These days, many foods are advertised as “healthy” or “light.” When you purchase them, you may think they will help you lose weight. Unfortunately, the reality is different: most of them are packed with sugar, additives, fat, and calories. These ingredients will not only make losing weight more difficult but will also jeopardize your health.
Read on to learn what 8 “healthy” foods you should be careful about if you want to lose weight.
Smoothie Bowls
Smoothie and acai bowls can be healthy if they contain a mix of fruits, veggies, nuts, or seeds. But they can often include fruit juices, sweetened yogurt, purees, honey, etc., all of which are packed with sugar and calories.
Granola
Most times, granola purchased at stores has high sugar levels and processed oil you should stay away from if you want to lose weight and maintain your health.
Agave Syrup
While agave syrup has a lower glycemic index than honey, it contains much more fructose, leading to insulin resistance.
Flavored Yogurt
Yogurt is considered one of the best foods for gut health. However, flavored yogurts don’t fall into this group because they are typically packed with sugar and artificial colors.
Diet Soda
Diet sodas are calorie-free, but that doesn’t make them healthy. They usually contain artificial sweeteners that harm our gut health and even cause weight gain.
Sports Drinks
Although sports drinks are advertised as the perfect way to recover from a workout, they are often packed with sugar and artificial colors you should avoid.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit contains more fructose than its natural counterpart and is often infused with sugars or sugary coating.
Frozen Meals
While frozen meals can be convenient and easy to prepare, they often come with preservatives, sugar, and high amounts of sodium.
Read the Label
If you want to lose weight and maintain your health in the process, it’s essential to read the ingredient list for every product you purchase carefully. Most “healthy” products contain high sugar or salt levels, preservatives, artificial colorings, and other ingredients you should stay away from.