There are certain foods that are considered ‘healthy’ and are consumed without even thinking of your calorie intake. Fat loss comes down to calories in vs calories out, not how many likes your food photo gets on Instagram.
Check out the list below to see how many of these you are eating regularly and surprisingly making little progress.
Avocados
These strange squishy objects seem to be a hipsters wet dream recently. Avocados have grown in popularity and have been thrown into the health category. Avocados are a great source of fibre, potassium but also very high in calories. With an average avocado ranging between 200 and 250 kcals each, it seems a very calorific salad topping. That’s the equivalent of sprinkling a small portion of McDonalds chips over a meal. Maybe these over priced green balls need to be consumed a little bit more carefully.
Oils
Olive, sunflower and coconut oil are all great sources of dietary fat and should be included with the diet, but should be controlled very carefully. A single tablespoon of olive oil contains around 120 Kcals, so if you take a Jamie Oliver portion of oil you will meet your daily calorie target in a single day. Instead of pouring oil over a salad or into the pan for cooking, try and measure it out with a tablespoon to ensure your aren’t over doing it. Even better try the spray oils and reduce your calorie intake even more.
Breakfast bars
There isn’t anything breakfasty (is that a real word? Let’s pretend it is) about a high sugar bar with minimal nutritional content. Since when has eating biscuits been a breakfast occasion? Even the fruit biscuits contain such little fruit content, you could probably get more nutritional value from licking an apple. Setting your day up from the start has such a big impact on how you perceive the rest of the day. I would recommend a breakfast with plenty of protein and a big helping of fruit or veg.
Fruit Juice
Orange, apple or pineapple. Whatever your favourite fruit juice may be, unfortunately they all suck if your on a diet. A cup of OJ may seem like a delicious drink to have on the go, but it contains a surprising amount of sugar. It contains a similar amount of sugar to Coke and therefore has a similar amount of calories. But it’s fruit, it can’t be that bad can it? Wrong! Compared with eating a piece of fruit, fruit juices contain a lot less fibre which wont keep you full for long. Instead of grabbing an orange juice, try and just eat the real thing for the full health benefit and lower calorie option.
Nut Butters
Peanut butter or almond butters are impossible to track the number of calories in a portion size. 1 tablespoon is an ambiguous measurement. Is that heaped tablespoon, level or just cupping your hand in the pot tablespoon (we all have those days). Spreading this delicious nutty mixture over your toast may taste good, but isn’t great for the waste line. Nut butters contain a lot of fat. Whilst there isn’t anything bad about eating fat (in fact is vital of health), it contains a lot of calories per gram compared with carbs and protein. Carbs and protein contain 4 kcal per gram and fats contain 9 kcals per gram. You can see how this quickly adds to your total daily intake.
Instead of banishing all these foods from the cupboards, just be careful about much you consume. All of these foods can be eaten within a calorie controlled diet and can be eaten within moderation. Having an awareness of these types of food will help you make more informed decisions and reach your fat loss goal.
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The brains, brawn and beauty of Dackattack (basically it’s just me). A personal trainer with a private gym in Norwich, dedicated to giving out simple, actionable advice that will give you outstanding results.
