Have you ever found yourself standing in the store in front a bunch of ‘healthy’ food thinking it sounded too delicious to be good for you?
I have. It happens to me a lot! But healthy food can be super yummy. I try to buy food that is made from simple ingredients and is nutrient dense.
One of my favorite treats is some really amazing granola. Sure, you can make it yourself, and I tend to make my own often. But sometimes, that bag on the store shelf just calls to me and pulls me in.
Today is one of those days.
This granola blend is very tasty and I don’t regret buying it. The serving size for a snack is 1/4 cup and I usually use less than that sprinkled in some green yogurt or on top of a smoothie bowl. The bag advertises all sorts of great things like non gmo and gluten free and fair trade. You can pronounce all the ingredients, but don’t be fooled- a granola with chocolate mixed in is not health food.
This granola has sugar listed in 5 different ways on the ingredients list.
That doesn’t mean you can’t eat it. I’m eating it today, right now on my plain yogurt. The point is not that you can’t have things like this, but just to keep your eyes open and not be fooled by the packaging or list of bold writing that attempts to convince you that just because something has healthy foods in it that it follows your nutrition plan. Don’t ignore all that sugar. If you eat it, make sure everything else in that meal or snack is low in sugar, and ALWAYS watch those portion sizes.
If you decided to ignore the portions in this granola and pour a bowl of it to eat with some milk you could easily be ingesting anywhere from 34-68g of carbs. And most of that is from sugar. So beware!!
Read labels, know what you are eating.
Make decisions that you feel good about and find the things you like, and then eat them in appropriate amounts! Life and nutrition is all about smart decisions and balance.
~eat well, be well
Patty
Patty Jones Fitness 