“Low Calorie” doesn’t mean “Healthy”

Everyone seems to be obsessed with the term “low calorie”. Companies market their product as a “low calorie” meal or snack, which as a result, leads consumers to believe they are buying a healthy product. Unfortunately for us, “low calorie” doesn’t mean that it is “healthy”! This concept is a huge misunderstanding that I would like to clear up for everyone.

When Low Calorie doesn’t mean Healthy

I went searching for what consumers thought was a great low calorie snack for weight loss. Here are some of the most common low calorie snacks consumers suggested to others, and my suggestions of healthy alternatives.

•JELL-O Brand Gelatin and Pudding Snacks- The low calorie snack packs make this product easy to consume on a daily basis, which is concerning once you read the label and see what ingredients are listed in the product. They may be labeled as sugar-free and fat-free, but there are tons of artificial sweeteners and unhealthy ingredients you just shouldn’t be putting into your body.

Alternative- You can make your own Pudding using Dr. Oetker’s Organic Pudding mix. You can make a small batch and divide it into small serving size containers to enjoy throughout the week. This product still contains sugar, but I think this is a better alternative than the snack packs mentioned above, but still should be used only in moderation.

•Quaker® Rice Cakes - What’s not healthy about a low calorie snack that is gluten free containing 9 grams of whole grains in it? Lots of sugar and corn syrup. Once you add the sugar and corn syrup (among other things) to the healthy ingredients, it’s no longer healthy.

Alternative- If you are looking for a yummy whole grain, check out Arrowhead Mills® Organic Puff cereals. You will find that there is only one ingredient in this product, just how it should be! They taste fantastic plain or with your choice of milk.

•Popcorn- These are usually full of ingredients that are anything but real butter. Lots of chemically altered ingredients and additives.

Alternative- Buy popcorn with nothing added or make it yourself.

•Frozen Desserts- Consumers recommended Sugar-Free Fudgsicles, Low-Fat Ice Cream Bars from The Skinny Cow®, and Sugar-Free Ice Pops. Notice a common theme here? Companies are selling frozen desserts in small quantities and replace the sugar and/or fat with even more harmful artificial ingredients and tell you that they are now healthy because they have fewer amounts of calories. Sadly, a lot of consumers fall for this gimmick.

Alternative- I love Organic Blackberry Sorbet Bars by Julie’s Organic. Natural ingredients with no sugar or artificial sweeteners added. You can also try making your own healthy desserts, such as frozen grapes!

•Dannon Light ‘n Fit Non-Fat Yogurt- This is made with Splenda®, and goes along the same line as the gelatin and pudding snacks.

Alternative- All Natural Yogurt or Greek Yogurt with no added ingredients.

•100 Calorie Snack Packs- These low calorie snack packs were highly suggested by consumers, mainly due to taste and because it’s a “mindless alternative”. You can choose from cookies, crackers, and chips. Low calorie? Yes. Healthy? Not one bit. The company just provided small portions that are prepackaged and sold as low calorie. These products are full of sugar, which creates fat in your midsection. Not something you should do for fat loss, right?

Alternative- There are plenty of healthy crackers or other snacks to much on, without all of the processed ingredients, additives, and preservatives.

•Fiber One® Chewy Bars- Consumers suggested this low calorie snack because they taste like a candy bar. Not surprised, considering these snacks contain a lot of sugar and high maltose corn syrup (a sneaky way of adding a cousin of “high fructose corn syrup” into products).

Alternative- Looking for a chewy bar that tastes delicious? Check out all of the Fruit and Nut Bars by LÄRABAR®. Most of the flavors are made with healthy ingredients, with only six ingredients or less. The Pecan Pie flavor, for example, only has three ingredients; dates, pecans, and almonds. You wouldn’t believe these are healthy and low calorie once you taste how delicious these bars are.

•Campbell’s® Healthy Request® Soup- The soup may only have 90 calories per serving, but with two servings per can, most people are going to eat more than one serving. 180 calories still isn’t all that bad, but considering there are 410 mg of sodium per serving, that means you would be consuming 820 mg of sodium in just one serving. This soup may be marketed as “Heart Healthy”, but that still doesn’t make this soup healthy for you. It’s crazy how marketing works sometimes.

Alternative- Make your own homemade soup. Even if you buy an Organic or All Natural Soup with very few ingredients (think Amy’s Kitchen soups), you are still going to find more sodium than you bargained for.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credits: arrowheadmills.com; larabarstore.com

Tags: all natural, artificial ingredients, Dessert, gelatin, Healthy, Healthy Alternative, healthy snack, jell-o, Lara Bar, low calorie, low calorie snack, Nutrition, Organic, Popcorn, pudding snacks, snack, soup, sugar, USDA Organic

Healthy Alternatives for your Junk Food Cravings

What’s your junk food craving?

