by Jenny Gaal, Fitness Director
With so many temptations out there today it is so important we choose our diet carefully to stay on track for our health and fitness goals! Here is the short No No List of foods to stay away from and as always pay attention to frequency and quantity when you indulge in an unhealthy food.
- Hot dogs, bacon, and sausages.
Processed meats, like pepperoni, hot dogs, sausage, bacon, and deli meats, are best left for special or rare occasions like a trip to the ballpark or a family event. Try chicken dogs or sausages, in moderation, as a healthier option and watch out for sodium content.
- Sugary coffee creations. Those fancy blended drinks at coffee shops can have upwards of 400 calories and 15 teaspoons of sugar!
- Stick margarines. Avoid trans-fat foods, which can raise your heart disease risk by boosting levels of bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein — LDL) and lowering levels of good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein — HDL). The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of trans fats you eat to less than one percent of your daily total calories.
- Processed pastries. Pre-packaged foods such as; Pop-Tarts, Twinkies, Devil Dogs, HoHos, or Hostess Cupcakes are a No-not only because of the many preservatives, chemicals, and the sugar content but the poor nutritional value. Choosing more whole, fresh foods like fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and oils, and lean meats and fish will always be a better choice.
- Canned frosting. This is another trans fat offender- better if made from scratch. Hopefully, the proposed FDA ban on artificial trans fat will be finalized soon. In the meantime always read the product label for trans fat info. Why? Because right now, the FDA allows companies to round trans fat down to zero grams if the product contains less than 0.5 grams per serving…. look at the label for hydrogenated fat or partially hydrogenated fat.
- Sugar-packed cereals. Sugar bombs, instead look for cereal high in fiber. If this is still too challenging then try half of a healthy cereal mixed with your usual brand until you get the taste for the new cereal.
