So, you think you are being healthy by reaching for some Tofu Cream Cheese? Granola? Nuts?
Sorry guys, think again...
Recently, I was talking to someone who was boasting on choosing the tofu cream cheese as his choice of spread on his toasted cinnamon raisin bagel. Really? I said, you think this is the best choice? Oh, you think it is basically fat free, zero calories? Well, I was on the hunt to see if this information was correct as I was very much interested to see if tofu cream cheese was yet another impostor. You know, the foods that sound or even brag to be healthy, but in actuality are high in fat and calories?
Well, I wanted to share my findings on the tofu cream cheese as well as a few other impostor's.
Tofu Cream Cheese:
This is not a total impostor, as it is made of tofu which is high in protein. However, one ounce of this alternative will add 80 calories and 8 grams of fat to your meal. So, use in moderation but definitely treat yourself once in a while! :-)
Granola
Once deemed the health nuts bible, this tasty treat can have up to 598 calories and 29g of fat per cup! Before you reach for this breakfast cereal, read that label! Over the past few decades manufacturers have been made aware of this high fat cereal and have produced low fat versions, however they are still very high in calories and fat, as one low fat version has 360 calories per cup and 5g of fat. The fat is definitely down, but calories still are high. To satisfy your craving, opt for a more nutritious cereal and on your low fat yogurt or frozen yogurt sprinkle some granola on top. Less calories, same taste!
Nuts
Nuts have gotten a bad rep and then have gotten nothing but praise and then a bad rep again. There are many varieties of nuts,the most popular are cashew, brazilian, almond, hazelnut, pecan, praline, peanut, and my personal favorite, the walnut. Nuts are fantastic! Who does not like them?? Put them in brownies, cookies, salads, heck, roll them in some cinnamon and sugar, they are versatile! Of course anything that tastes that good has some negatives. However, these wonderful elements of life actually have some positives as well. They contain mono saturated fat, vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium, copper, protein, fiber, antioxidants and they help reduce bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. OK, so those are the positives. Negatives? A little goes a long way. First, nuts are the most nutritious if they are raw, however many times we tend to reach for the ones that have added salt or even sugar. Nuts can add many calories, fat and sodium, be conscious of how much you are eating and what you are eating. Remember one ounce is not that much(think the size of your palm, or a little less) and some people (hard to believe) can take on a half a bag of these little devils at one time...
All numbers are for one ounce serving -
Cashews raw: 157 cals 12.5 g fat
Peanuts raw: 161cals 14g fat
Almonds raw: 164cals 14g fat
Walnuts raw: 186cals 18.5g fat
Pecans raw: 196cals 20.4g fat
Hazelnuts raw: 178 cals 17.3g fat
Sorry guys, think again...
Recently, I was talking to someone who was boasting on choosing the tofu cream cheese as his choice of spread on his toasted cinnamon raisin bagel. Really? I said, you think this is the best choice? Oh, you think it is basically fat free, zero calories? Well, I was on the hunt to see if this information was correct as I was very much interested to see if tofu cream cheese was yet another impostor. You know, the foods that sound or even brag to be healthy, but in actuality are high in fat and calories?
Well, I wanted to share my findings on the tofu cream cheese as well as a few other impostor's.
Tofu Cream Cheese:
This is not a total impostor, as it is made of tofu which is high in protein. However, one ounce of this alternative will add 80 calories and 8 grams of fat to your meal. So, use in moderation but definitely treat yourself once in a while! :-)
Granola
Once deemed the health nuts bible, this tasty treat can have up to 598 calories and 29g of fat per cup! Before you reach for this breakfast cereal, read that label! Over the past few decades manufacturers have been made aware of this high fat cereal and have produced low fat versions, however they are still very high in calories and fat, as one low fat version has 360 calories per cup and 5g of fat. The fat is definitely down, but calories still are high. To satisfy your craving, opt for a more nutritious cereal and on your low fat yogurt or frozen yogurt sprinkle some granola on top. Less calories, same taste!
Nuts
Nuts have gotten a bad rep and then have gotten nothing but praise and then a bad rep again. There are many varieties of nuts,the most popular are cashew, brazilian, almond, hazelnut, pecan, praline, peanut, and my personal favorite, the walnut. Nuts are fantastic! Who does not like them?? Put them in brownies, cookies, salads, heck, roll them in some cinnamon and sugar, they are versatile! Of course anything that tastes that good has some negatives. However, these wonderful elements of life actually have some positives as well. They contain mono saturated fat, vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium, copper, protein, fiber, antioxidants and they help reduce bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. OK, so those are the positives. Negatives? A little goes a long way. First, nuts are the most nutritious if they are raw, however many times we tend to reach for the ones that have added salt or even sugar. Nuts can add many calories, fat and sodium, be conscious of how much you are eating and what you are eating. Remember one ounce is not that much(think the size of your palm, or a little less) and some people (hard to believe) can take on a half a bag of these little devils at one time...
All numbers are for one ounce serving -
Cashews raw: 157 cals 12.5 g fat
Peanuts raw: 161cals 14g fat
Almonds raw: 164cals 14g fat
Walnuts raw: 186cals 18.5g fat
Pecans raw: 196cals 20.4g fat
Hazelnuts raw: 178 cals 17.3g fat
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