Snacking between meals is incredibly important because studies have shown that it prevents us from overeating by keeping our insulin and sugar level balanced. The problem that many people face is picking the right snack, because in the snack world, appearance can be deceiving. What might look healthy could actually be masking hundreds of unhealthy calories just waiting to find a home in your cells. In this article, we are going to look at four unhealthy "healthy" snacks that might just be the reason why you are still not able to fit in your favorite little black dress. Trust me, some of these are sure to shock you:
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1. Smoothies: These innocent looking drinks can easily carry anywhere from 500 to 1,000 calories. For many people, smoothies are a party in a cup. Banana, apples, peaches, strawberries, mangoes, grapes oranges, plus sweetener and protein power blended in milk or yogurt and you have one refreshingly unhealthy drink. If you don't choose your ingredients carefully, your smoothies might just contain more calories than a cola.
Pro tip: Stick with non-diary options like coconut water, almond milk or soy milk to thin down your smoothie. Also, don't add too many fruits. Two to three varieties should be enough. For more power and kick, add some greens like kale or spinach or even an avocado. Also, remember this is a snack, so an eight ounce cup worth of smoothie should be enough to hold you till your next meal.
2. Pre-packaged trail mixes: At a quick glance, trail mix can be a healthy choice. After all, it has nuts and dried fruits. What could be unhealthy about that? Well, just a handful of those can send your body on a high 300 calorie spike. Those pre-packaged trail mix packets contain sugar coated dried fruit, salted nuts mixed in with chocolate chips. Not really healthy after all.
Pro tip: Make your own trail mix with unsalted nuts, goji berries, organic raisins, almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, dried apples, berries and more.
3. Protein bars: Most protein bars are unhealthy. With many of them coming in at more than 200 calories and 8 grams of sugar, you might as well be eating a candy bar. Most times these bars are just loaded with low quality ingredients like exorbitant amounts of sugars, high fructose corn syrup, unhealthy fats, with just a little bit of protein.
Pro-tip: Go for protein bars made with organic ingredients. These might be a little more expensive but are much healthier for you. Make sure you check for artificial sweeteners in the information label. Also, opt for a bar whose protein sources are whey or casein.
4. Granola: This supposedly healthy ingredient can be loaded with sugar, maybe not in the form of high fructose corn syrup, but rather in healthier versions like brown rice syrup or molasses. Also, some granolas use palm oil or other hydrogenated oils. With their high saturated fat content, are very unhealthy for your heart and waistline.
Pro tip: Don't fill up your bowl with granola. Instead, use quarter of a cup of granola and add other healthy fruits or nuts to your bowl. Also, use granola made from healthy oils like olive oil or coconut oil. Make sure it does not have any filler ingredients like soy protein isolate and inulin.
If you don't choose carefully, your snack might just become another unhealthy treat. Something marked as healthy does not necessarily mean it is. Always make sure to check the information label before putting something in your grocery cart.
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