Cereal bars
They fill half an aisle in the supermarket and many have warm and fuzzy logos to accompany the “no artificial additives” claims on the labels, but depending on the brand, some of those all-too-handy snack bars are loaded with saturated fat and sugar. We’re not saying they’re bad for you, but all these bars rely on sugar to hold them together … and if you’re trying to control your weight you need to also be mindful of the fat content.
Dried cranberries
Thanks to added sugars, depending on the brand, ¼ cup of this “superfood” packs an astonishing 30g of the sweet stuff. The same goes for other dried fruits such as apple. What’s important to remember is that although dried fruit has a healthy image and can be a source of fibre, we tend to snack on it by the handful, not necessarily the recommended portion size. This means we may be eating the equivalent of three or four pieces of fruit in one sitting. Also dried fruit is quite sticky so it clings to the surface of your teeth so can contribute to tooth decay.
Green juice
Some bottles you’ll find on the supermarket shelves may have up to 50g of sugar and zero fibre. Hello, weight gain! Even the green juices you make at home may not be as healthy as you think. Most of the nutrients in those lovely fresh green vegies are to be found in the skin and pulp so once you’ve peeled them all the good stuff, especially the fibre that helps keep you feeling full for longer, ends up in the bin or on the compost.
Banana bread
Those yummy-looking slices tantalise you from the top of the glass cabinet as you wait for the barista to make your first coffee of the day, but just because they contain banana doesn’t mean they’re healthy. That wedge of heaven from the coffee shop is just cake in all its buttery, sugary, kilojoule-laden glory. And then get it toasted with butter and you are really pushing the friendship!
Coconut oil
There is little scientific evidence to support coconut oil’s status as a superfood and celebrity-endorsed cure-all. In fact, the Heart Foundation puts it up there with palm oil as a purveyor of too much saturated fat to meet any heart-healthy criteria. So those raw cakes and treats made with lashings of coconut oil can be more of a health horror than health halo. There’s no doubt it has a nice, nutty flavour, but good quality oils made from olives are a better health choice.
Frozen yoghurt
Frozen yoghurt is a healthier choice than ice-cream … right? Wrong. Some brands have as many kilojoules as regular ice-cream but aren’t as satisfying. For example, one scoop (65g) of frozen yoghurt has 502 kilojoules, plus 4.2g saturated fat and 13g sugar. A scoop of full fat vanilla ice-cream has 404 kilojoules, 3.6g saturated fat and 9.4 grams of sugar. Either one makes a nice dessert or summer snack, but they’re treats rather than a health food.
Spinach wraps
Wraps make a nice change from an ordinary sandwich made with bread but they are typically made from refined flour and they are likely to get their green colour from powder rather than anything leafy that grew in the earth. No matter what filling you choose, nutritionally you’re better off with a plain wholemeal version and the fibre it contains will stop you getting hungry so quickly.
Rice cakes
They may be low in kilojoules, but they contain little fibre, protein or other nutrients. Flavoured versions can also have lots of artificial additives. Wholegrain biscuits or crispbreads are a better choice. They’re just as handy to keep in your drawer at work, or in the pantry at home for a snack, but they will fill you up and go towards your RDI of fibre.
Diet and zero sugar soft drink
Studies show that these drinks don’t satisfy the part of the brain that is seeking a sugar hit. The result is your body still sends you impulses to seek out some genuine sweetness. It’s not surprising then that drinking a can a day is associated with a 41 per cent rise in obesity risk.
Vegetable chips
No matter how you slice it, the processing that goes into making a vegie into a chip robs it of most of the nutrients found in the original. What’s more, some have even more fat and salt than regular potato chips. This appealing snack will definitely make you thirsty but stripped of fibre it won’t keep you satisfied for long.
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