“Health” Bars
Protein and granola bars are often marketed as healthy snacks, but the reality is that these bars are often loaded with sugar and an abundance of calories that will make maintaining a healthy deficit for weight loss more difficult. Registered dietitian Trista Best explains, “[These bars] are typically loaded with sugar and refined carbohydrates. Added and excess sugar slows the metabolism by overloading the liver making it more quickly to be stored as fat. This simultaneously slows metabolism and causes weight gain.”
On top of their sugar content, “These bars also lower metabolism when they are replacing nutrient-dense meals. Bars are typically around 100 to 300 calories per bar and when they are replacing meals they may inadvertently slow the consumer's metabolism. Reducing calories substantially can cause the body to begin burning calories at a slower rate,” Best warns. If you’re in need of a snack, try fruit and some nut butter or vegetables and hummus which will provide your body with more nutrients and less sugar.
Sugary Cereals
Another classic pantry item that may be wreaking havoc on your diet, sugary cereals are one of the worst ways to start your day. Not only are they packed with refined sugars and carbs, but any health benefits coming from the carbs have likely been stripped in favor of flavor. According to Healthline, “Most cereals list sugar as the second or third ingredient. Starting the day with a high-sugar breakfast cereal will spike your blood sugar and insulin levels.” After your blood sugar inevitably crashes, you’ll be left craving more unhealthy foods and will likely snack unnecessarily throughout the day to satisfy this urge, overtime leading to weight gain.
Pastries & Snack Cakes
They may make delicious desserts, but snack cakes and pastries in the house will only further tempt you to indulge everyday instead of as an occasional treat. Best explains, “Simple carbohydrates come from processed and refined foods like convenience snacks foods and pastries. They wreak havoc on your metabolism because refined carbohydrates create a state of inflammation in the body and cause the body to store more water than typical.” If your end goal is to improve your metabolism and create healthy weight loss, pastries are better left at the store.
Dried Fruit
It may come as a surprise, but dried fruit is not actually a healthy addition to your diet and contains more sugar than anything else. Unlike fresh fruit, the dried variation had been dehydrated to miss out on all of the essential nutrients that fruit typically provides. Instead, what’s left is an overload of sugar which can slow your metabolism over time and even cause weight gain when eaten in excess, as dried fruit is often higher in calories. If you’re craving some natural sweetness, you’ll be better off simply buying fruit in its most natural form.
White Bread
While carbohydrates are an essential part to any healthy diet, certain carbs are better for you than others. White bread and other carbs like plain pasta and bagels are stripped of the nutrients that whole grain carbs provide, making them a source of empty calories and sugar. According to RDN Rachel Brandeis for Health, “This type of grain has a higher glycemic index, meaning the sugars can be absorbed into the bloodstream faster, often causing a spike in blood sugar levels.” This will cause the body to work through this food more quickly and not keep you full, leading you to snack throughout the day, consuming more calories than likely intended.