12. Purchased Smoothies
If you're looking for healthier options at the drive-through window, a fruit smoothie might seem like a good choice. Filled with fruit and sold at colorful, fresh-looking hot spots, smoothies seem like great snacks or lunch choices. Unfortunately, what you don't see is added sugar and extra-large portion sizes.
Why you should incorporate blueberries into your smoothies.
For example, the Strawberry Whirl Jamba Juice Smoothie* has 46 grams of sugar, 220 calories, and 54 grams of carb in a 16-ounce serving. Although it's fat-free and gives you 90 percent of your daily value of vitamin C, the cons outweigh the pros for this fruit smoothie.
McDonald's McCafe Strawberry Banana Real Fruit Smoothie* comes in three sizes. The smallest, 12 ounces, has 210 calories, 44 grams of sugar, and 44 grams of carb. If you order the largest size, 22 ounces, it packs a whopping 70 grams of sugar and 74 grams of carb.
13. Processed Lunch Meat
Think making a sandwich for lunch is a safe bet? Unfortunately, processed lunch meat is full of sodium. Read the nutrition labels printed on the packages you buy in the store, or ask a deli attendant to tell you the nutrition information for fresh-sliced meat.
Some cold cuts are low in fat, such as Oscar Meyer Deli Fresh Honey Ham;* it's 98 percent fat-free, but it packs a sodium overload with 650 milligrams in one serving.
Cut sodium by slicing meat you've roasted at home or by asking your deli for meats lower in sodium. Enjoy sandwiches for lunch or dinner by following our healthy sandwich recipes, made specifically for people with diabetes.
Tip: Be aware of the sandwich toppings that turn a healthy sandwich into a carb and fat disaster. Find tips on free foods to dress your sandwich, such as spinach, cucumbers, and mustard.
14. Restaurant Hamburgers
Big, cheesy hamburgers can be high in saturated fat, the leading factor in high cholesterol levels. However, there is no need to cut out saturated fat completely -- the American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to 7 percent of your total daily calories.
Can adding tomatoes to your burger help stabilize blood sugar levels?
Most restaurant chains post their foods' nutrition information online or at their business locations. It's a good idea to check out a restaurant's website before eating there so you'll be better prepared to make smart food choices. If a restaurant's nutrition information isn't available, ask the staff about lighter menu options. Here's a look at the nutritional breakdown for a basic hamburger from three fast-food chains:
Burger King*
- 240 calories
- 9 g total fat
- 3.5 g saturated fat
- 490 mg sodium
- 28 g carbohydrate
- 30 mg cholesterol
Hardee's*
- 270 calories
- 11 g total fat
- 4 g saturated fat
- 560 mg sodium
- 31 g carbohydrate
- 30 mg cholesterol
McDonald's*
- 250 calories
- 9 g total fat
- 3.5 g saturated fat
- 480 mg sodium
- 31 g carbohydrate
- 25 mg cholesterol
15. Purchased Doughnuts and Baked Goods
Commercially made baked goods, such as muffins, pastries, and doughnuts, make our list of foods to avoid because of their high calorie, sugar, and fat contents, plus some contain trans fats. For example, one glazed cake doughnut from Dunkin' Donuts* has 360 calories, 22 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 44 grams of carb, and 19 grams of sugar.
Be sure to check food labels and look for fat-free, sugar-free, or reduced-sugar varieties. However, the best way to control what you eat is to make it yourself.
16. Frozen Meals
Frozen meals are convenient, but their high sodium and fat contents can make them unhealthy choices for everyone in your family. If you do buy a frozen meal when you're in a fix for dinner, try these tips:
Why you should add carrots to your frozen dinner!
One of the biggest culprits is the ultimate comfort food: pot pie. Whether you pick up a frozen variety at the market or order one at a restaurant, the pot pie is a megaviolator:
Marie Callender's Chicken Pot Pie (16 ounces)*
- 760 calories
- 42 g total fat
- 16 g saturated fat
- 1,480 mg sodium
- 76 g carbohydrate
- 30 mg cholesterol
KFC Pot Pie*
- 790 calories
- 45 g total fat
- 37 g saturated fat
- 1,970 mg sodium
- 66 g carbohydrate
- 75 mg cholesterol
Boston Market Chicken Pot Pie*
- 770 calories
- 45 g total fat
- 23 g saturated fat
- 1,100 mg sodium
- 60 g carbohydrate
- 100 mg cholesterol
17. Regular Soft Drinks
Sugar-laden soda can derail your healthy meal plan and spike blood sugar levels. Every 4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon, so if your drink has 30 grams of sugar, that's equal to consuming 7.5 teaspoons of sugar!
