I have been posting articles that I have found very helpful for keeping us informed about all different aspects of diet and nutrition.  I thought this one was helpful for those who are dieting and question what choices to make when eating in or dining out.


Buyer Beware:  Just because a food is labeled "healthy," "smart," or "all-
natural" does not mean it's the best choice for someone who is trying to lose weight.  For example, honey, vegetable chips, and granola are just a few of the supermarket staples that have tricked dieters into believing they're healthy choices, when in fact, they are as equally loaded with calories, fat, sodium, and glucose as their more vilified counterparts of table sugar, potato chips, and sweet cereals.


In an effort to help dieters keep it straight, obesity researchers at Otago University in New Zealand have identified a list of 49 foods that they say are extremely calorie-dense, but are almost totally lacking in nutritional benefit.  Published in the current issue of the New Zealand Medical Journal, researchers say the list was primarily developed to help overweight and obese people easily identify which foods they should avoid.  Lead researcher Jane Elmsile says it's important to note that the list represents not only high-calorie foods, but also foods that are almost totally lacking in essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.


Here's the list, in alphabetical order:


1.   Alcoholic drinks
2.   Biscuits
3.   Butter, lard, dripping of similar fat (used as a spread or in baking/cooking etc.)
4.   Cakes
5.   Candy, including lollipops
6.   Chocolate
7.   Coconut cream
8.   Condensed milk
9.   Cordial
10. Corn chips
11. Cream (including creme  fraiche)
12. Chips (including vegetable chips)
13. Deli meats
14. Doughnuts
15. Energy drinks
16. Flavored milk/milkshakes
17. Fruit canned in syrup
18. Fruit roll-ups
19. Fried foods
20. Fried potatoes/French fries
21. Frozen foods
22. Fruit juice (except tomato juice and unsweetened black currant juice)
23. Glucose
24. High fat crackers
25. Honey
26. Hot chocolate, chocolate milk
27. Ice cream
28. Jam
29. Marmalade
30. Mayonnaise
31. Muesli/granola bars
32. Muffins
33. Nuts roasted in fat or oil
34. Pastries
35. Pies
36. Popcorn with butter or oil
37. Puddings
38. Quiches
40. Regular powdered drinks
41. Salami
42. Sausages
43. Soft drinks
44. Sour cream
45. Sugar (added to anything including drinks, baking, cooking, etc.)
46. Syrups such as golden syrup, treacle, maple syrup
47. Toasted muesli, granola, and any other breakfast cereal with more than 15 grams of  
      sugar per 100 grams of cereal
48. Whole milk
49 Yogurt with more 10 grams of sugar per 100 grams of yogurt


Wow!  After seeing this on paper it really has opened my eyes to how many foods I like that may not be such great choices.  Maybe I will think twice about what I'm putting in my mouth!! 

Fat-free!  All-natural!  Vitamin-enriched!  Labels like these guide us through the grocery store.  But products that tout nutritional benefits are often anything but good for you.  The food industry is given a wide leeway to promote their product, so it's up to us to ferret out the imposters.

That means reading nutrition labels to see what ingredients products actually contain. Some of the worst offenders turn up in foods you'd least suspect.  Those so-called health bars, for example, may contain protein and some vitamins and minerals, but they're loaded with salt and sugar as well.

And just because something is seasoned with sea salt, doesn't mean it's any healthier. "It's going to have the same amount of sodium as table salt," says Denise Cole, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic, but "we need less of it to make our food taste better because it's a coarser grind than table salt.  So, just remember, we're still getting the same amount of sodium, it's just in a different form."

And the next time you reach for that low-fat peanut butter, think again.  Often, the healthy peanut fat has been removed and replaced with added sugar to make up for the loss in flavor.  That's actually the case for many fat-free and low-fat products.

Of course, you don't have nutrition labels to guide you to the healthiest choices at the market.  And when your're in the produce section, all those greens can be overwhelming. In that case, let color be your guide.

"Iceberg lettuce actually has very little nutritional value.  It's mostly water, so if you're looking to get good vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, you want to look at darker, greener lettuces, like romaine and spinach and kale," Cole says.  "The darker a lettuce, the more nutrition it has."

Here's another tip:  "Whole grain" and "multigrain" are not interchangeable terms.  Whole grains are healthier because they contain all  parts of the grain kernel.  But multigrain simply means the food contains more than one type of grain.

