4 'Healthy Foods' that Aren't

I preach it everyday - become an INFORMED consumer!  The food industry marketers are BRILLIANT!  I will give them that.  The health and fitness industry is a multi-billion dollar industry yet 70% of American Adults are overweight.  Turn those products OVER and educate yourself before buying!

Here are 4 products that claim to be healthy but aren't!

1.)  Pre-Made Smoothies or smoothies from a smoothie 'shop'

• The average pre-made smoothie or smoothie from a smoothie shop (Smoothie King, Starbucks, etc) pack 85g sugar and thats the AVERAGE!  
• Our bodies process 30-35g sugar a DAY!  So what happens to the other 50g sugar you just consumed......yup you guessed it.....stores on your body
• Try making a homemade shake with unsweetened almond milk, a cleaner protein like Garden of Life Raw Protein and 1/4 cup frozen berries!  
• Will cut your calories and sugar back to only 6g!

2.)  Trail Mix or 'Energy Blend' Nut Snack Mixes

• Just say NO - the average trail mix PER CUP packs a whopping 700 calories, 44g fat (enough for a FULL day) and 45g SUGAR
• Opt for an ounce (about 12-15) Plain, unsalted almonds with a Non Fat Plain Greek yogurt and a rice cake crumbled in!  About 250 calories and choc full of protein/complex carbs and healthy fat from the nuts!

3.)  Frozen 'Healthy' Meals:

• Turn your frozen meal over and check out the sodium content - LOADED! 
• The typical frozen 'health' dinner packs over 1,400mg of sodium!  Thats MORE than half the recommended amount per day (2400mg)
• Not to mention - read the ingredients list.....is this clean and healthy?  NO...its basically processed CRAP

'TORTILLA CRUSTED ALASKA POLLOCK (ALASKA POLLOCK, ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, TORTILLA CHIPS (YELLOW WHOLE CORN, VEGETABLE OIL {CORN, SOYBEAN, AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL}), SUGAR, YELLOW CORN FLOUR, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, WHITE CORN FLOUR, SALT, SPICES, DEXTROSE, EGG WHITE, TOMATO POWDER, NATURAL FLAVOR, WHEY, MALTODEXTRIN, YEAST, ONION POWDER, LEAVENING (SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE), SOY FLOUR, GARLIC POWDER, TORULA YEAST, CITRIC ACID, CORN OIL. PREFRIED IN COTTONSEED AND/OR CANOLA OIL), BLANCHED ENRICHED LONG GRAIN PARBOILED RICE (WATER, RICE, IRON, NIACIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, FOLIC ACID), SKIM MILK, CORN, TOMATILLOS, RED PEPPERS, WATER, CHILE PEPPERS, ONIONS, 2% OR LESS OF REDUCED FAT CHEDDAR CHEESE (CULTURED PART-SKIM MILK, SALT, ENZYMES, ANNATTO COLOR), BUTTERMILK POWDER, DEHYDRATED SOUR CREAM (SOUR CREAM (CULTURED CREAM, NONFAT MILK)), MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, SALT, SOYBEAN OIL, GARLIC PUREE, CULTURED WHEY, CILANTRO, JALAPENO PUREE (JALAPENO PEPPERS, SALT, ACETIC ACID AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE), BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, SUGAR, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, LACTIC ACID, SPICES, CALCIUM LACTATE.'

• NO thanks!  I'll just grill some fish and asparagus and serve it with some quinoa and fresh pico de gallo - save calories, be MORE full and not ingest loads of chemicals!

4.)  Protein or 'Energy' Bars

• Most of these are glorified candy bars - flip over and read your sugar!
• A Clif bar contains 22g of sugar!  STEER CLEAR!  You are better off eating a dark chocolate bar than a Cliff bar!
• Look for cleaner, low sugar and high protein brands like Think Thin and Quest Bars

Bottom Line?  Be an INFORMED Consumer and Make BETTER Choices for YOU and YOUR family.  Your body will thank you for it!

In Health,

Nutritionista

Tune in to the Today's Show Wednesday August 14th to see me compete for the Women's Health Next Fitness Star Title - one of the top 5 Finalists in the Nation!

www.thenextfitnessstar.com