5 Diet Foods That Actually Make You Fat

October 7, 2015

With an increased awareness about the importance of being healthy, you probably read all the labels and scour through the health information before picking up your food and drinks.

Everyone tells you about what to eat and what to avoid—which some advertisers cash in on. They smartly package their products as being healthy or lighter, but how much of it is true?

Here are 5 foods and drinks that claim to be healthy, but are actually harmful and could result in weight gain.

Vitamin Water

Most packaged vitamin waters contain 30 to 33 grams of sugar per bottle (a bar of Snickers has 30 grams of sugar), while the low-calorie ones with artificial sweeteners can make your metabolism slow down, making you gain more weight. These vitamin-boosted drinks are really just meant to make you feel good, but are anything but good, nutrition-wise.

Tip: Add ½ a sliced cucumber, 1/4^th cup fresh mint leaves and half a slice of lime to a jar of water. Mix to make infused water at home.

Rice Cakes

A light snack? Not so much. Rice cakes are loaded with carbohydrates that can spike your blood sugar levels to dangerous highs.

Tip: If you’re looking for a quick, energy-boosting snack, opt for oatmeal crackers that are made with whole oats, and contain natural sweeteners such as dates.

Granola Bars

This is perhaps the biggest food trap of them all. Granola bars are marketed as being light, healthy grab-and-go snacks for those on the move. Most packaged ones are loaded with sugar and preservatives; some even contain high fructose corn syrup, and match up to the fat and calorie content of candy bars.

Tip: Go for a mixed bowl of almonds, toasted flax and sunflower seeds and raisins that will help you stay full without piling on the calories. If you want an energy bar, try our healthy hemp protein bar or our sugar-free granola bar.

Flavored Soy Milk

While regular soy milk is definitely healthy, flavored ones contain 10 grams of sugar and 50 calories per serving. Avoidable.

Tip: Go for regular soy milk, almond milk or even hemp milk.

Fat-Free Yogurt

You need some amount of fat in your body to stay healthy, which means that fat-free is not really a good option. Also, flavored yogurt has 15 grams of sugar per serving, even if it is fat-free. So choose wisely.

Tip: Have regular yogurt with fresh cut fruits added to it. Here are some delicious ways to make yogurt more palatable.

PS: Head to our Food section for healthy recipes and the latest food trends.
Also, find quick and easy Nutrition tips here.