DIETS
Ten foods considered light that would actually make you fat
If you plan to go on a diet and lose a few kilos in the run-up to summer, you have to be careful, because the greatest enemies of diets are those foods that look light, but are actually high in calories and ineffective in a controlled diet.
We all have foods in our refrigerator that we think are light but once we read the nutritional values, we realise they are full of calories, sugars, fats, preservatives and salt, all things that certainly do not help weight loss.
These foods are many, many more than we think. From sushi to dried fruit, let's look at the ones that are most misleading.
Ten foods considered light that would actually make you fat
If you plan to go on a diet and lose a few kilos in the run-up to summer, you have to be careful, because the biggest enemies of diets are those foods that look light, but are actually high in calories and ineffective in a controlled diet. In our refrigerator, we all have foods that we think are light, but once we read the nutritional values, we realise they are full of calories, sugar, fat, preservatives and salt, all things that certainly do not help weight loss. These foods are many, many more than we think. From sushi to dried fruit, let's look at the ones that are most misleading.
Sushi
Sushi is often believed to be a light food, but in fact it is not at all. Not so much the raw fish, but the rice used in nighiri and uramaki. In fact, rice has a considerable amount of carbohydrates in it. In addition, the various sauces eaten with sushi (from soy to sweet and sour sauce to teryaki sauce) are extremely caloric. If you just don't want to give up sushi, then better to go for sashimi, fish tartare, miso soup and seaweed.
Corn
Who knows why, maize is considered by people as an ultra light food to be included in diets. In reality, maize is a cereal like pasta and rice, and is therefore a carbohydrate in its own right. Then thinking about canned maize, it happens that sugar is added as a preservative, making this product unsuitable for those with blood sugar problems. Just think that corn is given to chickens to make them gain weight faster, and we have said it all.
Breadsticks and crackers
Packaged crackers and breadsticks may seem like a good substitute for fresh bread, but this is actually not the case. In fact, these foods, as opposed to bread (the recipe for which is really basic) contain other ingredients, such as more starch, more fat, more salt, more chemical additives, and therefore have a much higher calorie intake. Perhaps the calories may be the same, but they are certainly not the same from a health point of view.
Soy
Although soy is a food that in itself is good for you, it is often not organic and contains GMOs and oestrogen, and therefore makes you fat. Other foods, such as soy milk or yoghurt, also often contain sugar in them.
Protein bars
Here again, the caveat is always the same: despite the fact that these are foods that are particularly recommended for certain diets (such as high-protein diets for athletes), the product label should always be read: it is a good habit to check the amounts of sugars, carbohydrates and colourings. The perfect choice is bars made from nuts, oilseeds and fresh fruit.
Yoghurt
Yoghurt is also a food that is generally associated with diet, but even here it is good to always check which type you choose. One has to be careful about added sugars just as much as fat. Ideally, choose low-fat white yoghurt without sugar or even white Greek yoghurt.
Fresh cheeses
Fresh or soft cheeses are certainly not synonymous with diet, although many people consider this to be the case. In fact, these types of cheeses consist mainly of fat, most of which is saturated. They also contain a monstrous amount of salt, which is responsible for hypertension. Nor are they low-calorie foods, which is why they should be eaten once a week, as an accompaniment to the main course, not as an appetiser.
Dehydrated fruit
Tons of sugars are often added to dehydrated fruit to make it more palatable, making it much more calorific than conventional fruit. Not only sugars, there are also often other food additives used as preservatives, including sulphur dioxide, sulphites or ascorbic acid. Worse still is candied fruit, which is treated with a very high amount of sugars and oils.
Margarine
Some believe that margarine is 'less bad' than traditional butter, while others claim that the latter is more natural and therefore less harmful. The reality is that both are extremely harmful foods, and both should be used with enormous restraint in any diet, whether dieting or not.
Breakfast cereals
Packaged cereals, by their nature, contain a lot of added sugar, so it would be better to choose healthier alternatives, e.g. oat flakes or spelt. To top it all off with an extra dose of beneficial ingredients, better add seeds, nuts and fresh fruit.
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