Beverages with high sugar content not only add calories and carbs, but they may cause weight gain. Of course, there are diet versions of many drinks that are made with artificial sweeteners (sugar substitutes) and other healthier alternatives, such as sparkling water with fruit.
18. Purchased Cakes
Dessert is not off-limits for people with diabetes, but some desserts are better choices than others. Would you still eat that tempting piece of cake if you knew it had 2 grams of trans fats and 25 grams of sugar in one small serving? Many commercially baked cakes, such as those sold by Pepperidge Farm,* contain trans fats, which can lead to high cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular disease.
Portion and moderation are the keys to enjoying a sweet treat and taking care of your diabetes. And if you can have your cake and eat it, too, with better-for-you ingredients, you win!
Tip: There is no recommendation for any percentage of trans fat as part of your daily calories. Avoiding all trans fats can help lower cholesterol.
19. Flavored Water
Flavored water can be convenient, but the sugar hidden inside isn't worth the price. Often high in sugar and carbs, flavored water is surprisingly a top offender.
For example, Glaceau VitaminWater* has 12.8 grams of sugar, 48 calories, and 12.8 grams of carbohydrate in an 8-ounce serving. The catch: This water beverage is sold in a 20-ounce bottle that contains 2.5 servings. If you drink the whole thing, you get close to triple the sugar (32 grams), calories (120 calories), and carbohydrate (32 grams).
Make a better choice by picking from the VitaminWater Zero line of flavored waters, which have 0 calories, 7 grams of carb or less, and 0 grams of sugar.
20. Frozen Pizza
Pizza ranks high among favorite foods in the United States. It's delicious, it's convenient, and you can eat it with your hands -- plus, it's an icon of football games, birthday parties, and movie nights. The downside is that many commercially made pizzas are full of calories that can blow a meal plan in one slice.
Tip: Some frozen pizzas are three or more servings but look like just one or two -- keep that in mind when assessing the nutrition information. Buy a veggie pizza or doctor up a plain one with fresh herbs and your favorite veggies.
Four reasons to add red peppers to your pizza.
Frozen pizza is convenient, but many varieties are high in calories, sodium, carbs, and fat. Here is the nutrition information for one slice of these popular frozen pizzas:
California Pizza Kitchen Signature Pepperoni, Original
Restaurant-Style Crust*
- 340 calories
- 15 g fat
- 6 g saturated fat
- 780 mg sodium
- 32 g carbohydrate
- 40 mg cholesterol
DiGiorno Original Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza*
- 320 calories
- 12 g fat
- 5 g saturated fat
- 960 mg sodium
- 38 g carbohydrate
- 30 mg cholesterol
The upside to pizza? It's a fun, simple dish to make at home, where you can control the sodium, fat, carbs, calories -- and the ingredients. Buon appetito!
21. Milk Shakes
Rich, thick milk shakes from sit-down restaurants or fast-food joints are loaded with sugar and calories, but they also could be hiding bad-for-your-heart trans fats.
Why and how you can eat sugar.
For example, a 16-ounce chocolate milk shake at A&W Restaurant* has 700 calories, 1 gram of trans fat (with 29 grams of total fat), and 100 grams of carb. Topping it with whipped cream adds more calories and sugar to your meal.
McDonald's* also offers these tempting treats, but beware of the reality when you sip down the 16-ounce chocolate shake: 700 calories, 20 grams of fat, 1 gram of trans fat, and 114 grams of carb.
Wait! There's good news! We have rich, tasty treats that you can enjoy guilt-free!
22. Restaurant Pizza
Take-out pizza is a go-to meal for many families. But pizza from a restaurant or take-out spot is just as bad as the frozen stuff. Here's a tip: Cut sodium, fat, and calories by choosing a thin-crust pizza with veggies or lean meats like ham or chicken, and resist extra cheese.
Basil: More than a pretty garnish.
Here's a breakdown for one slice of hand-tossed 14-inch (large) cheese pizza:
Domino's Pizza*
- 290 calories
- 11 g fat
- 5.5 g saturated fat
- 640 mg sodium
- 35 g carbohydrate
- 25 mg cholesterol
Papa John's*
- 290 calories
- 10 g fat
- 4.5 g saturated fat
- 720 mg sodium
- 37 g carbohydrate
- 25 mg cholesterol
Pizza Hut*
- 350 calories
- 17 g fat
- 6 g saturated fat
- 730 mg sodium
- 35 g carbohydrate
- 30 mg cholesterol
If your family has a weekly pizza night, make it healthier by baking your favorite pizza at home!
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario