1. Breakfast cereal bars
Breakfast cereal bars are promoted as a quick and healthy breakfast alternative. While they often share the same name as the popular cereals, they are very different when it comes to nutritional value and kilojoule content. The bars are usually held together with a sticky mix of various sugars, which doubles their sugar content, and halves the fibre content. Some are also high in saturated fat, and should really sit alongside the chocolates in the supermarket isle, not the breakfast cereals.
Instead – Look for other quick breakfast choices such as cereal with skim milk, a piece of fruit, raisin toast or a skim milk smoothie.
2. Vitamin water
Despite claims they can ‘revive' you and boost energy levels, vitamin and nutrient drinks are little more than an artificial mix of water, sugar, caffeine, flavours and colours. One brand contains over ten teaspoons of sugar, while another manufacturer has been taken to court over deceptive claims that vitamin water is a healthy alternative to soft drink.
Instead – Drink plain water, and get your vitamin and minerals from whole foods and quality supplements.
3. Creamy salads
Just a few tablespoons of the wrong dressing and you've converted an otherwise healthy plate of salad vegetables into a high kilojoule junk food. This is especially true in the case of creamy salads made from potato, pasta or tuna, or anything mixed with mayonnaise, cheese or sour cream.
Instead - Look for salads with lots of vegetables, chickpeas, and a small portion of healthy fats in the way of avocado, nuts and seeds. For the dressing, use a little bit of olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice. When ordering a salad, ask for dressings on the side so you can enjoy a small amount.
4. Yoghurt
Different varieties of yoghurt can range from a healthy snack, to having enough sugar and fat to be classified as a dessert. The labels are also very confusing, with most popular ‘diet', ‘lite' or ‘low-fat' yoghurts containing over seven teaspoons of sugar in each 200 gram serve, and more kilojoules than full-fat natural yoghurt.
Instead – Go for low-fat natural yogurt, and then add your own chopped fruit for added fibre and sweetness
5. Fruit juice
Fruit juice is promoted as a healthy, refreshing drink, and is even mentioned as a substitute for whole fruit. However, a glass of juice can have up to three times the kilojoule content of an equivalent piece of whole fruit. In fact, one glass of fruit juice has a similar kilojoule content to a glass of regular soft drink.
What's more, juice doesn't satisfy your hunger because the fibre is removed, so you're likely to consume even more kilojoules afterwards.
Instead – Eat fruit whole, as nature intended, and drink plenty of plain water.