You feel like you’re eating all the right foods, but those stubborn pounds still don’t come off? You may be blinded to foods with hidden calories.
“We often assume that if the food is healthy, it’s low in calories too,” says Krista Maguire of CSSD. “However, certain trendy foods have health halos that mask their true energy content.”
Even if you have the best intentions to eat healthy, you can eat many high-calorie foods without knowing it. Here are some common calorie criminals and tips on how to enjoy them without going overboard.
1. Smoothie
Up to 940 calories
“Smoothies sound like a great way to add fruit to your meal, but if you don’t pay attention it can be a real calorie bomb, as many of them are spiked with free syrup, sorbet and even straight table sugar.
Plus, the smoothies purchased from many stores are too big (Jamba juice rises to 28 ounces. On a large scale!). It’s more than anyone should sit and eat.
Slim It: Make your own smoothie from 1 cup each of fresh fruit, leafy green vegetables, unsweetened chocolate or vanilla almond milk.
2. Nut Butter
190 calories per 2 tablespoons
Munching some peanuts and almonds requires serious chewing. Smooth and creamy nut butter is not that great.
“It takes a much shorter time to stick a spoonful of nut butter into your mouth than chewing a few nuts or peanuts,” says Maguire. “It’s easy to push yourself too hard.”
Think about it: how many PBs and how many amounts were you divided into toast? Many people slap it until they look better.
Slim: You don’t have to lose your favorite nut butter, but it helps you measure it. Think 1 tablespoon for smoothies, yogurt or oatmeal, and 2 levels for sandwiches.
3. Frozen yogurt
222 calories per cup
It is possible to find a low-calorie frozen yogurt brand, but other varieties offer roughly the same number of calories as ice cream. For example, consider most flavors from popular chains. Froyo’s cup can run up to 400 calories. This does not include the colorful toppings that most people add.
Slim Down It: Whip your own frozen dessert, like this homemade vanilla frozen yogurt. Controls ingredients and calories. And once you go to Floyobar to make your own combination, be aware of the toppings you use. The base may be light in calories, but chocolate chips and gummy bears can quickly offset the difference.
4. Coffee drinks
Up to 520 calories
When you are wary of calorie-rich foods, it is easy to forget that drinks can contribute to your daily calorie intake. A flashy latte and coffee with cream are the main examples.
“If your latte is made with whole milk or coconut milk and syrup-like sweeteners, it could contain hundreds of extra hidden calories,” says Taub-Dix. “And that’s in front of the whipped cream topping!”
Slim Down It: Order Skim Milkrate and sprinkle with cocoa powder or cinnamon to make it sweet. If plain coffee is yours, try a 2% milk splash instead of cream to save dozens of calories. Alternatively, if you are trying to remove dairy products, choose a glass of Arms Milk. This is about 10 calories per quarter cup.
5. Honey
64 calories per tablespoon
“Even though honey offers natural sugar, we sometimes forget that it’s still sugar,” says Maguire. In fact, this liquid sweetener packs a third calorie intake than regular table sugar. So, you might think you’re opting for a healthier option, but in reality it’s still getting the numbers.
Slim: “The more sugar you use, the more you tend to crave it,” says Maguire. “We slowly reduce the amount of honey used, and over time, our taste will awaken to the natural sweetness of the food.”
You can also use sugar swaps such as stevia and monk fruit, which contain calories and sugar.
6. avocado
227 calories per avocado
Remember when we thought fat foods like avocados gained us weight? Now we know well. The truth is that a little slowly digested fat helps you satisfy, satisfy and eat less overall.
However, the surgical word here is “small.” Spread the entire avocado over toast and you’ll gain around 21 grams of fat.
Slim down it: Try a quarter of avocado for a salad. You can avoid browning leftovers by rubbing the meat with lemon juice, rubbing the meat with lemon juice, wrapping it in plastic wrap, and wrapping it in the fridge.
7. cheese
75-122 calories per ounce
Whether you throw it in an omelette or layer it on a sandwich, cheese seems like a smart way to squeeze out any excess protein. But it is also an easy way to quickly acquire calorie surplus.
Many types of cheese are calorie dense and can be fatty, so you don’t need to overdo it with cheese.
Slim: Swap cheese slices or wedges for 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese to reduce calories by a significant amount. Measuring it will help you make sure you’re not cheap.
8. seed
43-52 calories per tablespoon
Whether they are hemp, flax or sunflowers, seeds have moments. However, sprinkle them in an already calorie smoothie bowl and it can be done easily when the seeds are very small.
They may look harmless, but they can pack punches filled with large calories.
Slim: “Seeds are just accessories,” says Maguire. “Instead of sprinkling them on top of food, you can share them and know exactly how much you’re using.”
9. Dark Chocolate
170 calories per ounce
What is better than knowing that your favorite snack is good for you? Dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants, and in many cases it can contain low sugar content. However, Ounce for Ounce offers roughly the same calories as milk chocolate. So, it’s a healthier option for a sweet treat, but that doesn’t mean you can help the second (or third) without calorie outcomes.
Make it slim: you can still get your dark chocolate fix – do it in moderation. Avoid eating multiple chocolate squares by melting one in the microwave and drizzling it over the fresh berries. The sweet teeth are satisfied!
10. Coconut oil
104 calories per tablespoon
“Everyone gets crazy about coconut and you get crazy without realizing it adds a lot of fat and calories to your diet,” says Taub-Dix. Like other edible oils, coconut oil is mostly fat, providing about 13 grams of fat per tablespoon, making it one of the most fatty and calorie-rich foods around.
However, unlike other oils, almost all of the fat in coconut oil is saturated. “There’s a big debate right now whether saturated fat is bad, but there’s not much science to say it’s good for you,” says Taub-Dix.
Slim Down: If you’re really enjoying the flavor of coconut oil, add a dash to the end of the cooking process. Use a little avocado or olive oil to fry, then swirl with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil for flavor.
Take home
Just because food is “healthy” doesn’t mean that it’s automatically low in calories. If you’re trying to mastermind the waistline, it costs you and how much food you’re actually eating.
To avoid being loaded with calories, be careful of high-calorie add-ins on foods like smoothies and froyo, and provide sizes for small overeating foods, such as seeds and cheese.
