If you're among the majority - 60 per cent - of Canadians who are making an effort to adopt a healthier diet, chances are you're trying to eat more vegetables, fibre and whole grains, while trimming fat, sugar and calories from your meals and snacks.
But chances are, too, that you have been duped into buying foods at the grocery store that are less healthy than you think.
At a glance, some products may seem like nutritious choices because of claims such as light, baked, added vitamins and even "zero" (trans fat, sugar or aspartame). Marketing on the front of packages can give the impression of health and nutrition, but you need to look further to get the full story - and to determine if a product is right for your diet. The only way to tell if a food is as good as it sounds is to read the Nutrition Facts box and the ingredient list.
The following foods aren't as healthy as they appear. To boost the quality of your diet, try the smarter substitutions I've suggested.
Fat-Free Salad Dressings
These dressings may save you calories because they're void of fat. But they often have more sodium and added sugar than the regular version. For every two tablespoons, Kraft's Italian Fat Free has only 10 calories and half a gram of fat, but also delivers 480 milligrams of sodium - one-third of a day's worth for most adults. The same serving of Kraft's regular Zesty Italian supplies 60 calories, 6 grams of fat and one-third less sodium (320 milligrams).
Also, you need some fat to help absorb fat-soluble nutrients in your greens such as vitamin E and beta carotene.
Smarter choice
Opt for a full-fat dressing made from a heart-healthy oil such as olive or canola. (Even better, make your own from scratch to cut the sodium.) If you're watching calories: Drizzle, don't pour.
Baked potato chips
They're low in fat because they're not deep-fried in a vat of oil. But don't think you're saving a bunch of calories. A one-ounce serving (about 11 chips) of Lay's Classic Potato Chips delivers 150 calories, while a similar serving of Baked! Lay's Original Potato Crisps provides 110 calories. What's more, baked versions are made from dehydrated potato flakes, corn starch, sugar and other additives.
Smarter choice
If you're looking for the real thing - real potatoes, vegetable oil and a little salt - measure out a serving of regular chips (don't eat from the bag!) and enjoy.
Astro Zer0 Yogurt
The ads boast zero aspartame, zero sugar added and zero fat. Sounds good, especially if you're trying to steer clear of artificial sweeteners. But read the fine print and you'll see Astro Zer0 is sweetened with sucralose (a.k.a. Splenda), a synthetic sweetener manufactured in the lab.
Don't be fooled into thinking aspartame free means artificial sweetener free. Sucralose is no more natural than other forms of fake sugar. Don't get me wrong. Artificial sweeteners can be useful for people who need to control blood sugar, but a little sugar in yogurt is hardly toxic.
Smarter choice
If you prefer to avoid artificial sweeteners, choose a yogurt that has no more than 18 grams of sugar and 2 grams of saturated fat per 175-gram serving. (Keep in mind the sugar numbers include naturally occurring milk sugar.) Or buy plain yogurt and add your own fruit to sweeten it.
Vitamin water
Unless you want to hydrate your body with vitamin-infused sugar water, give these products a pass. Glacéau's VitaminWater does boost your intake of a handful of vitamins and minerals, nutrients that a healthy diet can easily supply. What you might not realize is that along with those extra vitamins comes a hefty dose of calories and refined sugar - 7.5 teaspoons worth in a 591ml serving.
Smarter choice
Save the 120 sugar calories and quench your thirst with plain old water. Add a slice of lemon, lime or orange for flavour.
100-calorie snacks
These portion-controlled snacks may not be as friendly to your waistline as you think. Research suggests that people actually eat more food when it's served in small packages. The "it's only 100 calories" thinking can make it tempting to open up another package.
Smarter choice
Reach for protein-rich snacks that satisfy your appetite, such as a handful of almonds, part-skim cheese and crackers, or yogurt and fruit.
Spinach Tortillas
Their bright green hue may conjure up the image of a bunch of fresh spinach. But read the ingredient list and you'll see that spinach powder is a scant ingredient. I'm afraid a spinach wrap isn't going to boost your vegetable intake - or your intake of the fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants found in fresh spinach. What's more, the first ingredient is refined white flour.
Smarter choice
Boost your intake of whole grains by choosing a tortilla made from whole grain, whole-wheat flour including the germ. Add fresh spinach to your wrap to get your veggies. You'll consume more fibre, not to mention B vitamins, magnesium and antioxidants.
Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based
dietitian at the Medcan Clinic,
is on CTV's Canada AM every Wednesday. Her website is
lesliebeck.com.
