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Nutrition:10 Surprisingly
Unhealthy Foods
Do you ever wonder if you are unknowingly
sabotaging your health and diet?
Check out our list of 10 unhealthy foods.
It may surprise you.
Although most people know the worst
offenders, you may not realize that there a
few foods that could be detrimental to your
weight loss and health goals. These foods
can contain a surprising amount of sugar,
salt, and/or fat and can seriously impact
your health. Some of these foods can
increase your chances for such diseases as
diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and strokes
to name a few. A few may be obvious to some
of you, but they are worthy of noting here.
1. Soda
Any kind of soda is a big no-no. Everyone
knows that regular soda is loaded with
sugar, which is terrible for weight loss
and blood sugar levels. And diet soda is
loaded with artificial sweeteners. According
to some experts, artificial sweeteners are
unhealthy and should be consumed only
sparingly. Think of soda as a liquid candy
bar, not a healthy choice no matter what
your weight is.
2. Canned
Soup
Most brands of regular canned soup have
large amounts of trans fat, sodium, and
artificial sweeteners. Just one can of soup
can have 800 milligrams of salt, when the
recommended daily requirement is less than
2,400 milligrams for healthy people. You
should speak with your physician regarding
your own sodium intake. (In general, many
doctors recommend less than 1,500 milligrams
for people with cardiovascular issues). The
best solution is to make your own homemade
soup using homemade broth or low-sodium
broth. See this month's pumpkin soup recipe.
Or if cooking is not your thing, buy low
sodium soups from health food stores and
read the nutrition labels for the trans fat,
sodium and sweetener information.
3. Salad
Dressings
In general, salads are a healthy choice.
Unfortunately though, when you pour on your
favorite store-bought salad dressing, you
may be adding an unhealthy amount of salt,
sugar, and fat. Diet or fat-free salad
dressing can also be a problem. Check the
nutrition label when you are scanning the
dressing aisle. Often when dressings are
fat-free, sugar is the substitute. The best
solution is to make your own bottle of
dressing, so you know exactly what the
ingredients are. Make a vinaigrette with a
few simple ingredients and sprinkle it on
lightly. You see, even if you are using a
healthy oil like olive oil, you should use
it sparingly as any oil is still fat.
4. Yogurt
Cups
Many people eat low-fat yogurt cups, because
of the perceived health benefits. The
problem is that whether the yogurt is low
fat or not, corn syrup may be one of the
major ingredients. Corn syrup is another way
of saying sugar, so read the nutrition
labels. You may be fooled in to thinking
that you are eating only low calorie yogurt,
when that may not be the case.
5. Granola
Again, this could a healthy granola cereal
with minimal sugar, but please read the
label. Granola cereals vary widely by the
sugar content. Just by looking at a few
different boxes of granola cereal, you will
see that some contain large amounts of
sugar.
6.
Pancake/Waffle Mixes versus Potato Chips
While everyone knows that potato chips are
unhealthy and loaded with salt and fat (a
real no-no), you may be surprised to hear
that pancake and waffle mixes are almost
equally as bad in terms of salt. If you have
two pancakes, you could be eating as much as
400 milligrams of salt. One ounce of
reduced-fat potato chips may have 139
milligrams of salt. Salt can be harmful if
you have blood pressure and cardiac issues,
but salt also makes you retain water. This
is obviously not helpful if you are trying
to eat healthy and watch your weight. Of
course, we are not even mentioning the sugar
content of the syrup that you pour on your
pancakes. This is a great example of how
boxed mixes and prepared foods often contain
unhealthy ingredients.
7. Prepared
salads
The problem here is mayonnaise. If you are
making this at home, than you can control
how much mayonnaise you use. If you are out
to lunch and order a prepared salad, you may
be eating a lot more fat that you know.
Mayonnaise contains about 80% fat. One
tablespoon of regular mayonnaise has about
12 grams of fat and 110 calories. It takes
about 13 minutes of jogging at 5mph or
swimming steadily to burn off those
calories. Choose a low-fat version of
mayonnaise and read the nutrition label. Or
try lemon juice and a little olive oil mixed
in with your tuna fish. You may really enjoy
it.
