8 Foods That Are Low Calorie But Not Healthy

There’s a lot of focus on “counting calories” right now and anything labeled “low-calorie” is automatically considered “healthy.” But make no mistake, low calorie does not always mean healthy. It’s commendable that a lot more people these days are health conscious and as a matter of course, have also become calorie conscious. Food products that have labels such as “low calorie” and “low fat” draw people towards them, but don’t fall for such labels because studies reveal that a lot of low calorie stuff out there lacks nutrients and have ingredients that are not particularly good for the body. Weight loss in particular has become all about “less calories in and more calories out,” and the nutritional profile of the source of calories skips the radar. The question all of us should be asking is are we really eating healthy in the obsession to go as low as possible on the calorie meter? And to draw your attention, in this post, we list down 8 foods that are low calorie but not necessarily healthy.Foods That Are Low Calorie But Not Healthy

1. Baked Chips: Potato chips is considered a hyperpalatable food with the right combination of fat, sugar, carbs, and salt to make it appealing to the tastebuds of consumers so that you reach out for it over and over again. So, food companies have whipped up or rather “baked up” potato chips and termed it low calorie and healthy. Here’s a point to note – when potatoes are baked at extremely high temperatures, they release a compound called acrylamide, which researchers warn, may cause cancer. Acrylamides are linked to abdominal obesity as well. Research has found that baked chips usually have three times more acrylamides than normally fried chips and also higher sodium level. So, even though potato chips are extremely delicious and come in low-calorie versions, they are not good in the baked form either.

2. Breakfast Cereals: A convenient breakfast option that does not take much time to prepare, especially when you are in a rush. But breakfast cereals have empty calories, with low nutrient profile. Some of these cereals are high in sugar, have added flavour, artificial color, GMO and synthetic products. Switch back to traditional breakfast options like poha, dhokla, idli, dosa please.

3. Rice Crackers: Though low in calories and promoted as a good snacking option in a weight loss diet, rice crackers are all empty calories, without any fiber, and poor nutritional profile.

4. Diet Soda: Companies advertise diet soda as a better alternative to regular soda, but make no mistake, any kind of soda/cola is bad for weight loss; in fact, diet soda has artificial sweetener which can impact gut health negatively and lower immunity as well. Also read “To Drink or Not Drink Diet Soda on a Weight Loss Diet?”

5. Bottled Coffee: Some bottled coffee drinks may have less than 100 calories while others have 200 calories, but all of them have high sugar content. Too much sugar would block fat loss and trigger weight gain around the belly area.

6. Oats Biscuits/Cookies: At first glance, oats biscuits may seem an absolutely healthy snack, but experts warn that most oats biscuits out there in the market are no good than regular biscuits with empty calories, low fiber content, and also high on sugar.

7. Energy drinks: Need quick boost of energy before a workout or want to replenish energy after a vigorous workout session? Don’t grab that energy drink please because these energy drinks have high amount of caffeine, overconsumption of which can cause dehydration and dizzy spells. Most of these energy drinks may have just 80 calories but approximately 21 gm of sugar! It would be prudent to avoid them totally.

8. Soya: Soya nuggets and soya milk have gained popularity as a vegetarian source of protein, and it’s much more affordable than vegetarian protein sources. But many studies have shown that regular consumption of soy products, with their phytoestrogen content can trigger hormonal imbalance, affecting estrogen in particular. Lentil, beans, cottage cheese, green peas, chickpeas are safer options.

Summing up, it’s clear that low calorie is not necessary healthy, and while counting calories when trying to lose weight, consider every food’s nutritional profile as well. Also, if weight loss is on your mind, there is no better diet than Rati Beauty diet to shed extra pounds and lose inches off the waist as well.

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To Drink or Not Drink Diet Soda on a Weight Loss Diet?

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