When you buy food with words like "healthy" or "high in fiber" on the label, you assume you're buying the best for your family but get this -- a lot of those words are actually misleading marketing terms that could be sabotaging your health. That's right, that label may contain more misinformation than nutrition! Certified Holistic Nutritionist Robin DeCicco is swapping out "secret junk food" with honestly healthy foods.
Let's start with protein bars
Robin is NOT a fan of protein bars — for the most part she say’s they’re actually candy bars disguised, full of artificial flavors, excess sugar and chemically engineered sources of protein, like soy protein isolate, which can definitely lead to belly bloat. Some popular brands use whey protein, which is a milk protein, and can be hard for some people to digest. To top it off, the whey protein is sourced using chemical engineering — so it isn't digested as it would if you were eating actual cheese or yogurt. Her swap: instead of protein bars, she recommends something like a piece of fruit, an apple or a pear with some natural nut butter, like peanut or sunflower butter. And when you're eating a snack like that, you're going to feel fuller longer from the protein, the good fat, and the fiber. A word to the wise — just make sure that the only ingredient is the nut, because manufacturers will often sneak in sugar and palm oil.
Next - veggie chips
Robin says beware the veggie chips! They’re pretty, they're colorful, the word veggie is there, so of course they're gonna be healthy, right? Don’t take the bait! There's only a tiny bit of vegetable powder mixed with a lot of refined ingredients that turn into sugar in the body. She says they're also deep fried in vegetable oil which means the chips can contribute to coronary heart disease and high cholesterol. Her swap, if you’re still looking for a crunchy afternoon snack — crunchy fresh vegetables like carrots, pepper, celery, with a dip like hummus or guacamole, that’ll sustain you for a longer period of time.
Her pro tip: keep pre-washed and precut veggies in your fridge so that when you come in and you're starving, there’s no prepping — they’re ready to go.
Finally - granola
Robin’s take on granola — it is super-sneaky! Way high in calories and packed with sugary fruit and a lot of oil. Plus, the serving size for granola is actually a fourth of a cup, and NO ONE eats a fourth of a cup of granola! As a swap, build your own trail mix using almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts. Just try to make sure that they're raw. If you want to add fruit, look for dried fruit with no sugar-added. Put these in baggies, put some in your purse or backpack or desk or car. When the hunger hits, a couple handfuls of this magic blend will keep you full for hours.
