bagel

 

 

According to Today Show nutritionist Joy Bauer, the following five foods seem healthy but are actually packed with calories, sugar, and fat...

Joy not only warns us about being deceived by these seemingly "healthy" foods, but also suggests more healthful alternatives:

  1. 2% Milk: There actually isn't much of a difference between 2% milk (120 calories a cup) and whole milk (150 calories, 3.25% fat). Skim milk, however, has the same protein and calcium content as whole and 2% but only has 80 calories per cup.
  2. Whole Wheat Bagels: Ordinarily whole grains are a good, healthy choice—except in the case of whole grain bagels, which have at least 350 calories. A lower-calorie choice would be a whole grain English Muffin.
  3. Chicken Ceasar Salad: Cream dressing and oil-soaked croutons can set you back anywhere from 410 (McDonald's) to 1,000 calories (restaurant chains). Substitute the dressing for a low-fat vinaigrette or vinegar with two teaspoons of olive oil. Lose the croutons altogether.
  4. Granola: Versions of granola these days contain added sweeteners and sometimes even chocolate and peanut butter. As such, granola tends to be very high in calories—anywhere from 200-280 calories per serving (most of us eat way more than one serving in our cereal bowl). Instead, of consuming a whole bowl, sprinkle a couple tablespoons on yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese, or mix 1/4 cup with a less caloric celeral like Cheerios.
  5. Fruit Smoothies: The fruit smoothies offered at restaurant chains are often loaded with calories and sugar. In fact, the Peanut Butter Moo'd Smoothie at Jamba Juice has 840 calories! Opt to make your healthy version with fruit, skim milk, and ice.

I LOVE granola, so that one is hard for me to accept. And I had no idea that 2% milk was so similar to whole. How about you? Were any of these not-so-healthy foods surprising to you?