FOODS THAT SEEM HEALTHY BUT AREN'T

Let's look at some foods that seem healthy on the surface, but really are laying a trap of high calories and/or high fat for poor unsuspecting dieters.

Take bran muffins for example. A bakery bran muffin might be around 500 calories with as many as 25 grams of fat. And fat-free muffins aren't such a great choice either, because they contain more sugar which just increases the calorie count.

Tuna salad just sounds like it should be healthy, doesn't it? Fish? Salad? Omega-3 fatty acids? Great protein source? But once the mayo and the other stuff gets mixed in it becomes a diet sinkhole. It may have over 600 calories and more than 40 grams of fat.

Energy bars/protein bars sound innocent enough, but they aren't a smart choice when you're watching your weight. They are mostly glorified candy bars of 200 to 300 calories. View them as a treat not a health food.

Frozen entrees can really surprise you especially with their automatic portion control and quick alternative to fast food. Lean Cuisine, for example, may sound, well, lean, but the sodium and fat contents of some of their entrees comes as a rude awakening to label readers. Avoid any frozen entree with more than 600 mg. of sodium.

Granola sounds like quintessential health food, no? It may even be labeled "all natural" but it's still no dieting prize. The healthy pieces of oats, raisins and almonds are held together with oil which drastically increases the fat and calorie count. It may be 200 to 400 calories per serving. Have a bowl of oatmeal instead.

Sugar adds calories and lots of them. A tiny bit on your cereal isn't too bad when you can control the amount. But what about all the convenience and processed foods that work to sneak sugar over on you by calling it high-fructose corn syrup, maltose, glucose, dextrose, corn syrup or sucrose? Read those labels!

How to choose low-fat foods. The clues are on the food label:

*fat free = less than 0.5 g. of fat per serving
*low fat = less than 3 g. of fat per serving
*lean = less than 10 g. of fat per serving and 4.5 g. of saturated fat
*extra lean = less than 5 g. of fat per serving and 2 g. of saturated fat

Less helpful nutritional claims when choosing low-fat foods are the terms reduced, less and light. These only mean that the food has fewer calories or grams of at than the regular version of the food which might not be saying much.

Also, foods made with hydrogenated vegetable oils, palm kernel oil, or coconut oil are likely high in fat just as the usual suspects are.

And just because something is low in fat doesn't mean it's low in calories. Yes, you want to avoid high-fat foods, but don't forget you also want to avoid those that are high in sugar and calories. Most of the foods that rank at the top of the list for being low fat in the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference include candy, soda, and fruit drinks.

Don't be fooled. Read not only those labels, but also the nutritional information available for menu items at your fast food and sit-down restaurant chains.