When in doubt, just remember to read the type behind the hype!!  

Food, like fashion, has its trends.  And when it comes to the best foods for dieting and weight loss, trends come and go--what's cool one day, is passe' the next.  Usually, foods come into fashion because they're thought to be more healthful than their more mainstream counterparts (think swapping brown rice for quinoa).  Here's what you need to know about the most recent batch of trendy foods.

AGAVE

This sugar substitute is made from cacti, and is thought to be a healthy alternative to granulated sugar in baking.  "Cup for cup, agave and table sugar are about equal in the calorie department, but because agave is about 1.5 times sweeter than table sugar, you can use less of it to reach the same sweetness," says Rania Batayneh, MPH, a nutritionist and owner of Essential Nutrition for You, a nutrition consulting firm. Agave's main benefit, she says, is that it scores low on the glycemic index--between 15 and 30 compared with table sugar's 65.  "This means that consumption won't result in dangerous spikes in blood sugar that table sugar so often causes, making it a possible safe alternative for diabetics," says Batayneh.

If you're trying to cut calories for weight loss, agave doesn't offer much of a benefit. Instead, stick to a zero-calorie sugar substitute like stevia, or better yet, skip refined sugar foods altogether.

NONDAIRY MILK

For those lactose-intolerant and those wanting to avoid all animal foods, rice milk, almond milk, and soy milk are becoming increasingly popular food trends for good nutrition.  "More and more people are becoming sensitive to dairy products," says Sally Kravich, MS, a natural health expert and consultant in New York City.  "I recommend almond milk and rice milk to many of my clients.  For those who have a sensitive digestive system, rice milk is best.  For those who are vegans and need more protein and naturally occurring calcium, I recommend almond milk,  I only recommend soy milk to women who need to boost their hormones or for older men with prostate issues."

If you're watching your sugar intake, try an unsweetened nondairy milk, as most brands have either no sugar or less sugar that naturally occurs in dairy milk.  Plus, nondairy milks are often fortified with extra calcium or vitamin D.

ALMOND BUTTER

Almond butter is another almond-based food trend that has some advantages over conventional peanut butter.  "I brought up my own children on almond butter," Kravich says.  "Almond butter is preferable over peanut butter as it contains more protein and less sugar than the peanut.

Still, it's important to eat nut butters in moderation, as most varieties are heavy in calories and fat.

QUINOA

Nutrient-rich whole grains and their high levels of digestion-friendly fiber are an essential component of any balanced diet.  A new choice on the whole grain market that's become wildly popular is the South American grain quinoa.  prized for its versatility and high protein content, quinoa has fast become a restaurant and supermarket staple.  "My favorite grain recommendations across the board are millet, quinoa, and brown rice," Kravich says.  "For the who need a higher protein grain, quinoa is my first choice."

CHIA SEEDS AND TEFF

Chia and teff are two other whole-grain foods that Kravich recommends adding to your dieting arsenal.  "Chia can be added to smoothies for added protein and easier bowel movements," she says.  "The Ethiopian grain teff is a good flour product for those who have digestive issues and cannot tolerate gluten."


COCONUT OIL


Coconut oil was once thought to be a fat to avoid, but recent research has found that its negative effects may have been overstated.  "Coconut oil has received controversial attention due to the fact that, of its 15 grams of fat per serving, 13 of these are saturated fats," Batayneh says.  "The saturated fats found in coconuts, however, are medium-chain fatty acids, as opposed to the long-chain fatty acids found in meat, milk, eggs, and vegetable oils. Because of coconut's unique form of saturated fat, i t has been shown to raise metabolism and slow digestion, promoting fullness and decreasing feeling of hunger."  Coconut oil has other nutrition benefits, too.  "Its lauric acid enhances the immune system and promotes health development in infants," she adds.  "It has also been shown to increase endurance and speed in cyclists, making it an ideal supplement for athletes."


FERMENTED FOODS


"I think fermented foods are the next big thing," says Pamela Schoenfeld, RD, a registered dietitian in private practice in Morristown, N.J., and executive director of the Healthy Nation Coalition.  "Foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and real kosher pickles have been popular for years, but now we have kimchi, fermented beets, radishes, carrots--you name it.  If these foods are not pasteurized after fermentation, they contain beneficial bacteria that promotes digestive health.  These foods are not difficult to make and are a great way to preserve the bounty from the garden or farmers' market."