Processed foods and fast-food restaurants that serve foods like pizzas, burgers, meaty sandwiches are all associated with weight gain. So, many of us try to change this unhealthy lifestyle and keep a check on what goes into the mouth.
Eating healthy foods may take a while but once you start you realize that your body feels better than it did when you were having all kinds of junk. However, even with healthy foods, it is important to keep a track of the portion you eat daily.
This is because how much you consume in a day is as important as what goes into your body, too. For instance, if you are fond of avocados and try to have a lot in a day for many days, you may observe that you have gained a few extra pounds on the weighing scale.
So, healthy foods should be eaten in moderation. Here is a list of healthy foods that you may be having in excess that is causing your unwanted weight gain.
1. Breakfast Cereals
Whether you are on a diet or not, most families turn to ready-made cereals to solve their morning breakfast troubles. It is easy to prepare, fills the stomach, and may be assumed to be healthy.
However, breakfast cereals are loaded with sugar and other refined carbohydrates that may lead to unwanted weight gain. Processed cereals on an empty stomach can increase your blood sugar levels drastically, too.
Those cereal boxes with labels that read “low-fat” are also misleading. Therefore, it is important to read the labels closely and to choose those cereals that are not loaded with sugar and other processed ingredients.
Instead of having cereals for breakfast, you can have other healthy foods like eggs and some vegetables to go with it.
2. Coconut Oil
There is no doubt coconut oil is healthy for the body. However, limitless use of it without taking care of the quantity you use in your foods can be unhealthy for you.
100 grams of virgin coconut oil contains around 860 calories and 93 grams of saturated fats.1 Saturated fats are responsible for an increase in the blood cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart diseases.2
Too much coconut oil may also cause you to gain weight unnecessarily. Therefore, it is important to limit the use of coconut oil if you use it regularly in your food.
3. Gluten-Free Foods
Going gluten-free is inevitable if you have gluten sensitivity or health conditions like celiac disease. These require medical advice from professionals and changes to the diet can be implemented accordingly.
However, cutting down on gluten on your own may be tricky. Gluten-free foods are not healthy as they may seem to appear. Most products have the same amount of calories as products with gluten.
Some are even high in refined carbohydrates, sugars, and other unhealthy ingredients. These can cause you to gain weight in the long run. So, unless you are advised by your healthcare provider, try to keep away from gluten-free food products.
4. Vegan Cheese
Vegan cheese is an alternative to normal cheese, especially for those supporting veganism. Although they may have plant-based ingredients, not all vegan cheese are healthy for you.
Vegan cheese can be made from soy protein, tapioca flour, and other ingredients. However, some varieties of vegan cheese may be highly processed to get the right flavor and texture. These, in turn, may cause an unexpected weight gain.
So, if you are aiming at losing weight and not miss out on cheese, strike vegan cheese out of your healthy foods list.
5. Agave Syrup
Agave nectar, more commonly known as Agave syrup, has become popular as a healthy alternative to sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Unfortunately, this is not true. Agave in its purest form may be healthy, but it is not available in the market.
What you purchase from the stores are highly processed and a tablespoon (about 21 grams) of agave nectar contains at least 60 calories and 16 grams of sugar.3
So, if you have replaced your sugars with agave nectar, you may want to change it to natural, low-fructose sweeteners like honey, coconut sugars, molasses, etc. But, remember to use them in moderation, too.
6. Trail Mixes
Trail mixes are a popular snack among hikers and campers or those who require lots of energy to make up for their high-intensity physical activities. They contain healthy ingredients like seeds, nuts, and dried fruits.
You’d probably think what could go wrong with a few nuts and dry fruits. Unfortunately, trail mixes are high in calories and fats. The dry fruits contain concentrated sugar while the nuts make these mixes rich in fat.
So, if your definition of a healthy snack is a mixture of nuts and dried fruits, you have to keep your portions small. A large amount of these every day can cause you to gain weight and may disappoint you in the long run.
7. Avocados
Avocados are superfoods and they are considered to be one of the best sources of healthy fats. Having one avocado a day may help improve your heart health, too.
However, if you have too many avocados – in your salads, smoothies, and other daily foods – it may not be the best thing to do, especially if you want to lose weight.
A standard avocado has about 322 calories and having two of them a day is double the amount.4 So, avocados are healthy but it is important to have them in moderation.
There are other foods like granola, carob syrup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, fruit juices, etc. that may be assumed to be healthy but are not good for your body and weight.
So, the only way to go about maintaining a healthy body and weight is by having the right amount of healthy foods. Always keep your healthy food consumption in moderation and you are good to go. If you are uncertain about what the right amount is, visit a nutritionist to help you understand what your body needs and keep a healthy meal plan.
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