Trying to lose weight? Stay clear of diet food! Don’t choose foods because they’re marketed as “good for weight loss.” Most of them have hidden ingredients that hinder weight loss. By eating healthy, whole foods that are rich in nutrients, you’re sure to lose weight pretty effortlessly. Try eating a salad every day for a week and see the difference in your weight loss progress.

Here are a just a few “diet foods” that are not healthy weight loss foods.

healthy eating back to basicsLean Cuisine – Although better than a frozen pizza, Lean Cuisine is not the healthiest for any weight loss plan. Lean Cuisine frozen dinners contain mostly processed starches that are low in fiber. They also contain a lot of fillers that offer little in the way of nutritional value. The sodium, of course, is out of control on most packaged foods, “diet” or otherwise. If the ingredients list has additives that are either hard to pronounce or look like they belong in a lab somewhere, don’t eat it 🙂

Healthier choice: If you are serious about losing weight, you’ll have to make some sacrifices and remember my rule of thumb: Go back to the basics – choose foods our ancestors ate–whole foods. If dear ole great granny didn’t eat it, you probably shouldn’t either!

Yogurt – Most yogurts on the market are loaded with unnecessary sugars and have unhealthy ingredients added to them.

Healthier choice: Plain, Greek yogurt and stir in a teaspoon of Grade B maple syrup, or  fresh fruit a hint of sweetness. Greek yogurt often has double the protein which will help keep you fuller longer.

Veggie Chips – Although seemingly healthy, and clearly better than most potato chips, it’s important to check the labels and of course eat in moderation. Skip all together if you are on a weight loss mission. Most veggie chips have potato flour as the first ingredient so make sure and check the ingredients. Also, make sure and check the label to find out if the veggie chips are baked or fried.

Healthier choice: Make your own sweet potato chips, or Healthy Corn Chips.

Granola – Be very careful about consuming granola, especially if you are trying to shed a few pounds. Although nuts, oats and seeds are very healthy, most purchased granolas have added candy or yogurt bites that make granola an unhealthy choice. Even seemly healthy granola can add extra calories and fats depending on the type and amount of fat and unhealthy oils are used in the cooking process

Healthier choice: Make this easy Healthy Choice Granola

Diet soda – That can of zero-calorie soda may be your waistline’s worst enemy! Research from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio found that people who drink artificially sweetened beverages gained more weight than those who didn’t, possibly because the sweet flavor may trigger cravings for the real thing.

Healthier choice: Healthy beverages (click here for ideas) and for soda choice use Zevia.

I’ll be posting more unhealthy “diet” foods so sign up for the blog so you don’t miss out!