Eliminating the junk from your diet is definitely the first step to achieving healthy weight loss. But most of the times, the healthy foods that you swap in are way too riddled with calorie and excess fats. That’s the very reason why serving size matters. So refrain from ruining your diet and strive to follow this quick
and easy guide to eating healthy yet sneaky foods. Don’t get this wrong—these foods are ultra healthy but if you don’t watch yourself; they can also widen your waistline.
1. Avocado
Avocado is a super food; it is packed with antioxidants that can help maintain younger looking and fresh skin. This fruit is also loaded with fiber that makes you feel full longer and lots of healthy mono-unsaturated fats. But if you want to lessen your weight, you better watch your intake of this calorie-dense food. One serving is about 1/5 of the fruit and logs in at 50 calories, and downing an entire fruit can stand to make you gain roughly 350 calories. Meaning, that small bowl of guacamole that you are
ferociously enjoying is much more than a snack—it‘sactually about to close in as an entire meal.
2. Red wine
Consuming red wine moderately (and other alcohol types) can help in reducing one’s risk for developing heart diseases, stroke, Alzheimer’s, certain types of cancers and weight gain too. But there’s one thing to consider here: it’s the word “MODERATION”. A serving of about 5-ounce will earn you roughly 130 calories.
3. Nuts
Did you know that nuts come with a load of omega 3 fatty-acids that are certainly good for the heart? They’re also rich in proteins, fiber, Vitamin E, and well, you guessed it right—calories. A ¼ cup of nuts can bring you 132 calories and it’s all too easy to eat them—just like you would a tub of popcorn.
4. Dried fruits
So what are dried fruits? They’re just regular fruits that have had water removed from them. And what’s more interesting is that dried fruits pack a lot more calories (about 5-8 times) and sugar than their fresh counterparts. Here’s a bit comparison: a cup of fresh grapes has about 60 calories, while a cup of raisins gives a whole load of 460 calories. How to turn this around? Simply go for fresh whenever you can. Dried fruits can be eaten as a garnish and not as snack.
5. Chocolates
Probably one of the best components of dark chocolates would be polyphenols—it’s a disease-fighting compound that’s also been associated to weight loss; that is if you don’t eat too much of the stuff. One ounce of dark chocolate equates to 9 grams of fat (about 5g of it is saturated fat) and 155 calories. If you’ll be having it as a snack, opt for the dark chocolates that are high on cacao content—less sugary but just as filling.
6. Gluten-free packaged foods
Intolerance to gluten means you need to drop barley, wheat or rye from your diet to stay healthy. However you must understand that gluten-free products are not necessarily healthy or even diet-
friendly. When it comes to gluten-free packaged foods, the regular flour content is oftentimes replaced with brown rice flour or cornstarch which is technically denser in caloric content.
7. Smoothies
So really, what could go wrong with a glass of blended fruit? Well, truth be told, this can become a sneaky source of added calories especially if your smoothie is composed of ingredients like peanuts, chocolates, flavoured yogurts, butter, and served in huge cups. So to enjoy your frosty blended concoction without it becoming a calorie bomb, make sure that it contains nothing other than fresh fruits, plain yogurt, ice and lastly, unsweetened milk.
8. Tuna salad
A single serving of tuna in canned water packs a whopping 39 grams of protein and just 179 calories. Tuna is a great food for dieting but the problem is most people tend to add mayonnaise to it, which adds 90 to its caloric content and another 10 grams of fat per tablespoon. To eat tuna without the additional calories, swap the mayo for Greek yogurt—you’ll get a nice tangy flavour for less calories plus the additional protein kick.
