JANUARY 21, 2014
Dieticians Association of Australia survey reveals why fad diets are so bad for us.
THE diet industry is booming, but Australians are fatter than ever.
How come? Nutrition experts say it might have something to do with mass confusion and misrepresentation in our supermarket aisles.
According to USANA nutritionist Ravinder Lilly, even the savviest consumer can be fooled by ‘diet’, ‘all-natural’ and ‘free-from’ labels on food packaging nowadays.
And Australians buy $745 million worth of these foods a year.
Quite often, though, they pack just as many – if not more – calories and fat than most of their junk-food counterparts.
Ravinder talks us through four so-called healthy foods to beware of.
1. Supermarket Salad Kits
Between the parmesan, the toasted croutons and the dressing, you don’t stand a chance. Source: News Limited
Salad dressing is one of the leading mischief-makers and supermarket salad kits are high on the list of deceptively unhealthy meal options.
For instance, one cup of a Caesar salad, adorned with shaved cheese, roasted croutons and dressing can contain nearly 400 calories and 26 grams of fat. In fact, when it comes from certain fast food chains, Caesar salad contains more fat than a burger.
Instead, choose a simple salad with a sprinkle of grated or reduced-fat cheese, opting for fuller flavours to add some bite. Add cooked beetroot and some red kidney or black beans – your body will thank you for the extra antioxidants and filling fibre.
2. Muffins
A recipe for muffin top. Source: News Limited
Next to a croissant or doughnut, the muffin looks like a wholesome nugget of health.
But the giant-sized muffin concoctions commonly stocked in most supermarkets and bakeries are actually classed as being around three to four standard servings, and can contain anywhere from 350 to a staggering 630 calories.
In fact, some muffins have more fat and calories than a cupcake or doughnut. Even bran muffins can contain up to 500 calories and 20 grams of fat.
Try swapping your sweet treat for one or two toasted crumpets (83 calories each) with low-sugar fruit spread or half a cinnamon and raisin bagel (160 calories).
3. Veggie Chips
The original vegetable was healthy. This incarnation is not. Source: ThinkStock
Veggie chips are crispy, salty and delicious just like their wicked cousins, potato chips. They are made from super healthy vegetables making them the perfect unity of taste and nutrition, right? Sure, veggie chips are made from real vegetables rich in minerals and antioxidants, but when it comes to the fat and sodium content they’re actually in the same ballpark as regular potato chips.
Make your own chips and wedges by chopping up some delicious young kale, spraying it with olive oil and oven baking it until it’s mouth-wateringly crispy. Or, slice some peeled sweet potato and cook with some olive oil until crisp. Yum.
4. Frozen Yogurt
If it looks like ice-cream and tastes like ice-cream, it’s probably as bad as ice-cream. Source: Supplied
The clever marketing of fro-yo as the go-to dessert for weight watchers has consumers under the impression that they can eat as much as their heart desires, guilt-free.
But most non-fat plain-flavoured fro-yo contains 30-35 calories per 20 grams with around 20g of sugar – meaning that a large serve can crank up to 304 calories and 76g of sugar before you add any toppings.
Most frozen yoghurts contain similar amounts of fat and calories as ice cream and fat-free versions are padded out with extra calories in the form of sugar.
So, if you prefer it, you might as well enjoy a scoop of your favourite flavour of ice cream. Add sliced strawberries, blueberries and raspberries for an antioxidant explosion.
Ravinder Lilly is a nutritionist at USANA.
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