It’s a common misconception that snacking is a leading cause of weight gain, and while eating anything in excess is not good for you, it’s actually perfectly healthy to snack in between meals to properly nourish your body and have ample energy throughout the day. There are some snacks like apples and nut butter or carrots and hummus that offer a great balance of carbs and healthy fats, making them more likely to satiate you and reduce overeating later in the day. However, there are other options that are marketed as healthy that may not actually be as great for your body as the diet industry would like you to think.
Not sure which snacks you should be weary of when it comes to creating a balanced diet? Keep reading to find out which three aren’t as healthy as they seem.
Baked Chips
Fried foods are hardly good for your body, so it can be easy to believe that a baked chip option would be a healthy alternative to a snack you love. However, while they may not be as bad for you as a classic potato chip, baked chips are still not necessarily great for weight loss, particularly if they’re consumed in excess under the guise of being good for you.
“This healthy snack is a good replacement for fried versions, but they are still highly processed and made with questionable ingredients,” warns registered dietitian Trista Best. “The fact that they are low in fat also makes it easy to consume them in large quantities at one sitting. A rapid increase in glucose will occur and this increases the body's fat-storing rate.” Of course, eating these chips in moderation can make for a perfectly reasonable snack, but they’re less likely to keep you satisfied than a balanced option.
Dried Fruit
In its fresh form fruit is one of the best snacks you could include in your eating plan for weight loss. Not only are most fruit variations packed with fiber, but they also make for an excellent carb source to provide your body with quick energy in between meals. However, dried fruit loses most of its nutrients, making it a less beneficial snack.
“Dried fruit is a healthy snack in moderation, but unfortunately it is mostly consumed in large amounts,” notes Best. “This food is dehydrated which makes the sugar and calorie count highly concentrated and higher than raw whole fruit.” Once again, eating dried fruit in moderation and paired with a healthy fat to help increase the nutritional value can be of great benefit to the body, but it’s overall unlikely to satisfy on its own unless consumed in great amounts.
Protein Bars
Protein bars are widely recognized as healthy additions to any diet for weight loss, but the reality is that they’re generally high in empty calories and often contain more sugar than protein. “Unfortunately, [protein bars] are often full of simple sugars and processed fats, which make them closer to candy than health food,” warns clinical RD Heidi Moretti. “It would be better to stick to a handful of nuts, a piece of cheese, or a hard-boiled egg for a healthy protein snack.”
That said, if you do still find yourself craving a protein bar, make sure to check the nutrition label and opt for one that is low in both added sugars and sugar alcohol, while maintaining a high protein content.
