“Healthy Foods” That Are Making You Fat
Some of the most common things Googled and searched for during a health/fitness journey are questions like:
What types of foods help burn fat?
What should I eat for weight loss?
What food is best for weight loss?
What foods help burn belly fat?
If you’re willing to do some digging, you might find a good answer. However, if you’re looking at the very first thing that pops up on your search engine and calling it a day, you may be getting some misguided information.
Some commonly thought to be healthy foods could include things such as:
Nuts/Seeds
Nut Butters
Dark Chocolate
Potatoes
Dried Fruits
On the surface these all seem like very healthy choices and even alternatives to their less healthy counterparts. Where we tend to go wrong here however, is serving size and overconsumption of these “healthy foods”.
In reality, this list could go on and on and on naming off many different types of healthy foods that we know and love to enjoy. But when they’re over-consumed, how much healthier are they?
Let’s break it down:
Nuts/Seeds are the biggest scam in fitness and nutrition. While they do offer many health benefits, these are by far the most popular over-consumed “healthy food” there is to offer. A serving size of nuts on average is about an ounce or a small handful for almost 200 calories! Furthermore, they are often promoted as being a good source of protein, when in reality, they are a much better source of healthy fats and vitamins and minerals.
The same assumptions can be made about nut butters. Nut butters are way over consumed because most of the time the recommended serving size is not measured out. On average, the serving size of most nut butters is 2 Tablespoons for a total of 160-200 calories. When was the last time you measured out 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter?
Dark chocolate offers many different health benefits including lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, and reducing resistance to insulin. But again, as mentioned above, too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing.
Potatoes are a great source of carbohydrates and can be quite healthy when prepared and consumed the right way! Where we tend to go wrong here again, is using excessive oils, butters, and dairy to prepare potatoes. Keep in mind that these things all have calories too.
Finally, dried fruits. Dried fruits are a great snack to have on hand whether you’re busy traveling, looking for something to grab on the go, or just looking for a healthy snack to eat at home. Understanding how to read a nutrition label is especially important when consuming dried fruits however. We’d like to assume that when you buy dried mangos that’s literally all you’re eating, but during the preserving process added sugars are easily snuck in and forgotten about.
So, next time you’re at the grocery store and are wanting to try some of these “healthy foods”, remember to keep in mind that calories matter no matter how healthy the food is. Recommended serving size should never be forgotten. Reading nutrition labels is key to any and all success surrounding health and fitness.
