4 surprising foods that sabotage your diet

Before you cook up dinner, check out these 4 surprising foods that will sabotage your diet. As starting a diet is exciting. You go to the grocery store, throw every healthy item you can find into your basket, and you even pick up some quinoa, something you would never think of consuming. You try your new healthy lifestyle change for a day, two days, even up to a week. But, you don’t see results. Nothing has changed, and you’re ‘back to square one’. Is your healthy diet sabotaging you? Certain ‘health’ or everyday foods may not be what they seem. And it’s important to be aware of what they are. Here the food culprits that you should avoid right now!

Cereals
Loaded with fibre, phosphorus and vitamin B, cereals can seem like a healthy start to the day. However, they’re a major fat gain culprit. Cereals are highly-processed grains, and they are packed with sugar. Even if a cereal brand claims to be loaded with fibre, wholegrains and other healthy ingredients, if the sugar content is high, it’s a big no-no. Cereals can also be low in protein and will not leave you satisfied, making you binge more later on in the day. Try no-added-sugar muesli or oats instead, to skimp on the sugar and up your protein intake.

Milk
When we were young, we were taught that milk is good for us. It’s loaded with calcium, and it’s good for your bones, etc. We take milk in our cereal, in coffee and sometimes even some warm milk with honey at bedtime. But did you know that your average latte contains two cups of milk, and that amounts to 200 calories, and a whopping 24 grams of carbs? Getting a venti latte in Starbucks alone would amount to your maximum daily carb intake! Could you imagine that? Skip the milk and instead opt for almond milk or coconut milk. A good coffee alternative would be an Americano or an espresso, so you can have your coffee without worrying about the calories!

White carbohydrates
White carbs include: white bread, spaghetti, pasta, and white rice. These are highly processed and bleached, and contain little nutrients due to the amount of processing they go through. Because they are so highly processed, your body digests them just like sugar; they are digested quickly and you’ll easily find yourself hungry an hour later. Eating a lot of carbs can easily contribute to weight gain, and they should be eaten in moderation. Instead, opt for multigrain bread or brown rice. These foods are higher in fibre, leaving you fuller for longer. Limit your carbs to two to three servings a day.

Flavoured yoghurt
This one is the least expected among all the health foods out there. Yoghurt is usually deemed a health food, and yoghurt is loaded with probiotics and tons of other healthy ingredients. However, flavoured yoghurt has a major downfall. Flavoured yoghurt is loaded with sugar, and one serving could easily contain up to five teaspoons of sugar. Imagine eating that much sugar at one go? That certainly would put all your weight loss efforts to waste. Instead, try opting for plain Greek yoghurt. This is higher in protein and will keep you full and curb your midday snack cravings!