As part of my continuing health series, here is another article from Men's Health. The text is from a book titled "Eat This, Not That".
I just ordered the book from Amazon. Happy Birthday Jason! (His b-day present theme is Mind/Body/Soul. He might not be happy about it, but I like to believe it's rather thoughtful.)
http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/9healthfoods.html
The authors of the bestselling new book “Eat This, Not That!” uncover the most misunderstood “health” foods in America.
If your New Year’s resolution consists of giving up pizza and cheeseburgers in favor of flaxseeds and rice cakes, it’s time to reconsider your strategy. In the hot bestselling book Eat This, Not That! co-authors David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding insist you don’t ever have to diet again. You can eat all of your favorite foods and still drop 10, 20, 30 pounds before the ball drops next December. To do so, though, you must be able to spot the many perilous nutritional traps that continue to plague health-conscious consumers every day. Seemingly nutritious packaged and prepared foods often abound with added sugars, preservatives, and dangerous, belt-breaking fats. To help you slim down in ’08, the Eat This, Not That! guys have identified the nine most punishing health ruses and replaced them with delicious alternatives that will keep you satisfied and give you all the purported nutritional benefits that many of our most beloved foods sadly do not.
1. Bran Muffin
420 calories
20 grams of fat
Eat this instead!
Ham, egg and cheese on an English muffin.
300 calories
12 grams of fat
Bran muffins are comprised of two things your body doesn't want in the morning: sugar and refined flour. Both will work to spike your blood sugar, which signals your body to start storing fat and sets you up for a mid-morning crash. And with only trace amounts of fiber, there's nothing healthy about this misunderstood muffin. The breakfast sandwich, on the other hand, is a surprisingly great way to start your day. Besides having fewer calories, fat, and carbs, it also offers about 20 grams of protein, which we really need in the morning to jumpstart our metabolism.
2. Chicken Caesar Salad
(Dinner-size portion)
900 calories
60 grams of fat
Eat this instead!
Grilled chicken on mixed greens
400 calories
20 grams of fat
Caesar salads suffer the consequences of two natural disasters: a flood of fatty dressing and a blizzard of Parmesan cheese and croutons. Even a Caesar side salad before a meal can cost you up to 500 calories. Skip the emperor treatment in favor of a simple grilled chicken breast tossed in a bed of mixed greens tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is a vast improvement over the treacherous Caesar dressing, and the absence of a Parmesan sea means that you'll save nearly entire meal's worth of calories by making this simple swap.
3. Tuna Melt
900 calories
50 grams of fat
Eat this instead!
Roast beef or ham sandwich
500 calories
15 grams of fat
Plain tuna out of the can is healthy; tuna doused in mayo, shrouded in melted cheese, and slicked with another layer of dressing is not. Both ham and roast beef are packed with protein and are super satisfying and surprisingly lean, which means you can eat the same size sandwich and save 400 calories and 35 grams of fat.
4. Chicken Wrap
700 calories
35 grams of fat
Eat this instead!
Grilled chicken sandwich
375 calories
15 grams of fat
The wrap itself is the real offender here, dense with fast-burning carbs and containing up to 400 calories. It's a tortilla shell pumped with a bunch of modified starch and fat. Plus the huge surface area means more room to slather dressing and pack in more cheese and meat than your typical sandwich. Definitely not a health food. A grilled chicken sandwich on a bun offers a great balance of fat, carbs, and protein, plus having a bun instead of a huge tortilla provides so much-need portion control. Bonus: Nix the mayo in favor of bbq sauce or salsa (which is the ultimate fat-free, low-cal condiment).
5. Turkey Burger
850 calories
50 grams of fat
Eat this instead!
7 oz sirloin steak
350 calories
20 grams of fat
People hear turkey and automatically think lean and healthy, but depending on the type of ground turkey and toppings used, one of these poultry patties can be every bit as fatty and caloric as a beef burger. Sirloin, on the other hand, is one of the leanest cuts of meat available, which makes for an incredibly satisfying, protein-enriched meal that will keep you feeling fuller, longer. Who wouldn't want to make this swap?
6. Fruit Smoothies
600 calories
120 grams of sugar
Drink this instead!
100% fruit smoothie
350 calories
75 grams of sugar
Many fruit smoothies contain added sugars and high fructose corn syrup, which means they're more milkshake than smoothie. The key here really is in the name: A 100% fruit smoothie made with plain yogurt instead of ice cream or sherbert will contain nearly half the calories and significantly less sugar, plus it will provide all of the vitamin and antioxidant capacity that a smoothie is supposed to have.
7. Granola Bar
200 calories
15 grams of sugar
Eat this instead!
1 oz cheddar cheese with Triscuits
150 calories
5 grams of sugar
Ever wonder what keeps a granola bar together? The makers of one of America’s favorite (and most misunderstood) snacks use mostly high-fructose corn syrup as their glue, which in turns quickly raises blood sugar and cancels out any of the potential benefits you might otherwise get from the oats. By switching over to good old-fashioned cheese and crackers, you swap out sugar and calories for protein and fiber. Talk about a great deal!
8. Pasta Salad
300 calories
20 grams of fat
Eat this instead!
Egg Salad
200 calories
14 grams of fat
When the main ingredient for a snack or a side is pasta, you’re asking for trouble. That’s because pasta is made from highly-refined flour, which means quick-burning carbs and a huge spike in blood sugar. Not only does it save you a hundred calories, but the egg salad replaces those troublesome carbs with healthy protein, which helps fill your belly faster and keeps your metabolic fires effectively stoked.
8. Yogurt with Fruit on the Bottom
190 calories
30 grams of sugar
Eat this instead!
Plain yogurt with fresh fruit mixed in
110 calories
15 grams of sugar
You wouldn’t start your morning with a can of Coke, would you? Then you should pass on these troublesome yogurt cups since they contain as much sugar as a soft drink. Almost all of that comes directly from the “fruit” is mostly high-fructose corn syrup. Yogurt and fruit can be a great way to start your day, but do it yourself by mixing a cup of nonfat plain yogurt with a half cup of mixed berries.