8. Peanut
Butter
Nuts in general are a healthy
snack, but you have to watch your portions.
Regular peanut butter has a high content of
fat and reduced-fat peanut butter has a high
content of sugar. Check the nutrition
labels. The best peanut butters are all
natural with no added oil. If you want to
make an extra effort, you might want to
grind it fresh at a health food store or at
home.
9. Breads
Choosing a multi-grain or wheat bread may
sound healthy, but it may not mean you are
getting 100% whole grain. The label must say
100% whole grain or all whole grain to be
whole grain. Otherwise, you are eating some
refined grains and not getting the benefit
of whole grains. Call or
email
5 Squares about your bread questions.
10.
Processed Meats
You may believe that a salad mixed with
diced cold cuts is a healthy option for a
salad. Unfortunately, you can place luncheon
meats in the same category as hot dogs and
other processed meats. As an alternative,
you can buy nitrite/nitrate-free meats at
health food stores.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Eating healthy is part of an overall healthy
lifestyle, and we would like to support you
with your goals. We have a variety of menu
plans depending upon your needs.
You can
email us or call us toll free at
1.866.5.WE.COOK (1.866.593.2665).
You can also visit our
archive page for past newsletter
nutrition articles.
The health
information provided here is for informational
purposes only and is not intended to substitute
for seeking professional medical care.
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Are you tired of buying expensive fruits and
vegetables?
Would you like to add variety, so
you can stay motivated
and interested in eating
healthy foods?
Scan this quick reference guide, organized by
season,
for buying in-season fruits and vegetables.
By buying produce in-season, you can save your
hard-earned dollars. When you purchase produce that
has been flown in from far away, you pay for the
hefty transportation cost and increase your carbon
footprint. Also, some people say in-season produce
grown locally has more flavor since there is less
time between harvesting and eating. Many of the
smaller local farmers, who sell at local farmers'
markets, offer
organic produce, which is pesticide free.
The following list of seasonal fruits and vegetables
is specifically for the Northeast region of the
United States. If you use this list when you shop,
you will know what you can splurge on at the regular
supermarket for items like lemons and mangos. You
can also make a conscience effort to explore certain
items when they are in-season instead of waiting
until they are out-of-season and more expensive.
Please note that some items are in season for only
part of a season. In that case the specific month(s)
appears.
Fall
Fruits
Apples
Cantaloupes (September)
Cranberries (October, November)
Grapes (September, October)
Melons (September, October)
Nectarines (September)
Peaches (September)
Pears
Plums and pluots (September)
Raspberries (September)
Watermelons (September, October)
Vegetables
Arugula (September)
Basil (September)
Beets
Broccoli
Broccoli raab
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage (September, October)
Carrots (September)
Cauliflower
Celeriac/celery root
Celery (September, October)
Chard
Cucumbers (September, October)
Eggplant (September, October)
Escarole (September, October)
Fennel (October, November)
Garlic (September, October, and stored year-round)
Green beans (September)
Green onions/scallions (September)
Herbs (September)
Kale
Kohlrabi (September, October)
Leeks
Lettuce (September, October)
Mushrooms (year-round)
Mushrooms, wild
Onions (September, October)
Oregano (September, October)
Parsley
Parsnips
Peas and pea pods (September, October)
Peppers, sweet (September, October)
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Radicchio (September, October)
Radishes (September)
Rutabagas
Snap peas/snow peas (September)
Spinach (September)
Squash, summer (September)
Squash, winter
Thyme (September)
Tomatoes (September)
Turnips
Zucchini (September)
Winter
Fruits
Apples
Vegetables
Beets (December)
Cranberries (December)
Garlic (stored year-round)
Leeks (December)
Mushrooms (year-round)
Onions (stored)
Parsnips (December)
Potatoes (December, stored year-round)
Squash, winter (December)
Turnips (stored through winter)
Spring
Fruits
Apples
Vegetables
Arugula (May)
Asparagus (May)
Chard (May)
Fava beans (May)
Fiddleheads (April, May)
Garlic (stored year-round)
Green onions/scallions (May)
Herbs (April, May)
Lettuce (May)
Mint
Mushrooms (year-round)
