sauce doesn’t guarantee that it gets an A-plus. “Cooked tomato products are generally low in fat and contain a good amount of the prostate-healthy antioxidant lycopene, but they can also contain outrageous amounts of blood-pressure-raising salt,” says Dr. Janet Bond, R.D., author of Blood Pressure Down.
Stock this instead: Spicy marinara sauce
Look for a jar with some heat. When sauce is flavored with robust seasonings like chili pepper, less sodium is needed, notes Bond.WHITE PASTA
When you’re eating white pasta, you’re getting robbed, as the stuff’s been stripped of its fiber and bran, says White. Calories are better spent on foods that are going to deliver several nutrients and keep you feeling fuller, longer.CANNED SOUP
Canned soup is another spot where you’ll find heaps of sodium—we’re talking 800 mg per cup, says White.
Stock this instead: Low-sodium canned soups, or sodium-free chicken stock
The magic number for soup is 350 mg of sodium. Anything above that may have a negative impact on blood pressure. That goes for even the healthiest-sounding flavors, like vegetable or barley. An even better idea: Break out the blender and make your own soup. Combine sodium-free chicken broth, Roma tomatoes, broccoli, avocado and onions for a super-easy lunch or dinner.TRADITIONAL BEEF JERKY
The beef jerky you'll find in convenience stores lasts for a long time in the cabinet—plus it’s low in calories and offers a little bit of protein. But it also contains cancer-causing nitrates, high amounts of artery-clogging saturated fat and an amount of sodium that’s off-the-charts.
Stock this instead: Healthy beef jerky
Scan labels to find dried beef products that specifically say they don’t contain nitrates or artificial flavors. “Healthier jerky usually has 8 to 12 grams of protein, less fat and saturated fat, and less sodium,” says Dr. Susan Mitchell, R.D., author of Fat Is Not Your Fate.CEREAL BARS
Stashing a few cereal bars in your gym bag for when you’re starving later in the day is good thinking, but don’t choose the wrong one: “Some of these cereal bars are loaded with sugar,” says White. “In fact, a 4-ounce cereal bar can contain up to 30 grams of sugar.”
Stock this instead: Hearty bars with ingredients you can see
The bar should pass the sight test: You should be able to make out individual pieces of fruit, nuts and seeds, like cashews, oats, cranberries, chia seeds and dates.POWDERED COFFEE CREAMER
If black coffee isn’t your thing, using creamer gives you a quick milky taste, but when you break down what you’re putting into your body, it just isn’t worth it. “It’s empty calories, fat, sugar and salt,” says White.
Stock this instead: Almond milk or coconut milk
These milks give you three things that the powdered stuff won’t: calcium, water and some protein. Be careful with the sugar and other added ingredients, too. Read 20 Coffee Drinks with More Sugar Than a Can of Coke and change your coffee habits.MOVIE THEATER–STYLE POPCORN
Just because you’re not pumping butter-flavored oil into a tub of popcorn in the theater doesn’t mean you’re safe. “A lot of the ‘movie’ popcorns out there now have trans fats and are loaded with butter,” says White. And let’s get real: You’re probably not going to stick to the recommended serving size. “Three cups is a serving, which is 90 calories. I don’t know many people who can just hold off to three cups.”
What else should we add to this list to lose weight? Find other foods you should avoid and more in my post The 68 Best Ways to Lose Body Fat and More.
Picture Credit: MSN.com - Pretzels can be a low calorie snack but will they still hinder your weight loss?
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