Everyone seems to have specific cravings now and again! Whether it be sweet or salty, we sometimes tend to think of the junk food as a first choice to satisfy those cravings. Here are some ways you can curb your cravings in a healthy way.

Healthy Alternatives to your Salt Cravings

•Popcorn -Homemade popcorn made with coconut oil and a bit of real salt is a wonderful treat when you need something salty!

•Jerky -When salt cravings come, it might just mean you need a little meat in your diet. Be sure to make your jerky homemade or buy the Organic or All Natural kind so that you don’t get any MSG or additives that usually come with processed meats.

•Edamame -These are an easy snack to make, and a great alternative to something like chips. Just dash on some real salt and eat fresh or baked.

•Organic Blue Corn Chips -This is a yummy snack with a touch of sea salt. You can eat these chips plain or dip into a healthy chili or fresh salsa.

Healthy Alternatives to your Sweet Tooth

•Frozen Yoghurt with Berries -An easy snack to make, just add fresh mixed berries to your All Natural Yoghurt and you should beat any
sweet cravings that you may have had.

•Fruit -Lots of healthy sugar is in fruit, and by having fruit you should be able to satisfy those cravings.

•Organic BlackBerry Sorbet bar - A delicious dessert ready to be eaten by you!

•Honey or Agave Sticks -You can usually find these Honey or Agave sticks at the health food store in lots of different flavors. More often than not, you can buy in bulk or individually. Take these with you and when  your blood sugar levels are low, this is a healthy alternative to candy.

Healthy Alternatives to your Sour Cravings

•Organic Twisted Fruit (Sour Apple) by Clif Kid -All natural fruit twists are made with real fruit, gluten-free and have no processed sugars.

•Grapefruit -A delicious and healthy way to curb your sour cravings and known to help you lose weight!

•Green Apple -This apple is a tart treat and sure to satisfy  your cravings. Too tart? Almond Butter might just be a yummy addition to this sour snack.

•Dried Cranberries -These are a great treat to take with you on the go. Be sure to buy the kind that doesn’t have anything added, since most commercial products add sugar. Buy from your local health food store and check the label before you buy.

Tags: agave, Berries, Blue corn chips, Cranberries, cravings, Edamame, Frozen Yoghurt, Fruit, Grapefruit, Green apple, healthy alternatives, honey, jerky, junk food, Organic Blackberry Sorbet Bar, Popcorn, salty, sour, Sour apple, sugar, sweet

Healthier and Tastier Popcorn

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Popcorn Kernels

2-3 tablespoons Coconut Oil

Sea Salt (to taste)

Serves: 4-6 cups of cooked popcorn

Instructions:

Step 1) Put a large pot (with lid) on the stove, and turn to  medium heat.

Side Notes: If you are wondering why I am not asking you to use a microwave, please read about the Harmful effects of the Microwave.

Step 2) Add the coconut oil to the pan, and coat the bottom of the pan.

Step 3) Add popcorn kernels to the the pot, and put the lid back on the pot.  Soon, you will notice the kernels starting to pop, and allow them to do just that!

Step 4) Once the popping starts to slow down, remove the pot from heat. There still may be some popcorn kernels popping, and that’s OK. It is better to have some kernels not pop, then all the kernels pop and you get burnt popcorn.

Step 5) Once you have removed the popcorn from the heat of the stove, add the salt to taste, and stir the popcorn as you add on the salt.

Side Notes

I use Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil rather than butter! But….why? Coconut oil is one of the few (perhaps only) oils that are still good for you when heated. If you are worried about the taste, do not worry! I discovered this way of making popcorn when I looking for a better solution to butter. When you cook your popcorn with Coconut Oil, the popcorn actually taste as if I cooked it with butter- without the effects of butter!

I use Real Salt, by Redmond. This is the only Salt I use, and I love it for not only it’s taste, but wonderful Health benefits.

Health Benefits of Popcorn

Popcorn is high in Fiber, which helps with your digestion. Popcorn also is considered a “Whole Grain”. As long as you don’t drench it in butter, preservatives, and other harmful ingredients (think Movie Popcorn), then you should feel good about your snacking choice. Another great benefit to popcorn, is that it is a low calorie snack.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Tags: coconut oil, corn, corn kernel, easy recipe, healthy recipe, healthy snack, high fiber, high in fiber, low calorie, organic extra virgin coconut oil, Popcorn, popcorn kernel, quick recipe, snack