Mushrooms, wild
Nettles
New potatoes (May)
Parsley (May)
Parsnips (April, May)
Potatoes (stored year-round)
Rhubarb (May)
Spinach (May)
Stinging nettles
Thyme (May)
Summer
Fruits
Apples (July, August)
Blueberries (July, August)
Cantaloupes (August)
Cherries (July)
Melons (July, August)
Nectarines (August)
Peaches (July, August)
Pears (August)
Plums and pluots (August)
Raspberries (July, August)
Strawberries (June)
Watermelons (August)
Vegetables
Arugula
Asparagus (June)
Basil (July, August)
Beets
Broccoli
Broccoli raab (August)
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower (August)
Celery (August)
Chard
Corn
Cucumbers (July, August)
Currants (August)
Eggplant (July, August)
Fava beans (June)
Garlic (July, August)
Green beans (July, August)
Green onions/scallions
Herbs
Kale
Kohlrabi (June, July)
Leeks (August)
Lettuce
Mint
Mushrooms (year-round)
Mushrooms, wild
Onions (July, August)
Oregano
Parsley
Peas and pea pods (July, August)
Peppers, sweet (July, August)
Potatoes (July, August, stored year-round)
Rhubarb (June, July)
Rutabagas (August)
Snap peas/snow peas
Spinach
Squash, summer (July, August)
Squash, winter (August)
Thyme
Tomatoes (July, August)
Turnips (August)
Zucchini (July, August)
Zucchini blossoms (June, July)
Also, find out below where your closest farmers'
market is located.
Local Farmers'
Markets
Connecticut
Connecticut Organic Farmers' Markets
Connecticut Department of Agriculture
New York
NYC Greenmarket Farmers Markets
Farmers Market Federation of New York
New York State Department of Agriculture
You can also visit our
archive page for past newsletter articles
on resources.
The health
information provided here is for informational
purposes only and is not intended to substitute
for seeking professional medical care. |
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Recipe: Pumpkin
Soup
Add a healthy soup
recipe to your
cooking repertoire.
Puree your own baked
pumpkin meat
or use canned pumpkin puree.
This is a simple,
flavorful dish.
Ingredients
3/4
cup water
1
small onion, chopped
1 can
(8 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 cup
unsalted vegetable broth
1/2
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4
teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup
low-fat milk
1/8
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1
green onion, green top only, chopped
Preparations
1. In
a large saucepan, heat 1/4 cup of the water
over medium heat.
2. Add
the onion and cook until tender, about 3
minutes. Don't let the onion dry out.
3. Add
the remaining water, pumpkin, broth,
cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce
heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4.
Stir in the milk and cook until hot. Don't
boil.
5.
Ladle into warmed individual bowls and
garnish with black pepper and green onion
tops. Serve immediately.
Serves
4.
You can
also visit our
archive
page for
past newsletter recipes.
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Spectacular Sale Extended!
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SAVE
NOW! |
We're
extending our Spectacular
Sale!
Prepay for 30 days of fresh food delivery from
5 Squares and get 10% off of your entire order.
Don't delay another minute! We can help you get started right now.
Please mention this newsletter when you call. This offer expires October 31, 2009 and cannot be combined with any other offer.
Call us at
1.866.5.WE.COOK or
email us. Share this offer with your
friends by using the blue "Forward email" link at the bottom of your
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Offer Expires: October 31, 2009
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5 Squares™ healthy eating plan is a
weight management program
designed to help you manage your eating habits and achieve
personal weight and health goals. We take all of the
guesswork out of eating properly by eliminating the
opportunity to make wrong choices.
Our expert chefs prepare
guilt-free,
delicious food, which is delivered right to your door
before 6 a.m. Because you have your five meals for the day
(3 meals plus 2 snacks), you have the power to eat the right
foods, the right amount, and the best nutritional calories.
The 5 Squares monthly e-newsletter is a great resource for
nutritional advice;
quick, healthy-lifestyle tips; recipes; resources and
special offers; and
5 Squares promotions.
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Email us:
Info@5Squares.com
Call us toll-free:
1.866.5.WE.COOK (1.866.593.2665)
Visit us:
www.5Squares.com
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Greetings,
