Whether it’s to make up for overindulging this Christmas, or as part of a New Year’s Resolution: in January, everyone wants to get healthy. That’s why the market explodes with “healthy, diet” food, claiming to help you lose those unwanted pounds and get fit in the New Year. But beware. Some of these are not who they make themselves out to be. Here are the 3 most common nutrition tricks you’re likely to be fooled by this year.
“Organic”
Got a sweet tooth? Then you’ll know what it’s like to crave a sweet snack. But of course we all know that sweet usually stands for “steer clear”. Unless it’s organic right? Unfortunately this is more often wrong. Raw cane sugar usually replaces normal sugar so that your sweet treat can call itself “organic”. The only thing is, it’s pretty much exactly the same as regular sugar. Always check the ingredients list. As “healthy” as the packaging may seem, If sugar is on the list then chances are it’s not really that good for you. But don’t fret: you can still feed your love for sweetness without sugar.
Our tip: Use dates, coconut, or cinnamon to sweeten your baking. Still stuck for ideas? Visit the Freeletics blog for some clean sweet recipes and inspiration.
“Fat free”
Of course if you’re looking to lose weight, “fat free’ is the obvious choice. The trouble however with fat-free products is that they often become tasteless. Therefore manufacturers tend to add other ingredients like sugar, flour and thickeners. There additives don’t only add the calories that you were looking to avoid but most of the time make the it worse for your health than the non “fat-free” option.
Our tip: choose good fats instead of totally fat free.
“Vegan”
Many choose a vegan diet due to ethical and environmental reasons. But it’s increasingly become more popular as a way of improving health. Don’t get us wrong, of course veganism does come with many health benefits. However, if something says it’s vegan, this does not always automatically make it healthy. There are many processed vegan foods on the market, high in sugar, or other fructose syrups and all sorts of artificial ingredients which can be bad for us in the long run.
Our tip: if you do want to go vegan, do the research first. Find out the story behind it and which fresh foods are best used to prepare your own dishes. Always try to avoid buying processed vegan foods such as vegan bacon.
There is no quick fix when it comes to healthy eating. A clean diet relies on a lifelong commitment to eating the right foods and eating the right way.
