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Certain foods get a good or bad rap for being “healthy” or “unhealthy,”–and sometimes those reputations are downright wrong.
Health experts agree that come items being marketed as “healthy” meal or snack alternatives actually contain an alarming number sugar and carbohydrate grams.
Read on for the worst offenders, according to the leading dietitians, nutritionists and health coaches we spoke to:
Frozen yogurt
"People tend to think frozen yogurt is a healthier swap over traditional ice cream," certified personal trainer Sergio Pedemonte of Your House Fitness tells us. "Yet on a per-serving basis, most frozen yogurts actually have more sugar than ice cream, around 17-18 grams per half cup compared to ice cream's 14 grams. Companies add all this sugar to balance out yogurt's natural tartness."
Granola Bars
"My pet peeve is so called “healthy granola bars," certified health coach Jamie Pirtle explains. "I cringe every time I see someone having one of these for breakfast or a snack because they are full of sugar. The Clif Bar--supposedly one of the healthiest--contains 9-11 grams of protein and non-GMO, organic ingredients but also 18-25 grams of sugar, depending on the flavor, and 44 grams of carbs."
Sweetened or flavored instant oatmeal
"Traditional forms like rolled oats or steel-cut oats are amazing for you, packing tons of fiber and minerals like manganese, phosphorus, zinc, and B vitamins," Sergio warns. "Flavored packets of instant oatmeal, though, is a whole different story, stripping away most of those micronutrients and then adding sugar through artificial flavors and sweeteners like acesulfame potassium and sucralose. Some flavors can hide between 7-14 grams of artificial sweeteners."
Protein bars and powders
"Stick with pre-packaged protein bars that have 7 grams of sugar or less to keep this snack choice under control," Sergio advises.
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Fruit Smoothies
“Once considered 'healthy snacks' alarmingly, these can have over 60 grams of sugar," nutritionist Anna Mitsios of Edible Beauty tells us. "A good example is a mango banana smoothie from Smoothie King which has a whopping 69 grams of sugar despite having no fat."
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Fruit chips
"Fruit chips should have a clean ingredient list, meaning only the fruit should be listed (example- ingredients: apples)," explains registered dietitian Carrie Kirkland. For example, 1/2 cup of apple chips contains 21g of sugar. "For a snack, this isn't going to keep us feeling satisfied until our next balanced meal. Instead, swap the chips for a whole apple smeared with natural peanut butter for the protein/fat/fiber to make a well-rounded snack."
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