This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
When you are trying to lose weight, paying close attention to your diet is crucial. Specifically, monitoring the toppings you use–like sauces and spreads–is important. Although you may think you are eating healthy, these toppings can add a shocking amount of calories, sugar, and fat to your diet without you even realizing.
Keep reading for the 4 spreads you should stop eating asap for weight loss!
Hazelnut Spread
When considering hazelnut spread, it's important to keep in mind that it contains a large amount of saturated fat and sugar. Plus, for popular brands, two tablespoons is equal to 200 calories. With that in mind, this is not a good spread for those hoping to lose weight.
If you seriously love hazelnut spread, try making your own healthier version at home.
Margarine
If you are picking margarine instead of butter because it's typically lower in fat and calories, it may be time to rethink that. Margarine contains unhealthy fats--like trans fat and omega-6. Plus, it's full of preservatives that most people try to keep out of their diet.
Cream Cheese
It's a good idea to keep your cream cheese intake in moderation. The spread is low in protein and high in calories and fat, making it a bad choice if you are hoping to lose weight. It has other health risks too. Cream cheese contains saturated fat and cholesterol, which can hurt your arteries and cardiovascular system.
Livestrong explains, "The low-fat variety has 1.4 grams of saturated fat and 8 milligrams of cholesterol; whipped cream cheese offers nearly 2 grams of saturated fat and 11 milligrams of cholesterol; regular cream cheese gives you 2.8 grams of saturated fat and 16 milligrams of cholesterol per tablespoon."
Jam
Jam is high in added sugar, making it a dangerous spread if you are hoping to lose weight. Sugar helps sweeten and preserve the jam, but it also adds empty calories to the spread. With that in mind, skipping jam is a good way to keep down your sugar intake and reach your weight loss goals.